The 5 Best Handhelds of 2024 🏆

[@Muench13]

Bold move posting on the 26th. Anbernic still has time to release 5 more devices before the end of the year!

[@jasonanthonywilper]

Anbernic is awesome!

[@Combat6271]

can't lie that made me chuckle

[@AllenSettle]

This comment is epic! 😂

[@anthonykufta2197]

Babahahahab

[@TaufanRezzafriMochamad]

lol

[@RetroGameCorps]

Great list Bob, looking forward to that RP5 review 👀

[@boyobiscuits]

yes

[@PsychoPlissken]

Agreed. Retro Game Corps also did a good review of it.

[@anthonykufta2197]

Same. RP5 will be 1

[@boyobiscuits]

@@RetroGameCorps yes

[@BrosciuttoJZ]

Word, why is this NOT a thing yet??

[@Rezzzkin]

5. FP GBC 4:59 4. Trim UI Brick 6:20 3. Odin 2 mini 8:29 2. Rg35 xxsp 10:53 1. Rog Ally X 14:07

[@JerryMeehanJr]

bob you forgot the actual best handheld of 2024 was when we held hands

[@fresco_dinero5155]

Ally is the greatest held to be handed of all time

[@Big-Chungus21]

@@fresco_dinero5155After installing SteamOS on it ❤

[@davidteves4753]

Would you trade your Flip Ds for my Antec core Hs 32 gb of ram and 2tb SSD 7840u (white model)

[@Zx30]

Agreed on The ROG Ally Pick. I have the extreme (good enough for me) and it's just so nice to have the option of Windows or Steam Deck in one machine.

[@ultimatebreak827]

Agreed but with the Lenovo legion go for me

[@crestofhonor2349]

@@ultimatebreak827 Legion Go is from 2023 so it wouldn't make it on the list

[@ultimatebreak827]

@@crestofhonor2349 I know, but the commenter was talking about the rog ally extreme which released in the same year as the legion go. Not talking about this year

[@ProjectionProjects2.7182]

1:49 I find it funny to imagine multiple clones of Bob running around his house and doing different tasks lol.

[@Kev50027]

Let's be honest, they would just be yelling at each other.

[@insertnameshow]

get this man to 1mil before the end of the year, come on people.

[@insertnameshow]

15:18

[@cheezeebred]

It's honestly pretty amazing that a channel focused on something so niche has so many subscribers already.

[@Wulf_YT]

😢😢

[@jjss3055]

The surfshark promo was hilarious 😂🤣

[@SirSicCrusader]

I think I'm probably gonna grab myself a RP5 after the festive period, that thing looks me as heck!

[@Chamberz55]

Best production in youtube gaming. Happy holidays Bob.

[@KevinRodriguez-lv1li]

We're spoiled for choice! It is nice to have the options for everyone's specific use case.

[@LandonEmma]

Just upgraded from an old 3DS XL to a new Nintendo 2DS XL, and boy it is so much better, I love playing my 3DS games!

[@astrovewlix]

You love playing your 3D games in 2D? Goundbreaking

[@joshheyda7206]

What are your fav games so far? (Top 5) @LandonEmma

[@moofmastermadison]

@@spritsfal5088tbh the 3D feature isn’t worth it. the console itself feels better in later versions imo

[@FlyBird]

@@spritsfal5088I can offer mine: It’s much lighter and has a better weight balance, so it’s easier to play for a longer period of time. I prefer the screen on the 2DS XL as well. It’s just more pleasant to play on.

[@theprophet2444]

@@spritsfal5088 it's better than an old 3DS XL(better tech) but worse than a new 3DS XL(lacks 3D and has worse built quality). He upgraded from a non XL 3DS, that thing wasn't really fun to play with, tiny screens and 3D needed you to hold it perfectly in place at all times, which the new 3DS series aleviated thanks to using a head tracking camera.

