Surprising results of the 2025 handheld game console battery 'comparison'

The surprise winner in the handheld console battle isn't the one with the biggest battery.

In 2025, the handheld gaming market is more vibrant than ever, but the common concern of every gamer remains the same: the low battery indicator light. In the race for battery life, an interesting paradox appears when the winner is not the device with the largest battery capacity.

The most powerful battery... lost the battle

When choosing between giants like the Steam Deck OLED, ASUS ROG Ally X, or Nintendo Switch 2, battery life has become one of the top deciding factors. However, the comparison is not simple, because actual usage time depends a lot on the game title and graphics settings.

Gaming consoles with 'huge' batteries may not last long

PHOTO: WINDOWS CENTRAL SCREENSHOT

At first glance, the ASUS ROG Ally X with its "huge" 80 Whr battery seems to be the unrivaled champion, far surpassing the 50 Whr of the Steam Deck OLED or the 55.5 Whr of the Lenovo Legion Go S. However, the reality shows a completely opposite result.

When playing heavy AAA titles at high graphics settings, the ROG Ally X only lasted about 2.5 hours. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck OLED shines with its ability to play demanding games for up to 8 hours in some tests. Even with a "hardware killer" like Cyberpunk 2077 , the Steam Deck OLED can still run for more than 2.5 hours. The secret is that the Steam Deck OLED is equipped with a new generation AMD APU, which is optimized to be much more energy efficient than the competition.

This battle also shows the inevitable trade-offs that gamers face. The Lenovo Legion Go S is a prime example, with its excellent processing power and control quality, but its battery life when playing games at maximum settings is just... an hour. However, many users still accept it, saying that "the performance improvement is worth it."

Likewise, the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 also has a rather modest battery life of only about 2.5 - 3 hours with major titles. However, the appeal of exclusive games and Nintendo's signature experience still makes it an option not to be missed.

Ultimately, the Steam Deck OLED proves to be the champion when it comes to gaming endurance. However, “best machine” still depends on your priorities. If you need top performance for short gaming sessions, or are into Nintendo exclusives, you may have to sacrifice some battery life.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bat-ngo-ket-qua-so-gang-ve-pin-may-choi-game-cam-tay-2025-185250715122917551.htm