handheld game console, or simply 

handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video

game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. [1] Handheld game consoles are
smaller than home video game consoles and contain the console, screen, speakers, and controls in
one unit, allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place. [2][3]
In 1976, Mattel introduced the first handheld electronic game with the release of Auto Race.[4] Later,
several companies—including Coleco and Milton Bradley—made their own single-game, lightweight
table-top or handheld electronic game devices.[5] The first commercial successful handheld console
was Merlin from 1978 which sold more than 5 million units.[6] The first handheld game console with
interchangeable cartridges is the Milton Bradley Microvision in 1979.[7] The first internet-enabled
handheld console and the first with a touchscreen was the Game.com released by Tiger
Electronics in 1997.[8]
Nintendo is credited with popularizing the handheld console concept with the release of the Game
Boy in 1989[3] and continues to dominate the handheld console market. [9][10]