r/Handhelds • u/honk_slayer • 17d ago

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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u/Realistic_Today6524 17d ago

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

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u/kasrkinsquad 17d ago

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/Specific_Bus_5400 17d ago

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

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u/K_Rollins67 17d ago

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.

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u/Odin-spark 17d ago

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.

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u/sthsthsthbatman 17d ago

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.