Ever since the original GameBoy came out in 1989, handheld video game consoles have captivated players across the world. Nintendo’s GameBoy, DS, and Switch series of handheld devices have become beloved companions, competing with Sony’s PSP and Vita consoles and earlier attempts to enter the market from other companies, like Atari’s Lynx handheld and the Sega Game Gear.
Today, handheld gaming has experienced a renaissance, with enthusiasts and collectors coveting retro hardware while also investing in new devices created to emulate bygone games. Companies like Anbernic, AYANEO, and Retroid use parts manufactured in China to recreate the form factor of devices like the GameBoy Advance SP, DS, and Vita. The Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 have also inspired a new era of first-party handheld gaming, with companies like Valve, Lenovo, and ASUS all releasing versions of handheld PCs to keep pace.
In this golden age of handheld gaming’s revitalization, it’s fun to look back on various design patents over the years to gain a new perspective on this corner of the video game industry.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D1,078,852
The U.S. Patent Office issued this design patent to Shenzhen Aopeng Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd on March 13, 2025, showing just how alive and well handheld console gaming is today. Note that many of these decisions (e.g., the different height locations for different analog sticks, the location of the START and SELECT buttons) can be quite meaningful, as many gamers have strong opinions on input design.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D1,111,097
While the previous patent concerns a more generic handheld design with a smaller form factor, this one–issued on January 15, 2025–appears to be going after more of a handheld PC-style look and feel.
This design patent catapults us into the past, to April 2, 2003, when companies like Allstar Marketing Group LLC–to whom the U.S. Patent Office issued this patent back in the day–attempted to capitalize on the initial handheld gaming craze by making more affordable toys for children to enjoy.
Even in the slower days for third-party handheld gaming, companies still attempted to break into the market. The U.S. Patent Office issued a design patent for the form factor represented above on July 3, 2014. Potentially inspired by the iconic look of the Nintendo 64 controller, the device in this patent represents third party manufacturers’ ever-present desire to find innovative ways to capitalize on consumer nostalgia.
On June 16, 2003, the U.S. Patent Office issued this design patent to Mattel Inc, a company known for their previous foray into video games with the Intellivision of the late 1970s and early 80s. This handheld console design in particular is a sight to behold.
