Gaming laptops were once bulky, heavy devices. And now, you can find loads of thin-and-light gaming laptops such as the Razer Blade 13 and Asus ROG Flow X13. However, there are also plenty of ultra-portable gaming computers. Devices with a Nintendo Switch form factor let you take your computer games on the go. Check out the best handheld gaming PC options on the market!
Best Handheld Gaming PC Overall – AYA Neo
The AYA Neo is an exceptional handheld gaming PC. Resembling a Nintendo Switch, the Neo sports a 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 4500U mobile processor with Radeon graphics. Packing a 7-inch 215 PPI IPS touchscreen display with 500nits of brightness, video games look stunning. Boasting a PCIe NVME SSD and high-speed RAM, multi-tasking on the AYA Neo is a breeze. And with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, you’ll experience blisteringly fast, low-latency Internet connectivity when paired with a Wi-Fi 6 router.
A set of professionally tuned joysticks are engineered to control Windows games. In addition to physical buttons, the Aya Neo’s joysticks feature rumble and gyroscope functionality. Its 4100mAh battery offers up to 6 hours of gaming. Despite its small form factor, inputs/outputs (I/O) are plentiful. You’ll find three USB Type-C ports including two with video output and charging capabilities and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A portable docking station provides two USB 3.2 gen 1 Type-A ports, a full-size HDMI port, SD card slot, TF card slot, and an Ethernet dock. Using the docking station, you can connect an external mouse and keyboard.
In benchmarks, the AYA Neo performed extremely. Under a balanced TDP setting, the Neo clocked 50 frames per second (FPS) on the low preset in Grand Theft Auto 5, 60 FPS at low in Witcher 3, and 45 FPS in Rise of the Tomb Raider on the default preset. Bumping up to the high-performance TDP setting, the Neo can achieve 30 FPS on high in GTA 5, 30 FPS on high in Witcher 3, and 60 FPS on default in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Although the Neo won’t match a good gaming desktop or laptop, for the size and footprint, nothing even comes close to the AYA Neo.
Unfortunately, the AYA Neo lacks a built-in keyboard. Though the docking station offers additional ports including HDMI and USB, it’s an optional accessory sold separately. Still, for the size, the AYA Neo with its 7nm AMD Ryzen APU delivers best-in-class gaming performance in a handheld gaming PC.
Pros:
- 7nm Ryzen AMD APU – 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 4500U mobile processor with Radeon graphics
- 7-inch IPS touchscreen with 500 nits of brightness and 215 PPI
- Great I/O: 3 x USB Type-C including two with power delivery and video out, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack
- Optional portable docking station adds: USB 3.2 Type-A, 1 x HDMI, 1 x SD card slot, 1 x TF card slot
- Great gaming performance for PC games, emulation, cloud gaming, and local game streaming (i.e. Steam Link)
- PCIe NVME SSD (up to 1TB), 16GB high-speed RAM
- Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
- Built-in gamepad controls: directional pad (D-pad), X/Y/A/B buttons, dual joysticks, L1/L2/R1/R2 buttons
Cons:
- Docking station sold separately
- Pricey
- No built-in keyboard/mouse (but on-screen keyboard works just fine)
Best Handheld PC for Gaming – GPD Win 3
The GPD Win 3 is a fantastic portable handheld gaming console. A 5.5-inch touchscreen makes games and videos look gorgeous. Running Windows 10, the GPD Win 3 can handle all sorts of PC gaming clients including Steam, Epic, GOG, and Origin. At its core, you’ll find an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU alongside Intel Gen 12 Iris Xe graphics. It’s available with up to 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD.
At just 550 grams and measuring 198 × 92 × 27mm, the GPD Win 3 is small and easy to tote around. The screen slides up to reveal a full QWERTY backlit keyboard, while the sides feature dedicated game controller buttons including a directional pad and X, Y, A, and B buttons. You’ll also find joysticks and shoulder buttons. There’s even an Xbox button built-in.
A Thunderbolt 4 jack lets you charge the Win 3 while providing video output capabilities and eGPU connectivity. Moreover, the GPD Win 3 includes a USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, 3.5mm headphone jack, power button, and volume rocker. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 come standard and there’s a microSD card slot for additional storage space.
In tests, the GPD Win 3 was able to achieve 55 FPS on medium in The Witcher 3 and 60 FPS in GTA V on medium. Stepping up to high, the Win 3 managed 23 FPS in GTA 5 and 31 in The Witcher 3, but less demanding titles like DOTA 2 Reborn saw a solid 44 FPS on high. While the GPD Win 3’s Intel Xe GPU won’t let you max out every AAA title on 4K or even 1080p, at its native 720p screen resolution, the GPD Win 3 can comfortably game. For cloud gaming, emulation, or older PC titles, the Win 3 is more than up to the challenge and is one of the best handheld PCs for gaming.