[@shrey1517]

the sponser was so well done dude hilarious. also 9:53 I get that on a different level

[@justchan2443]

the rg35xxh is underrated 😔

[@hotheadedgamer9126]

I totally forgot it came out this year

[@eduardofrances]

Thanks for letting people know about Asus warranty issues! Happy holidays bob🎉

[@alexcook8324]

Just bought an ROG Ally X based on your recommendation and your bazzite video. Still working out the kinks but each time I do I love it even more.

[@AzureStrikerRai]

I have the 35XXSP but I switched to the 40XXV. The bigger screen and the single analog stick is amazing. I love running Knulli on it. I don't agree with it being on the dishonorable mentions list, but I get it. I love my 40XXV. I play it more than my Retroid Pocket 4 pro.

[@hyperplayrpg]

Agreed!

[@joeskienz]

I agree. The D-Pad is better on the 40XXV too, which is super important for shooting and fighting games.

[@toycoma98]

I have the SP, 40XXH, 40XXV, RP4pro, i always grab the 40XXV and play fight night round 3 psp when i go use the restroom

[@clearelement1051]

"Nintendo should make a tiny Nintendo Switch!" Nintendo Switch Lite: Am I just a joke to you? 😢

[@theprophet2444]

I don't understand him either, I have an Odin 2 here and played a bit of switch with it but eventually just switched back to my Switch for Switch games. Emulation for the switch is really bad actually, only some games run well from the get go (Kirby and the Forgotten Land) and others will run outright atrocious (hello Fire Emblem Three Houses). Just get a modded (OLED) switch, if you want to play Switch games. That said, the Odin 2 is great for anything else, you can put texture packs for PSP and GCN games on it, play at 5x or more res of the original systems, PS2 works quite well too for the most part.

[@mrwoodcat]

@@theprophet2444 he mean playing switch game is a small pocketable form is good (vita centric size). and nintendo should consider making a pocketable switch (switch lite is really isn't).

[@ThatLovelyRose]

I mean... If you watched the video, you'd know what he meant. He even explains it.

[@s01itarygaming]

The switch lite isn't tiny. Realistically the entire DS and 3ds line of handhelds are not tiny (although they are certainly small).

[@Magusguile]

Yeah, if you even have trouble putting a handheld into a cargo pants pocket without it peeking out... it certainly isn't pocketable. Makes sense to me, but I really doubt Nintendo will make this, though I think it would compliment better to the home console/optionally portable main console.

[@MithosDagon]

For me it was the Ally X then Odin 2 Mini. It was nice to see the Odin 2 Mini getting some love as everyone seems to treat it like the Pocket Air when the Odin 2 was announced.

[@Niborino9409]

You have THE BEST ads on youtube. xD I enjoy them as much as the reviews haha

[@jameselsmore726]

Honestly the quality of the ads are so good that Bob could probably be a successful skit/comedy youtuber lol.

[@HappyBlite]

RG35XX H is king for me Loving the comfort and ease of use

[@WillC1020]

I have quite a few handhelds including the 35XXH and it’s definitely a special handheld. The pocketability is great, feels great, buttons are all nice. Has a 3.5 inch screen but thats ok for me.

[@GodRizzla420]

Yeah these Ad segments are the best ive ever seen, i always look forward to whatever skits you do for them!

[@edwardgreenjr167]

Thank you for a great year of content man. Happy Holidays.

[@Octav2000]

I just got a rog ally x and I put bazite on it and I love it!

[@MrJerkfaceKevin]

Received the ROG Ally early in December and it feels like the best of all worlds, I can imagine the Ally X being the Switch OLED of PC handhelds

[@blackreddevil19]

40xx v is a great device. It feels premium with a great dpad , form and a big screen. His hate for it is crazy

[@YouJGSousa]

That alone disqualified his list. One thing is not being in top 5, but a dishonorable mention? Like what ?

[@Kev50027]

I too love my 40XXV, more than the SP or the MM+.

