Gaming's New Era: Handhelds Dominate, Studios Pivot

The video game industry is experiencing significant shifts, with notable game delays and studio closures impacting development. Despite these challenges, cross-platform releases are becoming more common, benefiting consumers by making popular titles accessible on multiple systems. The market sees a strong surge in handheld gaming devices, with the MSI Claw receiving high praise and the Nintendo Switch 2 proving to be a major success.

Consumers remain enthusiastic spenders, particularly in the mobile gaming sector, which dominates the market at $103 billion. Console and PC gaming also show healthy growth. This trend fuels the innovation in handhelds, positioning them as a primary focus for major platform holders. Readers' surveys highlight MSI's dominance in handhelds and MSI Claw's strong performance, while Sony's PlayStation 5 leads in the traditional console space.

Beyond hardware, PCMag readers have also cast their votes for peripherals and services. Microsoft controllers are favored for ease of use, while Corsair and Logitech lead in keyboards and mice, respectively. SteelSeries takes the top spot for gaming headsets, recognized for overall satisfaction and audio quality. Valve's Steam platform continues its reign as the leading online game distribution service, outperforming competitors.