Handheld

The June Nintendo Direct could be a must-watch for fans of Zelda games. A reliable leaker expects The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake to play a key role. On the other hand, it may be too soon for the rumored 3D Mario to arrive as a Switch 2 console seller.

After unsuccessful lawsuits, Nintendo must pay €35 million for faulty Joy-Con controllers. A consumer protection group operating within the French government made the announcement. It found that the company ignored the stick-drift issue, causing consumers to purchase new Switch accessories.

Just a few months after raising the prices of the Thor and Odin 3, AYN has announced that another price increase will happen this month. This will be the fourth price increase for the Thor and the second for the Odin 3 since both devices were released.

A new rumor suggests Sega or a licensing partner may be exploring a low-cost retro handheld built around physical cartridges, a 5-inch OLED display, and hardware optimized for modern 2D pixel-art games.

Harbour Masters, known for polished Nintendo 64 PC ports, is expanding its Libultraship tools to GameCube titles, with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess leading the effort through the native PC port Twilight Princess: Courage Reborn.

Anbernic has begun rolling out a new software update that brings a redesigned user interface to several handhelds. The update, which needs to be manually downloaded, is available for models under the RG XX series.

Boasting a massive library of games, the first Switch remains a popular handheld. Unfortunately, EU repair guidelines could spell doom for the system in some countries. If Nintendo doesn’t update the console like it will with the Switch 2, a cheaper Switch 2 Lite becomes more appealing.

Belkin has released a modular grip case for the Nintendo Switch 2. The case has a built-in magnet for an optional magnetic power bank, so you can extend the handheld's battery life or charge on the go.

The latest RPCS3 PS3 emulator update fixes shadow and reflection effects across numerous titles, automates numerous fixes/settings for games on boot, and adds support for booting from encrypted/decrypted ISOs, including from Blu-Ray drives.

It seems like FromSoftware is confident in the performance of Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on the Switch 2, at least confident enough to have a release date announcement. The game will come with the Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion and additional content.

New Valve shipping data is reigniting speculation about the Steam Machine. According to a Reddit analysis, several April imports do not match the known Steam Deck pattern.

ASUS has equipped the ROG Xbox Ally X20 with an OLED display and several other upgrades. While the improvements have been well received by the community, many gamers still appear reluctant to buy the handheld.

The Steam Deck was originally promoted as an all-purpose gaming machine, with access to a vast Steam library, emulators, cloud gaming and even a desktop mode. Yet a recent Reddit discussion suggests that many owners use the handheld for just one favorite game.

EU design registrations may be for unannounced Nintendo Switch 2 consoles or accessories. The EUIPO database doesn’t provide details on the confidential filings, but they likely refer to new hardware. Many fans anticipate a Switch 2 Lite or OLED during the current generation.

Although the Steam Deck OLED has cost almost $800 since its recent price increase, it sold out almost immediately – even though more powerful handhelds are available for less. According to a recent Reddit discussion, there are clear reasons for that.

MSI brought their new Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld gaming consoles with the Intel Arc G3 Extreme under the hood. We went hands-on with the portable consoles and came away excited about the Arc G3 Extreme.

The newly released MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is now listed on Best Buy US with a price tag of $1,699.99. A couple of hundred dollars more than its previously rumored MSRP, the gaming handheld comes with 1 TB of storage, 32 GB of RAM, and Intel Arc G3 Extreme.

Square Enix’s open-world RPG is one of the stiffest tests for Nintendo’s latest console. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 reviews confirm positive tweaks since the demo, but performance issues persist. Textures are often overly soft, and there are noticeable compromises compared to the PS5 version.

Since the steep price increase, claims that the Steam Deck is “dead” have become increasingly common. A recent Reddit discussion suggests that this is not necessarily true. However, the Steam Deck could gradually lose momentum.

Intel has detailed the performance and power efficiency of its upcoming Arc G3 Extreme SoC. Designed for handheld gaming consoles, the Intel Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme rely on Intel's latest Panther Lake CPU architecture and feature 10 and 12 Xe-core iGPUs, respectively. However, the consoles powered by these chips could be extremely expensive.

Price hikes on the Steam Deck and handheld PCs at large make the Nintendo Switch 2's $449.99 MSRP genuinely appetizing in comparison, at least if you want to play games.

Few parts of the globe have avoided the recent Steam Deck OLED price hike. Buyers in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan must now also pay more for Valve’s hardware. Storage and memory shortages are limiting the affordability of gaming handhelds.

Asus has officially taken the wraps off its new handheld, the ROG Xbox Ally X20. The gaming handheld features major upgrades over the ROG Xbox Ally X, and will be sold alongside a pair of gaming AR glasses this holiday.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its ROG brand, Asus has announced the ROG Xbox Ally X20 handheld. The new handheld gaming PC has an OLED display, a translucent shell, and an AMD chip.

MSI has refreshed its Claw 8 handheld with Intel hardware mere months after its Ryzen Z2 Extreme-powered variant hit shelves last year. The new Claw 8 AI+ CG3EM is expected to hit shelves sometime in June 2026.

A new handheld comes with a keyboard and should be particularly versatile thanks to support for desktop operating systems. The piBrick is based on the Raspberry Pi in an especially compact and slim form factor.