[@iofevil91]

Everyone has preferences man. I grew up on PlayStation but I personally despise the Dualshock 1-3 controllers but everyone I know thinks they are amazing.

[@ItsMeNobody666]

I’m really surprised how much you hate the RG40xxv. It’s legitimately everything I wanted in one of these emulation handhelds. You have to remember most people don’t buy EVERY system like you do, and for someone that just gets a single device the RG40xxv is pretty killer. It fit all of my needs perfectly, big high quality screen, still portable, powerful enough to run everything I wanted to play, decent battery life. The only true negative is the thumb stick is mid.

[@deluge6479]

Only having 1 thumb stick kills it for me

[@LuisMontes]

@@deluge6479 that's enough for n64 and dreamcast

[@Magusguile]

I get his point, if the thumb stick is mid, why not get the same thing that folds in half and is more portable?

[@LuisMontes]

@@Magusguile the stock firmware had an issue, the thumbstick is fine

[@feahnorl]

@@LuisMontesit’s really not fine. I installed the stick patch and while it’s better it’s not a good analogue stick. When I got the 406v I was surprised by how good were the sticks to the point I can’t use the h700 sticks anymore, even with gamma’s patch.

[@XOmniverse]

It's funny that you hate the RG40XXV so much. It's my favorite of the year because I love vertical handhelds and it has a big ol 4" display that looks really nice. And I say this as someone who owns the RG35XXSP and the FunnyPlaying FPGBC also.

[@matts1978]

17:32 dude you crack me up!

[@christopherhart7008]

I will admit I love the rg40xx but I did get it for the holidays and not at launch

[@xTiLkx]

It's one of the most popular and beloved Anbernic devices of this year, very weird to give it a dishonorable mention.

[@WhiteInk47]

I just got an Fpgbc for Christmas and I adore it. Such a fun little device

[@TheBlueArcher]

damn what perfect timing. I was looking for a best value handheld, and though... didn't wulff make a video about it? and,.... wait... WHAT? 5 minutes ago?! lol

[@osmosisp]

Retroid pocket 5 for the win! I'm liking it a lot, I wasn't expecting to run that many switch games.

[@CasepbX]

Been liking the Retroid Pocket 5 for the most part, except the speakers on mine are painfully to listen to past 70% volume though. I don't think I've ever heard speakers so awful before on a handheld device. If I could just turn the treble down it would help, but that option is not available in the OS sadly and 3rd party apps do nothing to help.

[@davidwarburton4236]

Literally the only KZbin channel for which I look forward to the sponsored segments 😂

[@robertoguerrero2496]

i was literally looking for one of those and you drop one today. you’re the best man 😊😊😊

[@charliefen]

That ad, weirdly enough my cat just jumped on me at that moment, stroked him and he is wet too... he does like to jump in my sink a lot though 😂 timing was impeccable. That's all I have to say, I'm happy with my Steam Deck for now, but great video!

[@Ok-kf8xg]

That cat has seen things he won't forget... 💀 I love the deck, I play a lot GTA online on it (i have SteamOS and Windows). I don't emulate there tho, I already an old(good-cheap) android with backbone

[@PheonixCHT]

Thank you for giving some love to the Odin 2 mini. I purchased this as my 2nd handheld and I love it. It plays literally everything. Some switch games drain the battery quick but I’d say 95% of the time I’m getting like 5+ hours of gaming from a charge. If I NEED to go bigger I can just plug it into a bigger monitor and boom. Truly the Swiss Army knife in my opinion.

[@jacksonfullmer1270]

Out of my multiple modded/un modded gameboys, Miyoo and Anbernic consoles, I find I reach for my FPGBC the most. Least amount of frustrations and it just works! Plus you get to tinker just enough to feel like it was a fun build project

[@kzgames3023]

Thank you for giving the odin2mini a place on this list. It's my favorite handheld emulator and deserves the love.

