Best Handheld PC for Emulation?

[blueoak]

Hi all, with how many handhelds there are by now I was wondering which has the best performance when it comes to emulation, especially since I only know the 'big names' ROG Ally, Steam Deck, MSI Claw, Legion Go. I plan to mostly play Nintendo Games (Switch, GBA). Quick side note this is not about piracy, emulation just offers benefits, speed-up, Rom Hacks, etc. I hope you can help me!

[thevictor390]

Emulation is CPU heavy so whichever one has the best CPU. For older systems like GBA, all of these are massive overkill and will all do it perfectly.

[Brando212]

What level/generation of emulation are you aiming for?

 

For overall power to emulate anything I'd say go for the Steam Deck. Has the power to emulate even PS3 and Switch smoothly. And IMO the touchpad is much preferable for desktop navigation over joy2mouse like many handhelds have to resort to.

 

For not as powerful and/or slightly cheaper, I'd say go for something Android based for the better battery life. The AYN Odin 2 is a great option. It has the Switch Lite form factor. I had the original model before owning a Steam Deck and loved the device; and the 2nd gen I hear has only improved things.