#portable-gaming

#portable-gaming

The PSP had one analog stick when games clearly needed two. The Vita added that second stick but inexplicably skipped analog triggers and clickable thumbsticks, forcing developers to map essential controls to an awkward rear touchpad. The PS Portal finally nailed the controls by essentially splitting a DualSense controller in half, then rendered the achievement mostly irrelevant by making it stream-only.

This year marked the first time all three major gaming hardware companies Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have handheld devices on the market. And they're not the only ones. A holiday survey conducted on behalf of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) found that 16 per cent of kids asked for gaming handhelds like the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck portable computer for Christmas gifts.

The remote player comes with a nice 8-inch LCD, Full HD screen that pushes vibrant, detailed visuals for all your favorite titles. This thing is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at up to 60fps with exceptional image clarity on its 1080p resolution screen for an immersive experience. These visuals are thoughtfully paired with the Tempest 3D AudioTech for better sound.

I pledged no allegiance to any faction during the console wars. But I'll admit I felt, and still feel, most at home in the Xbox ecosystem. It's the achievements, it's the controllers, it's everything. So I couldn't help but feel envy through the years as Nintendo, PlayStation, and even PC diehards all got handheld devices before Xbox. (Sorry, but Cloud Gaming isn't it.)

Nintendo has dominated portable gaming with the Switch 2, but Sony finally offers a compelling alternative for PlayStation owners who want their games on the go. The company built an empire around the PS5 as a living room powerhouse and the PS Portal extends that experience beyond the couch and into your hands. This device streams your entire PS5 library to a beautiful 8-inch screen, and lets you play God of War or Spider-Man anywhere in your home or via cloud gaming on the move.

The Ayaneo Pocket DS dual-screen handheld, available for preorder on Indiegogo, features a 7-inch OLED top screen and a 5-inch LCD display.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) represents a fascinating shift in portable gaming, blending serious computational power with understated elegance expected from a premium ultrabook.

The Xbox Ally devices will allow seamless access to an aggregated gaming library, bringing together all Windows-based games without the clutter of the traditional desktop interface.