A rare New Nintendo 3DS XL signed by Shigeru Miyamoto and awarded to John “Numbers” Goldberg, winner of the 2015 Nintendo World Championships, has surpassed $21,000 in an eBay auction. The mint-condition handheld, featuring Miyamoto’s signature and a Mario sketch, is drawing strong collector interest due to its provenance and the rarity of Miyamoto-signed Nintendo memorabilia.

Logitech has slashed the price of its G Cloud gaming handheld. While the Android-powered device is nearly four years old, it is still a capable device and a cheaper alternative to the PlayStation Portal.

Acer has a new handheld, but unlike its previous ones, this runs a different operating system and is paired with specs that are usually found on a sub-$150 handheld. Designed for PC game streaming, the Nitro Blaze Link is scheduled for release later this year.

The Anbernic RG477M has received a major update that brings the new RG Home launcher, RG Control Center, and RG Button Mapping feature that debuted on the RGV77V handheld a few weeks ago. Anbernic has also released an update for the RG477V that fixes some known bugs.

The Switch 2 box should include an HDMI cable for the console’s dock. Even so, Nintendo Support reports that gamers are struggling to find the accessory. The packaging's design is confusing buyers, who often overlook the cable stored in the middle section.

A new MSI Claw 8 is on its way. Powered by Intel Arc B390 graphics, the Claw 8 EX AI+ is set to surpass current 8-inch Claw handhelds with superior performance, improved ergonomics and possibly even longer battery life too.

Intel has officially confirmed the existence of a new MSI Claw 8 gaming handheld. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is set to launch 'in the coming months' too. In the meantime, multiple pictures showing the new 8-inch gaming handheld have emerged online.

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney believes Valve could have avoided the Steam Deck price increase. A regular critic of Gabe Newell, he claims that the co-founder should pay the higher component costs. Sweeney has condemned the dominant marketplace for exploiting buyers and developers.

The AYN Thor has gotten a new accessory, one that should be familiar to owners of classic dual-screen handhelds such as the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS. The accessory is available to buy now from the manufacturer's website.

Valve has raised the prices of the 512 GB and 1 TB Steam Deck OLED handheld gaming consoles. This move has caused quite a bit of uproar online. Serial leaker Moore's Law Is Dead has now ripped Valve for being incompetent and has raised concerns regarding the price of the Steam Machine.

YouTuber James Channel transformed a broken PS2 Slim into the “JamesStation 2,” a duct-taped portable handheld with salvaged controller parts, a GPS screen, rewired ports, and an exposed spinning disc drive. Despite its crude and hazardous construction, the DIY console reportedly runs demanding PS2 games for up to five hours on a 10,000 mAh battery, outlasting the Steam Deck.

Acer has unveiled a new Windows handheld backed by a 120 Hz display and an 80 Wh battery. Featuring up to Intel Arc B390 graphics and 24 GB of RAM, the Predator Atlas 8 is confirmed to be releasing globally in 2026.

OneXPlayer has finally confirmed global launch plans for the OneXPlayer X2 Mini. Now called the X2 Mini Pro, the handheld surpasses the OneXPlayer Apex with detachable controllers and a 144 Hz VRR OLED display.

OneXPlayer has announced a new Windows gaming handheld. Launching globally in June 2026, the OneXPlayer 3 combines the Intel Arc G3 Extreme with a 144 Hz OLED display. The handheld features an 85 Wh built-in battery and Hall effect joysticks, too.

Valve restocked the Steam Deck OLED hours before both the 512GB and 1TB models sold out again. The restock came alongside a significant price increase: the 512GB model rose from $549 to $789, while the 1TB variant climbed $300 to $949.

The Steam Deck price increase was an ominous sign for Valve’s new mini PC. On the Steam Machine release date, an insider believes that buyers will encounter even higher costs. The storage and memory shortage is likely to also inflate the MSRP of the console alternative.

Panic has added Crankboy to the Playdate Catalogue, bringing full-speed Game Boy emulation to the crank-equipped handheld for $10, with four bundled homebrew titles and support for legally imported ROMs.

The Steam Deck OLED is finally back in stock, but the gaming handheld now costs up to $300 more than before, and the cheaper LCD model has been removed from the range altogether. The days when the Steam Deck was a price-performance hit are now over.

Square Enix has announced Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition for the Switch 2. Gamers will benefit from enhanced performance, but missing upgrade paths are causing controversy. There is no discount for owners of the Switch game or save transfers to the latest console.

Lenovo’s new Game Boy-style handheld, the G02, is apparently genuine – but not part of the company’s global product portfolio. The manufacturer is distancing itself from allegations surrounding illegal ROMs, and its statement has drawn plenty of ridicule from the community.

A new leak says Intel could unveil the Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme before the month (May 2026) ends. Both chips are expected to power handheld consoles from MSI and Acer.

Less than a year after releasing the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, a rumor has surfaced that Asus may unveil a new handheld. The device is expected to make an appearance at Computex 2026 which begins in early June.

A modder has transformed an original Game Boy Advance into a functional Nintendo Switch controller using a GBA link cable, a microcontroller adapter, and his open-source Joypad OS firmware.

The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Xbox version will soon monopolize console hard drives. Gamers can preload the title now, but only after clearing more than 169 GB of space. Larger than Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, Switch 2 owners may also need pricey MicroSD Express cards.