List of handheld game consoles

This is a list of handheld game consoles, portable video game consoles with a built-in screen and game controls and separate games. It does not include PDAs, smartphones, or tablet computers; while those devices are often capable of playing games, they are not primarily video game consoles.

For handheld dedicated consoles, which only play games built into the system, see list of dedicated consoles.

Consoles

Console	Release date(s)	Discontinuation date(s)	Manufacturer	Generation	Notes	Picture
Microvision	1979[1]	1981[1]	Milton Bradley	Second	The very first handheld game console that used interchangeable cartridges Contained no processor; all computation was handled by the game cartridges themselves Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges
Children's Discovery System	1981	N/A	Mattel	Second	Educational handheld game console
Select-A-Game	1981	1982	Entex Industries	Second	Contained no processor; all computation was handled by the game cartridges themselves Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges
Adventure Vision	^NA 1982[2]	^NA 1983[2]	Entex Industries	Second	Contained an Intel 8048 CPU, cartridges consisted of 4k ROM chips (2532 EPROMs) Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges Sold over 50,000 units[2]
Super Micro	1983	N/A	Palmtex	Second	Only 3 games known to exist for the system Plays monochrome games from cartridges with built-in LCD screen that had color overlays to display color
Gamate 3D	1983	N/A	VTech	Second	Only 3 games known to exist for the system All games also released for the ProScreen
Variety	1983	N/A	VTech	Second	Only 6 games known to exist for the system Plays cartridges with built-in LCD screen
Digi Casse	1984	N/A	Bandai	Second	Only 4 games known to exist for the system Plays cartridges with built-in LCD screen Variant under the same name released by Lansay in Europe
Game Pocket Computer	1984	N/A	Epoch	Second	Only 5 games produced for the system, in addition to the built-in puzzle game and paint program Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges
ProScreen	1984	N/A	VTech	Second	Combination Projector and handheld game console Only 3 games known to exist for the system All games also released for the Gamate 3D Variant under the same name released by Ludotronic
Etch A Sketch Animator 2000	1988	N/A	Ohio Art Company	Fourth	Only 4 games produced for the system Features a touchscreen with an included stylus
IM-26	1988[3]	N/A	Electronika	Fourth	Only 5 games known to exist for the system[3] Plays cartridges with built-in LCD screen[4] Games also individually sold as dedicated handheld consoles
Light Games	1988	N/A	Grandstand	Fourth	Combination Projector and handheld game console Plays cartridges with built-in LCD screen, which is projected onto any flat surface for display Other variations released in Europe
PreComputer 1000	1988	N/A	VTech	Fourth	Educational handheld game console The successor PreComputer 2000 plays PreComputer 1000 cartridges
Game Boy	^JP April 21, 1989[5] ^NA July 31, 1989[6] ^EU September 28, 1990	^WW March 23, 2003[7]	Nintendo	Fourth	First release of the Game Boy line of handheld consoles Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges Smaller version named the Game Boy Pocket released in 1996 Version with a backlight named the Game Boy Light released in 1998 Version capable of displaying games in color released as the Game Boy Color in 1998; the Color is backwards compatible with non-color Game Boy games but is considered part of the fifth console generation All Game Boy versions combined sold 118.69 million units[8]
Lynx	^NA October 1989	1996	Atari	Fourth	First handheld electronic game with a color LCD Plays ROM cartridges Smaller and lighter version named the Atari Lynx II released in 1991 Sold fewer than 500,000 units[9]
Game Gear	^JP October 6, 1990[10] ^NA April 26, 1991[11] ^EU April 26, 1991[11]	^JP 1996[12] ^NA April 30, 1997[12] ^EU April 30, 1997[12]	Sega	Fourth	Sega's first handheld game console, released worldwide Similar to the Master System, though it cannot play Master System games without a Master System Converter accessory[13] Plays ROM cartridges Sold 11 million units; considered commercially successful, though it was outsold by its primary competitor, the Nintendo Game Boy[13][9]
