All articles tagged with #handhelds
Best Buy’s Memorial Day sale runs through May 25 with more than 1,300 gaming deals across handhelds, controllers, games, and hardware, including Rog Ally at $500 after a $100 discount and discounts on headsets and creator gear like Elgato products, covering Nintendo Switch titles, PS5, and Xbox offerings.
Blaze and Retro Games Ltd will launch two Nintendo-style clamshell handhelds—THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld—each with a 4.3-inch IPS display, 25 preloaded games, MicroSD expansion, and USB keyboard support. They emulate C64/Spectrum titles with selectable formats, weigh about 235g, and offer roughly 3+ hours of play. Priced at £109.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 with Collector’s Editions at £129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99, both launch in October 2026 and are available to pre-order via Funstock (limited to 2,000 units each).
Microsoft is testing a Gamepad Cursor in Windows 11’s Xbox mode that turns the left stick into a mouse for handheld PCs; the feature, activated from the Game Bar, lets the left stick move a cursor, the right stick scrolls, and the A button clicks, aiming to improve control for apps not designed for controllers; Xbox Insiders can sign up to try it before it rolls out widely.
Valve’s SteamOS 3.8.0 preview adds Steam Machine living-room support, long-awaited features for Valve’s handhelds, and broader compatibility for other handhelds (Xbox Ally, Legion Go 2, OneXPlayer X1, etc.). Highlights include genuine Deck hibernation and memory power-down modes (LCD model first), Bluetooth headset mic support, Bluetooth Wake, and Linux desktop improvements (HDR, VRR, per-display scaling, KDE Plasma 6.4.3), plus better HDMI surround sound detection and an updated graphics stack; non-Deck devices see power-menu and UI enhancements, though most rival handhelds still require sideloading to run SteamOS.
Aging changes in vision, dexterity, and stamina led the author to drop much of keyboard-and-mouse PC gaming in favor of controller-based play on handhelds and tablets. The piece argues for exploring consoles, Windows handhelds, VR with caveats, and cloud gaming to maintain fun, using remapped inputs and accessibility features to adapt to changing abilities. Citing ESA and AARP data and insights from Logitech and Microsoft, it suggests that older gamers can stay engaged by choosing devices with broad game variety, strong input options, and thoughtful gear, even if there’s no one perfect setup.
A 2025 roundup of notable gaming gadgets spans premium headsets and keyboards to retro-inspired handhelds, modular mice, and innovative peripherals. Highlights include Analogue 3D FPGA N64, NZXT Capsule Elite mic, GameSir G7 Pro controller, Nacon Revolution X Unlimited with a built-in screen, Backbone Pro for mobile gaming, and affordable picks like Gamakay NS68 and Super Pocket Neo Geo Edition, showcasing a year rich in hardware variety across consoles, PCs, and emulation-focused devices.
AYANEO announced the Pocket DS, a groundbreaking dual-screen Android gaming clamshell with large top and smaller bottom screens, inset sticks, and ergonomic design, set to be revealed fully in a future event. The company also teased other handheld and Windows devices, signaling a strong push into innovative gaming hardware. Fans are excited as this could be a significant step towards a Nintendo 3DS successor.
Microsoft will showcase a playable demo of Hollow Knight: Silksong on the new Xbox Ally handhelds at Gamescom, along with over 20 other titles, including a new theater experience for The Outer Worlds 2, and reveal upcoming games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. This event marks a significant step towards the long-awaited release of Silksong, which is expected later this year.
Playtron, a startup with $10 million in funding, aims to create an open-source, Linux-based operating system for gaming handhelds that can play Windows and Epic Games Store titles. The company plans to challenge Microsoft, Valve, and Apple for the next hundred million gamers, envisioning a future where every device becomes a part-time gaming machine. While facing challenges and competition, Playtron hopes to engage hardware manufacturers, mobile carriers, and the gaming community to establish itself as a viable alternative to existing gaming platforms.
The entry-level model of the Asus ROG Ally handheld gaming device with a vanilla AMD Z1 processor and a 256GB SSD is rumored to cost $599.99, according to a reliable leaker. This price is just $70 higher than the same-storage-size Steam Deck. The ROG Ally is expected to be released soon and will likely be the least expensive configuration, though it's possible Asus could release an eMMC model.
Several gaming handhelds are being compared to the recently announced Steam Deck, including the GPD Win 3, Aya Neo, and OneXPlayer. While each device has its own strengths and weaknesses, the Steam Deck's combination of power, price, and access to the Steam library make it a strong contender in the market.