Trackpads

Built-in touch surfaces (like on the Steam Deck) that emulate a mouse, useful for strategy games, older PC titles and desktop navigation.

Some handhelds, most notably the Steam Deck and Zotac Zone, include one or two small trackpads alongside the analog sticks and face buttons. These emulate mouse movement and clicks, letting you play games designed around a mouse cursor, precisely control camera aim in some shooters, and navigate the Windows or SteamOS desktop without attaching an external mouse.

Trackpads add real value for strategy games, isometric RPGs, point-and-click titles and older PC games that never got proper controller support, all of which are otherwise painful to play with sticks alone.

Why it matters when buying

If your library includes strategy, simulation or older PC games without native controller support, trackpads are a meaningful differentiator, not a gimmick. Handhelds without them can still use gyro-aiming or an external mouse, but neither fully replaces a built-in trackpad for desktop and mouse-driven games.