Portable Consoles Review: I Have Tested 5 Handhelds, You Do Not Have To.

Last updated on November 18th, 2025 at 12:52 pm

Well, to be frank, I did not anticipate to have five handheld consoles. It began as interest in the Steam Deck, which got out of control after getting obsessed with the comparison. After three months and unreasonable amounts of screen time, here is what I learned.

The Setup: What I Tested

I picked up the Steam Deck OLED, Nintendo Switch 2, ASUS ROG Ally X, Retroid Pocket 5, and the Legion Go by Lenovo. Yeah, it’s overkill. However, when you are spending $400 -700 on one of these, then you should be able to understand which one does it.

Steam Deck OLED: The Slim Workhorse.

This is what is great about the Steam Deck, it works. I threw everything at it. Indie games, more AAA games, even emulation. The OLED screen? Game changer. Hades gaming in a dark room was utterly different as with the original LCD model that I borrowed by a friend.

On lighter games, I got approximately 4 hours of battery life. It has taken me 90 minutes to deplete it in Cyberpunk 2077, but I was not surprised by that. The surprise came in the form of the comfort that it gave me during the long sessions. Heavy, sure, but balanced.

The catch? You have been locked into the Steam system. None of the Game Pass or no Xbox games except when you start messing with Windows (I did it once and I will never do it again).

What I liked: Huge game collection, established stability, the OLED display.
Annoying features: Weight after an hour, restricted to Steam.

Nintendo Switch 2: King of the Casuals.

I know, I know,– it is not so good as the others. However, here is where Nintendo can do no wrong, simplicity. It was picked up and worked out in a few seconds by my niece. No configurations to customize, no performance options, and merely games that perform.

The mixing design remains shrewd. I used Zelda handheld on my way to work, and then put it in without a beat at home. Plus, those first-party games? They are impossible to find elsewhere.

However, in case of the PC gaming, the graphics will be a step backward. And even that 720p display in 2025 is old fashioned.

What I liked: Dead simple to operate, exclusive games, ideal in the case of casually playing games.
What bothered me: Reduced specifications, reduced game fill to the PC handhelds.

ASUS ROG Ally X: The Ultimate Beast.

This thing’s a monster. My Steam Deck screamed at the settings that I used to run Elden Ring. The screen was 120Hz and this made everything very smooth. It is simply a gaming laptop that is made the size of a hand.

Playing Windows implies I purchased Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and all PC launchers that I can imagine. Sounds great, right?

This is the truth, Windows on a handheld is enraging. Menus that are mouse oriented are difficult to multipurpose to thumbsticks. I was tweaking settings than doing gaming. And the battery life was atrocious the most 2 hour with intense games.

What I liked: Brutal power, accessibility to all, stunning screen.
What irritated me: windows interface, bad battery, overheats.

Lenovo Legion Go: The Peel and Stick Compromise.

Larger screen (8.8 inches), removable controllers, inbuilt kickstand. The Legion Go attempted to become everything. And honestly? It is decent at the majority of things.

Gaming was also fluid, the screen size allowed the strategy games to be played and I liked the addition of extra ports. But it’s huge. Similar to, “does not fit in most bags immensely. In half an hour my hands began cramping.

It is neither a handheld nor a portable PC and that is not a place that everyone can go.

What I liked: Size of the screen, multitasking, good performance.
What irritated me: Size and weight, ergonomics when sitting long.

Retroid Pocket 5: Thrifty Surprise.

I took this primarily as a retro game, and thought it would be a toy. It is, actually, a reasonable, not costly, impressive. I also played through Pokemon Emerald and some PSP games as well as light android titles without any difficulty.

It is small, can be put in a jacket pocket and the battery used to last forever (6+ hours). Ideal when gaming in a hurry or when one is reminiscing. However, it is not fast enough to run anything modern.

The good thing: Price, portability, good with retro games.
What frustrated me: Available to older games, quality of the builds was inexpensive.

But Which One Then Shall You Buy?

Having been among them all five, here is my opinion:

Buy the Steam Deck OLED in case you need stability and already have Steam games. It is the risk-free option that will leave no cause to be disappointed.

Buy the Nintendo Switch 2, when you need something easy or are concerned about exclusivity in Nintendo. It remains the most suitable to families and recreational players.

Use the ASUS ROG Ally X when there is a need to be the most efficient, and you do not mind as long as you can modify settings. Power users only.

Don’t bother with the Legion Go except where screen size is of primary importance to you. It is good but not great at one or another particular.

Get the Retroid Pocket 5 when you have low budget or simply want retro gaming. It is actually quite good at the price.

I just retained the Steam Deck and Retroid Pocket. The Steam Deck is dedicated to serious gaming, whereas the Retroid is devoted to the short-duration and nostalgic games. Everything else? Sold them.

Your call will be determined by what it is you really play and where you will use it. But now at least you come to know what you are getting into.

Also Read: Best Products to Buy 2025: Your Ultimate Tech Buyer’s Guide for Cutting-Edge Gear