Retro handhelds are for retro games. At least mostly. When I started grabbing handhelds, I was looking for something that would play Playstation 1 well on the go. Over time I shifted my goalposts. The best device for GBA, the best device that could do GameCube. And then I backed off a bit in my search for the best Pico-8 device. For the longest time that was the Miyoo Mini, until it became the Powkiddy RGB30.
So what if I try that again? PortMaster has been my kick for a little bit now, and while it’s pretty consistent across the board, I think some devices just work better for me. So how about you join in while I take a look at finding my perfect PortMaster portable? At least for now.
Also, while it may be my preferred choice for PortMaster, it almost certainly won’t be yours.
The Features
Features. The things that you need to have what I’d consider a solid experience. While this may just be a subjective category, you’ll probably find at least one or two of these a must for you as well.
First up? Well; it runs PortMaster. This may be obvious, but there are a number of devices that might not. And alongside that, you might run into something like the Miyoo Mini, which has ports but doesn’t run PortMaster. It still leaves you with a number of options, but at the same time leaves you closer to operating systems like ArkOS, Rocknix, or even something like CrossMix-OS.
Now this one is really my personal preference, but the device needs built-in wifi. I’m not big into the dongle towers some handhelds need for Wi-Fi. I’m definitely not into manually finding and adding ready-to-run games into my PortMaster folders. I will mess it up. By requiring wifi, that knocks out a number of devices. From the 28XX and XU Mini M to the RK2023 (OG) and the RGB10 Max 3 Pro (Heart, Heart, Heart). None of these have wi-fi built in, so they’re all a no-go to me. But not just for that reason, but for a decision I’m making in the next category.
The Screen
Another easy one, but also something that really is a personal preference, is the screen. There are a lot of games in the PortMaster collection. Some of which are more modern than others, and to me, require a bit more screen real estate. With that being said, any of the handhelds with a 3.5” display or smaller are pretty much out from the get-go. For games like Modern Celeste, Stardew Valley, or Sonic Mania, I’m always looking for the biggest screen experience on these devices.
And as a side night, when I include those 3.5” devices, I’ve found that in use, I’ll include the 4” 1:1 displays as well. Purely because the horizontal real estate still isn’t there for me.
Because of that, it leaves me with the 4” 4:3 handhelds, the 16:9 handhelds, and the 5:3 RG552. So between devices like the RGB10 Max 3 Pro, TrimUI Smart Pro, GameForce Ace, and the RG40XX, where do I go from there? Well in all reality, that last tier comes down to simply picking what gave me the best experience. And there were some that got knocked out way easier than others.
The Experience
When it comes to the experience, there were a few things that made me knock out devices immediately. The RG552? Great screen, but severely underperforming battery life. The TrimUI Smart Pro? Decent controls, and great battery life, but missing support for some PortMaster games. Strangely, it just seemed some were flat-out missing from the list. GameForce Ace? Solid screen, and acceptable controls, but after pushing the device to download games, I developed vertical white lines across the screen.
A trio of, not terrible devices, was pushed out of my sights by glaring issues. Though, they aren’t alone. While I did mention I would use the 40XX devices with their screens, it’s worth noting that they may not have full port support in PortMaster through something like MuOS. While that may change with the work being put in, that does impact my decision today.
Also, I didn’t mention this, but I’m ignoring the RK3326 as, both H700 and 3566 handhelds do better in my use, and have solid viable options around the same price.
That leaves the RG-Arc, X55, RGB10 Max 3, and the RG503. The first of which I would reject simply for lacking a stick of any sort. With the last three, you can see my full comparison from back in March, but my opinion still stands. The Powkiddy RGB10 Max 3 is currently my favorite widescreen 3566 handheld. Even with the GameMT E6+ and CB-408 hitting the market.
Final Thoughts
This might not be a perfect list for anyone. You may hate widescreen handhelds, or you might want the smaller screen. But for me, a big screen to take in everything I can from a game is the thing I’m looking for. And honestly, for $63 on AliExpress right now, I think it’s a solid value handheld right now as well.
If you’re looking for my second choice, I’d go with a 40XX device. muOS compatibility is increasing every day, but even today it’s genuinely a solid PortMaster handheld that I’d be happy to use on a daily basis.
There are a lot of games out there to play, and not all of them need to be retro. So if you’re looking for something different to play, try PortMaster. There’s a lot to get lost in.
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