Over the past three years, data has shown that a significant portion of gaming handhelds sold are equipped with AMD Ryzen chips. As we look ahead to the end of 2025, projections suggest that around 8 million handheld units will have been shipped, with AMD taking a significant share of the pie.
Even though handheld gaming devices have been around for much longer, it wasn’t until Steam introduced its Deck in 2022 that handhelds capable of playing PC games started to truly capture the public’s attention. Fast forward three years, and the market is bustling with offerings from major brands like ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC.
What’s noteworthy is the common thread among these devices: they predominantly run on AMD CPUs, with notable exceptions like MSI’s Claw 7/8 AI+. Valve set the pace by choosing AMD’s bespoke Zen 2 CPU early on, inspiring others to follow suit with even faster AMD chips. Intel’s Meteor Lake only made its debut in late 2023, but by then, products like Lenovo’s Legion GO and ASUS’s ROG Ally were already out and powered by AMD.
Since then, even with Meteor Lake’s entry, most manufacturers have gravitated towards AMD’s Zen 4, and now, an increasing number are integrating Zen 5 chips. Recent statistics from IDC highlight that most handheld units shipped between 2022 and early 2025 boast AMD processors. This dominance delights AMD’s Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, Saša Marinković, who enthusiastically shared the news on Twitter.
On Twitter, Marinković expressed pride over their rapid rise, posting, “From Zero to Hero, in just four years. Vast majority of these handhelds are powered by @AMD.” His sentiment was echoed by Frank Azor, another key figure in AMD’s Consumer and Gaming Marketing division, who marveled at the industry’s explosive growth.
IDC’s market analysis points to almost 6 million Windows and SteamOS handhelds having been shipped over the past few years (2023-2024), with expectations of adding another 2 million by the end of 2025. Most of these will feature AMD technology. However, this data focuses on the big players like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw 7.
It’s interesting to note that despite being the least powerful in terms of gaming performance among these devices, the Steam Deck’s success is substantial, thanks in large part to its smooth user interface via SteamOS. This has helped it outshine its Windows-based competitors in popularity and sales.
Though Intel made strides with its Lunar Lake lineup, AMD continues to forge ahead with its Strix Halo, presenting a formidable challenge for Intel. Unless Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake series can rival the performance of Strix Halo, especially in terms of integrated graphics, AMD could maintain its edge. With AMD’s recent introduction of the Ryzen Z2 series, the competition within the gaming handheld market is heating up more than ever.
