When you think of a handheld gaming console, there’s the Nintendo Switch, there’s the Steam Deck, and then there’s probably the ROG Ally among the top ranks. But want to hear something crazy?
Meet the PICCOLO G-Series 1 (yes, that’s the actual name and no, it’s not related to Dragon Ball, unfortunately). It is also a handheld gaming console, a Windows PC, and it features detachable controllers — all in one device.
It sure is larger than your usual Nintendo Switch, but on paper, its processing power may not be comparable with the likes of the more capable gaming handheld PCs out there.
Despite the fact, that doesn’t stop us from seeing what this thing can do. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into our review of the PICCOLO G-Series 1.
Design and Construction
The first thing you’d definitely notice is how massive this thing is. The display measures 10.5-inches diagonally and the console itself spans over 2 cm thick.
There’s no mention of how heavy this console is, but with a rough estimate, it would at least weigh over a kilogram. The controllers are also thick and that seems intentional to provide some level of comfort in the hands.
As for build quality, it has an aluminum chassis and a sturdy-looking metal kickstand at the rear. The controllers are mostly made of plastic and they come with a satin finish. No rubber grip to be seen here.
The keys are decent and have some level of tactility. The experience isn’t mind-blowing by any means, but we like the addition of haptic feedback to make your gameplay a bit more immersive.
Unfortunately, we were never able to pair the left controller to our unit, forcing us to use keyboard and mouse setup throughout the review. We also tried using an Xbox controller over Bluetooth connection and it paired quite well.
For a handheld console, it can get quite uncomfortable due to how big it is. So, we mostly left it on kickstand mode.
For I/O, the 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot are found on the top left. On the right, there are exhaust vents, a USB-C port, a mini-HDMI, the DC port for charging, a USB 3.0 port, and the power and volume buttons.
Take note that the USB-C port here only supports data transfer, which means no PowerDelivery support for faster charging speeds. Then at the bottom, there are two downward firing speakers.
For the most part, it is surely portable, we’ll give ‘em that. However, this is also something you can’t easily take out of your bag when out and about. But hey, at least you still have that option to play in handheld mode — assuming both controllers work fine.
Display and Multimedia
Now, let’s move on to the most important bit in this review — the display.
Like I mentioned earlier, this console sports a 10.5-inch IPS LCD glossy touchscreen panel with a Full HD+ resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and it is capped at 60Hz refresh rate. Surprisingly, the screen looks pretty good with nice colors and detail. The viewing angles are also good — as expected from an IPS panel.
On top of that, the screen gets decently bright at max levels and the bezels are quite bearable too. Either way, we automatically get those black bars at the top and bottom when watching most media content because of its tall aspect ratio.
On the bright side, that also means that you can have more screen real estate, especially when you scale the screen down to a 100%. By default, it is set to 150% which looked quite wonky to us, so we adjusted it to 125%, which seemed just enough of a balance for touchscreen navigation.
The touchscreen’s responsiveness is decent, though you’d notice that there’s a slight delay — which is especially noticeable given the low refresh rate.
In terms of audio quality, the sound can get overwhelmingly loud (and a bit muffled), especially when playing games at max volumes, so we ended up never setting the volume over 50%. The lows are quite lacking, but I’d say it has decent audio output.
And if I may add, it would’ve been a better experience if the console’s display ran at least 75Hz refresh rate, because 60Hz doesn’t really cut it for 2025. Even most low-end phones get 120Hz these days, but it is a big screen after all.
Setting that thought aside, I personally enjoyed watching content on this device and I had no major issues whatsoever.
Performance and Benchmarks
On the subject of performance, you may have to set your expectations low. Let’s have a quick rundown on the specs.
Powering the PICCOLO G-Series1 is an Intel N95 processor with four cores, four threads, and clocked at up to 3.4GHz. It gets paired with Intel UHD Graphics that can run a max of 15W TDP.
For configuration, the unit we have has 16GB of RAM — which is always a welcome addition — and 512GB of internal storage. There’s even a microSD card slot to further expand storage, but we think this one has enough storage already. That’s because you’re limited to low-demanding games in the first place.
We tried playing GTA V on the G-Series1 and while it was playable, the frame rate barely reached 30 frames per second (fps) even at 720p. Fortunately, for titles like Left 4 Dead 2, it ran quite smoothly at 1080p, and it was even smoother for games like Stardew Valley.
We also tried playing Zenless Zone Zero, and surprisingly, it was playable at low custom graphics settings. These include toning down not just the image quality, but also disabling bloom, motion blur, vertical sync, et cetera.
