{"id":129905,"date":"2022-11-20T13:51:30","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T13:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/?post_type=guide&amp;p=43168"},"modified":"2022-11-20T13:51:30","modified_gmt":"2022-11-20T13:51:30","slug":"the-best-portable-gaming-consoles-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2022\/11\/20\/the-best-portable-gaming-consoles-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"The best portable gaming consoles 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"intro_text\">Portable gaming consoles are big business right now. In fact, it feels like we\u2019re seeing some of the <strong>best portable gaming consoles<\/strong> in recent years. Whether it\u2019s the runaway success of the Nintendo Switch since its launch in 2017, or the hubbub around Valve\u2019s brand-new handheld PC, the Steam Deck, it\u2019s hot stuff. Better yet,&nbsp;we\u2019ve got years of handheld gaming experience at our disposal to help you find the best one for your needs. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just big game companies getting in on the act, however. There\u2019s GPD, Ayaneo, Playdate, and the OneXPlayer all vying for market share and gaining lots of popularity in recent years. And there\u2019s also a bunch of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/best-gaming-phone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best gaming phones<\/a> ever available, though we\u2019re focused on larger, controller-having counterparts here. But how many get to be ranked among the <strong>best handheld gaming consoles<\/strong> you can buy today? <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where we\u2019re here to help. Rather than endless Googling and scrolling through spec sheets and individual reviews, our on-the-go gaming expertise is on hand to offer up a clear and concise list of the best portable gaming consoles available now. And, if you\u2019re looking for ideas on what to play once you\u2019re in the portable realm, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/best-switch-games\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best Switch games<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/best-mobile-games\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best mobile games<\/a> lists to make sure you\u2019re ready for endless videogame fun. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are the best&nbsp;portable gaming consoles on the market:<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-2.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43169 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the Nintendo Switch OLED, in its dock with a hand reaching to pull it out. It has white controllers and a white dock.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-2-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>1. Best portable gaming console<\/h2>\n<p>The best handheld&nbsp;gaming console is the <strong>Nintendo Switch OLED<\/strong>. Its RRP is set at $349.99 \/ \u00a3309.99, though you can often find it cheaper in bundles. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nintendo Switch OLED specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CPU\/GPU<\/td>\n<td>NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>1280\u00d7720 7.0 inch OLED touchscreen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>4310mAh lithium-ion battery<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>4 GB RAM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>64 GB flash storage (expandable up to 2TB with microSD\/SDHC\/SDXC cards)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Excellent variety of first-party and indie games<\/li>\n<li>Big, colourful screen<\/li>\n<li>Works on the go and on the TV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Walled-garden OS<\/li>\n<li>Limited power compared to handheld PCs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Nintendo Switch OLED is undoubtedly the best portable gaming console on the market today. While it technically has a smaller library than the Steam Deck, current early issues mean that a lot of games don\u2019t run quite right on Valve\u2019s console. <\/p>\n<p>The Nintendo Switch, however, has an exceptional library of first-party games from one of the best developers in history, Nintendo. Whether it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/bayonetta-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bayonetta 3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/xenoblade-chronicles-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Xenoblade Chronicles 3<\/a>, or all manner of exceptional indie titles, the Switch\u2019s success has helped fill its library with plenty of excellent games to play. <\/p>\n<p>The console itself has an excellent, bright, and colourful OLED screen, good ergonomics, and the built-in ability to play on your TV at no extra cost. It\u2019s excellently versatile, packed with great games, and easily the best handheld gaming console out there. The only downside, really, is Joy-Con drift, but there are plenty of alternative <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/switch-controllers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Switch controllers<\/a> to solve that issue. <\/p>\n<p>Read our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/nintendo-switch-oled\/review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nintendo Switch OLED review<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-3.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43170 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-3\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the Steam Deck, a black, handheld device with a screen in the middle and controls either side.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-3-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>2. Best handheld gaming PC<\/h2>\n<p>The best handheld gaming PC is the <strong>Steam Deck<\/strong>. It costs $399\/ \u00a3349 for the 64GB HDD, $529 \/ \u00a3459 for the 256GB SSD, and $649 \/ \u00a3569 for the 512GB SSD models. