Handheld

Announced at Computex 2024, Zotac Gaming Zone is now available to pre-order. The gaming handheld launched as a competitor to ROG Ally X, with an AMOLED display, Hall effect sensors, AMD Ryzen 7 8840U, and 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Its launch price is $799.

While Steam Deck OLED ships with SteamOS, there have been ways to install Windows on the gaming handheld. But now that Valve has released official drivers, running Microsoft's OS on the device has become a little easier.

A paid software called Lossless Scaling on Steam has just been updated, and it now can offer up to 4x FPS boost with frame generation tech. It can also upscale games from a lower resolution, making it stand as a good option to get a bit extra performance out of gaming handhelds and relatively low-end systems.

An analyst reporting on Nintendo's recent financial results has speculated that the Switch 2 will launch in the first half of 2025 with a rather hefty price of "$499 or less". This could make Nintendo's upcoming handheld console a tough sell, given its proximity to the $399 Steam Deck and devices like the Asus ROG Ally.

The Asus ROG Ally gaming handheld has been discounted by $150 in a Best Buy deal, returning it to its record-low price of just $499.99. The 7-inch Windows-powered gaming handheld packs plenty of CPU and GPU power with the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, and we praised it in our review for its fast 120 Hz display and AMD FreeSync support.

The Antec Core HS made its official debut in May of this year, and now the company has made the gaming handheld available to purchase. Essential, it's a rebadged Ayaneo Slide, but with cheaper price tags, with the 16/512 GB variant currently at $499.

According to new reports, Anbernic is a mere few days away from officially releasing its latest vertical retro gaming handheld. Not only has the release date for the Anbernic RG40XX V surfaced online, but so has its launch pricing and key specifications.

With a retro starship inspired design, a "romantic" RGB light strip, toolless M.2 SSD slot and the promise of 100 and 120 watt TGP options, the AYANEO AG01 gets ready to join the likes of GPD and OneXPlayer in the mobile eGPU space.

A recent SteamOS beta update mentions support for the extra keys of the Asus ROG Ally. This hinted that third-party handhelds could get official support for the operating system that runs on Steam Deck. Valve has now said that the team is "making steady progress" on adding official support for other gaming handhelds.

The Xbox Game Bar is getting a new Compact Mode that aims to make the overlay Windows gaming handheld-friendly. Microsoft is currently testing the mode in the Xbox Insider Program, and it is currently available to the members of the program.

Past reports claimed the Nintendo Switch 2 would launch in March 2025, but Chris Dring from Games Industry claims that none of the developers he spoke to are expecting the new handheld to launch in this financial year. That suggests the console may launch later than initially anticipated.

CheckMag A Lenovo representative recently clarified rumours about the possibility of the company releasing new Legion Go gaming handhelds. While the company has sought to dampen rumours, its statement still leaves space for the arrival of a smaller Legion Go 'Lite' later this year.

Gaming insider Paul Gale recently reported that the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 will launch with major third-party AAA ports. Now, a new report from a reputed leaker claims that the gaming handheld will get ports of Assassin’s Creed Shadows and other entries of the series.

The M21 is a new retro gaming handheld that leans heavily on the designs of both the Game Console R36S and the Powkiddy RGB20S. Reportedly powerful enough to emulate up to PlayStation 1 games, SJGAM also equips the M21 with a pair of joysticks, a 3.5-inch display and an HDMI port for outputting to an external display.

MagicX is preparing to refresh the XU Mini M, its 2.8-inch alternative to the Anbernic RG28XX and Miyoo Mini A30. Available soon as the Crystal Collections Edition, the new MagicX XU Mini M gaming handhelds will all feature translucent finishes with varying colours.

Nextorage has released its new G Series ME M.2 2230 SSDs, targeted towards gaming handhelds such as the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally. The company claims it's the fastest 2230 PCIe 4.0 line in the market, promising speedier game loading times. It is also said to have high stability.

