Breaking Down the Handheld Computer Market

Handheld Computer Market

I didn’t want to explicitly run through the laptop gamut since there are countless articles that cover the various ups and downs you could be working with.

Instead I wanted to cover a general note on handheld computing devices of varying uses, but I wanted to try and angle this towards tinkerers and enthusiasts.

Handheld Gaming

I think we’ve all had fond memories of gaming handhelds for a very long time, so this is an absolute blast of a category to write about.

Steam Deck

I’ve had the Steam Deck for a little over a year now and I feel as though I’ve played more games as a result and have a much easier time getting into gaming. It’s not perfect for every game, I’ve never been a controller shooter and I’m not keen on the battery life for a lot of AAA games, but it’s been a fucking bop across the board.

Asus ROG Ally

I feel like there were many handheld playables that came out when the Steam Deck cropped up it’s pretty little head, but the ROG Ally is the only one that I’ve been excited and raised an eyebrow over.
It looks like a worthy competitor, though I am happily nested in my Deck.

Playdate

The playdate caught my attention because Lucas Pope is currently developing a game there. It looks like a cute little handheld with a niche community that goes with it. While I would hesitantly recommend it for people who want a fun handheld with a small ecosystem, I think you’d actually have much more fun doing weird tech demos if you are at all into game dev.

Honorable Mention: GPT Win, Ayaneo.

Chromebooks

I’m a big fan of reducing noise when I’m working on computers or getting creative work done. I was an early adopter of Chromebooks and have monitored their success as time has passed.

Chromebook

I think the case for a Chromebook is stronger now than it was in the past. Especially as they are integrating the Android APK into chromebooks too. That being said, a cautionary tale from someone who still has a Chromebook from nearly 10 years ago, their support on their own systems can be bullshit when they have a perceived end of life for their device.

Chromebook with Linux Environment

I’ve tinkered with dual-booting in the past and can say that while ChromOS is great, getting a different distro for additional capabilities is great, mostly for incorporating things like Databases and VSCode in an accessible manner.

Desktop Accessories

These are devices you can get that still require a desktop for full focus.

Logitech G Cloud

I have only seen a few tech videos on this and Logitech is making such a baller effort to take over the desktop. Not only do they have the Gcloud which is a neat in-home streaming handheld, they are also have a Dock that is out that looks fucking amazing.

Nvidia Shield

The Nvidia shield has been out for a long time and there are certainly some QoL features that might not still be present. But in-home streaming, 4K accessible device that has a neutrality regarding what you can air and view is hard to beat.

Part Stadia competitor, part chromecast competitor, but certainly for the enthusiasts.

Tech Fixers

We work on a lot of handhelds and video game consoles. One of our employees has a Steam Deck and it has turned into their daily driver so we are very aware of how impactful it can be on someones life.

If you are in need of service or assistance with your handhelds, give us a call, we can help!