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valve Steam Deck specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CPU<\/td>\n<td>AMD Zen 2 4c\/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>GPU<\/td>\n<td>AMD RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>7-inch 1280\u00d7800 60Hz IPS LCD (400 nits typical brightness)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>40Whr battery (2-8 hours of gameplay)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>64 GB eMMC \/ 256 GB NVMe SSD \/ 512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Massive library of games<\/li>\n<li>Huge amounts of processing power<\/li>\n<li>Good control scheme<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Size \u2013 it\u2019s very, very big<\/li>\n<li>Not all games work (yet)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want as much freedom as possible, you probably disagree that the Nintendo Switch is the best portable gaming console, and that\u2019s fair. The magic of Valve\u2019s Steam Deck means that it\u2019s very close to the best handheld gaming console&nbsp;in our eyes, and clearly the best portable gaming PC available at the moment. <\/p>\n<p>With surprisingly good controls, huge amounts of freedom in the games you can choose from, and more than enough power for the majority of games out there, it is excellent. Downsides? Some games won\u2019t work straight out of the box, and either require a little bit of tweaking on your end or the developer\u2019s end. <\/p>\n<p>With enough time, these issues could be fixed, and the Steam Deck could be the de facto leader in the handheld space (maybe if it\u2019s a tad smaller, too \u2013 it\u2019s a bit too big for our liking right now). <\/p>\n<p>Read the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamesn.com\/steam-deck\/review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steam Deck review<\/a><\/strong> from our sister site PCGamesN. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-4.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43171 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the Playdate. A small, square device in yellow, with a couple of buttons on the front, a black screen above, and a crank on the side.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-4-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>3. Best handheld for unique&nbsp;indie games<\/h2>\n<p>The best handheld&nbsp;gaming console for unique indie games is the <strong>Playdate<\/strong>. It costs $179 (around \u00a3130), and it\u2019s set to be available from early 2023 at the time of writing. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Playdate specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CPU<\/td>\n<td>68MHz Cortex M7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>400\u00d7240 1-bit display<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>8 hours of active use<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>16MB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>4 GB flash storage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Original, exclusive games<\/li>\n<li>Inventive form factor<\/li>\n<li>Brand new games on the way<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Very limited library<\/li>\n<li>Almost as expensive as a Switch Lite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In our Playdate review, we call it a \u201cbright yellow embodiment of the joy of playing and indie gaming spirit.\u201d There\u2019s little else to sum it up than that, really. The Playdate is a tiny handheld with buttons on the face and a crank handle on the side. <\/p>\n<p>This crank has led to many inventive gaming experiences, and the console makers drew in many great indie devs to contribute, like the minds behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/cursed-to-golf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cursed to Golf<\/a>, Chuhai Labs, Bennet Foddy of Getting Over It fame, or Return of the Obra Dinn creator Lucas Pope. <\/p>\n<p>Sure, it\u2019s an incredibly limited console, but with a roster of devs that good, it\u2019s definitely worth a try. And look how cute and creative it is! To us, it\u2019s one of the best handheld game consoles just for its inventiveness. <\/p>\n<p>Read our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/playdate\/review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Playdate review<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-7.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43174 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-7\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the Ayaneo Air, a black, handheld device with a screen in the middle and controls either side.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-7-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>4. Smallest handheld gaming PC<\/h2>\n<p>The best&nbsp;handheld gaming console&nbsp;with a small form factor is the <strong>Ayaneo Air<\/strong>. It starts between $569 (around \u00a3490) and can scale all the way up to $1249 (around \u00a31100) depending on the configuration you go for. