Best handheld gaming PC in 2023

2. Steam Deck

Finest worth handheld gaming PC.

Steam Deck specs:

Execs

• Unmatched price-to-performance
• Enormous aftermarket ecosystem
• SteamOS

Cons

• Lackluster display
• Recreation compatibility
• Verification program isn’t all the time appropriate

Although the Steam Deck wasn’t the primary handheld gaming PC, it’s actually a very powerful – and profitable. Hundreds of thousands have been bought for a cause. The seamless integration with Steam and console-like expertise means it may be as plug-and-play as you want – with the advantage of having a very user-tweakable OS underneath the hood.

3. OneXPlayer 2

Finest display on a handheld Gaming PC.

OneXPlayer 2 specs:

Execs

• Lovely display
• Removable controllers
• Corridor impact triggers

Cons

• Costly
• Submit-launch assist

It may not have an OLED or VRR however the sharpness of such a decision in such a small measurement makes for some unbelievably crisp visuals.

2D video games – particularly these with a pixel artwork design – can be as sharp as a pin. Although most new video games received’t have the ability to make use of this decision, OneXPlayer recommends bumping it all the way down to 1200p which is able to scale properly to its native decision.

The controllers are removable in the same strategy to the Change and the upcoming Lenovo Legion Professional which means the OneXPlayer 2 is nice as a small impromptu pill. It’s price retaining in thoughts that the controllers can’t join collectively and not using a particular bracket that’s bought individually.

OneXPlayer has launched a couple of merchandise now however they don’t have the commercial may behind them like Asus or Valve do – making post-launch assist a priority.

There’s a good vary of equipment to select from to additional improve the OneXPlayer 2 expertise although. There’s a clip-on keyboard if you wish to get some work completed and the aforementioned controller bracket which implies you wouldn’t must convey a separate controller with you.

4. GPD Win Max 2

Finest convertible handheld gaming PC.

GPD Win Max 2 specs:

Execs

• Primarily a laptop computer
• Elevated eye place
• Nice keyboard

Cons

When you’ve gotten work at 9 however emulation at 5. The GPD Win Max 2 is type of the mullet of the gaming handheld PC world – enterprise up entrance and get together on the again. What makes this diminutive netbook a handheld gaming PC is the inclusion of the joystick and triggers. Furthering its credentials is the actual fact the joysticks use Corridor Sensors so that you simply want by no means fear about stick-drift.

The shockingly useable keyboard is nice for productiveness duties if you happen to want absolutely the smallest laptop computer on the go nevertheless it’s additionally nice to have when textual content prompts seem in video games otherwise you like a variety of hotkeys. The 2560 x 1600 display could be very sharp too – simply not fairly as crispy because the OneXPlayer 2’s – so video games and textual content can be very simple on the attention.

With the addition of a keyboard nevertheless, comes further weight and the GPD Win Max 2 weighs a whopping 2.22lbs (1005g) so that you may must pump iron to comfortably maintain it for longer than 5 minutes. To make up for this weight – your pockets can be markedly lighter because the GPD Win Max 2 prices a fairly penny.

5. Aya Neo Air

Finest transportable handheld gaming PC.

Aya Neo Air specs:

Execs

• Extraordinarily gentle and transportable
• Attractive OLED
• Corridor Impact joystick and triggers

Cons

• Underpowered
• No droop characteristic

The Aya Neo is a really slick and svelte package deal that isn’t as astonishingly costly as a few of the different non-Valve/Asus entries on our checklist at the moment. It has a superb OLED show that permits for excellent distinction ranges with true-blacks and brilliant highlights making for a really vibrant and punchy picture.

OLEDs have superb picture persistence too so there can be no seen ghosting and enter delays can be saved to a minimal given the very quick response time. Its pint-like statute means it should simply be stowed away in your bag and enjoying it on the go is much extra sensible than say with the comparatively monstrous Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck’s ace up its sleeve, nevertheless, is its droop characteristic which lets you decide up from the place you left off, one thing that’s sorely missed right here given how handy the Aye Neo Air is.

One other letdown is what’s powering the system underneath the hood. The Ryzen 5 5560U. This sadly doesn’t maintain a candle to the RNDA 2 and RDNA 3-derived APUs powering the remainder of our roundup.

6. GPD Win 4

Most premium gaming handheld PC.

GPD Win 4 specs:

Execs

• Slick PSP-like design
• Sliding display

Cons

• Cramped controls
• Costly

Sony’s PSP is arguably one of many best-designed items of tech ever conceived and it’s clear GPD is of this persuasion because it appears they took every little thing nice about that and improved the controls and added a keyboard hidden beneath a sliding display.

While being the same worth to different handhelds, this novel development and high quality design make it our decide for essentially the most premium handheld gaming PC. While the display doesn’t slide up that a lot, it makes a noticeable distinction and your neck will thanks if you happen to play it for any size of time.

The keyboard is clearly not essentially the most ideally suited typing expertise nevertheless it’s surprisingly useable. It additionally blows the Steam Deck and ROG Ally’s contact keyboard out of the water. Powering the GPD Win Max 2 is the Ryzen 6800U, a really performant APU that may see more moderen titles ticking alongside regardless of it not being the newest and biggest.

By taking inspiration from the PSP although, the controls can solely be improved by a lot and they’re nonetheless extra cramped and uncomfortable than a lot of the different entries on this checklist. It’s after all reasonably costly, however in case you are a PSP purist, which may be a small worth to pay.

How we selected the perfect handheld gaming PC

When compiling this checklist, we had a number of key areas to contemplate. Right here’s how we determined what was price a spot:

• Pricing: Irrespective of the way you have a look at it, shopping for a handheld gaming PC goes to be costly, nevertheless, there’s nonetheless fairly a variety in prices, and we wished to incorporate choices to accommodate everyone’s finances as a lot as potential so we wished to incorporate at the least one choice underneath $500. Going for cheaper choices could be a bit dangerous since you may find yourself with a subpar piece of substances, however we solely advocate choices which might be price their salt.
• Processing energy: Our prime decide, the Asus ROG Ally, makes use of the AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive, which implies it should not have any drawback enjoying new triple-A video games – each current releases, and new ones that come out over the subsequent couple of years. We advocate looking for this if you happen to take pleasure in enjoying all the newest video games – after all, these types of video games aren’t for everybody and something working off the AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive goes to hold a bigger price ticket.
• Portability: We’ve included a variety of sizes right here, as we recognize that completely different avid gamers are going to search for completely different ranges of portability. Would you like one thing to curve up on the couch with? Or one thing you may simply convey with you once you’re out and about? One thing just like the Steam Deck or the Asus ROG Ally can be slightly too massive, however a smaller mannequin just like the Aya Neo Air can be a lot better suited to the duty. Relying in your supposed use for the PC, remember to learn up on the scale and weight.
• Display: Not solely are you going to need to take heed to display measurement, but additionally what kind of display your chosen handheld PC has. For those who go for one with an OLED display, you’ll get distinctive image high quality, however it should value much more. In the meantime, an LCD display can nonetheless look good (however not as good) and comes with a smaller price ticket. We’ve included choices which have a variety of screens.