Most people rely on smartphone apps to pass the time, but your iPhone or Android definitely wasn’t built for gaming. These handheld game consoles are, and they make for a great distraction. They have better battery life, actual buttons, and tons of games that can keep you occupied for hours.With three portable video game consoles on its roster, Nintendo is dominating the handheld space. Sony discontinued its PS Vita handheld back in 2019. Nintendo also discontinued its DS line of consoles in 2020. So while there aren't many models available right now, the ones that are provide a solid gaming experience.
The Best Handheld Consoles
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Since there are so few handheld consoles on the market, consider investing in an accessory like the OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip or snap-on Razer Kishi controller for mobile gameplay on your smartphone. My coeditor Stefan Vazharov reviewed both of these accessories and recommends them for avid smartphone gamers.
How We Chose
Our thoroughly researched picks will allow you to enjoy today's latest titles along with your old favorites from years past both at home or on the go thanks to their portability. These consoles provide long battery life, comfortable ergonomics, bright screens, and most importantly an expansive game library. Here are all the best handheld game consoles that are worth considering to keep you entertained on the go.
This console features a unique design that allows it to seamlessly transform from a mobile gaming device into a home game system. When you place the Switch in its dock, it automatically switches to allow gaming on the big screen.
The Switch offers entertainment in any environment, thanks to its portability and wide library of games. You can even kick back and watch Hulu on it.
The console offers an extensive set of accessories as well as 5 hours of battery life, and it's available in several different color configurations. If you want to game on the go, you can't go wrong with a Switch.
This new handheld console proves that sometimes less is more. In case you’re unfamiliar, the Game & Watch was the precursor to the Game Boy with a design that was inspired by the Japanese Famicom console.
The pocket-friendly device has a sharp backlit LCD screen and it comes loaded with three games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Ball.
My colleague Stefan Vazharov owns the limited-edition console and says it exceeded his expectations. “The retro design and the preloaded Super Mario Bros. games made me press the ‘Buy Now’ button the moment I saw it in stock,” he said.
“The console offers superb controls, a robust gameplay experience, and surprisingly entertaining sound. I also tip my hat to Nintendo for equipping the gadget with a USB-C connector for charging,” he added.
The Nintendo Switch Lite's lightweight design and compact 5.5-inch display make it a bit more portable than the standard Switch. Priced at just $200, it’s cheaper, too!
You can order the Lite in several eye-catching colors: yellow, turquoise, and gray. Because its Joy-Cons cannot detach from its body, the console feels much more robust, sturdy, and durable than the regular Switch. The Switch Lite can't be docked to play games on the big screen, though, so if you game on the go instead of at home, the Switch Lite is the better option.
An emulator is hardware or software that lets one device behave like another. This handheld from Anbernic allows you to play classic games from old consoles like the NES, SNES, PS1, or Game Boy. It's not as simple as just firing up an App Store to download the games, though.
If you're good with computers and researching things online, the RG351V is one of the best emulators you can buy — it's one of the few that offers gamers a vertical layout, similarly to your Game Boy of yesteryears. But we don't recommend it for people who dislike tweaking gadgets or following tutorials online, since you have to jump through some hoops to install ROMs (games) on the device.
If you're looking for something more powerful to play Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, and PSP games, consider the GPD XD Plus instead.
The iPod touch is truly in a league of its own when it comes to sheer entertainment capabilities. Equipped with a 4-inch Retina touch screen, an 8MP camera, and the best software in the business, the device can do a whole lot more than play your MP3 collection.
The iPod touch has a standard audio jack, and it comes bundled with Apple's iconic EarPods. There are six color variants (pink, blue, gold, red, silver, and space gray) and three storage options to select from (32, 128, and 256GB). We highly suggest that you avoid the entry-level one for gaming.
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