TurboExpress	^JP November 16, 1990[14] ^NA 1991[14]	^NA 1994[14]	NEC	Fourth	Portable version of the TurboGrafx-16 home console Some games allow multiplayer options by connecting two TurboExpress consoles with a TurboLink cable Plays ROM cartridges Could be connected to a TV with a TurboVision TV tuner Sold 1.5 million units[9]
Gamate	1990	1993	Bit Corporation	Fourth	Manufactured by United Microelectronics Corporation after Bit Corporation's closure in 1992 Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges
Game Master	1990	N/A	Hartung	Fourth	Known by different names in different countries, including Systema 2000, Super Game, Game Tronic, and Game Plus Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges
Supervision	1992[15]	N/A	Watara	Fourth	Releases in different countries were by different suppliers with different names similar to Supervision Screen could be tilted relative to controls via flexible connection Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges Could be linked up to a television via a link cable Version without a tilted screen released
Mega Duck	1993	N/A	Welback Holdings	Fourth	Known as Cougar Boy in South America Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges
Game Wizard	1994	N/A	MGA Entertainment	Fifth	Plays cartridges with built-in LCD screen Cartridges bundled with system and not sold separately Similar handheld game consoles released in the UK as the Game Player by Grandstand and in Japan as the Triple-In by Epoch
Virtual Boy	^JP July 21, 1995 ^NA August 14, 1995	^JP December 22, 1995 ^NA March 2, 1996	Nintendo	Fifth	Marketed as a portable table-top console Displayed stereoscopic 3D graphics Plays red monochrome games from ROM cartridges Sold 770,000 units; considered a commercial failure[16]
Nomad	^JP October 1995[9] ^NA October 1995[9]	N/A	Sega	Fifth	Handheld version of the Sega Genesis that played the same cartridges[17] Early version for use on Japanese airplanes was named the Mega Jet[17] Plays ROM cartridges Sold 1 million units; considered a commercial failure[9]
Design Master Senshi	1995	N/A	Bandai	Fifth	Features a touchscreen with an included stylus
R-Zone	1995	N/A	Tiger Electronics	Fifth	Displayed stereoscopic 3D graphics via a headset; the cartridges contained an LCD screen which the headset displayed via mirrors Plays red monochrome games from ROM cartridges Version that plays color games named the R-Zone Super Screen released in 1995 Version that did not use a headset named the X.P.G. Xtreme Pocket Game; games were instead reflected onto a mirror on the console itself
PasoGo	1996	N/A	Koei	Fifth	All known released games related to board game Go Plays ROM cartridges
Game.com	^NA September 1997	^NA 2000	Tiger Electronics	Fifth	Features a touchscreen with an included stylus Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges Could be connected to a 14.4 kbit/s modem Smaller version released as the Game.com Pocket Pro Cheaper version without the frontlight released as the Game.com Pocket Sold fewer than 300,000 units; considered a commercial failure[9]
Neo Geo Pocket	^JP October 28, 1998[18] ^NA June 1, 1999 (Color)[19] ^PAL October 1, 1999 (Color)	^JP 2001 ^NA June 13, 2000[19] ^EU June 13, 2000[19]	SNK	Fifth	Part of the Neo Geo family of consoles Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges Version that plays color games released as Neo Geo Pocket Color worldwide Neo Geo Pocket was quickly discontinued in favor of the Neo Geo Pocket Color due to lower than expected sales[9] Color version is backwards compatible with Neo Geo Pocket games, but is considered part of the Sixth console generation Pocket and Pocket Color combined sold 2 million units; resulted in SNK leaving the hardware business completely[9]
WonderSwan	^JP March 4, 1999[20]	2003	Bandai	Sixth	Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges Version that plays color games released as WonderSwan Color in 2000 Redesigned version of the console with a better LCD screen released as SwanCrystal in 2002 Sold 3.5 million units: 1.55 million WonderSwans, 1.1 million WonderSwan Colors, and 0.95 million SwanCrystals[21][22]
Cybiko	^US April, 2000[23][24] ^UK 2001	2003	Cybiko	Sixth	Combination PDA and handheld game console[23] Features an included stylus for keyboard[23] Plays digital games via internet download from PC[23] More than 430 games and applications produced for the system, all were free[25] Improved version named Cybiko Xtreme released in September 2001[23] Sold over 500,000 units by the end of 2000[26]
