While home consoles tend to be at the vanguard of video game technology, the humble handheld occupies a slightly different position.
Seen by some as a way of filling the time between sessions on the couch with a PS5, the portable console perhaps doesn't get enough credit – the fact you can take them with you everywhere means that a stronger bond is often forged with handheld systems, and this amplified by the gloriously tactile experience of cradling a system in your hands while you're on the bus home from work.
This fusion of mobility and physical connection means that many of us will have very fond memories of playing our handheld consoles as kids, but with powerful devices like the Steam Deck now available, it means that you're not giving up power for portability; AAA gaming on the go has been possible since the days of the PS Vita (and, later, Switch), so it's perfectly possible only to own a handheld system these days and not feel like you're being treated as a second-class citizen.
Given the deep affection players have for their portable gaming platforms, we thought it might be a good idea to rank them. Below, you'll find all of the significant handheld systems from the past few decades. Now, we're not suggesting for one second that the humble Game Boy should be compared to its vastly more powerful successor, the Switch, in terms of game quality and processing grunt, but there's no denying that some machines have a bigger impact than others – regardless of how powerful they are.
We recently asked you to vote for your favourite handheld, and those votes have been used to create the ranking below.
21. Bit Corp Gamate
- Release date: 1990
- Manufacturer: Bit Corp / United Microelectronics
- Units Sold: Unknown
The Bit Corp Gamate was released around the same time as the original Game Boy in a fairly transparent attempt to steal some of that seminal machine's thunder. The Gamate could hardly be deemed a successful console and its impact on Nintendo's market share is negligible, but it nevertheless managed to survive for longer than some of its higher-profile rivals – and it even saw release outside of its native Taiwan.
Approximately 70 games were released for the console between 1990 and 1995, with many of the later titles never seeing the light of day outside of the Far East. Bit Corp was not a big company, but it managed to secure distribution deals with quite a few Western firms, including UK joystick maker Cheetah and GIG in Italy.
Sadly, the low-quality, blurry screen and lack of decent games ensured that the Gamate's impact was non-existent, despite its ability to survive in its native Taiwan.
Notable Games:
- Witty Apee
- Myth of Asamia
- Enchanted Bricks