4 promising handheld gaming consoles releasing in 2025

The world of handheld gaming is becoming more and more enticing to gamers of every stripe. Between the giant strides in the processing power of smaller chips and Valve opening the floodgates regarding their huge Steam library, portable gaming has finally bridged the gap of PC-like performance. We are no longer stuck with Nintendo and its stunted graphical power paired with wacky peripherals. That said, the Switch 2 is certainly one of our most anticipated consoles this year.

4 handheld consoles we’re excited about in 2025

Nintendo Switch 2

The gaming world finally got hit with an official Nintendo Switch 2 announcement. Well, announcement is being kind; it was more like a conceded snapshot of the new console. The Switch 2 reveal showed off the console’s larger screen size, magnetic sliding Joy-cons, fully adjustable new kickstand, and backward compatibility confirmation for physical and digital Switch titles. Perhaps most surprising was the low-key reveal of the new Mario Kart title.

With little more than educated guesswork about the specs and release date, we can only wait with bated breath until Switch 2 Direct supplies more information on April 2.

Specs for Switch 2:

• Unknown

Legion Go S – Powered by SteamOS

We finally have a true competitor to Valve’s Steam Deck, and no, it isn’t from Microsoft. Lenovo’s newest version of the Legion Go has a winning trick up its sleeve: built-in SteamOS. It’s a remarkable thing to have the entire Steam game library packed in one sleek handheld machine, but Lenovo also packs in one of AMD’s latest Z2 Go processors just revealed at CES this year.

The processor propels the Legion Go S to run high-end games at impressive framerates, though the Z2 Go is among the least powerful of its generation. The screen is an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 LCD sporting a 120 Hz refresh rate (that’s 0.6 inches more than Steam Deck). And the 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is a nice sweet spot, allowing us to bring our endless Steam backlog with us on the go. As the first third-party console to use SteamOS, The Legion Go S – Powered by SteamOS (yep, that’s the official name) is on many of our wishlists with its fair $499 price tag and close May release.

Lenovo is also launching the sister handheld to the SteamOS version in May, simply called the Legion Go S. This model is powered by Windows 11 and doesn’t feature SteamOS functionality. While the higher $599 price point and lack of SteamOS will detract some buyers, there’s no denying that its access to storefronts such as Xbox Game Pass, GOG, and Epic still provide a solid library to play from. The specs are pretty much identical to the SteamOS version, albeit with more storage capacity (16GB / 1TB).

Specs for Legion Go S – Powered by SteamOS:

• Processor – AMD Ryzen™ Z2 Go
• Graphics – Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
• Memory – 16 GB
• Storage – 512GB
• Battery – 55.5WHr

Acer Nitro Blaze 11

Also demonstrated at CES, Acer’s Nitro Blaze 11 boasts a significant viewing experience with its large 10.95-inch 1600p 120Hz touchscreen display. This high-end machine boasts superior performance over the other handhelds on this list—thanks in part to its impressive AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor and AMD Radeon 780M GPU. Heck, it even scratches that Switch itch with the detachable controllers and touchscreen viscerality. It also can’t be beat when it comes to its 2TB storage capability.

The price is what will keep some gamers away, however, as the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 retails for $1,099. Thankfully, the Blaze 11 releases alongside a more economical version called the Nitro Blaze 8. The Blaze 8 retails for $899 and houses the same processor as the Nitro Blaze 11 and a smaller 8.8-inch display.

Specs for Acer Nitro Blaze 11:

• Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS
• Graphics – AMD Radeon 780M
• Memory – 16GB
• Storage – 2TB
• Battery – 55Whr

MSI Claw 8 AI+

Even with my fondness for Nintendo products, I’ve got to give it up for the Claw 8’s design; it looks like an ergonomic masterpiece to my eyes. And it’s not just me thinking that, it’s been one of MSI’s core focuses for the sequel to last year’s successful MSI Claw. But its not just the unique look and feel that has the tech world impressed, the Claw 8 AI+ boasts a 80Whr battery—one of the biggest and best of its class.

The Intel Lunar Lake processor is pretty unique, specially designed for thin portable machines to play graphically intense games. One of the main draws of this processor is its energy-saving capability, which just adds to the already great battery. That said, many have criticized The Lunar Lake for its poor optimization with some older games. The MSI Claw 8AI+ currently retails for $899 in the US and will launch in Europe on Feb. 11 for £899.

Specs for MSI Claw 8AI+:

• Processor – Intel® Core™ Ultra 7-258V 2.2
• Graphics – Intel® Arc™ 140V
• Memory – 32GB
• Storage – 1TB
• Battery – 80Whr

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