Nintendo GameBoy

The grandfather of all handheld consoles, the GameBoy effectively defined the category on its launch in 1989.

Sega Game Gear

The Sega Game Gear was impressive thanks to its colour screen but shocking battery life really let it down

Galaxy Invader 1000

A bright yellow gaming machine with a game that played like a cross between Space Invaders and Galaxian. Insanely addictive.

Neo Geo Pocket Color

The Neo Geo Pocket Color was a solid fave for hardcore gamers at the time but it didn’t stick around long.

Nintendo GameBoy Advance

This one blew several competitor away when it launched thanks to its 32-bit power and more.

PC Engine GT

This was a handheld version of the TurboGrafx-16 games console that also came with a built-in TV tuner. Impressive gear for 1990.

Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

The Sony PSP offered superb handheld gaming thanks to a 4.3-inch LCD screen and awesome games like God of War.

Atari Lynx

Atari dabbled in the handheld market back in 1989 but didn’t manage to sell well.

Nintendo Game & Watch

These single-game handheld gaming machines were a marvel in the 1980s.

Tonytronic 3D

The Tomytronic 3D was basically the forefather of modern VR headsets. Things have come a long way since then.

Nintendo DS

With the GameBoy brand waning, the Nintendo DS had to work hard to maintain Nintendo’s dominance, but it managed it.

PlayStation Vita

The follow-up to the PSP was superb thanks to an excellent 5-inch OLED touchscreen and other highlights too.

Nintendo 2DS/3DS

First released in 2011, the 3DS was the first handheld games console with a glasses-free 3D screen

Nintendo Switch

We see the Nintendo Switch as a revolutionary handheld console - one that can be enjoyed equally as much on the move and plugged into a TV.

Nintendo Switch Lite

The Nintendo Switch Lite isn’t just a smaller version of standard Switch, it also works as a replacement to the DS family of consoles too.

Valve Steam Deck

Essentially a gaming PC in a small form factor, Valve’s Steam Deck may be the latest addition to the pile but it’s come in strong.