Turbo Twist	2000	N/A	LeapFrog Enterprises	Sixth	Educational handheld game console
Game Boy Advance	^JP March 21, 2001[27] ^NA June 11, 2001[28] ^PAL June 22, 2001[29]	^JP 2006 ^NA 2008 ^PAL 2007	Nintendo	Sixth	Part of the Game Boy line of handheld consoles Backwards compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games Plays ROM cartridges Smaller, folding version released as the Game Boy Advance SP in 2003 Much smaller, non-folding version released as the Game Boy Micro in 2005 Portable DVD player version that plays Game Boy Advance cartridges released by Visteon in partnership with Nintendo as the Dockable Entertainment in July 2006 Sold 81.51 million units[30]
Pokémon Mini	^JP December 14, 2001 ^NA November 16, 2001 ^PAL March 15, 2002	^JP December 2002	Nintendo	Other	Miniature console featuring 8 bit games Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges All released games related to Pokémon franchise
GP32	^KR November 23, 2001 ^PAL June 15, 2004	N/A	Game Park	Sixth	Open source hardware game console originally released only in South Korea Plays SmartMedia cards and digital games via internet download Multiple versions released, adding first a frontlight then a backlight to the screen Most releases for the system were open-source software games and applications
iQuest	2001	N/A	LeapFrog Enterprises	Sixth	Educational handheld game console
Kasey the Kinderbot	2002	N/A	Fisher Price	Sixth	Educational handheld game console
Pixter	2002[31]	2002[31]	Mattel / Fisher-Price	Sixth	Educational handheld game console Features a touchscreen with an included stylus.
N-Gage	October 7, 2003[32]	N/A	Nokia	Sixth	Combination game console and phone Plays MultiMediaCards Redesigned version that made changing game cartridges easier and moved the earpiece off of the side of the device released as the N-Gage QD in 2004 Sold 3 million units[9]
Leapster	October 2003	N/A	LeapFrog Enterprises	Sixth	Educational handheld game console Features a touchscreen with an included stylus Redesigned version with TV output named Leapster L-Max released in 2004 Console version named Leapster TV released in 2005
Zodiac	October 2003	July 2005	Tapwave	Sixth	Combination PDA, handheld game console, and mobile entertainment device Features a touchscreen with an included stylus and an MP3 player Plays digital games via internal memory or SD cards Sold fewer than 200,000 units; Tapwave declared bankruptcy in July 2005[9]
GameKing	^HK 2003	N/A	TimeTop	Other	8-bit monochrome console designed to look like the Game Boy Advance, released solely in Hong Kong Plays monochrome games from ROM cartridges A redesigned version of the console intended to look like the PlayStation Portable released as the GameKing II in 2004 A redesigned version of the console with support for color games released as the GameKing III in 2005 A fourth version of the console which takes different cartridges released as the Handy Game in 2007 Almost all games for the system are clones of third generation games, such as Nintendo Entertainment System games
Nintendo DS	^JP December 2, 2004 ^NA November 21, 2004 ^PAL February 24, 2005	2007	Nintendo	Seventh	First console in the Nintendo DS line Uses two separate screens Features a touchscreen with an included stylus Backwards compatible with Game Boy Advance games Plays ROM cartridges Lighter version with a brighter screen released as the Nintendo DS Lite in 2006 Larger version with cameras and without Game Boy Advance compatibility released as the Nintendo DSi in 2008 Larger version with larger, better LCD screen released as the Nintendo DSi XL in 2008 Sold over 154 million units[33]
PlayStation Portable	^JP December 12, 2004 ^NA March 24, 2005 ^PAL September 1, 2005	^JP June 2014 ^NA January 2014 ^PAL Q4 2014	Sony	Seventh	Features interactivity with PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 consoles Plays Universal Media Discs and digital games via internet download Lighter and thinner version released as the PSP-2000 in 2007 Lighter version with a microphone and better LCD screen released as the PSP-3000 in 2008 Smaller, redesigned version without a UMD drive released as the PSP Go in 2009 Cheaper version without internet connectivity released as the PSP-E1000 in 2011 Sold 80 million units[34]
