2024 promises to be another big year for handheld fans. We have summarized the most important releases that are expected so far

Handheld gaming has never been more alive in 2023. With Asus and Lenovo, two major PC hardware manufacturers have entered the market and are competing with Valve’s Steam Deck.

Valve did not let this go unanswered and launched the Steam Deck OLED – one of the best PC handhelds you can currently buy. 

2024 this trend is likely to continue. Here are the most exciting handheld consoles to look out for this year and what else we can expect.

Nintendo Switch successor

The hypothetical Nintendo Switch 2 rumor mill is churning and leaking for all it’s worth. In fact, it is very likely that a successor to the successful hybrid console will be announced this year. 

There is a very high probability that the next Nintendo console will also use a hybrid concept. Rumors suggest that the Switch 2 will use an 8-inch screen – without OLED technology. 

The processor will once again be developed by Nvidia. This should give the Nintendo console access to Nvidia features such as DLSS 3.5 and Ray Reconstruction 

All leaks and information available so far about the next Nintendo console can be found here: 

Nintendo Switch 2: Release, price, performance – All info & rumors

MSI Claw A1M

(The Claw A1M is the first handheld from MSI. (Image: MSI))

After Lenovo and Asus, another PC hardware manufacturer is entering the handheld market. The Claw from MSI is similar in design to the Asus Rog Ally – only in black. Both consoles most likely even use the same screen

Internally, however, there is a big difference to the other PC handhelds: The MSI Claw relies on an Intel chip. It also has a comparatively large battery:

MSI Claw: 53 Wh

Steam Deck OLED: 50 Wh

Lenovo Legion Go: 49.2 Wh

Asus ROG Ally: 40 Wh

The technical data and prices of the portable gaming PC are now known:

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 135H or Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

Graphics: Intel Arc 5 Graphics

Memory: 16 GByte LPDDR5 6,400 MHz RAM

Storage space: 1 TByte or 512 GByte storage, MicroSD card

Screen: 7 inch; 1920×1080; 120Hz with VRR; 100% sRGB; 500 Nits; IPS

Controls: Hall joysticks and triggers 

Battery: 53 Wh battery with 65 watt fast charging

Connectivity: USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port; Bluetooth 5.4; Wi-Fi 7; 3.5mm jack

Operating system: Windows 11

Weight and dimensions: 653 grams; 29.38 x 11.68 x 2.10 cm

The Spanish retailer “PCcomponentes” has already listed the MSI Claw. According to the store, the MSI Claw will be released on April 1 – the same date on which the Asus Rog Ally was announced last year. 

The 512 GByte version costs 880 euros there and the 1 TByte version 930 euros. However, German prices may differ  

Asus ROG Ally 2

(A successor to the Asus ROG Ally will be released this year. Perhaps the announcement will be made on April 1? (Image: Asus))

Asus has since announced to Techlusive, an Indian tech magazine, that they are already planning a successor to the ROG Ally for this year 

The new device will once again be based on Windows 11 and have an even stronger gaming focus. More information is currently not known.

It looks like Asus could release a new handheld every year – just like gaming laptops. Valve, on the other hand, can take much longer with the Steam Deck due to software sales.

We’re excited to see what improvements the second ROG Ally will bring

OneXPlayer X1

(The OneXPlayer is an 11-inch Windows tablet with detachable controllers. (Image: One Netbook))

If you thought the Lenovo Legion Go was huge for a handheld, then you haven’t seen the OxeXPlayer X1 yet.

The device has an 11-inch display, which is gigantic for a handheld console and is also impressive on paper. The resolution is 2560×1600, it supports 120 Hertz, covers 100 percent of the DPI-3 color space and is 540 nits bright. 

Like the Legion Go, the OneXPlayer X1 has detachable controllers. There is also a controller grip into which the two halves can be inserted to form a wireless controller – just like the Nintendo Joycons.

With a keyboard reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface devices, the OneXPlayer X1 becomes a laptop. 

The company is marketing the device as a 3-in-1 hybrid: gaming console, tablet and laptop in one. Like the MSI Claw, the OneXPlayer X1 will rely on the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H.  

The technical data:

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + Intel NPU Ai Boost

Graphics: Intel Arc

RAM: Up to 64 GByte LPDDR5x with 7,467 MHz

SSD: M.2 2280, up to 4TB 

Screen: 10.95-inch, LPTS 120 Hz, 2560 x 1600, 16:10, touchscreen, 540 nits

Webcam: 1 megapixel

Security: Fingerprint sensor

Battery: 65.02 Wh battery with 100 watt fast charging

Connections: 3.5mm jack, MicroSD card slot, Oculink, PCIe 4.0 x4, 2 x USB-C 4.0, 1x USB-A 3.2

Connectivity: Wife 6E, Bluetooth 5.2

Speakers: Dual speakers developed in collaboration with Arman AudioEFX

Controls: Hall trigger, Alps joysticks, interchangeable directional pad, 3-axis gyroscope

The OneXPlayer X1 starts at 992 euros Delivery is scheduled for March 

Ayaneo Next Lite

(Originally, the Ayaneo Next Lite was supposed to be released with HoloISO, an operating system similar to SteamOS. Now it will probably come with Windows 11 after all (Image: Ayaneo))

The latest handheld from Ayaneo is now available and there is good news and bad news. The good news is that the price is “only” 350 US dollars. The bad news is that this is reflected in the hardware used. 

The handheld is equipped with the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, which is now four years old and does not come close to the performance of the Steam Deck. The display measures seven inches and has an 800p resolution. 

Originally, the Ayaneo Next Lite was supposed to be released with a third-party build of SteamOS called HoloISO, which could have made it an interesting alternative.

In the meantime, Ayaneo has backtracked and is relying on Windows 11 for the Next Lite. However, there should still be the option to install HoloISO manually. 

These are the technical specifications: 

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U

Graphics: Radeon Vega 6

Memory configurations: 16 + 128 GB / 16 + 512 GB

RAM: LPDDR4x with 4266 MHz

Screen: 7 inch, 1280 x 800p, IPS

Battery: 47 Wh, with 60 watt fast charging

Control: 6-axis gyroscope, Hall trigger and Hall joysticks

Ports: 3x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (two fully functional and one for data transfer only), 3.5mm jack

Connectivity: Wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2

At this price, to which import fees must be added, it is difficult to recommend the Ayaneo Next Lite instead of the Steam Deck 

Other handhelds that could be released this year

It is quite possible that Lenovo will launch a new Legion Go this winter. There are currently no rumors about this, but they could go the same way as Asus

It is also conceivable that even more PC hardware manufacturers will enter this market. Well-known and obvious names include Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, Razer and HP. 

There are also rumors that Sony and Xbox are also working on their own handheld consoles. However, it is very unlikely that these will be announced or even released this year.

Is some kind of PSP coming back? Sony is planning another PlayStation handheld

Is the Xbox Portable coming soon? Insiders assume a high probability

As part of our FYNG tech streaming event, we already took a look at the handheld market at the end of 2023

These were the most important handhelds of this year! Which handhelds of 2024 are you particularly looking forward to? And what expectations do you have of them? Are there any others we haven’t mentioned in this list that aren’t on our radar, but are on yours? As always, let us know in the comments section below!

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