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ayaneo Air specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CPU<\/td>\n<td>AMD Ryzen 5 5560U \/ 7 5825U<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>GPU<\/td>\n<td>AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 \/ Vega 8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>5.5-inch 1920\u00d71080 AMOLED touchscreen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>28 Wh (7,350 mAh) \/ 38 Wh (10,050 mAh)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>8 GB LPDDR4x-3200, 16 GB \/ 32 GB LPDDR4x-4266<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>128 GB-2 TB SSD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Small form factor<\/li>\n<li>Attractive design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Overheating<\/li>\n<li>OS issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Ayaneo Air is tiny. What\u2019s more, it\u2019s also surprisingly powerful given its form factor. It\u2019s a console packed with features too, with hall effect joysticks (meaning no drift!) with RGB light rings under them, an OLED screen, and expandable storage. It\u2019s one of the best handheld gaming consoles&nbsp;if you\u2019re short on space. <\/p>\n<p>There are some issues, however. With less power than others on the market, it can occasionally limit you. The Aya Space operating system could also do with a bit of polish, while if you turn the TDP up this little thing can get big hot. <\/p>\n<p>These are the sacrifices you make, however, to have such a tiny and powerful portable gaming console. And, if you can stomach the price, this device&nbsp;doesn\u2019t have any competition in the ultra-small handheld PC market. <\/p>\n<p>Keep up to date with the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/ayaneo-2\/release-date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ayaneo 2 release date<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;for all the latest on the company\u2019s&nbsp;next handheld. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-6.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43173 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the Analogue Pocket, two versions, one white, one black. It's a rectangular device with a screen on the top at the front and controls below.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-6-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>5. Best portable retro gaming console<\/h2>\n<p>The best handheld&nbsp;gaming console for retro games is the <strong>Analogue Pocket<\/strong>. Expect to pay around $219 (around \u00a3190), though there are long waits for delivery. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Analogue Pocket specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Circuit<\/td>\n<td>Field-programmable gate array<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>3.5\u2033 1600\u00d71440 LCD (615ppi)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>4300mAh lithium-ion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>microSD card slot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Top-tier retro gaming<\/li>\n<li>Gorgeous form factor<\/li>\n<li>No emulation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Retro only<\/li>\n<li>No ROM compatibility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Analogue Pocket is the perfect version of the Game Boy, with a better screen, materials, and buttons, and a wider array of games to choose from. Whether it\u2019s Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance, your Nintendo needs are covered. <\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t stop there, though. If you have an adapter you can play Sega Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket\/Color, Atari Lynx, and TurboGrafx-16 games too. <\/p>\n<p>All of this is without any emulation, which is exceptional. Downsides? It\u2019s somewhat expensive, but I bet you it\u2019s worth it to any diehard retro game player. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-8.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43175 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-8\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the GPD Winmax 2, a laptop shaped device with controls above the keyboard for gaming.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-8-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>6. Most versatile handheld gaming PC<\/h2>\n<p>The most versatile handheld gaming PC is the <strong>GPD Win Max 2<\/strong>. Expect to pay between $999 \/ \u00a31,000 and $1,299 \/ \u200b\u200b\u00a31,200 depending on the configuration. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; GPD Win Max 2 specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CPU<\/td>\n<td>Intel Core i7-1260P \/ AMD Ryzen 7 6800U<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>GPU<\/td>\n<td>Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics \/ AMD Radeon 680M (integrated)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>10.1-inch 1920\u00d71200 IPS touchscreen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>67Wh lithium-polymer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>16GB LPDDR5 5200 MT\/s \/ 16GB\/32GB LPDDR5-6400 MT\/s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>&nbsp;1TB\/2TB NVMe SSD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Huge screen<\/li>\n<li>Full keyboard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Less portable<\/li>\n<li>Expensive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Oh no, that photo above isn\u2019t wrong, friends. This is one of the best handheld gaming consoles, I promise, but it also doubles as a tiny little laptop. With a full keyboard below your standard gaming controller setup, the GPD Win Max 2 is a little odd at first, but looks can be deceiving \u2013 this thing is an excellent gaming machine. <\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019re all done playing games though, what if you need to pause and write up a list of the best portable gaming consoles? Well, you can, as, with a lovely keyboard at your disposal, the GPD Win Max 2 is also great for on-the-go work-doing. <\/p>\n<p>Downsides? The built-in controller is a little clunky due to positioning, though you may be surprised \u2013 it\u2019s still comfier than it has any right to be. Oh, and it\u2019s one of the most&nbsp;expensive devices on this list. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-5.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43172 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the Nintendo Switch Lite, a grey, handheld device with a screen in the middle and controls either side.