CheckMag UMPCs or Ultra Mobile PCs were an entire category not so long ago. Offering unheard of performance in a package that could literally fit in the palm of your hand. Having dropped off people's radar there are still many that miss the good old UMPC days. Here are 3 of the last few remaining UMPC options in 2024.

The 512 GB Lenovo Legion Go has seen the biggest discount ever. It has dropped to $551.76, the lowest recorded price for this SKU. Without any sale in place, it usually goes for $699.99, so the gaming handheld is currently enjoying a price cut of nearly $150.

The Capcom Summer 2024 Humble Bundle sale has many popular Steam Deck games, including a couple of Street Fighter titles. Altogether, this bundle is worth $349, but you can claim all of them for as low as $30. Note that the offer will be available for a limited time, ending on August 28th.

CheckMag While Windows on Steam Deck might seem counter intuitive, having a dual boot or purely Windows system can offer the ability to play games that aren't compatible with Steam OS. While Valve isn’t known for providing regular driver updates to Windows users, there thankfully are other options.

A recent Nintendo Switch 2 leak claimed Steam Deck-like performance from the upcoming handheld gaming console, and now, a new shipping manifest seems to reinforce that information. The supposed leaked documentation indicates that the Switch 2 will be need to draw nearly twice as much power from the wall as the original Switch.

MagicX has begun testing the XU Mini 2, Touch One, and Touch Two handheld devices. As per a new video, the XU Mini 2 features a vertical layout, while the Touch One and Touch Two have horizontal designs. The handhelds are expected to be released by year-end, with the final specs still under development.

Lenovo has responded to the recent alleged leaks surrounding a supposed upcoming Legion Go Lite, but it shrewdly avoided either confirming or denying the existence of a new Lenovo handheld gaming PC. Lenovo blamed the hype surrounding the alleged Legion Go Lite on incorrect information about the first-generation Legion Go.

ETA Prime on YouTube has recently demonstrated how to turn a broken Steam Deck into a fully functional mini PC on the cheap. You don't even need in-depth knowledge or specialised tools to accomplish the task, and the parts-bin Steam Deck can be found on eBay for as little as $142.

The Thumby Color is the latest effort by TinyCircuits, which has been behind the TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini, among other miniature devices. Built around a Raspberry Pi and running open-source software, the Thumby Color is compatible with over 100 games and owes its design to the classic Game Boy Advance.

Anbernic is preparing to launch another 4-inch gaming retro handheld. While the company has focused on horizontal devices recently, its next release will return to a vertical orientation with a design that looks like a Game Boy, as well as the AYANEO Pocket DMG.

The Lenovo Legion Go is a handheld console with detachable joysticks - unfortunately, they can't be linked together to create a single controller out of the box. JSAUX has applied its "advanced engineering" to the problem and come up with a potential solution. A set of the OEM's new Handle Straps can be ordered with or without a silicon bumper for the conjoined joysticks.

In the latest episode of the Broken Silicon podcast by Moore's Law Is Dead, Matthew Cassells from Alderon Games shared some insights on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Matthew says that the gaming handheld could be on par with Steam Deck in terms of performance, but its software could limit it.

AYANEO has followed up its recent Pocket Micro and Pocket DMG releases with another Pocket series gaming handheld. Building on the Pocket S, the Pocket EVO boasts a 7-inch OLED display, Qualcomm's most powerful gaming handheld chipset and improved cooling, among other features.

Anbernic has offered up another retro gaming handheld, shortly after releasing the RG40XX H. This time, it has refreshed the K101 Plus, which can play Game Boy Advance cartridges or play ROMs via a K card adapter.

The OneXGPU launched as an eGPU solution for systems that needed a GPU boost to offer better gaming performance. OneNetbook, the company behind the product, has just announced its successor, the OneXGPU 2, and it will be featuring a yet-to-be-released AMD Radeon 7800M graphics card.

Z-Pocket Game has quietly restocked the ZPG A1 Unicorn, its long-awaited alternative to the Anbernic RG Cube. Based around a MediaTek Helio G99, the ZPG A1 Unicorn runs Android and combines a 4-inch 1:1 display with 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a 4,500 mAh battery for $129.

