In a sea of gaming handhelds, this year has seen some incredible highlights. The Nintendo Switch made chart-topping sales, the Logitech G-Cloud surprised many and the Steam Deck charged into the foreground. Truly the device to have this year, the Steam deck is a Linux-based handheld bought to us by Valve, the company responsible for Steam. The Steam Deck wasn’t the only device that was released this year. A slew of android and Linux emulation handhelds were released this year, gradually increasing in quality and power. The most interesting Android competitor to the Steam Deck is the Pimax Portal.

The Pimax Portal is an Android-based gaming handheld that is being developed by Pimax. This device builds off of popular features from both the Switch and the Steam Deck. The Pimax Portal will feature the Qualcomm XR2 which rocks 8 cores clocked up to 2.8GHz. It also sports a Qualcomm Adreno 650 GPU. Would be purchasers can choose between 128/256GB. However, there is also reportedly going to be a QLED screen as opposed to the LCD screen that will come as standard.

So this device won’t directly compete in performance with the Steam Deck. It will however push out video through its I/O and the controllers disconnect in much the same way as the Switch does. Making use of magnets rather than rails that require locking pins. The controllers will also feature LEDs around the analog sticks and analog L2 and R2 triggers. By virtue of its Android origins, the Pimax Portal can take advantage of the broad catalog of Android games but also emulate everything from the NES to the PS2 and even beyond to devices like the Switch. Additionally, the Portal can allow gamers to make use of game streaming using a variety of Android apps. This requires a reliable and fast internet connection.

But wait there’s more! The Pimax Portal also features 4 tracking cameras, a 6 DoF positioning system, a gyroscope and a proximity sensor. This is when the tables begin to turn. Not only can the Portal dock and operate in handheld mode. It can also be combined with a VR headset attachment to create a VR environment for gamers to enjoy. If that’s not cool enough for you, the Portal can also place you in a VR lounge where you can chill and play games on a virtual TV in front of you.

Building on successful concepts and promising platforms the Pimax Portal seeks to be an interesting opponent to the would-be king an conqueror – the mighty Steam Deck. While it may not make the grade in performance, it certainly makes up for itself in utility. The Pimax Portal is on Kickstarter now and will reportedly be delivered in January 2023. It’s already achieved its target funding.

If the Pimax Portal ticks your boxes check out more info here. Check out the Kickstarter. If you would like to see it in action check out YouTuber Taki Udon’s video below.