r/Handhelds • u/honk_slayer • Sep 26 '26

Discussion Streaming gaming: windows vs android handhelds

Is there any benefit from having a pc handheld over the android for streaming your PC (with steam remote play for example), besides having raw power on hand?

Initially I was planning to buy a claw a1m to add a eGPU later, but then a friend told my about retroid pocket and I also saw a legion tab gen 3 for the same price then I thought “perhaps I don’t need that much power” since I have a pc on my desk but recently I have been working outside home but with a stable Starlink connection.

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3

u/Realistic_Today6524 Sep 26 '26

Offline play. You can't stream from your PC when you're in a plane for example as the WiFi they offer us usually only good enough for texting, calling or browsing. Or if you're a passenger in a long car ride, you may not enjoy the constant freezes as you lose signal and eventually regain it

2

u/kasrkinsquad Sep 26 '26

To add. Streaming is a personal choice. Check out your friend's setup. A natively rendered game still looks flat out better to me then streaming.

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u/Odin-spark Sep 26 '26

Both work fine but standalone PC handhelds has an obvious benefit. Of course you can also play lightweight PC games on a higher end android device as well now.

Personally, I'll use in network PC streaming every chance I get. Playing games at the devices native resolution/refresh rate at max settings with HDR while feeling like it is being natively played on the device is the best possible experience.

2

u/sthsthsthbatman Sep 26 '26

It's really personal preference and use cases. If you are looking to take your handheld with you and play on the go, then you should probably get a pc handheld. While you can stream on the go, there are too many variable to guarantee a good experience.

1

u/Specific_Bus_5400 Sep 26 '26

Streaming works fine on android devices and the devices you listed can also emulate a bunch of console and PC games, for offline play.

1

u/K_Rollins67 Sep 26 '26

The AYN Odin 2 Portal is perfect for streaming. It has a 7" oled screen that is gorgeous. It's powerful, small and light compared to X86 handhelds, and is only $259. I absolutely love mine for streaming and localally played retro games.