USB-C charging for handhelds: PD, wattage and cables explained

USB-C is the connector many handhelds charge through, and USB Power Delivery (PD) lets a charger and a device agree a voltage. Read the wattage your handheld's maker states, then match it to the voltage steps on the charger's USB-C line. Several makers state a wattage and nothing else, which this guide covers (retro handheld catalogue).

What is USB Power Delivery?

USB PD is a set of rules for negotiating power over a USB Type-C connection. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) describes the PD 3.1 update on usb.org as raising the ceiling from 100W, which it gives as 20V at 5A, to "up to 240W" through new 28V, 36V and 48V fixed voltages. It also describes an adjustable voltage mode in which the device being powered can request intermediate voltages between 15V and the charger's maximum fixed voltage.

Two practical points follow from that wording. First, voltage is negotiated, so a charger that lists several voltage steps is offering choices and the device picks. Second, the 240W level is tied to a "full featured" Type-C cable defined in Type-C Release 2.1, so the cable is part of the standard and not an afterthought. The highest wattage the catalogue lists for any handheld is a 65W adapter (the ROG Ally X and Legion Go), so the high end of the standard is background rather than a buying target.

What charging figures do handheld makers state?

The figures vary in form. Some makers give volts and amps, some give watts, and some give only a phrase such as fast charging. Multiplying volts by amps gives watts, so 5V at 1.5A is 7.5W and 5V at 2A is 10W. That is our arithmetic on the maker's figures, not a maker claim.

Sources: Anbernic's RG556 and RG35XX SP pages, Mangmi's Air X page, Retroid's Pocket Classic page, AYANEO's Pocket S page and Analogue's Pocket page. The Pocket 5, RG28XX, Odin 3 and Pocket DS figures come from the maker spec listings recorded for those devices, some of which sit in spec images rather than page text. Retroid's Pocket 5 page text, for example, repeats only the 5000 mAh figure.

Does a more powerful charger charge a handheld faster?

Not necessarily, and the makers' pages do not say it does. A stated charging figure is best read as what the device is built to take. Because PD lets the device request its voltage, a charger rated above the handheld's stated figure is a matter of headroom, and no maker we cite promises a faster charge from one. The one claim about speed in our sources is Anbernic's, which states about 3.5 hours to a full charge for the RG556 at 5V/2A.

The other direction is the one to watch. A charger that offers only 5V steps cannot supply the higher voltages that a 27W or 40W figure implies, because 27W at 5V would need more than 5A. Check the label for voltage steps, not only the headline watts.

How do you read a charger label?

Look for the USB-C output line. Two real examples show the pattern. Retroid's official 35W charger lists a USB-C output of 5V 3A, 9V 3A, 12V 2.9A, 15V 2.33A and 20V 1.75A (35W max) and a USB-A output of 18W max. Retroid's page never names Power Delivery, so the label alone does not say how the steps are negotiated. AYN's official charger, titled 65W, lists PD output steps up to 20V at 3.25A, which multiplies to 65W, plus separate programmable (PPS) ranges. It also lists a combined USB-C plus USB-A figure of 45W plus 18W max, so the 65W is the single-port figure. Both are covered in our best accessories list.

When you compare a label with a handheld's stated figure, work down this list:

1. Is there a USB-C output at all, or only USB-A?
2. Does the USB-C line list several voltage steps, such as 9V or 15V, if your device states 15W or more?
3. What is the single-port wattage, as opposed to the combined total across ports?
4. Does the maker of your handheld say Power Delivery, or give only a wattage?

Worked example: checking two labels against stated figures

Multiplying volts by amps turns each line of a label into watts. The table applies that to the Retroid 35W charger label quoted above. The arithmetic is ours; Retroid prints only the volts and amps.

The 9V step works out to 27W, the same figure Retroid states for the Pocket Classic and Pocket 5. That match is arithmetic, not a maker claim: Retroid does not say which step a handheld asks for. The AYN label gives the other half of the picture, since 20V at 3.25A is 65W against the 60W AYN states for the Odin 3, so the label sits above the stated figure.

Next, set each handheld's stated figure against what a label would need to show.

Take a hypothetical phone charger labelled 5V 3A and 9V 2.22A, which is 20W at its top step. Against the Pocket Classic's 27W it falls short by 7W. The makers do not say whether a handheld then charges more slowly, charges at all, or warns the user, so the sensible reading is that the label is below the stated figure and the outcome is unknown. A charger at or above the stated figure removes that question; it does not promise a faster charge.

usb.org adds one more point. It says PD lets low-power devices "negotiate for only the power they require", so a larger charger is not forced onto a smaller device. That is why headroom costs nothing in the standard, even though it buys nothing in speed.

What should you know about the cable and the box?

Makers say little about cables. Anbernic's RG DS page lists a Type-C charging cable in the box and the RG28XX listing does the same, but neither states a cable rating. USB-IF ties its highest power level to a specific cable specification, which suggests a rating matters at that end, but no handheld maker we cite states a cable requirement. AYANEO is explicit that the Pocket S charger is not included, so a new buyer needs to bring one.

Anbernic describes several devices as supporting a "C2C charger". The maker does not define the term; our reading is a charger fitted with a USB-C socket, used with a USB-C to USB-C cable. Treat that as an interpretation and not a specification.

How does charging relate to battery life?

Charging figures describe how power goes in, and battery-life claims describe how long it lasts, and the two are separate. Makers give hours of play without saying how they measured them. Our battery life guide covers how to read those claims, and the guide to reading specs covers the wider list of figures. If you want portable power away from a socket, see power banks for handheld gaming. For TV output over the same USB-C port, see docks and TV output.

All our content is research from maker pages and standards bodies, and we do not test chargers; see how we research. Browse more in accessories and guides.

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