New Omdia research reveals 2.3 million PC gaming handhelds, including the Steam Deck, will be sold globally in 2025. This will represent growth of 32% from 2024, when 1.7 million units were sold. Omdia forecasts 4.7 million PC handhelds will be sold annually by 2029.

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Global handheld sales volumes by category, 2024 and 2029

PC vendors continue to face challenges. “Windows 11 is currently poorly suited to handheld gaming, and devices are not delivering a generational leap in performance over the market leading Steam Deck,” commented James McWhirter, Senior Analyst covering games at Omdia.

However, 2025 is bringing progress on these fronts. “Windows 11’s upcoming refreshed gaming mode is expected to dramatically improve the user experience on PC gaming handhelds. This, coupled with the first Xbox-branded handhelds launching in late 2025, provide potential for devices to resonate with a broader audience beyond PC gaming enthusiasts,” added McWhirter.

Microsoft is also investing to ensure PC vendors will eventually have access to semi-custom APUs to power their handhelds via its recent partnership with AMD – this will help provide a generational leap in performance.

PC gaming handhelds coexist with PC gaming desktops and laptops as complementary devices, and a similar dynamic is observed with Sony’s PlayStation Portal, another device covered in Omdia’s Games Handhelds Database. Omdia finds PlayStation Portal surpassed a 3% attach rate to PlayStation 5 by the end of 2024.

The arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025 brought a new console cycle to the handhelds market, with Omdia forecasting over 20 million combined units of the Switch 2 and Switch sold globally in 2025.

“Nintendo continues to follow the traditional console model with the Switch 2 – compelling exclusive blockbuster content marketed in tandem with the hardware. But it will not reach the heights achieved by the original Switch,” added McWhirter. “Switch’s unique selling point of high-quality gaming on the go has now been commoditized. Switch 2’s upgrade cycle is therefore an opportunity for competing platform holders and vendors to encourage the Switch audience to consider their handhelds instead.”

Omdia’s Games Handhelds Database covers the full breadth of the handhelds market, forecasting hardware sales volume, value, and installed base through to 2029 across key territories. Devices covered include PlayStation Portal, Valve Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw, Panic Playdate, and more.

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“Windows 11 is currently poorly suited to handheld gaming, and devices are not delivering a generational leap in performance over the market leading Steam Deck,” commented James McWhirter, Senior Analyst covering games at Omdia.