The gaming handheld scene has exploded since the dawn of the Steam Deck, so I’d forgive you for thinking I’m bananas for wanting more rivals. The thing is, there are a couple of brands out there who I feel could create unique contenders, contributing their hardware expertise to the world of portable play. Yes, I know we’ve already had to endure a few duds already, but I’ve got a craving for devices from a few companies specifically.
I’ve been testing the best gaming handheld candidates for years, and if you told seven-year-old me that the Steam Deck OLED would be a thing in 2024, I would probably laugh in your face and continue playing Sonic Triple Trouble on my Game Gear. For real, though, the fact we can now play fully-fledged PC games and emulate almost every console from the past thirty years is absurd, but I almost want brands to come up with something wilder.
