Over the past few years, it’s been clear that AMD Ryzen chips are the driving force behind most gaming handhelds.
Gazing toward the Future: Handheld Gaming’s Rise and AMD’s Success
Handheld gaming devices have existed for ages, but the landscape shifted dramatically with the advent of Steam’s Deck in 2022. Fast forward three years, and the market is teeming with devices from industry giants like ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC.
A common thread among these handhelds is their reliance on AMD processors, apart from a select few, such as the MSI Claw 7/8 AI+. Right from the outset, Valve’s Deck set the trend by opting for AMD’s custom Zen 2 CPU, encouraging many other manufacturers to follow with AMD’s robust chips. This was in line with expectations, considering Intel’s Meteor Lake chips only hit the shelves towards the end of 2023, by which time Lenovo and ASUS had already launched their Legion GO and ROG Ally.
Even with Meteor Lake’s entry into the market, AMD’s Zen 4 processors have remained the go-to choice for most handheld makers, with a gradual shift toward Zen 5 processors as well. Data from IDC revealed that the bulk of handheld shipments from 2022 through early 2025 were powered by AMD. Such success is a point of pride for AMD, as highlighted by their Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, Saša Marinković:
“From Zero to Hero, in just four years. Vast majority of these handhelds are powered by @AMD,” Marinković shared with enthusiasm on X (formerly Twitter).
Frank Azor, from AMD’s Consumer and Gaming Marketing division, echoed the sentiment: “It’s amazing. This didn’t exist three years ago; we went from nothing, zero, to an entire category in the millions of units.”
IDC’s market analysis indicates nearly 6 million Windows and SteamOS handhelds shipped between 2023 to 2024, and projections suggest another 2 million by the end of 2025. AMD processors dominate yet again. The data covers top sellers like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw 7.
In this sphere, more than half of those 6 million units belong to Steam Deck, which may have surpassed 4 million sales despite its relatively slower performance.
Though Intel’s Lunar Lake chips have made respectable strides, AMD’s upcoming Strix Halo could significantly widen the gap in terms of performance. Intel’s hope may rest on their next lineup, Panther Lake, which will need to deliver exceptional integrated graphics power to compete with AMD’s offerings—especially with the imminent arrival of the Ryzen Z2 series. It’s an exciting, competitive era for gaming handhelds.
Sources: The Verge, @SasaMarinkovic
