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- Image of Steam Deck courtesy of Valve

Top 5 Best Handheld Gaming PCs in 2025

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming
By Haneef Olajobi | Last updated May 29, 2025 9:18 AM ET

The world of gaming has come a long way from going to the arcade to beat someone’s score in Pac-Man to playing The Legend of Zelda on the go. These powerful little machines are small but mighty in gaming, stealing the spotlight in the year 2025, and gamers can’t get enough. Whether you are into emulators, indie games, or AAA titles, there is a handheld PC for you. The top handheld gaming PCs of 2025 are broken down here so you can choose the ideal one for yourself, a friend, or a family member.

A quick list

1. Steam Deck OLED (2025 Refresh): Best Budget

Where to Buy:

Valve’s Official Steam Store

2. ASUS ROG Ally 2: Best Overall

Where to Buy:

Amazon

3. Ayaneo Kun: Best Compact

Where to Buy:

Ayaneo Official Store

4. GPD Win 4 (2025 Edition): Best for Productivity

Where to Buy:

GPD Official Store

5. OneXPlayer X1 Mini: Best for Portability

Where to Buy:

OneXPlayer Official Store

1. Steam Deck OLED (2025 Refresh)

The Valve Steam Deck OLED is proof that you don’t need to spend a huge amount for a premium experience. The 2025 refresh has a lot of amazing features, like the OLED screen, better battery life, and a cooler and quieter fan. It still uses the same AMD APU as before, but it is more efficient. The Steam operating system has upgraded a lot, offering more compatibility and smoother navigation with minimum complexity. It is not just Steam you can run, but you can now run emulators, Epic Games, and more with a few mods.

2. ASUS ROG Ally 2

Image of Asus ROG Ally 2, courtesy of Asus.

The best of the list, but why in the second? Well, it is simply not my favourite because of how it feels and how futuristic it looks, and it is not complex, but I respect this handheld gaming PC. Under the hood, it comes with the new Ryzen Z2 chip; its display now runs at 120Hz, making fast play possible. That means you can use any game launcher, mod tools, or productive apps.

3. Ayaneo Kun

Ayaneo is known for premium builds, and the Kun is a top-tier device for those who want compact power. Don’t let its size fool you — this machine packs an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, a massive 75Wh battery, and up to 64GB of RAM. That’s more than most laptops.

Its 8.4-inch screen is ideal for immersive single-player games, and the design is ergonomic and solid. It also features hall-sensing joysticks, customizable buttons, and slick software to fine-tune your experience.

4. GPD Win 4 (2025 Edition)

The GPD Win 4 is for gamers who want a little more versatility. With its unique slide-up screen revealing a full mini keyboard underneath, it’s perfect for both gaming and light work tasks. The 2025 edition improves battery life and performance with the new Ryzen chip. It’s ideal for RPGs, emulators, and even coding or writing on the go.

5. OneXPlayer X1 Mini

Rounding off the list is the OneXplayer X1 mini, a smaller travel-ready device. With a 1440p display and an Intel Core Ultra chip, which balances power and portability like a pro. The modular design is amazing, the detachable controllers give it a Nintendo Switch vibe, and it supports GPU docking, turning it into a full gaming desktop when you’re home. It’s the most flexible option here for gamers who move around a lot.

Specifications:

Device	Display	CPU	RAM	Storage	Battery	OS
Steam Deck OLED (2025 Refresh)	7.4” OLED, 1280×800, 60Hz	AMD APU (Zen 2 + RDNA 2)	16GB LPDDR5	512GB / 1TB SSD	~50Wh	SteamOS
ASUS ROG Ally 2	7” IPS, 1920×1080, 120Hz	AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme	16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X	512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	~65Wh	Windows 11
Ayaneo Kun	8.4” IPS, 2560×1600, 60Hz	AMD Ryzen 7 7840U	16GB / 32GB / 64GB LPDDR5X	1TB / 2TB / 4TB SSD	75Wh	Windows 11
GPD Win 4 (2025 Edition)	6” IPS, 1920×1080, 60Hz	AMD Ryzen 7 8840U	16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X	512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	~45Wh	Windows 11
OneXPlayer X1 Mini	8.8” IPS, 2560×1600, 144Hz	Intel Core Ultra 7 (Meteor Lake)	16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X	1TB / 2TB SSD	~60Wh	Windows 11

Final Thought

The handheld gaming PC market in 2025 has something for everyone, but the problem is finding the one that suits you, not what you want. Whether you want something budget-friendly, like the Steam Deck, amazing performance with the Asus ROG Ally 2, or premium, built-in luxury with the Ayaneo Kun. I recommend the Asus ROG Ally 2, where performance meets polish with the new Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, keeping things cool and quiet. It runs Windows 11, which boosts productivity to a whole new level. For more gaming gear recommendations, check out Total Apex Gaming!

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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