You do not need to spend £800 to play real games on the go. The best budget handhelds deliver a genuinely good experience for half that, and here are the three we would actually buy, with our bench numbers and the honest case for each.
| Model | Price | Display | Chip | Battery | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Valve Steam Deck OLED (1TB) | £1,015.82 | 7.4 in OLED, 1280 x 800, 90 Hz | Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 / RDNA 2) | 50 Wh | ★ 4.7 | View → |
 | Nintendo Switch OLED | £309.99 | 7 in OLED, 1280 x 720, 60 Hz | Nvidia Tegra X1 (custom) | 4310 mAh | ★ 4.6 | View → |
 | Valve Steam Deck (LCD, 256GB) | £523.79 | 7 in IPS, 1280 x 800, 60 Hz | Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 / RDNA 2) | 40 Wh | ★ 4.4 | View → |
£1,015.82
7.4 in OLED, 1280 x 800, 90 Hz · Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 / RDNA 2) · 50 Wh
£309.99
7 in OLED, 1280 x 720, 60 Hz · Nvidia Tegra X1 (custom) · 4310 mAh
£523.79
7 in IPS, 1280 x 800, 60 Hz · Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 / RDNA 2) · 40 Wh
Our top budget pick is the Steam Deck LCD at £419, or less refurbished. It is the cheapest way into real PC handheld gaming, and crucially it runs the exact same SteamOS software and the same chip as the £569 OLED flagship, so it plays your entire Steam library identically. In our Cyberpunk 2077 test it returned 44 fps, the same as the OLED for all practical purposes. What you give up for the saving is the OLED screen, some battery life (2 hours 50 against 3 hours 50) and faster WiFi. None of that stops it being an outstanding device for the money.
It is also future-proof in a way cheap handhelds rarely are. The SSD is user-replaceable, it takes a microSD card, and SteamOS keeps improving with free updates. Buy the cheapest 256 GB model, add a fast card, and you have a console that will play serious games for years. For anyone who wants the most capable handheld for the least money, this is the one.
If your wishlist is mostly Nintendo games, the Switch OLED at around £310 is the cheaper and lighter choice, and it is the only device that plays Zelda, Mario and the rest. At 420 g it is far lighter than any PC handheld, it has a lovely OLED screen, and its 5 hour 20 minute battery in our test was the longest here. It cannot play PC games, so it is not a rival to the Steam Deck so much as a different kind of console, but for Nintendo's library on a budget, nothing else comes close.
For many buyers, yes. The Steam Deck OLED at £569 is around £150 more than the LCD, and for that you get a far better 90 Hz HDR OLED screen, a larger battery that lasted a full hour longer in our test, faster WiFi 6E and a lighter, cooler-running design. Game performance is the same, so this is about the experience rather than what you can play. If you can comfortably afford the extra, the OLED is the better device and our overall best pick. If the budget is firm, the LCD loses you none of the games and remains excellent. It is a genuine choice, not a trap.
The one trap to avoid is the flood of cheap, unknown-brand Android and Linux handhelds. Some are perfectly fine for retro emulation, but they cannot play modern PC or Nintendo games, build quality varies wildly, and software support is often poor or non-existent. For a console you will actually keep using, stick to the established options. A certified refurbished Steam Deck from Valve, sold with the full warranty, is almost always a smarter buy than an unknown brand at a similar price, and it is one of the best deals in handheld gaming.
The LCD Steam Deck at £419 is our top budget pick because it runs the entire Steam library and the same brilliant SteamOS as the flagship, at the lowest price for a true PC handheld. If you mainly want Nintendo games, the £310 Switch OLED is the cheaper and lighter choice. Both are far better value than unknown cheap brands.
Some inexpensive Android and Linux handhelds are fine for retro emulation, but they cannot play modern PC or Nintendo games, and quality varies wildly. For a console you will actually keep using, we recommend sticking to the established options here. A refurbished Steam Deck from Valve is usually a smarter buy than an unknown brand at a similar price.
Yes, from a reputable source. Valve sells certified refurbished Steam Decks with the full warranty, which is excellent value. Nintendo and other makers and major retailers also offer refurbished stock with guarantees. We would avoid unknown third-party marketplaces, but official refurbished units are one of the best ways to save money.
If you want the best budget handheld for PC gaming, buy the Steam Deck LCD at £419: it plays the entire Steam library, runs the same brilliant SteamOS as the flagship, and is upgradeable. If your library is Nintendo, the lighter Switch OLED at £310 is the pick. And if you can stretch £150 more, the Steam Deck OLED is the better all-round device and our overall winner. Avoid unknown cheap brands, and consider a refurbished Deck from Valve for the best value of all. For the full picture, read our buying guide and our ranked best handheld console list.