I’ve been reviewing portable gaming handheld devices for the better part of 2024. More than being a gaming companion when I am waiting in line for my turn at the counter, I’ve become fixated with these portable devices as productivity tools since they all, save for the Steam Deck, run Windows 11. I’ve been showing this off with my review of the Lenovo Legion Go specifically, but I’ve also held the ASUS ROG Ally series and the upcoming ACER Nitro Blaze that I got to use at IFA Berlin 2024.
At the moment I am typing this article on the AyaNeo 2S, which I believe is truly the current best-in-show for handhelds today. According to most reviews, the only downside was the price. This model is powered by a 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 7 7840U w/ Radeon 780M Graphics, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of hard drive space.
I’ve made the case before that there can be benefits for ditching the laptop and going for a handheld. Thanks to the AyaNeo 2s dock, I’m able to connect my 1Gbps Internet connection, a 15 inch second screen (I got this from the Next Upgrade website), wireless ASUS pillow mouse, and a tiny wireless keyboard I got from Lazada. If I ditched the dock and the screen, I can still optimize portability with just the mouse and keyboard since the AyaNeo comes with three USB-C ports (two are on top of the device). I can use these for the wireless receiver or other USB-C compatible devices.
I was on a plane almost every month last year and I’ve come to appreciate the ‘handheld life.’ I do not own a powerful gaming laptop as I have relegated AAA gaming to my home desktop. I do own an ASUS ZenBook that I got for 50% off in a sale. It’s great for portability and productivity but there are just some times that I would want to whip out my games to play on a 4 hour to 18 hour flight. Handhelds such as the Legion Go, the ACER Nitro Blaze, MSI Claw, or ASUS ROG Ally, surely hits the spot. I am able to work through my library of game backlog, especially with games that are overshadowed by AAA titles. Call of Duty and Marvel Rivals are reserved for desktop use (still playable on these handhelds though), while Stardew Valley and Dave the Diver, as well as other games “meant for controller” are reserved for the handheld.
How about you, dear reader? Have you ever considered owning a portable gaming device or can you get a similar experience with a gamepad and high-end foldable smartphone like the Samsung Z Fold, HUAWEI Mate X6, or HONOR Magic V3?