It appears that Lenovo is hinting at releasing two new gaming handhelds, both under its existing Legion Go brand. While there have been rumours for months that the company would introduce a Legion Go 'Lite', this 7-inch variant could also be joined by an 8-inch model that adds dual fans and a dedicated HDMI port.

The Ayaneo Pocket EVO has been fully detailed by the company. This new Android gaming handheld sports the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 gaming SoC, a 7-inch OLED screen, an 8600 mAh battery, and a lightweight design. It will be available on Indiegogo on August 8 with a starting early bird price of $389 for the base variant.

AMD has released the Technical Preview of Fluid Motion Frames 2, which promises noticeably better performance, especially in low-power devices. YouTuber ETA Prime has put it to the test on the Asus ROG Ally X handheld, and the technology offers noticeably better performance in many games.

AMD's Zen5-based Strix Point APUs have proven to be quite efficient which could prove to be a huge asset if and when the Strix APUs start to appear in handheld game consoles. To see what kind of a handheld performance the Strix APUs could bring, one YouTuber has put the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 through its paces in a bunch of games at just 17 W.

AYANEO has offered up yet another Android gaming handheld under its Pocket series. This time, the company has decided to target establised players like Anbernic and Powkiddy with the Pocket Micro, which it is selling for $189 with enough power to emulate pretty much anything you could throw at it.

AYANEO has finally released the Pocket DMG, its second Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2-powered gaming handheld after delivering the Pocket S earlier this year. Switching to a vertical layout this time, AYANEO has also equipped the Pocket DMG with an OLED display and innovative controls for under $350.

ASUS has just released Armoury Crate SE 1.5 (ACSE 1.5) for the ROG Ally, which it insisted would provide a 'more console-like' UI. However, there are plenty of early reports that ACSE 1.5 is causing issues for original ROG Ally units.

AYANEO has confirmed plans to share new details about the Pocket EVO, another high-end Android gaming handheld. Sporting the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 like the Pocket S, the AYANEO Pocket EVO will adopt a 120 Hz OLED display as an alleged 'world's first'.

AYANEO has decided to clear out some of its AIR Plus stock. Although AMD Ryzen 7 6800U versions of the gaming handheld still sell for their MSRPs, AMD Ryzen 3 7320U editions have returned to their original Indiegogo launch prices.

Various sources have confirmed that Powkiddy has a new version of the RGB10 Max 3 Pro in the works. Allegedly arriving as the RGB10 Max 4, Powkiddy is expected to distinguish the new gaming handheld from its predecessor by including more RAM, a larger battery capacity and a more powerful chipset.

Retroid has detailed the Official Dock, a first-party accessory that it intends to start selling for under $30. Arriving later this week, the Retroid Official Dock will bring various expansion options to recent Retroid gaming handhelds like the Retroid Pocket 4 and Retroid Pocket 4 Pro.

Most phone game controllers are bulky and hold the phone between the grips like the Razer Kishi, GameSir G8 and various other options. However an entrepreneur by the name of Josh King has spent the last 5 years creating a prototype PSP Go style slide out controller for the iPhone and hopes to bring it to market soon.

MagicX has finally started selling the XU Mini M, its alternative to both the Anbernic RG28XX and Miyoo Mini A30. Available worldwide for under $50, the MagicX XU Mini M has a 2.8-inch display, a reasonably powerful chipset and hall effect joysticks, among other features.

AYANEO has confirmed the global release dates for its long-awaited Pocket DMG and Pocket Micro retro gaming handhelds. Launching simultaneously in a few days' time, the pair resemble classic Nintendo systems like the Game Boy and Game Boy Micro, albeit with modern features like an OLED display and chipsets powerful enough to emulate titles from all manner of game consoles.

It seems that Z-Pocket Game is preparing to begin selling the ZPG A1 Unicorn again. Originally available for $129, the Anbernic RG Cube rival may well return in more colours too.

MagicX is developing yet another retro gaming handheld. Supposedly arriving with a $40 target price tag, the MagicX XU HD should be powerful enough to emulate Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 1 games.