Upcoming handheld gaming consoles to look out for in 2023
DexertoDo you want to know the hottest upcoming handheld gaming consoles in 2023? We’ve scoured the internet to collate the list of upcoming portable gaming consoles to watch out for.
The success of Nintendo Switch has reignited the romance with gaming on the go. Not only did this handheld gaming console sell in good numbers, but it was such a great product that even after almost six years, the company did not feel the urge to upgrade it.
This inspired a bunch of startups and other tech companies to jump aboard. As a result, a wave of portable consoles from Valve, Ayaneo, GPD, OneXPlayer, and more swooped in and got us extremely powerful portable gaming PCs.
The success of Valve’s Steam Deck and the introduction of ROG Ally are just a couple of examples of this small yet thriving community of gamers that prefer portability yet aren’t ok with compromising on power and features.
Its rippling effect was seen recently when Sony confirmed that it is also working on a gaming console-like device. It prompted us to put this piece together, listing all the upcoming handheld gaming devices you should look out for in 2023.
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Upcoming Ayaneo handheld consoles
Ayaneo is among the first few companies to release a portable gaming console to the market. It followed the release of the highly successful Nintendo Switch. The company has been able to carve out a niche for its Windows-powered consoles.
The company has been known for introducing many devices with iterative hardware updates and fancy designs in a short period of time, often launched via IndieGoGo.
Ayaneo Kun
AyaneoPortable console maker Ayaneo has revealed yet another portable gaming PC, the Ayaneo Kun. What makes it exciting, though, is the company’s claim that the Ayaneo Kun will be the “Most powerful Windows handheld console yet.”
The teaser shared by the company reveals that the Kun will have an immersive bezel-less 8.4-inch screen. What makes this console more interesting is its dual touchpads and a Windows Hello camera for added security. Combined, these features are a first for portable Windows gaming consoles.
The company has not yet revealed the key specs, however, it’s being hinted that Kun will have an improved heat dissipation system and a significantly larger battery life.
We’re yet to get clarity on Ayaneo Kun’s launch date.
Ayaneo Next II
AyaneoThe Ayaneo Next 2 is one of the company’s many upcoming handheld Windows gaming consoles and is one of the few to sport an 8-inch LCD display. The company shared a teaser for the Next 2 sometime back, which hinted at the presence of Steam Deck-like trackpads that make it easy for users to play games that require touch input.
This console is also confirmed to come with an AMD Ryzen 7000 series processor and will have discrete Radeon 780M graphics. While the exact details about the configurations of the Next 2 are unclear, it will offer Steam Deck users a Windows alternative.
Ayaneo Slide
AyaneoThe company revealed the first looks of the Ayaneo Slide in March this year. This upcoming console reminds you of good ol’ Nokia phones and gaming gadgets from the 90s that came with a slidable display exposing a physical keyboard.
With this retro design, Ayaneo is looking to combine the comfort of a physical keyboard with modern gaming hardware on a portable device, as typing in such a cramped space can be a headache for people with fat fingers. Moreover, the Slide can also double up as a laptop if required. You can also respond to emails or type long messages without getting frustrated.
The Ayaneo Slide will also feature an AMD 7000 series processor, and the angle of the sliding screen will be adjustable according to your preference.
Ayaneo Flip
AyaneoAnother Windows gaming console with a retro-inspired design, the Flip will remind you of a Nintendo DS or a GameBoy Advance SP gaming console from yesteryear.
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As per the teasers released by the company, the Flip will sport a clamshell design with a screen that can be swivelled up, revealing a full-size keyboard. The clamshell design also ensures that the screen remains protected when closed. The hinge is expected to hold the display in a preferred position, mimicking a small portable gaming computer.
Ayaneo Pocket Air
AyaneoAyaneo also revealed the technical specification of its first Android-powered gaming console. The Pocket Air will run on Android 12 and will be powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200 SoC. It will have a 5.5-inch AMOLED display which could be relatively small for a handheld gaming console.
The company has confirmed that the Pocket Air will have a 7350 mAh battery along with other key features like a fingerprint module for biometrics, hall-sensing sticks and triggers, a gyroscope, a dual-mic vibration motor, and an AyaHome launcher.
The Twitter post also reveals that the Ayaneo Pocket Air might be sold via the Indiegogo crowdsourcing platform and will be up for pre-orders in July, with shipments expected to start in August.
Sony Project Q
SonyThe Sony Project Q is the most anticipated portable gaming console, although it may not qualify as one. With Project Q, Sony is repeating what it has done with the PS VR, introducing a new line of devices requiring a PlayStation 5 to work.
According to Sony, Project Q is a “dedicated device that enables you to stream any game through your PS5 console using remote play.”
So essentially, the Sony Project Q will be a low-powered handheld gaming console with an eight-inch HD screen and the same controller design as the PlayStation 5’s Dualsense controller.
While it might not be called Project Q when it starts retailing, it will help users play games from the PS 5 using a remote play on WiFi.
Nintendo Switch 2 / Switch Pro
NintendoThe Nintendo Switch started it all in 2017, and while we’ve had a couple of variants – Switch Lite and Switch OLED released in 2019 and 2021, respectively, we are still waiting for a successor to the original Switch.
Various rumors have repeatedly hinted that the company is indeed working on a powerful Switch Pro with a Tegra 9 SoC and will support advanced features such as DLSS 2.2 and ray tracing.
That said, while an upgrade is long due, there needs to be concrete information about the launch or specifications. The most we have currently is that Nintendo does not plan to release a new handheld before Spring 2024.
Miyoo Mini Flip
The community that loves retro gaming consoles is excited about the upcoming release of Miyoo Mini Flip. As the name suggests, the Mini Flip will ship with a flip-out clamshell design. The display on this console is expected to be a 3.5-inch LCD panel. Miyoo makes some of the most popular gaming handhelds in this segment, like the Miyoo Mini Plus.
While not much is known about the specifications or the launch date of Miyoo Mini Flip, as it is expected to run 8-bit/64-bit games, we can anticipate an affordable price tag and slightly more powerful hardware specs than its predecessors.
Orange Pi handheld
Orange PiOrange Pi, known for its open-source microcomputer boards, is rumored to be working on a powerful handheld gaming console. It has a Rockchip RK3588S processor for Android/Linux gaming or AMD Ryzen 7 7800U/6800U for Windows gaming.
It might sport a 7-inch LCD panel, stereo speakers, a couple of microphones, three USB C ports, and two customizable buttons at the back. The top-end Windows variant might come with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage.
The handheld is expected to launch in China at an approximate starting price of $217, up to $506 for the flagship variant. There needs to be clarity on its availability in China as well as international markets.