Gizmondo	^NA October 22, 2005[35] ^EU March 19, 2005[35]	February 6, 2006	Tiger Telematics	Seventh	Features camera, GPS, text messaging, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity Plays SD cards Released in advertisement-supported and ad-free variants Sold fewer than 25 thousand units; considered one of the worst commercial failures of a handheld console[9]
GP2X	^KR November 10, 2005	N/A	GamePark Holdings	Seventh	Open source hardware game console released only in South Korea Plays digital games via SD cards and internet download Multiple versions released, adding features such as a touchscreen Most releases for the system were open-source software games and applications
digiBlast	^EU 2005	N/A	Nikko	Seventh	Kids media player for music, video games and cartoons videos Cartridge for MP3 playback and a cartridge with a 1.3-megapixel camera were released as add-ons
V.Smile Pocket	2005	N/A	VTech	Other	Handheld version of the V.Smile educational console Plays ROM cartridges Redesigned version with a microphone released in 2007 Redesigned clamshell version named the V.Smile Pocket Cyber released in 2008
VideoNow XP	2005	N/A	Tiger Electronics	Seventh	Part of the VideoNow line Plays PVDs
Didj	^NA August 22, 2008	N/A	LeapFrog Enterprises	Other	Educational handheld game console aimed at children Plays ROM cartridges
Dingoo A320	^NA February 2009	N/A	Dingoo Digital Technology Company	Seventh	Combination game console, radio, and media player Plays digital games via internet download
GP2X Wiz	May 12, 2009	N/A	GamePark Holdings	Seventh	Open source hardware game console Successor to the GP2X Plays digital games via internet download Features a touchscreen with an included stylus
Pandora	May 21, 2010	N/A	OpenPandora	Seventh	Open source hardware game console only sold online Combination game console and subnotebook Unofficial successor to the GP2X Plays digital games via internet download Features a touchscreen with an included stylus
Leapster Explorer	July 15, 2010	N/A	LeapFrog Enterprises	Seventh	Educational handheld video game console Backwards compatible with Didj games
CAANOO	August 16, 2010	September 2011	GamePark Holdings	Seventh	Open source hardware game console Successor to the GP2X Wiz Plays digital games via internet download Features a touchscreen with an included stylus
iXL	2010[36]	2012[36]	Mattel / Fisher Price	Seventh	Educational handheld game console Features a touchscreen with an included stylus
Nintendo 3DS	^JP February 26, 2011 ^NA March 27, 2011 ^PAL March 25, 2011	N/A	Nintendo	Eighth	Part of the Nintendo DS line Uses two separate screens and is capable of projecting stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses Features a touchscreen with an included stylus Backwards compatible with Nintendo DS games Plays ROM cartridges and digital games via internet download Larger version released as the Nintendo 3DS XL in 2012 Version without 3D capability or clamshell design released as the Nintendo 2DS in 2013 Redesigned version with better performance and exclusive titles released as the New Nintendo 3DS in 2014 Larger redesigned version with better performance and exclusive titles released as the New Nintendo 3DS XL in 2015 Sold over 45 million units[33]
K-Magic	September 2011	N/A	K's Kids	Other	Educational handheld game console
PlayStation Vita	^JP December 17, 2011 ^NA February 15, 2012 ^PAL February 22, 2012	N/A	Sony	Eighth	Successor to the PlayStation Portable Features motion sensors, multiple wireless internet connection options, PlayStation 3/PlayStation 4 connectivity, and a touchscreen without an included stylus Backwards compatible with PlayStation Portable games Plays memory cards and digital games via internet download Two variants released, with either 3G support or not Lighter version named the PCH-2000 released in 2013 Non-portable version named the PlayStation TV released in 2013 Sold over 4 million units[33]
Kids Pad	^KR November 21, 2012[37]	N/A	LG Corporation	Other	Educational handheld game console
Neo Geo X	^NA December 18, 2012	N/A	Tommo	Other	Part of the Neo Geo line Based on open source hardware Releases are adaptations of Neo Geo games Plays SD cards

See also

• List of best-selling game consoles
• List of video game console emulators
• Comparison of handheld game consoles
• List of video game consoles
  • List of home video game consoles
  • List of microconsoles
  • List of dedicated consoles

References

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