NPC: Next Portable Console

This week on NPC, rumors swirl about the Steam Machine's pricing, AYANEO pauses to collect itself, GameSir's Pocket Taco goes live, the lack of foldable phone controllers, and our first videogames.
Also available on YouTube here.
Links and Show Notes
The Latest Portable Gaming News
Steam Machine pricing may have leaked
Meta has closed three VR studios as part of its metaverse-focused layoffs
GameSir Pocket Taco phone controller Kickstarter is now live
AYANEO Pocket PLAY delayed
AYN Thor gets major OTA update, Batch 2 shipping January 15, prices rising for Batch 3
Retrocade is coming to Apple Vision Pro
A FEX announcement is coming
Subscribe to NPC XL
NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month.
Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes.
You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole
Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon
NPC Feedback Form
Credits
Show Art: Brendon Bigley
Music: Will LaPorte
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Federico
John
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This week, a whirlwind tour of the handheld news from CES 2026, Switch 2 grips, AR glasses, new chips from AMD, the OneXSugar Wallet, and more.
Also available on YouTube here.
Links and Show Notes
The Portable Gaming News from CES
NOW LIVE: Nintendo just officially revealed the new purple/light green Switch 2 Joy
Genki Grips: Made to be Held by Human Things
Pocket8 Makes PICO–8 Playable On Your iPhone
touchHLE homepage
The Xreal 1S glasses get a spec bump and 3D conversion
The OneXSugar Wallet is the first gaming handheld with a folding screen
You can charge Belkin's new Switch 2 power case without opening it
Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X2 laptops are here — and they brought a new friend
AMD heard you like powerful gaming portables — so here are new Strix Halo chips
Lenovo Legion Go 2 with SteamOS launches in June, priced at $1199
Lenovo's new concept gaming laptop goes wide. Really wide.
GameSir X Hyperkin Reveal A Controller With GC, N64 & SEGA Attachments
Subscribe to NPC XL
NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month.
Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes.
You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole
Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon
NPC Feedback Form
Credits
Show Art: Brendon Bigley
Music: Will LaPorte
Follow Us Online
On the Web
MacStories.net
Wavelengths.online
Follow us on Mastodon
NPC
Federico
John
Brendon
Follow us on Bluesky
NPC
MacStories
Federico Viticci
John Voorhees
Brendon Bigley
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This week, Brendon, Federico, and John pick their top handheld consoles of 2025.
Also available on YouTube here.
Links and Show Notes
The 2025 Handhelds of the Year Awards
The Contenders:
Switch 2
Ayn Thor
Miyoo Flip
TrimUI Brick
Subscribe to NPC XL
NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month.
Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes.
You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole
Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon
NPC Feedback Form
Credits
Show Art: Brendon Bigley
Music: Will LaPorte
Follow Us Online
On the Web
MacStories.net
Wavelengths.online
Follow us on Mastodon
NPC
Federico
John
Brendon
Follow us on Bluesky
NPC
MacStories
Federico Viticci
John Voorhees
Brendon Bigley
Affiliate Linking Policy

This week, handhelds are shipping for the holidays, AYANEO makes a bold bet on a phone, a new Strix Halo tablet one-ups the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, and John dips a toe in the Bazzite waters.
Also available on YouTube here.
Links and Show Notes
The Latest Portable Gaming News
The Odin 3 and MCON are starting to ship
The Anbernic RG DS got a big software update
AYANEO Pocket Play
Video
Kickstarter
Pocket Codex for iPhone and iPad
Another Strix Halo Tablet - OneXplayer Super X
John installs Bazzite on the GMKtech EVO-X2
Subscribe to NPC XL
NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month.
Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes.
You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole
Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon
NPC Feedback Form
Credits
Show Art: Brendon Bigley
Music: Will LaPorte
Follow Us Online
On the Web
MacStories.net
Wavelengths.online
Follow us on Mastodon
NPC
Federico
John
Brendon
Follow us on Bluesky
NPC
MacStories
Federico Viticci
John Voorhees
Brendon Bigley
Affiliate Linking Policy

This week, AYANEO goes big, very, very big, and we read the tea leaves from Sean Hollister's interview of Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais.
Also available on YouTube here.
Links and Show Notes
The Latest Portable Gaming News
ANBERNIC Officially Reveals RG477V Retro Handheld
Ayaneo Announces a Monster of a New Gaming Handheld
iiSU Alpha
Sean Hollister of The Verge interviews Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais
Retro Game Corps Reviews the Ayn Odin 3
Subscribe to NPC XL
NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month.
Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes.
You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole
Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon
NPC Feedback Form
Credits
Show Art: Brendon Bigley
Music: Will LaPorte
Follow Us Online
On the Web
MacStories.net
Wavelengths.online
Follow us on Mastodon
NPC
Federico
John
Brendon
Follow us on Bluesky
NPC
MacStories
Federico Viticci
John Voorhees
Brendon Bigley
Affiliate Linking Policy