TECH REVIEW – As Christmas approaches, many people struggle to find the perfect gifts. The world of video games offers endless possibilities, especially when it comes to handheld consoles. In this article, we’ve rounded up this year’s best handheld consoles to help you choose. Whether it’s stunning graphics, long battery life, or unique features, there’s something for everyone.

The world of handheld game consoles is evolving rapidly, and they are now popular with adults as well as children. These devices are the perfect companion for travel, or some couch or in-bed gaming. This year’s top handheld consoles offer excellent performance, stunning graphics and versatility. Here are five models perfect for Christmas gifts: the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, ASUS Rog Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and Ayaneo Kun. Each has unique features so there is something for everyone.

1. The Steam Deck world: with OLED and LCD screens

The Steam Deck is one of the most popular handheld gaming consoles on the market, manufactured by Valve, and is still going strong in 2023, with sales already in the millions. It comes in two main versions: OLED and LCD.

The OLED version offers impressive picture quality at a higher price, but in return it offers excellent contrast and colour reproduction. The 512GB version costs around $569, while the 1TB version costs around $679. The OLED version of the Steam Deck also has faster RAM and processor, as well as longer battery life.

The LCD version is available for a more reasonable $399, and although it doesn’t have the picture quality of the OLED model, it performs well in everyday use. Its IPS panel offers wide viewing angles and accurate colours. The 256GB Steam Deck is powerful enough to run most Steam games, even the bigger AAA titles like Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077. However, the unit’s heat output and less-than-stellar battery life are also worth noting.

The software side of the Steam Deck is also excellent, running on SteamOS, a unique Linux distribution. This allows Windows PC games to run on the console as if it were just an emulator. SteamOS offers a user-friendly interface with an easily accessible game library and settings. And with remote play, you can enjoy any AAA title in your library as long as you have a good internet connection.

Both the OLED and LCD versions of the Steam Deck are excellent choices for Christmas presents. Both models have their advantages and disadvantages, so the choice depends on your needs and budget. The OLED model offers better picture quality and performance, while the LCD version is more affordable but has a less impressive picture quality.

2. Nintendo Switch: the master of versatility

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular handheld game consoles in the world. The console is available in three different versions: the standard Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch Lite and the Nintendo Switch OLED. All three models offer a different experience for gamers, depending on their personal preferences and needs.

The standard Nintendo Switch is a hybrid device that can be used as a handheld or connected to a TV. The console’s “Holiday Bundle” is available for $300 and includes a Switch console with Neon Red and Neon Blue Joy-Con controllers, a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a three-month membership to Nintendo Switch Online.

Nintendo Switch Lite is a handheld-only version that cannot be connected to a TV. It’s available in two special editions, “Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition” and “Isabelle’s Aloha Edition”, each featuring an Animal Crossing-inspired design on the back and a digital copy of the game New Horizons. The former is exclusive to Walmart, while the latter is exclusive to Target, and both are available for around $200.

The Nintendo Switch OLED is the latest version, featuring a 7-inch OLED screen with excellent picture quality and contrast. It is also available in several special editions, such as the Mario Red Edition and the Splatoon 3 Edition. These are available for between €310 and €350.

All three Nintendo Switch models are popular with gamers, especially thanks to blockbuster games such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Metroid Prime Remastered and Super Mario RPG.

3. Lenovo Legion Go: When size matters, a big screen and big performance can make or break you

The Lenovo Legion Go is a rugged handheld gaming console from Lenovo. The device has an 8.8-inch QHD+ IPS 10-point touchscreen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2560×1600. The screen has a brightness of 500 nits and a refresh rate of 60 or 144 Hz. Due to its size and weight, the device is more suitable for users with larger hands, but also provides a comfortable grip for longer gaming sessions.

The Legion Go has two USB-C 4 ports, a microSD card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack and a folding stand. The two removable controllers offer a range of customisation options, including an FPS mode that turns the right controller into a mouse. A stand on the back of the unit allows you to use it in a variety of modes, including Battle Station mode, which allows you to connect accessories such as a dock or monitor.

The Legion Go’s biggest advantage is its large screen, which gives it a significant advantage over competitors such as the Steam Deck or the ASUS ROG Ally. The larger screen size makes games and other content more visually pleasing. The SSD is removable, so users can swap it out for a faster drive if required.

However, the Lenovo Legion Go is not without its faults. Its size and weight may make it uncomfortable for some users, especially those with smaller hands or children. Games rarely reach the 144 Hz refresh rate, so the benefits of a higher refresh rate are limited. Portability can also be affected by the size and weight of the device, which can be cumbersome to take out and use on public transport when travelling.

On the other hand, the Windows 11-based user interface is extremely sloppy: it’s clunky and buggy, and some features are hard to find or don’t work reliably, such as the fps counter in games.

Lenovo Go also includes a 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundle.

4. ASUS Rog Ally: Innovative, but not flawless

Launched in 2023, the ASUS Rog Ally is a modern, high-performance handheld gaming console that boasts a Windows 11 operating system, an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and 8.6 teraflops of performance. These specs make the console extremely attractive for high-performance gaming, but these benefits also overshadow some of the drawbacks.

A Gorilla Glass Victus touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD ensure vivid image display and fast storage. However, the console’s weight and size make it less than comfortable for long-term use, especially when travelling. The high power consumption also makes it prone to rapid battery drain and overheating, which can affect the gaming experience.

The Command Center and Armoury Crate features allow you to customise performance and monitor status, but this software can be unstable at times, which can frustrate users. Another negative is that Micro SD cards can be fried due to poor support.

In terms of pricing, the ASUS Rog Ally costs around $599.99, which is a rather high price range in the handheld gaming console market. This price also includes the 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate package, which is a bonus for gamers but may not justify the price for cost-conscious buyers.

The ASUS Rog Ally is therefore a powerful and innovative device, but the high price, difficulty and potential heat issues mean that it is important for buyers to consider how these factors affect their needs and expectations of a handheld games console.

5. Ayaneo Kun: Strong as on oak, but also expensive

The Ayaneo Kun is a Windows gaming handheld computer made by the Chinese company Ayaneo. The Kun has an 8.4-inch touchscreen, two touchpads and a huge 75-watt battery that can provide up to 10 hours of battery life. The Kun also has a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor, a Radeon 780M graphics card and a fingerprint reader to run the latest games.

The Kun can easily be used as a full PC when connected to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, but its high price makes it worth thinking carefully about what features you want from a handheld computer. The Kun’s main rival is the Steam Deck, which like the Kun has two touchpads and a large screen, but this generation is one of the most advanced Windows gaming handhelds on the market, with newer hardware, 54W TDP and a 75W battery.

The Kun starts at $999 in the US, which is surprisingly close to other Ayaneo models, but expensive enough to carefully select the features you want in a handheld. The Kun is a great choice for fans of Windows games looking for a compact but powerful handheld, but the Steam Deck offers a cheaper and wider range of games. The Kun is an innovative and compelling product that shows the potential of handheld computers.

-Gergely Herpai (BadSector)-