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-5-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>7. Best portable gaming console under&nbsp;$200<\/h2>\n<p>The best handheld&nbsp;gaming console below $200&nbsp;the <strong>Nintendo Switch Lite<\/strong>. Expect to pay $198 \/ \u00a3190 unless you find a good deal or bundle. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nintendo Switch Lite specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Chip<\/td>\n<td>NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>5.5-inch 1,280\u00d7720 LCD touchscreen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>3570mAh lithium-ion battery<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>4 GB RAM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>&nbsp;32 GB flash storage (expandable up to 2TB with microSD\/SDHC\/SDXC cards)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Super portable<\/li>\n<li>Great value<\/li>\n<li>Large library of games<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Small, low-res screen<\/li>\n<li>Not playable on TV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For $200, the Nintendo Switch Lite is incredible value to anybody looking to get into portable gaming but not break the bank. With exactly the same library as its bigger brother, the Lite is great for bedtime games or if there are any kids in the house you don\u2019t want breaking a half-a-grand Steam Deck. <\/p>\n<p>It also comes in a great range of colours (blue, pink, yellow, grey, plus a bunch of special editions) and has decent buttons for such a little thing, making it&nbsp;one of the best handheld gaming consoles on a budget. <\/p>\n<p>Downsides? The screen is small and a bit fuzzy compared to others on the market, and you can\u2019t connect the Nintendo Switch Lite to the television. But still, for portable gaming on a budget, this is the way to go. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-9.jpg\" class=\"gallery\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-legion-featured-2022 wp-image-43176 lazyload\" title=\"best-portable-gaming-consoles-9\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/themes\/legion\/dist\/images\/lazyload_placeholder.svg\" alt=\"One of the best portable gaming consoles, the ONEXPlayer, a black, handheld device with a screen in the middle and controls either side.\" width=\"550\" height=\"309\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pockettactics\/2022\/10\/best-portable-gaming-consoles-9-550x309.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>8. Best Steam Deck alternative<\/h2>\n<p>The best Steam Deck alternative is the <strong>OneXPlayer<\/strong>. Expect to pay between $899 \/ \u00a3800 and $1,499 \/ \u00a31,300 depending on your configuration. <\/p>\n<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-rail\">\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; OneXPlayer specs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CPU<\/td>\n<td>Intel Core i7-1195G7 \/ AMD Ryzen 6800U<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>GPU<\/td>\n<td>Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics \/ AMD Radeon 680M (integrated)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Display<\/td>\n<td>8.4-inch 2560\u00d71600 IPS, 358 PPI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Battery<\/td>\n<td>59Wh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Memory<\/td>\n<td>16GB DDR4-4266<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Storage<\/td>\n<td>512GB\/1TB\/2TB of SSD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Pros<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High-resolution display<\/li>\n<li>Nice ergonomics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Weaker integrated graphics<\/li>\n<li>No expandable storage<\/li>\n<li>Very expensive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Do you really hate Valve for some reason? Do you want to spend more money on a handheld PC? Do you really, really need an Intel CPU? Well, buddy, have I got the best handheld gaming console for you. <\/p>\n<p>In all seriousness, if you want a more traditional control scheme and more ergonomic design overall, the OneXPlayer is a good Steam Deck alternative. While it isn\u2019t as powerful on the GPU side, it\u2019s incredibly close in terms of performance. <\/p>\n<p>Still, it has some OS issues and isn\u2019t the same polished product the Steam Deck is overall. If you need it, however, it\u2019s there (for almost twice the price!). <\/p>\n<p>Read the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamesn.com\/steam-deck\/review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OneXPlayer Mini AMD review<\/a><\/strong> from our sister site PCGamesN. <\/p>\n<p>There you have it, folks, the best portable gaming consoles on the market today. We\u2019ll update this list as we get our hands on new consoles like the Ayaneo 2, so be sure to check back. For more, check out our massive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/skyrim\/marriage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Skyrim marriage<\/a> guide or even bigger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pockettactics.com\/civilization-vi\/tier-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Civilisation VI tier list<\/a> if you\u2019re planning to play either of these classics on your next portable console. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Portable gaming consoles are big business right now. In fact, it feels like we\u2019re seeing some of the best portable gaming consoles in recent years. Whether it\u2019s the runaway success of the Nintendo Switch since its launch in 2017, or the hubbub around Valve\u2019s brand-new handheld PC, the Steam Deck, it\u2019s hot stuff. Better yet,&nbsp;we\u2019ve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mobile-game-releases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129905\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}