Best Portable Gaming Devices in 2022

Mobile gaming consoles are a lot more powerful than they used to be. Gone are the days of sacrificing performance for mobility. Instead, portable devices nowadays possess as much processing power as a gaming PC.

Whether you’re playing a MOBA, the latest battle royale, or even online bingo, these consoles allow you to play anywhere and at any time. If you’re planning to spend time on the road, here are four gaming consoles perfect for in-car entertainment.

1. Asus ROG Phone 5s

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is the best gaming phone available, but it’s a good phone in general too. It might not have the best camera or the lightest build material, but it more than makes up for these deficits by offering astonishing performance and multiple gaming features. It’s also got a great display and some clear, powerful speakers.

There are three models in the Asus ROG lineup – the ROG Phone 5s, the ROG 5s Pro, and the ROG 5s Ultimate. The first two come with 16 GB of RAM, while the Ultimate model has 18 GB. The standard model has 256 GB of storage, while the latter two possess 512 GB. It’s important to note that the majority of reviews have observed only marginal differences in performance between all three models.

With a 6.78-inch Full HD resolution, the ROG Phone 5s has one of the best displays of any mobile device. Games can be played at 144 FPS, much higher than any comparable mobile device currently on offer. The commendable battery life means you can enjoy high-quality mobile gaming for a lot longer than you would on another device, and if you enjoy mobile gaming, there’s simply no phone out there with better features.

Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

2. Apple iPad Air

For such a small device, the Apple iPad Air packs some serious power under the hood. Compared to its predecessor, the fourth-generation iPad Air has a 40% faster CPU and a 30% faster GPU. It has a wider display that comes with wide-spectrum color recognition and True Tone technology.

A 16-core Neural Engine runs everything behind the scenes, with the ability to process over 11 trillion operations per second. The iPad Air has been praised for its high efficiency in both power and performance. It’s been hailed as the best iPad overall, winning numerous awards thanks to its high-end features.

In terms of video games, the iPad Air can run many recent releases with little to no effort. From open-world third-person shooters like Grand Theft Auto to turn-based RPG hits like Divinity: Original Sin 2, the iPad Air has an ever-expanding library of impressive titles.

3. GeForce Now

Using cloud-based gaming technology, GeForce Now turns almost any digital device into a top-of-the-line PC. Regardless of whether you have a laptop, Android or Apple device, Nvidia’s revolutionary service will allow you to play any supported game at resolutions of up to 4K.

The service requires a monthly subscription, with multiple tiers available to choose from. Free membership allows one hour of gameplay per session, though you may have to wait in a queue if it’s a peak time for gaming. Priority membership offers six hours per session, as well as priority status when traffic is high. The third option, RTX 3080 membership, hasn’t been released yet, but Nvidia claims it will run games at 60 FPS in 4K resolution.

GeForce Now doesn’t have its own library of games. Instead, the service requires preexisting game libraries such as Steam and the Epic Games Store. Before purchasing a subscription Nvidia advises customers to take note of which games are compatible with the service. There are currently over 100 supported games, with more said to be added in the future.

4. Nintendo Switch

By the beginning of 2018, the Nintendo Switch became the fastest-selling console in Japan as well as the United States. With nearly 100 million units sold, the hybrid console is Nintendo’s flagship product, along with several first-party titles strongly tied to the console’s success.

Thanks to critically acclaimed hit video games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Nintendo Switch has a strong library of exclusive titles. Third-party titles are also seen as a priority by Nintendo, which is a welcome change from previous consoles like the Wii U.

While the Wii U was successful in its own right, Nintendo was experiencing a downward trend in console sales a while before the release of the Switch. In fact, the purpose of the Switch was to allow Nintendo to gain a foothold against the rise of mobile gaming. Thanks to this push for a competitive position in the mobile market, Nintendo reversed its financial losses and gained significant influence in the mobile gaming arena.