Exclusively on the Retro Handhelds Discord, MagicX has shared a video showing that testing stages for the MagicX XU Mini 2, Touch One, and Touch Two devices have officially begun.
Testing stages for devices often come in quick succession. Most of this is due to how rampant and fast the niche continues to grow. Over the past year alone, bigger companies like Anbernic, PowKiddy, and Ayaneo have managed to release over five separate releases; all with slightly different changes and improvements.
MagicX aims to introduce more products to its line of devices with the inclusion of the Mini 2, Touch One, and Touch Two.
The included video below shows that the design stage has finally commenced. This stage is usually reserved solely for testing out the overall ergonomics, usability, and general “hand feel” of the purported devices. In the video, you can see the XU Mini 2 being shown off with its test design featuring a small form factor and a vertical orientation, alongside two areas designated for joystick controls.
The Touch One and Touch Two however feature a horizontal orientation with both devices looking similar, in form, to that of a GBA. We briefly showed off the shared Touch One renders in this past week’s Retro Handhelds Weekly.
The purported differences between the Touch One and Touch Two are substantial, and could possibly position them to be better used for different use-cases.
The basic rundown of expected specs for the Touch One are
- Display: 3:2 3.5-inch IPS display
- Resolution: 980 x 640
- Processor: Allwinner A523
- Software: Android
Expected specs for the Touch One are what MagicX is aiming for with the device, but as time goes on, things could change, parts could be replaced, and the overall design could be revised to be more suited for specific handheld emulation.
The Touch Two, in contrast, seems to join in on the 1:1 screen craze that we’ve recently seen Anbernic and Powkiddy take a crack at with their RG Cube and RGB30, respectively:
- Display: 4-inch IPS display
- Resolution: 720 x 720
- Processor: Allwinner A523
- RAM: 2GB
- Software: Android
Even from the basic specs given above, it’s clear the Touch Two is aiming to mimic the usability of the RGB30, and potentially the RG Cube and ZPG A1 Unicorn. However, the aforementioned chipset is the same one found in the KT R1, which struggles to play both PS2 and Gamecube games, but there are some less demanding games that should run at close to full speed.
It should be noted that as devices are being conceptualized, built, and developed, there is no knowing what can or will change — especially at this stage. This video lives to show a concept that is further along than simply being a concept. And knowing how quickly MagicX has been releasing handhelds this year, it’s no surprise seeing them well on their way to building three additional ones to join the fray.
As such, the final details of the XU Mini 2 have yet to be nailed down, but we should learn more over the course of the next couple of weeks. Lastly, those wondering about when these new handhelds might be available, be prepared to wait a bit. All that we can confirm is that they are expected to arrive sometime “before Christmas.” While that might seem disappointing, we’d prefer for it to take a while than to have MagicX rush and release an unfinished product.
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This is AWESOME! love to see other companies step it up with new innovative designs!