Valve’s Steam Deck suffers the same problem as the Xbox Ally, and the solution might be a modern manufacturing impossibility — Sony nailed it 16 years ago

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I split my gaming time between a super-powerful desktop – it has all the latest, brightest lights and uses a lot of energy – and my Steam Deck, which I really enjoy. This setup works well because it gets me up and away from my work desk, though it could be even more ideal.

Handheld gaming PCs, like the Steam Deck and Windows-based devices such as the ASUS ROG Ally and Xbox Ally X, are great, but they’re simply too large to be truly convenient. While portable enough to travel with – I’ve taken them around the world – they still take up a significant amount of space in my carry-on bag.

With high-end handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Lenovo Legion Go 2 becoming increasingly expensive, many of us are hoping for more budget-friendly and uniquely designed options. As Rebecca points out, it would be fantastic to see smaller, truly portable devices that are also more durable. She’s onto something – I recently discovered an older device that shows how PlayStation successfully achieved this in the past.

I can almost hear the groans from gamers who disagree, but let me explain why I sometimes miss the Sony PSP Go from 2011, despite its flaws. It wasn’t as powerful as a PC, but I really appreciated how easily it fit in your pocket. While the single thumbstick and squishy buttons weren’t great, the way the screen slid open was a really neat feature.

Hear me out — it’s the pocketability that I miss.

AYANEO’s Slide, released in 2024, briefly offered a glimpse of a similar design, but it ultimately just featured a hidden keyboard, reminiscent of an older BlackBerry with added game controls. Seeing the success of the Clicks Communicator, which tapped into that same nostalgic feeling, makes me wonder why a modern PC version of the PSP Go hasn’t been created.

It’s a fair question – why aren’t manufacturers making smaller, handheld gaming devices again? The answer seems to be twofold. First, adding physical controls to a smaller device makes it less comfortable to hold and use. Second, smartphones can already play most modern games perfectly well. However, I personally don’t enjoy playing games on my phone, and a dedicated handheld would be a welcome alternative.

A detachable controller, like the Backbone Pro, seems like the obvious solution, but it doesn’t quite work for me. I really don’t want to carry around even more stuff, and I’m careful about my phone’s battery life – I don’t want to drain it playing demanding games. I’ve been hoping for something more like a portable PC, and that’s actually what I’m leaning towards.

The solution was Windows Phone

You might remember we were once known as Windows Phone Central. We’ll always hold onto that history, especially when I consider how smartphones – even those running Windows or Linux – are used today. While I didn’t expect a device like this to use typical computer components like M.2 SSDs, I do think the software could be really successful.

Smartphones are incredibly capable devices, even able to handle high-end games, but I don’t think Android is a strong enough platform overall.

People are already successfully playing PC games designed for Windows on Android using an app called Winlator, so the idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds. But just because something *can* be done doesn’t mean it makes sense, and this hybrid hardware seems unnecessary. While smartphones are powerful enough to handle demanding games, Android itself isn’t ideal. What I really want is to have the full Windows experience on my phone.

It’s no shock that someone from Windows Central would prefer Windows-based devices. I anticipate the usual suggestions to just get a better phone, but that’s not what I’m looking for. I’d love to see some affordable, small, and easily portable handheld consoles. I’m not asking for anything that could compete with top-of-the-line devices, and definitely not cheaply made products. I know I’m probably alone in this, but I really miss those smaller, compact gaming consoles.

Am I sounding like a grumpy old man complaining about things? Have the many similar products on Temu already fixed this issue? Please let me know your thoughts.

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2026-01-13 20:10