If you’re into simulation, I would say this console is a great utility for that — especially with its nifty detachable controllers. Although, it’s still a hit or miss as most games do run with proper graphics settings, some are totally unplayable. Games like 2D Pokémon games from the Nintendo DS run well on the console, but the likes of Nintendo 3DS games had major stutters.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a full review without the numbers, so check out some of our benchmark results below:
| Benchmark | PICCOLO G-Series1 by X+ |
| Chipset | Intel N95 + Intel UHD Graphics |
| Blender 4.3.0 | 26.07 |
| monster | 12.780632 |
| junkshop | 8.074323 |
| classroom | 5.214226 |
| Cinebench CPU Single Core | 83 pts |
| Cinebench CPU Multi Core | 55 pts |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light | 228 |
| 3DMark Steel Time Spy | 348 |
| Geekbench 6 CPU Single-Core | 712 |
| Geekbench 6 CPU Multi-Core | 2,781 |
| Geekbench 6 GPU Vulkan | 3,289 |
| Geekbench 6 GPU OpenCL | 3,153 |
| PCMark 10 performance | 2,744 |
When it comes to thermal management, it’s no surprise that this console stays relatively cool. In addition to its decently powered processor, it features some solid cooling fans at the rear. Fan noise gets pretty loud though, and you really don’t have full control over cooling modes.
Camera
Next, let’s talk about that webcam. Yes, this one does have a webcam which is surprising because the likes of the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally don’t come with such a feature.
There is no mention of the technical specs for the webcam but testing it out, it looks to be in HD resolution or 720p. The image quality is darker than normal even with good lighting. So, we wouldn’t recommend using this for your online meetings.
But hey, at least that’s still something you can use if you ever find yourself in an unlikely situation where the console is only your available option to attend an online meeting.
OS, UI, and Apps
On the software side of things, like mentioned earlier, the console runs on a full-fledged Windows 11 Pro — updated to the latest version 24H2 — and we’re happy to report that it doesn’t come with any bloatware.
In fact, it’s so empty that it doesn’t also come with first-party apps from the brand. There’s not even a CPU management tool of some sort, but that’s fine, nonetheless. (We like the bloatware-free software.)
So far, we haven’t encountered any bugs or issues and if you’re a Windows user, you’ll definitely feel right at home. However, since the controllers did not come with some sort of a trackpad, it was hard to navigate using the touchscreen. So, we’d recommend you bring a portable keyboard and mouse with you.
Connectivity and Battery Life
Finally, let’s talk about its battery life.
The console packs a 5000mAh battery — which is honestly kind of small for a gaming PC. Knowing that this is an Intel-powered system, it’s quite expected that it gets only around 4 hours and 30 minutes of runtime on battery, and that’s only running YouTube playback at 1080p.
Playing games is even worse whereas the maximum battery life we got is around 2 hours. Therefore, it is a must to always bring the charging brick it comes with. Good thing the DC adapter is small, so it wouldn’t add that much weight to your bag. However, it takes more than two hours to charge.
Connectivity-wise, the console gets the essentials including dual-frequency Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Price and Verdict
To wrap things up, the PICCOLO G-Series1 is certainly an intriguing concept for a handheld gaming PC, offering a unique blend of features that you don’t usually find in the market.
While its performance might be a bit underwhelming for hardcore gamers, especially with titles that demand more power, it shines in the casual gaming and simulation department. Its large, vibrant display, solid build quality, and portable design are appealing, though it can be bulky for on-the-go use.
The detachable controllers definitely provide a fun and versatile way to play, and its Windows 11 OS ensures a familiar experience for anyone already accustomed to PC gaming.
As for pricing, according to its official website, the PICCOLO G-Series1 starts at a discounted price of PHP 21,600 for the 16GB+512GB config. Still, that’s way cheaper than other products offering the same portable, handheld gaming experience.
If you’re someone who values a different approach to handheld gaming and can manage expectations in terms of performance, the PICCOLO G-Series1 could be a fun, if niche, addition to your gaming arsenal. If you’re after high-end performance and longer battery life, you might want to look elsewhere, though it will come at the cost of spending more.
What we liked:
- Sturdy aluminum build
- Large FHD+ IPS display
- Bloatware-free Windows OS
- Affordable price
What we didn’t like:
- Bulky size
- Controller pairing issue (though this should be an isolated case)
- Low screen refresh rate
- Short battery life
PICCOLO G-Series1 specs:
10.5-inch IPS LCD
1920 x 1280 pixels, 60Hz
100% sRGB solors
Intel N95
4 cores, 4 threads, up to 3.4GHz turbo
Intel UHD Graphics
15W TDP
16GB DDR4 RAM
512GB M.2 SSD storage
Expandable up to 2TB via microSD
Webcam
Dual frequency Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.2
I/Os:
– 1x USB-C (data transfer only), DC charging port
– Mini HDMI, 1x USB 3.0
– 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card slot
Dual stereo speakers
Windows 11 Pro
5000mAh battery
