#handheld-gaming

#handheld-gaming

In the rapidly evolving landscape of handheld gaming, Ayaneo continues to stand apart by treating portability as an experience rather than a specification. Its newest handheld embodies that philosophy with quiet confidence, merging high-end performance with a level of craftsmanship and material intention that feels decidedly premium. Every curve, texture, and component has been considered not just for function, but for how the device lives in the hand, resulting in a compact form factor that feels effortlessly capable and thoughtfully designed.

These high-ended variants are currently in short supply. We are working closely with key component suppliers to ramp up production and fill the demand gap that exists. Our goal with the Rog Ally is for it to remain a core pillar within the Asus gaming portfolio,

For those of us born a few decades ago, toys like the Gameboy signifies simpler times; a period when digital devices had a single - maybe two - functions and were less implicitly demanding of our constant attention. The Gameboy came with a whole host of programs, a color camera with an attachable printer, but not much else. The Tamagotchi did require our attention but at a pace more aligned with fundamental human interaction.

After debuting a matchbox-sized handheld called the Arduboy Mini and a banana-shaped version of the original Arduboy, creator Kevin Bates has announced a new model of Arduboy FX called the FX-C with some welcome upgrades and new color options. For the first time, the credit card-sized Arduboy now has a USB-C port for charging, syncing, and playing multiplayer games with a second device using an included USB-C cable, or any Thunderbolt 3 cable.

The Xbox full screen experience, Microsoft's new console-like interface for Windows-based handhelds, is now officially rolling out on MSI Claw models. The full screen experience, or FSE, launched with the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds in October and is now coming to MSI Claw devices as part of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build. In a Windows Insider Blog post last week, Microsoft confirmed it was expanding the availability of Xbox FSE to additional Windows 11 handheld devices currently in the market.

After remaking every Game Boy model imaginable, Anbernic is ready to take on the next frontier of classic gaming handhelds: the Nintendo DS. In its usual drip-feed fashion, the handheld maker released a teaser video revealing the Anbernic RG DS. The company didn't offer many details for its Nintendo DS clone, but announced that it would cost less than $100.

When video game developer and publisher Panic launched its own console, Playdate, back in 2022, it upended just about all conventional wisdom when it came to gaming hardware. Coming just two months after Valve's Steam Deck, the micro-handheld was comparably laughably low in power, brandished a tiny monochrome screen, and took a minimalist approach to physical controls, with only a D-pad, two buttons, and a bizarre crank on offer.

The library is impressively stacked. Over 200 video games from yester-year, spanning the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, and Atari 7800 along with Atari Arcade as well as Jaleco and PIKO platforms. Play titles like Breakout, PAC-MAN, Balls of Steel, Missile Command, Centipede, and Asteroids. They all come pre-loaded, no download necessary. It does state is has built-in Wi-Fi for easy updates, but it's unclear if that could mean more games added at some point in the future.

I generally like using the Peak Design backpack, except that bringing it on vacations means that I have to leave my handheld(s) at home. It's not wide enough to accommodate even the original Switch once things are stuffed into its side pockets. The Vortex 1.0, on the other hand, let me bring both my Switch 2 and Steam Deck, thanks to its two dedicated handheld sleeves. It's also wider and taller, which means its top zipper compartment can hold a 16-inch laptop and a tablet.

Ayaneo has been on top of its game lately with handhelds that serve every type of gamer who loves the freedom of mobility while gaming. Known for its premium handhelds that more often than not reach the $1,000 mark (or even cross it), the brand has something to offer its more budget-conscious gamer. Under the sub-brand KONKR, the Chinese brand has just teased the first-ever budget-friendly Android handheld, which most likely will be powered by the Snapdragon Elite 8 SoC.

Microsoft is creating a new "advanced shader delivery" feature for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally handhelds that might make loading games faster and more stutter-free. The company teased the upcoming feature alongside the announcement of the launch date for the first Xbox-branded handhelds and the company's new compatibility system for figuring out if games will run well on handhelds. It sounds like this new shader delivery system will require some amount of buy-in from developers, which means it likely won't impact every game at launch.

MSI's Claw 8 handheld features an eight-inch FHD+ touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering excellent visuals and smooth animations, outperforming the Steam Deck's display.

The PSP felt cooler than its competitors, thanks to its sleek graphics and focus on mature themes, appealing to teenagers seeking a more grown-up gaming experience.