# What is the best handheld gaming console of all time?

> From the original Game Boy that launched a revolution to the Steam Deck's PC-powered portability, handheld gaming has produced some of the most beloved devices in tech history. Vote for the greatest handheld gaming console ever made.

*By YPB Team · Published April 27, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-handheld-gaming-console-of-all-time*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Nintendo Game Boy**
   The 1989 original that launched mainstream portable gaming, selling 118 million units with a legendary four-AA-battery battery life.
2. **Game Boy Advance**
   Nintendo's 2001 ARM-powered powerhouse with a landscape form and an incredible library of RPGs, platformers, and ports.
3. **Nintendo DS**
   The dual-screen revolutionary handheld that sold 154 million units and introduced touch controls to mainstream gaming.
4. **Nintendo 3DS**
   Nintendo's 2011 glasses-free 3D clamshell with a massive first-party library spanning Pokemon, Mario, and Zelda.
5. **Nintendo Switch**
   The hybrid home-and-portable console that redefined the category, becoming Nintendo's best-selling system ever.
6. **PlayStation Portable (PSP)**
   Sony's 2004 sleek widescreen powerhouse that brought console-quality graphics and media playback to portable gaming.
7. **PlayStation Vita**
   Sony's underrated 2011 powerhouse with dual analog sticks and an OLED screen that built a devoted cult following.
8. **Steam Deck**
   Valve's 2022 PC gaming handheld that runs the full Steam library, bringing desktop game performance to a portable form.
9. **Game Boy Color**
   The 1998 vibrant color upgrade that bridged the original Game Boy and GBA eras with backward compatibility.
10. **Sega Game Gear**
   Sega's 1990 backlit full-color rival to the Game Boy, offering a rich library at the cost of legendary battery drain.
11. **Atari Lynx**
   The 1989 first color backlit handheld console, technically impressive for its era though hampered by battery life.
12. **Neo Geo Pocket Color**
   SNK's underrated 1999 gem featuring a tactile clicky joystick and an excellent library centered on fighting games.
13. **Nintendo Switch Lite**
   Nintendo's 2019 streamlined handheld-only Switch variant offering a lighter, cheaper dedicated portable experience.
14. **TurboExpress**
   NEC's 1990 impressive portable that could play HuCards from the TurboGrafx-16 home console on the go.

Tags: games, nintendo, sony, handheld, console, portable, retro