Review: abxylute One

Gaming on a handheld can often feel like magic. While it’s not novel, having owned an original PSP and Nintendo DS, it’s still special today when there’s so much to consume that I use it to second screen.

I spent a month with the abxylute (pronounced absolute) One streaming handheld. Read below why I might spend another month saving for my own.

Abxylute Comfort and Ergonomics

My first impression: the abxylute One’s body is surprisingly slim. At about 410 grams, it’s lighter than many rivals, so my hands didn’t ache after prolonged gameplay. There’s a specific reason why it’s so light that I’ll get into a little later.

The textured, rubbery back gripped my palms and while my hands are huge compared to my six-year-old, I imagine most adolescent homo sapiens will have no issue reaching the controls.

The buttons and D-pad click firmly (no mush) and the analogue sticks use hall sensors, which was a huge relief, especially since I often deal with stick drift on my Nintendo Switch console, and once on my PS5 Dual Sense.

Gameplay Performance

The abxylute isn’t a Switch or Asus Rog Ally X in disguise. Its 4GB of RAM and MediaTek chip means it’s built for streaming, not brute force, which also explains why it’s light – it doesn’t have the significant hardware that those handhelds have.

I’m not a PC gamer so I don’t have a Steam library to test. I do, however, have an Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 so mostly used the device for remote play. My line speed is 100 Mbps and my consoles are not connected via ethernet.

The Android interface does lag a bit, i.e., app launches took an extra half-second, but once a stream was running, performance mostly stayed rock solid. I experienced a little input lag here and there but it’s not a dealbreaker as I could play Far Cry 4 in bed while watching The Rookie season one with my wife.

This is a big plus for me as we have limited time because of work pressures and raising an angel, so while ideally we could be focusing singularly on one activity, this way we can still be together, have a common anchor in the form of Nathan Fillion arresting perps while she scrolls Instagram or Discord and I kill Pagan Min’s… minions.

I played quite a bit of Fortnite as well, doing my dailies and unlocking the battlepass. I found it a lot more fun playing Fortnite on the abxylute compared to my Nintendo Switch. I would regularly pick it up to play a little WWE 2K25 or Streets of Rage 4.

It handled the ridiculously addictive Balatro well. I sideloaded some retro games and found it handled most consoles up to PS One well. Don’t expect any PS2 or above to run. It’s simply not powerful enough.

I bought an Anbernic RG35XX Plus last March as a dedicated retro handheld and while I really enjoy it, especially the small size factor, retro gaming is a lot more fun on the abxylute.

The One’s star is its 7-inch 1080p touchscreen (16:9 aspect ratio). Everything looks noticeably sharper compared to my original Switch.

I could read menu texts clearly and spot distant enemies without strain. Colours pop and the contrast holds up, giving decent blacks for a budget device. Even mid-day play by a window was possible, although not advisable because of reflections. This thing is a fingerprint magnet, so you’ll be wiping the screen often.

I appreciate that it’s a touch screen as that’s how my kid prefers to play games. However, I found the speakers to be pleasantly loud and the addition of a headphone jack allowed me to enjoy gaming in solitude without disturbing others.

The abxylute comes in either a 32GB or 64GB variant, a USB-C cable for charging, and is bundled with a carry case, which I appreciated.

Unfortunately, and such is the trend these days, it did not have a power plug, although I found it compatible with both my phone and laptop charger.

The battery life is very good, and I was able to get around eight hours of gameplay on a charge. Unfortunately, it didn’t give me any low power warnings and died unexpectedly during a gaming session. Charging does take a lot longer than I would have liked so I’m hoping this gets addressed in later versions.

This handheld shines only if you have something to stream first. In SA, that means Xbox Cloud gaming is currently a no-go. We do have GeForce Now, however I did not test that.

I also couldn’t test Steam Link without a Steam account, but PS Remote Play worked fine with my console. I recommend considering the Rog Ally Z1 extreme if you don’t have consoles or a PC to stream from.

The built-in Android hardware is too modest for serious games. This is a remote screen, not a standalone powerhouse.

Despite these caveats, the abxylute One delivers on its core promise of letting you play big titles on the go. It won’t replace a console or PC, but at around R3 800, which was the best price I found it locally, it’s a surprisingly capable way to game on hardware you already own. [ED: The official recommended retail price from distributor Rectron is R4 499]

Something to consider: I could probably just use my smartphone for remote play, it’s completely plausible, if not ideal due to screen size, but more importantly, I really don’t want to use my phone in this way.

Similarly, I recently bought a camera so that I have something else to record on other than my phone. Sure, my phone can handle these tasks but I’ve found benefit in investing in other single-purpose devices.

So, does it make the abxylute a must-have? Probably not, but it’s a great nice-to-have, especially when you share a home with others. I’ll probably still play through my TV for important dedicated gaming sessions, like how I send serious emails or book flights on my laptop versus my phone, but it’s great to have the abxylute when I’m traveling for work or chilling on the couch.

Final Verdict

The abxylute One isn’t trying to replace your console or compete with powerhouse handhelds – it’s a focused, lightweight, and surprisingly capable streaming companion that excels at what it was designed to do: let you play real games from your real systems, wherever you are, provided the Wi-Fi/ bandwidth is decent.

While it won’t handle local AAA games or serious emulation, it nails the basics of remote play with solid ergonomics, impressive battery life, and a crisp display.

If you already own a PS5, Xbox, or gaming PC and want a dedicated second screen for casual or on-the-go sessions without draining your phone battery, this is an excellent, well-priced option that makes gaming fit into your life just a little more easily.

Specs:

• CPU: MT8365
• 4GB RAM; 64GB ROM
• 7-inch Display; 1920×1080; 16:9; 60Hz
• Touch screen: multi-touch, 10 points
• Battery: 5200mAh; 15W power
• Bluetooth, WiFi
• Dual Mic, Dual Speakers
• Gyroscope, light sensor, vibration motor
• Interface: microSD card; 3.5 audio jack
• Body keys: Volume key, power key
• Dimensions: ~250x115x30mm
• OS: Android 12