[@LuisMontes]

what ?!?! The 40xxv is my favorite Anberic so far. 4 inch screen, thin bezel, pocketable. The analog stick hardware is fine. Knulli fixed the cardinal snapping. No reason to use the junk stock firmware.

[@ThomasGraber]

I got the Anbernic RG406V and I absolutely love it.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Loved this vid

[@selfmademusic206]

the 40xx V is my favorite of the year.

[@gogomonstertruck]

My Steam Deck LCD still gets plenty of play and is compatible with like 98% of games I wanna play/emulate. But it’s always good to hear what else is going on.

[@kokas466]

it's crazy that the sp is making all top lists I've been watching

[@JaviCVentura]

Agree completely 😊 great job bro and yes the Rog Ally X is nice!!!

[@McSmurfy]

Such a great thumbnail and I have thought of just having some of these, but I have to remind myself that the Steam Deck is all I need.

[@hyperplayrpg]

RG40XXV = dishonorable? It's the peak of budget verticals. Could not be happier with it. Did a 'Top 5 Tips' on it just today. A real beauty. Still, all opinions are valid and this is a nice vid as always. Thanks man and happy hols.

[@LuisMontes]

I have all the h700 devices besides the latest and the 40xxv is easily my favorite

[@XOmniverse]

It's such a steal for the price, too. Build quality is awesome and the screen looks great.

[@walkout85]

I use my Legion Go for more than gaming so using Windows 11 honestly hasn't been that big of an issue. It's definitely gotten better now that Lenovo got over their pride and made it easier to update GPU drivers. If I ever get another, it's going to be some variation of the future Legion Gos as long as they keep using the detachable controllers.

[@John-jc3ty]

when steamOS comes out, its gonna help a ton with the performance of all the windows handhelds

[@that_johnny_guy]

Team Odin 2 mini here. Thats number 1 and I'll never change my mind. Such an iconic looking masterpiece

[@kellenboon8776]

Great video yet again. I just bought the retroid pocket 5 and after a few days setting it up and tweaking settings, it’s quickly becoming my favorite handheld. Looking forward to your review.

[@Thatoneguyofc]

Handhelds are fun, i cant wait untill tech gets better ant they become more powerful and efficient icl

[@pmlabowicz3903]

Bought a steam deck this black Friday and am absolutely loving it. I can now take my wow addiction on the go!

[@Burgundy245]

What's the soft case for the Trimui Brick?

[@Kingeseryt8105]

Ok so this may sound like a stupid question but I'm gonna ask any I have a budget of $150 to $200 I wanna get me something to emulate games on but I'm not sure whether to go the retro handheld route or mini PC or used PC route anything advice is welcome and thank you in advance So context I'm more interested in PS1 ,PS2 and PSP

[@ultimatebreak827]

Definitely get the retroid pocket 4 pro. Maybe even retroid pocket 5 if you can stretch that budget by like $30 or dollars

[@Kingeseryt8105]

@ultimatebreak827 thanks 👍

[@ultimatebreak827]

@@Kingeseryt8105 no problem, hope you enjoy whatever you get

[@jimmerseiber]

This is why I like bob..get buys everything to review and uses personal opinions for his list and thinks about practice things. My list is crazily similar.

[@owlenderg]

I imported a Japanese n3dsLL for Christmas and modded it to be North American Firmware It has been a fantastic experience so far, especially coming from a broken old 3ds xl

[@vitorharalambus6537]

I have had a few cheap compact handhelds and Trimui Brick is my fave. Great styling and power. Passes the D-pad test for MAME Burger Time which I have struggled with with others. It’s a beautiful little thing

[@W1lT0v3r]

Was not expecting the Celeste, Luv that game

[@danedi2951]

You do better sponsorship ads than any youtuber i know, and I play YT vids in the background 6-8 hours per day....

[@unseenhues]

What an incredible time to be alive

[@antonioseekie2804]

the steam deck will forever be my baby

[@Vss077]

*till steam deck 2

[@WaffleExplosion99]

steam deck sucks

[@marioangulo5740]

@@WaffleExplosion99said no one ever

[@deluge6479]

Valve will never marry you

[@fresco_dinero5155]

@@marioangulo5740steam deck does kinda suck.

