AMD Ryzen APU Handhelds See Massive Sales, But Steam Deck Remains Top Choice

Over the past few years, AMD Ryzen chips have dominated the handheld gaming market, powering most of the devices sold.

Projected Shipments of 8 Million Handhelds by 2025 Put AMD in the Spotlight

While handheld gaming devices have been around for decades, those capable of playing PC games only gained mainstream attention with the launch of the Steam Deck in 2022. In the short span since then, a variety of well-known brands such as ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC have entered the space, releasing their own handheld models.

A common thread across most of these devices is their use of AMD processors, with exceptions like MSI’s Claw 7/8 AI+. From Valve’s initial decision to use AMD’s custom Zen 2 CPU, many other companies quickly followed suit, opting for the superior speed offered by AMD chips. By the time Intel’s Meteor Lake came out in late 2023, brands like Lenovo and ASUS had already rolled out their Legion GO and ROG Ally models.

Even with the advent of Meteor Lake, AMD Zen 4 chips became the favored choice for many handheld manufacturers, and the trend continues as several have begun adopting Zen 5 processors. Recently, IDC’s data on handheld shipments from 2022 through early 2025 confirmed this AMD preference, noting that the bulk of these devices are indeed AMD-powered. Saša Marinković, AMD’s Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, took to social media platform X, expressing pride in the company’s achievements.

From Zero to Hero, in just four years. The vast majority of these handhelds are powered by @AMD pic.twitter.com/0Cjg90pdlN

— Saša Marinković (@SasaMarinkovic) February 25, 2025

According to Frank Azor from AMD’s Consumer and Gaming Marketing division, it’s remarkable how quickly this category has evolved. “This didn’t exist three years ago; we went from nothing, zero, to incremental category creation in the millions of units,” he remarked.

IDC’s research reveals that nearly 6 million Windows and SteamOS handhelds were shipped from 2023 to 2024, with projections of another two million units in 2025, predominantly equipped with AMD processors. This data focuses on the most popular models, including the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw 7.

Interestingly, the Steam Deck is estimated to account for over half of the 6 million units sold, possibly surpassing the 4 million mark. Despite being the slower option among its peers, its user-friendly SteamOS has made it more appealing than Windows-based counterparts.

Intel isn’t entirely out of the running, having made strides with their Lunar Lake chips. However, if AMD’s Strix Halo reaches these gaming handhelds, it could pose significant competition for Intel, unless their upcoming Panther Lake series packs enough punch to rival Strix Halo in integrated GPU performance. Meanwhile, AMD continues to enhance its presence in the space with the new Ryzen Z2 series, ensuring the handheld gaming market remains fiercely competitive.

Sources: The Verge, @SasaMarinkovic