Handheld game consoles, ranked by critic score

8 ranked by critic score · 47 professional reviews

Handheld game consoles and gaming handhelds, judged on performance, screen, battery life and comfort in the hand.

Nintendo Switch 2Image: Nintendo
The critics' pick

Nintendo Switch 2

85
Highly rated
Average of 8 professional reviews
8 of 8 recommend it · critics agree
Where the 8 reviews landedRange 79–90
Score printed by the outlet Estimated from the verdict

8 professional reviewers tested the Nintendo Switch 2, and 8 recommend it. Most praised: speed. Most common complaint: price.

The catch: Battery life is short, and games and storage cost a lot.

Tied on 85 with the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS, Valve Steam Deck OLED; ranked first on our tie-break (critic agreement, then number of reviews).

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Read all 8 reviews →
  1. 1
    Nintendo Switch 2Image: Nintendo
    Nintendo Switch 2Top pick, narrowly8 reviews85
  2. 2
    Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOSImage: Lenovo
    Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOSBest for a console-like PC handheld6 reviews85
  3. 3
    Photo coming
    Valve Steam Deck OLEDCritics agree5 reviews85
  4. 4
    Asus ROG Xbox Ally XImage: Asus
    Asus ROG Xbox Ally XBest premium Windows handheld9 reviews82
  5. 5
    MSI Claw 8 EX AI+Image: MSI
    MSI Claw 8 EX AI+Best handheld performance5 reviews80
  6. 6
    Lenovo Legion Go 2Image: Lenovo
    Lenovo Legion Go 2Best OLED screen on a handheld5 reviews74
  7. 7
    Asus ROG Xbox AllyImage: Asus
    Asus ROG Xbox AllyBest for the Xbox handheld interface4 reviews · early score70
  8. 8
    Lenovo Legion Go SImage: Lenovo
    Lenovo Legion Go SBest for comfort and big screen5 reviews66
The short answer

Three handheld game consoles tie for the highest critic score. On our tie-break (critic agreement, then number of reviews), the top pick is the Nintendo Switch 2: critic score 85 out of 100 from 8 reviews, 8 of them positive. Most praised: speed. Most common complaint: price.

How we score →Only professional reviews, never shop or customer reviewsEvery score links to its sourceCommissions never change a score

Common questions

What is the best handheld console?

Narrowly, the Nintendo Switch 2, with a critic score of 85 from 8 professional reviews. Most praised: speed. Most common complaint: price.

Nintendo Switch 2 vs Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS: which is better?

Critics score the Nintendo Switch 2 85 and the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS 85. We list the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS under “Best for a console-like PC handheld”. Its main drawback: it is expensive, with noisy fans and average battery life.