Gaming has been around as a hobby for many decades now, to the point that old consoles and limited-edition designs of systems from years past are becoming more and more sought-after as collector's items.
Over the years many hardware developers have released countless systems designed to be played on the go, some proving to be more successful than others. The rarest handhelds are often limited-edition skins for existing popular consoles, but there are some portable systems that have become quite pricey due to their lack of demand.
10 Famitsu 500 Game Boy – $575+
The Famitsu 500 Game Boy was a limited-edition design of the original Nintendo Game Boy. The surface of the Game Boy was transparent with minor white accents to surround the screen and various buttons. A later edition of the Game Boy Advance was also semi-transparent, but this was one of the default released designs of the console.
The Famitsu 500 Game Boy was a special reward for old Nintendo events and retails for around $575 on various auction sites.
9 PS Vita Hatsune Miku Edition – $600+
The Hatsune Miku edition of the PlayStation Vita was a special release of the popular handheld console that was only released in Singapore. The popularity of the character and her music, paired with the short-term limited release of the design, makes this the rarest version of the PS Vita ever released.
It sells regularly for over $600, with historical sales of up to $1000 and beyond. The Hatsune Miku PS Vita is a collector's item for those super into the singer, and it's not generally sold at completely ridiculous prices.
8 Mother 3 Edition Game Boy Micro - $800+
The Game Boy Micro was a smaller version of the Game Boy Advance designed to fit into the player's pocket – no matter how small that pocket was. A limited-edition run of a red Game Boy Micro was released paired with a port of Mother 3 and has since become a very expensive collector's item.
The console was very limited in release and came styled with a Mother 3 color scheme and backdrop, as well as a collector's edition bundle themed after the game. It's listed on multiple auction sites for upwards of $800 apiece.
7 Advance Wars Nintendo DS – $800+
The Advance Wars Edition Nintendo DS was a special DS given only to members of the European gaming press. As such, there were only 50 press kits made, and thus only 50 of these camouflage DS consoles exist today.
They don't sell often, but when they do, they sell for over $800. The especially limited run of this DS makes it one to hunt down for DS aficionados.
6 White Sega Game Gear – $900
The Sega Game Gear was a handheld console in the '90s that didn't see quite the same success as other portable systems released around the same time (like the Game Boy). The White version of the Game Gear was only released in Japan, too.
The console's lack of sales paired with the limited color scheme makes this one of the more basic-looking rare handheld consoles. Nonetheless, it retails for $900.
5 Pokemon World Championship Nintendo DSi XL – $2,500+
The Pokemon World Championship Nintendo DSi XL was awarded to players at various events related to the 2009 edition of the esports event. The DSi XL features a custom design of Pokemon from the Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl games, with a soft blue coloration and white accents.
One recently sold for $2495 on Ebay. The system has historically sold for upwards of $4000, and it is only getting pricier with time as these handhelds become rarer and rarer. The 2008 and 2010 versions are also very expensive.
4 McDonald's Nintendo DS – $3200
Many modern companies are starting to use technology and even gaming software to train employees quickly and intuitively. For a while in 2010, Mcdonald's worked with Nintendo to create specialty branded Nintendo DS consoles for this exact purpose.
There were not many made, but in 2020 one appeared on Yahoo! auctions and sold for a staggering $3200.
3 Atari Cosmos – $18,000+
The Atari Cosmos was technically a handheld console that sat on a table. It portrayed the game in three dimensions using early hologram-like technology, but it hardly sold and has since become one of the most valuable handhelds of all time.
The console was small enough to be played on a lap or a kitchen table, but its modern price point isn't so quaint. The console has historically sold for more than $18,000, thanks to the innovative technology used as well as the extremely limited number of pieces in circulation, but one only pops up every so often as only 5 exist in the world.
2 24k Gold Minish Cap Game Boy Advance SP – ?
The 24k Gold Game Boy Advance Minish Cap Edition was a special Game Boy Advance SP that came in six out of 25,000 consoles sold at random. It was thought by many to not actually exist until one surfaced in 2020, though there are many that are still unaccounted for.
None have sold yet, but the special edition Game Boy SP is made out of pure gold, making the console valuable aside from its extreme rarity.
1 The Game Plus – ?
The Game Plus is one of the most mysterious handheld consoles ever created, mostly due to the lack of information around it. The console appears to emulate an original Game Boy in design, but it is unbranded.
There is almost no information about the Game Plus out there, except that they originated in Europe in the '90s. None have sold, but they are highly sought-after.