[@cyber7550]

Great review Borski loved it thanks man Happy New Year🤘

[@LuisPerez-5]

3:32 you can send that to me. I'll put it to good use

[@ewoutverheij4745]

I really like the reviews of all the handhelds that Bob puts out. Got a lot to think about when I want a more modern handheld for myself. Meanwhile though i’m pretty content with my Modded “New”3DS. Sure it’s old, but the modding community truly gave the system a second life. If you’re willing to look around & tinker within the software, you can squeeze a lot of fun out of the system.

[@HearMeLearn]

I think you're missing the point of the odin 2 portal, you should definitely review it so you understand why it's a thing

[@Fleur_de_lis2k]

7:10 This says a lot, Brick for the win!

[@d0minant24]

I personally sold my dual-booted Ally X and went and got the Steam Deck OLED LE, the same smoke black translucent one you got there. Just preferred having a slightly bigger OLED display, touchpads and additional macro buttons. I didn’t care for the additional power and battery life of the Ally X as I use my gaming PC to stream from most of the time. Great list though, and I agree, Ally X was handheld of the year. Even though I didn’t keep it, Asus fixed improved a lot on the original Z1E and my experience overall with it was great. Now, I really want the SP.

[@TheDeadlyTikka]

Happy to see the Ayn Odin 2 Mini. Bought one earlier this year and been playing it non stop

[@hyyyp3rbreak629]

what is he playing at 10:08?

[@Renbits]

i bet the RP5 will replace your odin 2 mini, even if its not as powerful

[@koldwolf]

Not ergonomic or play as many switch games

[@burnzy3210]

Honestly the RG35XX SP seems to be the general winner. If you lock in the experience quality (ie solid emulation quality & value for money) the only thing left that matters if form factor.

[@Celcey24]

Normally a lot of that handheld stuff confuses me, in part because they've all got those stupid letter names and I can't tell them from Adam, and in part because none of them seems to do everything well enough. But this is actually pretty encouraging. I was thinking about just getting a Steam Deck next time I pick up a console, but hearing about how the Ally works makes me reconsider. I'm not pulling the plug yet, but I'm keeping my eye on this space

[@timbusbee1483]

Funny Play does sell as a fully built model for $99 and it's pretty impressive. Not as pretty as the analogue pocket, but very serviceable for playing GB/GBC games

[@ToyKeeper]

2024 was the year I got into handhelds... and it turns out the best one was a cheap phone with a controller and clip. The phone is used only for gaming, and has no SIM. Pro: Super comfy to use for hours, amazing oled screen, good sound, powerful enough to match a Retroid Pocket 4 (ish), great build quality, great battery life, and reasonably inexpensive. Con: Complicated to root and set up, not very convenient for use away from home, a couple Android-specific Retroarch bugs. I tried some retro handhelds first, but they hurt my hands so I switched to a full controller and had a much better time.

[@eropoke]

Handhelds are cool

[@phrozenliquidz]

35XX SP and GPD win mini for me this year

[@flatfeelings]

Looking forward to TrimUi SP next year. Would be great if there was a clamshell handheld with brick's hardware specs.

[@skycloud4802]

I think the main strength and hindrance of the RG Ally is that it's not Steam OS. It comes with the upsides and downside of Windows, whilst losing the track pads and extra buttons. I think Steam Deck has a nicer way of doing a 'console-ification' of pc gaming. Everything is such a nest package that it's easy to momentarily forget it's a pc.

[@TheFilmGuyOfficial]

The ally x makes me regret buying OG ally! It’s so much better and it’s also not worth upgrading to from the OG

[@43lk]

My Steam Deck is best retro console ever with Batocera and 1tb sd, love it... didn't use Steam OS on it for more like year already ;)

[@BroadcastsFromPoorFarm]

happy new year bob

[@youraveragedillon5958]

Rog ally X is a game changer.