Pros:
- 550-gram weight
- 198 × 92 × 27mm
- 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen
- Full QWERTY backlit touchscreen
- Excellent connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 (with power delivery, video output, and eGPU support), 1 x USB Type-A 3.2 gen 2, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack
- Controller inputs: X/Y/A/B buttons, 2 x joysticks, L1/L2/R1/R2 shoulder buttons, Xbox key, Start/Select buttons, keyboard, 2x custom keys
- Fingerprint reader
- M.2 NVMe SSD
- DDR4 RAM
- Great performance for native PC games, emulation, cloud gaming, and local game streaming (i.e. Steam Link)
Cons:
- Not the most powerful GPU/CPU combo
Best High-end Handheld PC Gaming Console – ONEXPLAYER
The ONEXPLAYER is a beast of a handheld gaming PC. It features an Intel 11th Core Tiger lake series i5 or i7 CPU mated to an Intel Xe GPU. An 8.4-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS display showcases lush graphics. There’s an M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0×4 SSD. A set of non-detachable controls come built-in.
Onboard, you’ll find a directional pad, dual analog sticks, X, Y, A, B buttons, start/select buttons, a turbo button, and even a keyboard button that brings up an on-screen keyboard. Four shoulder buttons come standard. The turbo button turns the TDP up with a quick click for maximum performance.
Dual fans help to keep the CPU cool, and there’s even a built-in kickstand. A microSD card slot, USB 3.0 Type-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a pair of USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 are baked. Using the Thunderbolt 4 ports, the ONEXPLAYER can interface with an eGPU for even better performance.
Benchmarks find GTA V running at a mix of normal to medium with 71 FPS. Street Fighter 5 manages 1080p on medium to low with over 60 FPS. Counter-Strike Global Offensive can play just fine at 1080p on high-medium at a buttery-smooth over 100 FPS.
Pros:
- 11th gen Core i5 or i7 CPU
- Intel Iris Xe GPU
- 8.4-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS touchscreen display
- Built-in controller with dual analog sticks, D-pad, X/Y/A/B buttons, start/select buttons
- Turbo button to raise the TDP on-the-fly
- Excellent I/O: 1 x microSD card slot, 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 2 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4
- eGPU support
- Fantastic performance for native PC games, emulation, cloud gaming, and local game streaming (i.e. Steam Link)
Cons:
- Lackluster audio
- No physical keyboard (on-screen keyboard works well though)
Best Clamshell Handheld Gaming PC – OneGX1 Pro
The OneGX1 Pro is a neat mini laptop with a 7-inch display. Whereas many portable handheld gaming computers feature a Nintendo Switch form factor, the OneGX1 Pro instead opts for a laptop style with a clamshell casing. There’s a full QWERTY keyboard complete with RGB LEd backlighting. In addition to the keyboard, the OneGX1 Pro sports a set of detachable gamepad controls including a D-pad, X/Y/A/B buttons, dual joysticks, It’s available with 16GB of RAM and up to a 1TB SSD.
With an 11th gen Core, Tiger Lake-Y series -7 CPU paired with an Intel Iris Xe GPU, the OneGX1 Pro delivers incredible performance, especially for the size. In benchmarks, the OneGX1 Pro hit around 60 FPS on 720p normal. Overwatch can play at 720p with around 90 FPS.
Plugging in an eGPU lets you achieve excellent performance, depending on what GPU you’re using. Unfortunately, audio is a bit underwhelming. Nevertheless, for native PC gaming, game streaming from the likes of Steam Link, retro gaming emulation, or cloud game streaming, the OneGX1 Pro is an outstanding device.
Pros:
- 7-inch IPS touchscreen display
- Full QWERTY keyboard with RGB LED backlighting
- Detachable controllers
- Clamshell laptop-style PC
- 11th gen Tiger Lake CPU
- Intel Iris Xe GPU
- Excellent I/O: 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x micro HDMI
- Up to 16GB RAM and 1TB NVMe SSD
- 12000mAh battery
Cons:
- Audio isn’t great
Best Handheld Gaming PC Options on the Market – Final Thoughts
Overall, there are tons of handheld gaming computers. The AYA Neo is the best overall choice with a solid AMD Ryzen embedded APU. The GPD Win 3 includes a full QWERTY keyboard and good Intel Iris Xe GPU. ONEXPLAYER boasts incredible gaming performance and eGPU support. Or, the OneGX1 Pro arrives in a clamshell laptop form factor and features eGPU compatibility as well.
Your turn: Which portable handheld gaming PCs do YOU recommend?
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