Top 3 Best Portable Gaming Devices To Buy This Year

Portable gaming devices come in loads of varieties with different capabilities. Nevertheless, they all serve the same ultimate purpose: to help you game on the move. You’re not restricted to being in your living room or tethered to an internet connection; you can game wherever you are, whenever you want. 

It may shock you to see how many portable gaming devices are available, so which ones are worth buying? After sizing up the options, here are the top three: ​

A Smartphone/Tablet

We’ll start things off with a bit of a curveball. Smartphones or tablets aren’t technically “portable gaming devices”, though they’re more than capable of being them. A simple smartphone can hold hundreds of apps and let you play so many different games. From classic card games like Hearts to proper RPG immersive titles like Genshin Impact or Stardew Valley. Loads of options are available - many of which are free to download and play. All the while, you have a device that has lots of other functions and will be used every day.

If you’re a fan of mobile games, a smartphone or tablet can be the best portable gaming device out there. For something a bit more gamer-orientated, check one of the other ideas below.

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic portable console that delivers so much variety to your gaming sessions. You’ll find a host of new games from Nintendo this holiday season that target any demographic. Sports fans will love EA FC24 while Disney fans have the cool Dreamlight Valley to look forward to. 

With the Switch, you get a super portable device that can be used in multiple ways. It can be a two-player portable gaming device or turned into a handheld one just for you. The screen in the new Switch OLED is bigger and brighter than its predecessor, so the gaming experience is even better. If you like classic handheld console gaming and enjoy the types of games Nintendo pumps out (Mario, Sonic, Pokemon, etc…) then this is the console for you. It’s reasonably priced as well, particularly if you look for some Black Friday deals.

Steam Deck

We’ve gone up a level with every device so far, and this final one takes portable gaming to new levels. The Steam Deck from Valve is basically a portable PC in your hands. It uses the latest technology to let you play games from your Steam Library on the device, whenever you like. This opens you up to a huge catalog of games, including massive titles like Starfield or Forza Horizons. At the same time, you can download smaller games from niche developers, so there’s a wide range of choices here. 

Those of you who have a PC and enjoy PC gaming will love the Steam Deck. It’s the best way to experience portable PC gaming without needing to lug around a heavy laptop. 


The holidays are coming - and so are the online sales - so maybe it’s time to pick up a new handheld gaming device. Pick whichever one suits your needs and you can enjoy gaming on the move.

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