[@NaraMakesGames]

AYANEO Pocket DMG is my end-all device. Retired me from the game.

[@fallen_tsu]

I'm really happy with my steam deck that was a gift from a friend , wish it was more powerful but it really does it's job well. happy holidays and happy new year BOBBO

[@Magusguile]

Great list! Looking forward to that Miyoo SP and how it stacks up to the Abernic SP and your RP5 review... it seems almost there for me to finally get a RP...

[@Bader.official]

What about steam deck?

[@Space64]

the deck is like 3 years old dawg

[@Bader.official]

@ sorry i just bought it this year 🤣

[@Dracossaint]

Yeah, I think he's sticking to this year's releases or once he's really reviewed this year.

[@Kevin-sl3gk]

I mean.. the Rog Ally did get #1 because of all the great work and improvements Valve has done with Linux / Steam OS.

[@fresco_dinero5155]

Even if steam deck released this year, it will still fall short to the Rog Ally x

[@Centaursixtysix]

It’s fun seeing a top 5 list in 2025

[@Lost_n_Found_1]

Gotta say I prefer the TrimUI Smart Pro with a grip over the Brick.

[@cryptoviking6520]

The surfshark plug was epic 😂

[@Karandras_82]

Where you got the pocket for the Trimui Brick? I like it!

[@edwardlashley3572]

There is a telescopic controller called the GameSir Pro 8 that you can easily mod in seconds. It was designed this way, as a hidden feature, that you can extend this controller out so it will fit onto literally any sized device. When you attach this controller to a 14 inch V3 tablet, you come up with the actual best gaming device of 2024. The V3 has 2x resolution 165 hertz display Variable refresh rate & it works natively with AMD motion frames, so you don’t need to install any special drivers. It uses a landscape display while basically every portable pc uses a portrait oriented display. Portrait displays mess with AMD software compatibility but here you have an actual landscape display. You’ll never think about gaming on a device that doesn’t need a wall charger the same.

[@Jonahhjpg]

Great list!

[@J0kerHecz]

This year I guess I got into handhelds although I own two: This summer I got myself a Anbernic RG556 and love the thing. I use it for emulators before Wii, Android games and PS5 Remote play. Heck I take it with me. Got it on sale, wished the RGCube was on sale too but sadly it wasn’t otherwise I would’ve went for that just for the small form factor. About a week ago, I got myself an ROG Ally Z1E and I regret not buying one when it released. My god, I felt a kid with his GBA again. I’ve been so hooked onto it. Haven’t upgraded my old PC in many years, used it for work but this Ally was an upgrade for me. Became my gaming and work PC. I didn’t bother adding Bazzite cuz well ehh, don’t really care. I upgraded the storage with a 1TB SSD that I got on sale during Black Friday, although I probably should’ve went with a 2TB lol. But man I loved playing the games I bought over the years on Steam, as well as the freebies from Epic Store, PC versions of certain Android /iOS games, using MnKB or my Gulikit KK3M controller. I used the 512GB SSD (Bought an enclosure for it) to store PS3 and Switch emulators. Also used PS5 Remote play with PSPlay, which I used the Android and iOS versions, never failed me. I still need to get a portable charger for it….. although I probably won’t bring it around with me. I’ll just remote play using the RG556 using Moonlight. Next handheld I’ll probably get is the RP5, looks like a good size for me.

[@Allwayskind6]

Hell yeah happy new year man sleep sounds good lol

[@TREEKO978]

I went to Japan for a month and wanted to takr my RG35XXH but the screen broke a day before the flight, so I ended up taking my Switch (because the ROG ally is too bulky) and remembered how good the actual Switch is. I really got into Outward lately so I picked up a copy in Japan, and it's was... playable.

[@jameslow1970]

Where did you get that case for the Trimui Brick? Looks so much sleeker than the usual hard shell cases.