AMD Ryzen APU Handhelds Achieve Millions in Sales; Steam Deck Remains the Leading Choice

Over the past few years, AMD’s Ryzen chips have become the powerhouse behind most gaming handheld devices. This trend is set to continue with projections predicting that by the end of 2025, around 8 million handheld units will have been shipped, marking a significant victory for AMD.

Although handheld gaming has a long history, it wasn’t until 2022 that devices capable of supporting PC games truly captured the spotlight, thanks to the launch of the Steam Deck. In just three years, we’ve seen a surge of handheld offerings from well-known brands like ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC.

A key factor connecting these devices is their reliance on AMD CPUs, with few exceptions like the MSI Claw 7/8 AI+. When Valve initially adopted the custom Zen 2 CPU from AMD, many manufacturers quickly followed suit, opting for AMD’s more advanced chips. At that time, Intel’s Meteor Lake chips hadn’t yet made their debut—those arrived at the tail end of 2023—so products like Lenovo’s Legion GO and ASUS’s ROG Ally hit the market with AMD at their core before Intel could catch up.

Even with Meteor Lake now available, AMD’s Zen 4 chips continue to dominate, and many handheld creators are moving towards Zen 5 processors. IDC’s recent data reflects this with the majority of handheld shipments, from 2022 through early 2025, powered by AMD. This achievement is a point of pride for AMD, with their Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, Saša Marinković, expressing his excitement on social media.

Frank Azor, who leads Consumer and Gaming Marketing at AMD, noted, “This category didn’t even exist three years ago. We’ve gone from nothing to creating a new category with millions of units.” IDC’s market analysis reveals that nearly 6 million Windows and SteamOS-based handhelds were shipped from 2023 to 2024. For 2025, the forecast is an additional 2 million units, predominantly featuring AMD chips. The report highlights popular devices such as the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and the MSI Claw 7.

The Steam Deck has been a major contributor, possibly surpassing 4 million units sold, even though it is the slowest in terms of performance among its peers. Its success can be attributed to SteamOS, which offers a user-friendly experience surpassing that of Windows-based systems.

While Intel has made strides with its Lunar Lake series, AMD remains a few steps ahead. If their upcoming Strix Halo processor enters the handheld arena, it could outpace Intel unless their forthcoming Panther Lake chips deliver exceptional performance. Meanwhile, AMD’s Ryzen Z2 series is also entering the fray, ensuring that competition in the gaming handheld market remains fierce.

Sources: The Verge, Saša Marinković’s Twitter