Gaming handhelds are growing more popular, and 2024 saw more than a few noteworthy releases covering a spectrum of gaming. There were emulation handhelds from Anbernic and Retroid, plenty of new PC handhelds from Ayaneo, and retro-oriented devices from Analogue and Modretro. It’s been a busy year, and the device the AP team voted the king of 2024 is the Asus ROG Ally X. This handheld took everything great about the original and polished it to a glorious sheen.
If you want performance, a good d-pad, and ergonomics designed for all-day play, the ROG Ally X is a handheld that fills all needs without compromise. It also looks good doing it. How could we not recognize the handheld as the best gaming handheld of 2024?
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The ROG Ally X is basically everything I wanted from a refresh of the gaming handheld
Enthusiasts assemble, this one’s for you
The ROG Ally X is AP’s gaming handheld of the year
Asus ROG Ally X
The ROG Ally X is a device made for enthusiasts looking for the best performance in a handheld package, and it delivers with an ergonomic design. Whether you want to play AAAs or indies, this machine can play them.
Having spent a lot of time with the ROG Ally X this year, testing game after game for personal edification, there is little doubt this handheld is one performant device. Whether you want to game at 720P and upscale to 1080p or play at the default 1080p resolution, a range of options make it easy to dial in your performance. Looking to play AAA games? You can play while on the go, and you’ll game for longer thanks to the bigger battery in the X model.
The improved d-pad makes fighting games a joy to play. With more ergonomic trigger positions, racing games feel great, too. The ROG Ally X fixes what Asus didn’t get right with the first model. Asus claims it made the device for enthusiasts, and it shows when you get your hands on it.
This is why the ROG Ally X won AP’s best gaming handheld of the year award. This device is made for gaming fans, with the spit and polish one would expect, not to mention a price to match at $800. If you’re looking for the best gaming handheld to play the latest PC games, you could do worse for more money, so the ROG Ally X hits the sweet spot of price versus performance.
The Ayaneo Pocket Micro is the handheld for emulation minimalists
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The Ayaneo Pocket Micro is the best handheld for retro emulation
The perfect platform for emulating GBA games
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Ayaneo Pocket Micro. It looks like the Game Boy Micro, with a name that makes things obvious, and it is hands-down the team’s favorite for emulating Game Boy Advance games. It’s a competent little handheld that emulates many systems, up to the PS2, which is why those tiny analog sticks are handy. The Ayaneo Pocket Micro shines as a GBA emulation device. If you fondly remember long-past days playing through Pokémon Emerald and Metroid Fusion, reliving them with AP’s runner-up for best handheld of the year is the best way to do so.
Ayaneo Pocket Micro
The Ayaneo Pocket Micro offers a similar look and feel to the classic Game Boy Advance Micro, with the ability to emulate classic consoles up to the PS2.
