No—not on the evidence available. Smartphones dominate mobile play, but dedicated handheld gaming has re-emerged in forms that serve different needs: Nintendo’s hybrid consoles, PC gaming handhelds, and devices that stream from a home console. Mobile is a powerful competitor for players’ time, but the market figures do not show that phones caused the earlier decline of handheld consoles or that dedicated devices are disappearing.
What the numbers say—and what they don’t
Mobile gaming is enormous, but revenue, downloads, player estimates, and hardware sales measure different things. None alone tells us whether people have shifted from a handheld console to a phone.
- Global revenue: Sensor Tower reported that mobile game revenue rose 1% to $82 billion in 2025. It also reported 13% growth in PC and console game revenue. These are revenue comparisons across different commercial models, not evidence that players moved from one platform to another. Sensor Tower’s 2026 report also counted 52 billion game downloads across mobile, PC, and console in 2025 and said mobile drove download volume; downloads are not unique players or device sales.
- EU player estimates: The European Commission’s 2025 Media Industry Outlook, reproducing Newzoo estimates, puts EU mobile players at 192.2 million in 2024, compared with 132.1 million console players. Its 2027 forecast is 205.7 million mobile players and 139.7 million console players. Categories can overlap, so these figures do not divide the EU population into mutually exclusive groups. They are regional player estimates, not global hardware sales. European Commission, European Media Industry Outlook 2025
- Dedicated handheld sales: Omdia estimated that 19.3 million dedicated handheld devices were sold through to consumers globally in 2023. In an analysis published in 2024, it forecast 29.3 million by 2028. The 2028 figure is a forecast, not a confirmed result. Omdia’s handheld gaming analysis
These figures establish that mobile is a major way to play and that dedicated handhelds remain a meaningful hardware category. They do not establish how many people own both, how much play time each device gets, or what the dedicated-handheld market would look like without smartphones.
Why a phone and a handheld console can coexist
A phone is already with you, opens quickly, and gives access to mobile-native games. A dedicated handheld can instead offer physical controls, a library built for console or PC play, or a way to take a home-console experience away from the television. Which advantage matters depends on the player and the games they want to play.
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The devices also do not form a single interchangeable category. A hybrid console runs its games locally and can connect to a TV; a PC gaming handheld brings a computer library into a portable form; a streaming handheld depends on a host platform and network connection. Smartphones extend mobile app ecosystems, where touch controls and mobile-specific business models are common. Comparing them only by “portable gaming” misses those differences.
| Device type | What it extends | Useful comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone | Mobile app ecosystems and mobile-native games | Convenience and reach versus touch-first controls and the mobile business model |
| Hybrid console handheld, such as the Switch family | A console library and its exclusives | Exclusive games, local play, portability, and TV use |
| PC gaming handheld, such as Steam Deck and competitors | PC libraries and storefronts | Library access and PC flexibility versus operating-system and setup experience |
| Streaming handheld, such as PlayStation Portal | A home console’s library through streaming | Playing away from the TV versus dependence on the host platform and network conditions |
Omdia describes PC handhelds as complementary to gaming desktops and laptops, and the Portal as an extension of the PS5 ecosystem. That is a market-analysis view, not a hands-on performance comparison. Its analyst James McWhirter has also said Windows 11 is poorly suited to handheld gaming and that current devices are not delivering a generational performance leap over Steam Deck; treat that as an attributed analyst assessment, not an independently verified test result. Omdia’s August 2025 analysis
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What dedicated handhelds offer that a phone may not
A library that is not just a mobile app catalog
A dedicated device can make sense when the games you want are tied to a console or PC ecosystem. Nintendo’s hybrid systems are built around Nintendo’s console library and exclusives. PC handhelds give access to PC game libraries and storefronts, with the trade-off that operating-system and setup experience can matter more than on a tightly integrated console.
Controls and play designed around a handheld
Physical controls are central to the dedicated-device experience, while many mobile games are designed for touch. A phone can also be used with a separate controller, but the reviewed market data does not establish the compatibility or performance of particular controller models. The practical question is whether a phone-based setup works for the games you actually play, not whether an accessory can turn every phone into an equivalent console.
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A different relationship to the TV or home system
A hybrid console can move between handheld and TV play. A streaming handheld takes another approach: it extends a home console through streaming rather than functioning as a fully independent local-play device. Those distinctions affect where and how you can play, as well as how much the experience depends on a network or another device.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Evidence of overlap, not a simple replacement
Omdia’s November 2023 consumer survey found that more than one in three PS5 owners globally already owned a Nintendo Switch. That points to overlap between console and handheld ownership, but it does not show that every owner uses both at the same time—or tell us how much either device is played. Omdia’s analysis of handheld gaming
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Omdia also forecast in August 2025 that more than 20 million Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch units combined would be sold worldwide during 2025. This was a forecast, not a confirmed sales result. McWhirter described Nintendo’s approach as pairing exclusive blockbuster content with hardware and said he did not expect Switch 2 to reach the original Switch’s heights; that is his forecast and opinion, not a Nintendo statement. Omdia, August 2025
How to decide whether you need a dedicated handheld
Start with the games and ecosystem you want, then consider the kind of portability you need. A larger mobile audience does not make a phone the right device for every player.
- List the games you want to play. Check whether they are mobile games, Nintendo titles, PC games, or games tied to a home console. The library you care about is often the clearest dividing line.
- Decide whether you want local play or streaming. Hybrid and PC handhelds can run games on the device; a streaming handheld relies on a host system and network conditions.
- Consider how much setup you accept. A mobile game may be quick to open. PC handheld flexibility can come with more operating-system and setup considerations; Omdia has identified Windows’ handheld experience as a challenge.
- Think about controls and where you play. Touch may suit the mobile games you enjoy. Physical controls, or switching between handheld and TV play, may matter more for other libraries.
- Check what you already own. A handheld can complement a console or PC library rather than replace it. Choose based on the specific games and situations it adds for you.
So, are smartphones killing handheld gaming?
Smartphones have reshaped portable play and command a large mobile audience, but current evidence does not show that they are killing dedicated handheld gaming. The category has returned in a broader form, spanning hybrid consoles, PC gaming handhelds, and streaming devices. Whether one is worth owning is a personal library-and-use question—not a verdict that one device has made the others obsolete.
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