Trimming down your handheld collection/addiction has been a big topic lately. Stubbs, Tech Dweeb, Retro Game Corps, and more have made videos on it and I have recently done the same and thought it’d be fun to write about.

My reasoning was to free up space and also just have my year to be focused on gaming. I get limited free time, so the choice paralysis or constant setting up a new device was really taxing on me. I made the idea that if I didn’t touch or use it in 2 weeks, I’d sell it or give it away, which I ended up doing more of. Here are my final 5 handhelds I kept and the reasons why.

Retroid Pocket 5

I love this handheld. I have always liked Retroid and the Pocket 5 is my favorite by them. The GameCube color looks great, the screen is awesome, and I’m a big fan of their buttons/triggers. It has just enough power for my emulation needs as well.

Originally I thought the AYN Odin 2 Mini was my endgame small device, but I sold that to buy the RP5. I have zero regrets because what it lacks in power, it makes up with that great screen. Even with the new announcement of the Flip 2, I am sticking with my RP5.

Steam Deck OLED

This is easily the device I use the most. I never had a pc, so Steam was foreign to me before buying the Steam Deck. I have so many games to catch up on and this has been a dream for just PC gaming and also emulation. My favorite systems to emulate are Wii U, Wii, PS2, and GameCube.

The OLED model improved what was already my favorite device. Another great screen and better battery life make this my go-to device whenever I have some extra time to play something.

AYANEO Pocket DMG

I recently wrote about my journey to find the perfect vertical device, and this still holds supreme! The AYANEO Pocket DMG is too powerful for its own good, but I don’t know why too much performance is a bad thing. The OLED screen looks great (this may be a recurring theme of the kind of devices I like), the battery life is great, and I love the feel of the buttons.

This is my favorite device to play Game Boy and SNES on. I have even been enjoying playing PlayStation as well. It has been making revisiting my favorite childhood games a dream come true. It is pricey, but AYANEO really knocked it out of the park for me on this one.

New 3DS XL

I am in a weird middle feeling of playing games on original hardware. I sold my GBA SP, DMG, Vita, and GBC, but also still use my GameCube and N64. This however is the one piece of original hardware I will not sell. DS and 3DS are the only systems I do not enjoy emulating. The emulators are fine, but I miss out on that Nintendo charm of their interface.

I never had a 3DS or DS when they released, so there are a ton of games I still need to get to. Screen size never bothers me, so I am fine with playing the DS games on the 3DS screen. I know the Duo is a great option, but how else can I use my in-built pedometer of the 3DS and spend coins?!

ASUS ROG Ally X

My final handheld is yet another handheld PC, but I rarely use it for gaming. I wrote an article about using the ROG Ally X as a PC, and that is exactly how I still use it. I don’t have a PC and my laptop is very cheap and underpowered (I bought it for $120). This is my solution to have a small PC option that does not take up a ton of room.

So I guess I will still count this as a handheld, though gaming gets used on it rarely besides some Xbox Game Pass games or games too difficult for my Steam Deck. I like this more so docked on my desk and usit e for working and even music recording.

Have you dwindled your handheld collection down or plan to? What devices have you kept or plan to keep? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!

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