Handhelds Powered by AMD Ryzen APUs See Millions in Sales; Steam Deck Retains Top Popularity

Over the past three years, gaming handhelds have been predominantly driven by the impressive capabilities of AMD Ryzen processors.

AMD Powers Ahead with a Forecast of 8 Million Handheld Units by 2025

Gaming handhelds have been around for quite a while, but those capable of running PC games only surged in popularity with the 2022 release of Valve’s Steam Deck. Fast forward three years, and we now see a flood of handheld devices from big names like ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC entering the scene.

What ties most of these handhelds together is their reliance on AMD CPUs, unlike exceptions such as the MSI Claw 7/8 AI+. Right from its inception, Valve’s decision to integrate AMD’s custom Zen 2 CPU set the trend, with most manufacturers opting for AMD’s speedier chips. Given that Intel’s Meteor Lake chips didn’t hit shelves until late 2023, brands like Lenovo and ASUS had already launched their Legion GO and ROG Ally models beforehand.

Even with the arrival of Meteor Lake, AMD’s Zen 4 CPUs remained the go-to choice for many handheld producers, followed by a shift to Zen 5 processors. Recent data from IDC, tracking shipments from 2022 through early 2025, underscores the dominance of AMD in this sector. It’s a point of pride for AMD, as highlighted by Saša Marinković, their Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, who shared his enthusiasm on X.

"From Zero to Hero, in just four years. Vast majority of these handhelds are powered by @AMD 🏆"
— Saša Marinković (@SasaMarinkovic)

Frank Azor, another voice from AMD’s Consumer and Gaming Marketing team, added:

"I think it’s amazing. This didn’t exist three years ago; we went from nothing, zero, to incremental category creation in the millions of units."

IDC’s research indicates that from 2023 to 2024, almost 6 million handhelds running on Windows and SteamOS were shipped, with AMD-equipped devices leading the charge. The forecast for 2025 suggests a further 2 million units. It’s worth noting that these figures focus on bestsellers like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw 7.

Within these numbers, the Steam Deck is a standout, possibly accounting for over 4 million units. Although it’s the slowest of the handhelds mentioned, its seamless SteamOS interface has helped it outshine many Windows-operated counterparts.

While Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs have made their mark, AMD’s Strix Halo presents a formidable challenge. For Intel to rival AMD’s performance—especially in iGPU capabilities—its upcoming Panther Lake series would need to surpass expectations. Moreover, AMD’s Ryzen Z2 series is rolling out, keeping the gaming handheld market fiercely competitive.

Sources: The Verge, @SasaMarinikovic