CES 2025’s Most Innovative Gaming Handhelds
With CES 2025 now over, we all witnessed a slew of new innovative technology from well-known and lesser-known players alike. Today, we're diving in and looking at the top gaming-related gadgets unveiled this year.
Lenovo Legion Go 2/Legion Go S
Starting off, Lenovo unveiled its Legion Go S gaming handheld. This new handheld device is part of its lineup of successors to the last generation, Lenovo Legion Go. It features an upgraded AMD Z2 Go processor, an 8-inch 1920x1200 120Hz display, and a 55 Wh battery. All of this comes in at a competitive $499 price point.
What’s most interesting about this is that there are two variants of the Lenovo Legion Go S: a white-coloured version that runs Windows and a grey version that runs SteamOS. This is especially exciting as it is now the first device not made by Valve to run SteamOS. Having SteamOS will provide a much more streamlined user experience and better compatibility with games, as many users of the previous Legion Go devices and similar Windows-based handhelds reported issues with Windows.
As a big fan of Linux, I’m especially interested in the SteamOS model, as it propels Linux gaming to the spotlight. This will greatly aid the Linux ecosystem for better compatibility, performance, and ease of use for developers and consumers alike.
Lenovo also showed off the bigger brother of this machine, the Lenovo Legion Go 2. This one features a faster AMD Z2 Extreme SoC, a larger 8.8-inch 1920x1200 144Hz display, and a whopping 74 Wh battery. At first glance, the display may seem like a step down from the 2560x1600 screen of the last generation Legion Go, but thanks to the impressive pixel density on such a compact screen, the differences are hardly noticeable, even up close. The lower resolution will also make the performance and battery life much better as fewer pixels will need to be rendered. No price or release date has been announced for this device.
Acer Nitro Blaze 11
On a similar note, Acer introduced its Nitro Blaze 11 gaming handheld. This behemoth of a device boasts a hefty 11’ 2560x1600 120hz touchscreen display. The controllers are detachable, and the handheld features a kickstand as well. Due to the large form factor and the inclusion of a touchscreen, this can also function as a tablet, great for watching movies, drawing, and more. All of this comes at a premium $1099 price tag.
What I like the most about this device is that the device has a pogo pin expansion port at the bottom. No official peripherals have been announced, but this looks very similar to a keyboard docking point on hybrid tablet devices like the Microsoft Surface series. This opens the door for an official keyboard/touchpad accessory in the future, transforming it into a very versatile hybrid device like the Microsoft Surface. This also opens up the possibility to a plethora of other possible accessories, making it great for anyone looking for an all rounder device.
Atari Gamestation Go
For retro gaming fans, Atari revealed their new Gamestation Go handheld, which is very unique compared to the others we’ve seen so far. This is a device focused on playing old school Atari games, featuring hundreds of Atari and a few third party games built in. What’s most interesting about this device though is the focus on the unique controls, some distinctive controls are added, such as a paddle, a trackball, and even a special number pad. Coming in at a competitive $149 price point and potential for sideloading in the future, this machine is an attractive option for retro gaming enthusiasts.
Super Retro Champ
By far, the most interesting handheld shown at CES 2025 was the Super Retro Champ by My Arcade. This handheld device allows players to use physical cartridges of their favourite SNES and Sega Genesis games to play on the go. It features a 6’ display, a rechargeable battery, and an HDMI port to connect to your TV. If you have a collection of physical game cartridges from the early eras of gaming and want to relive those cherished memories in a modern form factor, this device is a total steal at $149
Conclusion
Out of everything that we have seen, the Legion Go S is what I would recommend for most people looking to buy a handheld. It comes at a solid price point, can handle any and all types of games, and is by far the most user-friendly option for general gaming. Meanwhile the Acer Nitro Blaze is a unique option for people looking for a hybrid device. The final two retro devices are something that retro gamers with very specific niches could really enjoy as they’re more specialized and cater to those tastes.
All in all, CES never disappoints, with a plethora of new, inventive, and fascinating devices unveiled every year. With the focus on AI technology in recent years, it’s quite refreshing to see the handheld market get some love too. Are you interested in any of these devices? Be sure to let me know which one and why!