With Youth Day around the corner, I found myself thinking back to a simpler time.
A time when gaming meant sitting in the back seat of the family car, desperately angling a Game Boy towards a nearby light source because somebody thought backlit screens were a luxury feature.
A time when four AA batteries were considered a perfectly reasonable power solution, Pokémon Red was the hottest game on the planet, and your biggest concern was whether you remembered to pack spare batteries, just in case.
Those handheld gaming sessions became some of my favourite gaming memories growing up, and while technology has changed dramatically since then, the dream hasn’t. We still want to take our games with us wherever we go.
So, in honour of Youth Day, I’ve gone looking for three handheld gaming devices currently on special that would have absolutely blown younger Cody’s tiny little mind.
ASUS ROG Ally Z2A
Price: R9,999 marked down from R13,999
Buy it Here
While the ROG Ally Z2A might not be chasing benchmark records like some of the more expensive handhelds on the market, that’s actually part of its appeal. Built on older AMD architecture, the Z2A focuses more on efficiency than outright performance, making it a fantastic option for gamers who spend more time exploring indie gems than trying to run the latest AAA blockbuster at maximum settings.
That extra efficiency translates directly into better battery life, which is arguably one of the most important features in a handheld. After all, a portable gaming device isn’t much use if it’s constantly looking for the nearest wall plug. Pair that with access to Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, and pretty much every other PC gaming launcher, and you’ve got a handheld that’s perfectly suited to long gaming sessions on the couch, in bed, or while pretending to pay attention during a family visit.
For players who love indie titles, roguelikes, platformers, strategy games, and the thousands of incredible lower-spec games available on PC, the Ally Z2A might just hit the sweet spot between performance, portability, and battery life.
Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)
Price: R10,999 marked down from R12,999
Buy it Here
The Legion Go S is particularly interesting because it ships with SteamOS, and that might be one of its biggest strengths.
SteamOS has matured into arguably the best handheld gaming operating system currently available. It’s lightweight, intuitive, designed specifically for controller navigation, and gets you into your games far quicker than a traditional Windows handheld. There’s no wrestling with pop-ups, driver updates, or desktop windows when all you really want to do is play something.
Combined with the Ryzen Z2 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, the Legion Go S delivers a console-like experience while still giving players access to a massive Steam library. It’s the closest modern handhelds have come to capturing that “pick up and play” simplicity that made devices like the Game Boy so magical in the first place.
If you want a handheld that feels like a gaming device first and a computer second, this is probably one of the easiest-to-get-into options available right now.
Nintendo Switch 2
Price: R10,349.91 marked down from R12,499 (With Toys R Us Rewards)
Buy it Here
Of all the handhelds on this list, Nintendo’s latest console is probably the one that feels most connected to my childhood.
After all, Nintendo is the company that gave many of us our first handheld gaming experiences in the first place.
The Switch 2 builds on everything that made the original such a success. You still get the flexibility of handheld and docked play, but with upgraded hardware, improved performance, and the next generation of Nintendo’s exclusive library.
More importantly, Nintendo continues to understand something many companies forget: gaming should be fun first. The Switch 2 isn’t trying to compete with gaming laptops or high-end PCs. It’s trying to deliver great games in a convenient package, and that’s exactly what made the Game Boy such a legend all those years ago.
There’s something wonderfully fitting about celebrating Youth Day with the spiritual descendant of the handheld that started it all for many of us.
Three handhelds, three different approaches to portable gaming, and one very nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Look, I know these devices cost significantly more than my childhood Game Boy ever did, but they also don’t require me to sit directly under a lamp just to see what’s happening on the screen.
And while younger me would probably be horrified by the price tags, he’d also be too busy playing with these handhelds to complain.
