Gaming handhelds have been the rage since Nintendo left the market with the Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo Switch somewhat closes the void, but sometimes its weaker hardware leaves much to be desired. It has prompted manufacturers to bring more ambitious hardware, satiating the hunger for emulating classics and PC handhelds.
The ambition is fully welcomed, and in truth, we’d love to see what other reputable gaming brands can offer. So we’ve devised a list of top manufacturers and brands that we’d be ecstatic to see showcase as the next big hit, one that complements the best Android gaming handhelds.
Though we included some bonus entries that mention entering the handheld market, we mainly focus on brands that haven’t announced new products.
6 Alienware
Alienware can raise the bar even higher for PC handhelds
Dell owns the Alienware brand and hasn’t dipped in quality since its acquisition in 2006. Asus and Lenovo have made powerful PC gaming hardware with the Ally and Legion series, and adding Alienware to the mix would be an exciting prospect. Alienware would likely make a handheld in the same veins as its PC competitors, using a Windows OS to play PC titles. Still, it isn’t unreasonable to expect Alienware’s top hardware to back it up, as they already have a strong portfolio of top-tier gaming laptops and computers.
According to the Indian Express, there’s some interest in entering the handheld market. Alienware’s General Manager says:
“the brand is closely looking at the handheld gaming market and exploring opportunities to introduce a handheld device if the right balance of performance and user experience can be achieved.”
There’s hope after all that Alienware hasn’t closed that door, and we’d love to see this interest actually materialize.
5 Razer
Maybe Razer can make a strong comeback
Technically, Razer did make a handheld. It made the Razer Edge in 2023, a gaming tablet that was designed for cloud gaming. Our reviewer, Matthew Sholtz, gave the product 6/10, mentioning that he had problems with streamed games fitting the screen and that the price wasn’t enough to justify buying it over a dedicated gaming phone.
We know Razer could do better, and it’s not like the Razer Edge was terrible. Razer could redeem itself by releasing a much better handheld suited to the market. Razer already makes fantastic peripherals, like the Razer Kishi series, one of our favorite Android controllers. There’s still hope Razer makes a comeback, but we hope it’s not done before the market saturates.
4 Sony
They made great portables before, they can do it again
Technically, this one is a cheat, as there have been rumors that Sony has another handheld in the works. Sony’s impressive resume with the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita (to an extent) makes it exciting to see what the company has in store for a handheld. We have already seen the PlayStation Portal in 2023, and it works wonderfully well for what it was designed for.
We know Sony can do it. The question becomes whether Sony will do it the way we want and if they’d be happy to put behind the game exclusivity war they’d previously had. In recent years, we’ve seen more Sony titles come to Steam, which paints a brighter future, though I’d expect some level of aggression for first-party development, which isn’t the worst.
We’d also love it if they bring an extra flair by allowing people to play their PlayStation digital library. Remotely playing PlayStation titles without connecting your console would be great so you can have a PlayStation handheld on the go.
3 Samsung
Creativity in handheld design would be key
Putting Samsung on this list is odd compared to the rest, but they are one of the leading hardware manufacturers. They can easily create one with a strong infrastructure, as they tend to make great-performing SSDs and are a large part of semiconductor production. The concern would mainly be what they plan to do for games since Samsung has zero presence on the software gaming side.
We can see Samsung making an all-arounder that works well with Android-supported games and is used as a fun portable media center. The form factor would be the most important consideration since it would have to sell people on buying a handheld versus another Samsung flagship.
2 Nvidia
Nvidia could stretch performance even higher
Nvidia has already teased us at CES 2025 that they plan to officially pair the GeForce Now app with Valve’s Steam Deck. But in the case of first-party handhelds, we have to mention Nvidia. They are known for engineering the most advanced chips, systems, and software. This company understands the challenges of performance while maintaining graphical fidelity.
If we want a monstrous optimized handheld, Nvidia might be the best answer, especially if the company is willing to design a custom high-end chip just for handheld gaming. Plus, Nvidia already has an established cloud gaming service that would pair well with the system. Nvidia entering the handheld market would be a real treat.
1 Honorable mention: Microsoft
A true Windows handheld experience could happen
We know Xbox is working on a handheld, but we don’t know in what form it would be. Even with Xbox Game Pass’s great success and the company’s emergence in cloud gaming, we hope it’s not just another cloud gaming machine. We have seen Microsoft commenting on simplifying the Windows gaming experience, a sore spot for already established handheld brands.
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8 features I’d like to see on the rumored Xbox Gaming handheld
Microsoft could easily have my number
If Microsoft doesn’t go too out of the norm with the hardware design and puts its attention on creating an optimal Windows-based OS, it may be a real winner in the competition. Of course, the same applies to Sony. We hope the company puts behind exclusivity and that the operating system won’t be overly restrictive. The expectations are high with Microsoft, but the company has what it takes to meet them.
Choosing the best handheld for you
Handhelds can range from expensive to inexpensive, depending on your needs. You can find handhelds that emulate your favorite arcade moments (thank you, Atari) or play your Steam library. We know that competition is great for healthier consumer practices, so we hope more companies are willing to join in and innovate.
