The 15 Best Gaming Handhelds of All Time

Pocket-sized pioneers, blockbuster bestsellers, and cult curiosities that put gaming in your hands. Which is the greatest of all?

1

Nintendo Switch

The genre-blurring 2017 hybrid that plays both as a home and portable console.

1000pts

2

Atari Lynx

The 1989 16-bit handheld, the first with a color backlit LCD.

600pts

3

Game Boy Color

The 1998 color upgrade that extended the Game Boy dynasty.

551pts

4

Game Boy Advance

The 2001 32-bit handheld beloved for its deep library of classics.

494pts

5

Asus ROG Ally

The Windows-based 2023 handheld PC and high-powered Steam Deck rival.

494pts

6

Nintendo Switch 2

The 2025 successor delivering a larger screen and a major power boost.

428pts

7

Nintendo DS

The best-selling dual-screen handheld with a touch screen and stylus.

350pts

8

Bandai WonderSwan

A popular Japan-only handheld designed by the creator of the Game Boy.

350pts

9

Game Boy

Nintendo's iconic 1989 handheld that made portable gaming a global phenomenon.

257pts

10

PlayStation Portable

Sony's sleek 2004 PSP that brought console-quality gaming on the go.

257pts

11

Steam Deck

Valve's 2022 PC handheld that runs a vast Steam library in your hands.

257pts

12

Game & Watch

Nintendo's pioneering early-1980s single-game LCD handhelds.

257pts

13

Sega Game Gear

Sega's 1990 full-color, backlit rival to the original Game Boy.

143pts

14

Nintendo 3DS

The glasses-free stereoscopic 3D handheld with a huge catalog.

143pts

15

PlayStation Vita

Sony's powerful 2011 handheld with an OLED screen and dual analog sticks.

143pts