Welcome to the latest edition of Retro Handhelds Weekly. This week saw a bunch of news in both the world of hardware and software, our writing team continues to be on an absolute tear, and there’s even a surprise or two sprinkled in! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and catch up on what’s happened this week in the world of Retro Handhelds.
Hardware
If there’s one thing we know about retro handhelds, it’s that there is always something new around the corner. Seriously, it’s “worse” than smartphones, as some companies release new handhelds every other week. On the bright side, at least there’s no shortage of options.
Taki Udon Announces Switch Lite OLED Upgrade Kit
Taki Udon has announced prices and a release date for his SUPER5 OLED screen mod for the Nintendo Switch Lite. There will be a Standard upgrade kit, which includes the screen alongside the tools needed to do the installation. The Standard Touch kit includes the screen, but is modified to allow for touch controls akin to the stock Switch.
Upgrading from those, there are the SUPER5 HDMI kit options, one with touch and one without. And finally, a full Mega Kit option. This option will include a replacement third-party shell with a touchscreen, and HDMI-out supported OLED screen pre-installed.
Anbernic Reveals Three New RG35XXSP Colors
Never the company to stay out of the news cycle for more than 5 minutes, Anbernic has announced three new color options for the RG35XXSP. The new options are clear/white, neon green, and red. All of them are in the 90s translucent iMac style that these handhelds go so nicely with.
Legion Go Gen Two and Legion Go Lite Leaked
via VideoCardz
There have been rumors of Lenovo working on a Legion Go Lite for some time now, but nothing has come to fruition just yet. Recently, Lenovo finally released the Legion Go USB-C Dock but forgot to double-check the listing before it went live. As you can see in the screenshot above, the landing mentioned both the “Legion Go Gen Two” and the “Legion Go Lite.” Rest assured, we’ll be keeping a close eye on when Lenovo might announce its next series of Windows handhelds.
You Can Order the TrimUI Brick and GKD Bubble
Looks like the GKD Bubble is hitting various AliExpress stores right now.
This link leads to the SC CCC Store, and is starting at $71 for the Red with no SD Card.
Feels high for a 3566, but it sure does look interesting 🤔 https://t.co/AiUFfAioEE pic.twitter.com/ib6YosEXAX
— Retro Handhelds (@RetroHandhelds) September 30, 2024
Two of the more highly-anticipated retro handhelds are finally nearing their respective releases. Currently, you can order the GKD Bubble from AliExpress, with an expected delivery date (for me) between October 8 and October 17. Meanwhile, the TrimUI Brick is currently on pre-sale over at GoGameGeek, and if you use code RH15 at check out, you’ll save yourself 15%.
Other Hardware News
- New Nintendo Device Passes Through FCC
- 30th Anniversary PlayStation Release Ruined by Scalpers
- Potential Retroid Pocket 2 Flip Design Leak
Software and Custom Firmware
Don’t get me wrong, hardware is definitely fun and exciting to talk about. But what good is an awesome handheld if it doesn’t even work? That’s where software and custom firmware come into play, so here’s everything you might’ve missed this week.
EmuDeck integrates RH Games of the Month!
— Retro Handhelds (@RetroHandhelds) September 26, 2024
EmuDeck is an app that many of us know and love, and now, we have even more reason to love it. Version 2.3 “Citric Acid” has started rolling out, bringing with it a design overhaul along with support for both Lime3DS and the PabloMK7 Citra fork. More importantly, you’ll now be able to quickly jump into the RH Games of the Month, right from the main screen! If you want to learn more, check out Jalanimal’s explainer.
Lime3DS Enters Closed Testing for Play Store
via the RH Discord
Speaking of Lime3DS, the developers are gearing up to make this excellent emulator more easily accessible. It’s currently “entered closed testing on the Google Play Store,” allowing people to participate and work through any issues before it’s made available on the Play Store.
Balatro Comes to Android and iPhone
After months and months of waiting and relying on workarounds, you can finally play Balatro on your phone or tablet. The game was released on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and it quickly skyrocketed to the top of the “Best Games” charts for both platforms.
Rocknix is in Development for MagicX XU Mini M
The MagicX XU Mini M was mired in quite the controversy after it was released, but it’s remained one of the best small form factor retro handhelds. While the initial excitement has slowed down, it seems that the Mini M is gaining some attention. It seems that the Rocknix developers are getting on board, hopefully giving us another custom firmware option for this excellent handheld.
Other Software News
- Winlator 8.0 Rolls Out
- spruceOS v2.3.0 Arrives for the Miyoo A30
- Nexus Mods App Gets Design Overhaul
- Another Major Update Comes to shadPS4
- Mario Adventure 3 (NES) Romhack
- TLOZ: Echoes of Wisdom Is Now Available
- RPCS3 Compiled to aarch64 (Android)
From the Writers
While there’s always a lot of news to cover and talk about, we also try to take a step back and give everyone something a bit different to enjoy. These are the more editorial-styled articles and reviews that you might have missed over the course of this week.
RH Games: What We’re Playing This Week
I am almost finished with The Plucky Squire and it’s been a cool experience. It is leading me right into starting the new Zelda title. I am not too far yet, but I am really enjoying what I have played so far. The Nintendo Switch is starting to show its age though, even more than usual.
M21 Hands On: Copycat With Some Fun Additions
Like nearly every device in this hobby, and certainly those in the budget category, this device’s potential is limited to its community support. It’s still too early to be able to say what may be coming around the corner, as this is still a new chipset in the space. The system seems to handle games quite well, but the stock OS experience feels pretty janky and just isn’t very nice to use.
Replacing the Loki Max? A OneXFly Comparison
At the beginning of January, I talked about the Loki Max, and how it’s practically my favorite handheld. But since then, I’ve also been trying to see if there’s anything I can get that would replace it for me. So that’s what this is; a comparison article. Can I justify the cost of a OneXFly over my Loki? Is it even a better device? Well join in as you explore my money sinkhole in Replacing the Loki Max: OneXFly.
New Anbernic RG35XXSP: Is It Different?!
The RG35XXSP was probably the best-selling handheld that Anbernic has ever had. Why not keep capitalizing on that with new colors? That’s exactly what it did with the new transparent white, red, and green. With the popularity also came the criticisms as well. Did Anbernic fix any of these issues?
ASUS Customer Service: A Tale of Woes
We’ve all heard the tales. A random part of the ROG Ally breaks just past the return policy. What does one do? Wait! It’s still in the warranty period. Time to contact ASUS customer service. Everything will be ok. Right?
GameSir Nova Lite Review: Fixing My Android Woes for Just $25
First-party controllers are simply far too expensive to risk around a bunch of drunk 20-somethings playing Mario Kart Wii, so I wanted to keep things cheap and cheerful. So I was rather intrigued when I came across the GameSir Nova Lite, a fully functional PC, Switch, and Android controller — with Hall-effect sticks! — for under $25 USD.
Nintendo Switch 2 Wishlist: 10 Things I’m Hoping For
The successor to the Nintendo Switch has been rumored for years it has felt. Now that Nintendo has finally acknowledged that we are at the end of Switch’s life and that a follow-up will be coming, it is a safe time to put together a wishlist of what I want in it.
On the YouTubes
Don’t think that the writers are the only ones getting things done. Over the past week, there’s been almost one video per day for you to sit back and enjoy. The YouTube crew has everything from our final RG406V review from Zu, along with a bunch of Retroid Pocket Mini content to enjoy. Plus, Zu got his hands on the Transparent Green RG35XXSP and gave us his take.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Although there have been a couple of “quick sales” here and there, the next big set of deals probably won’t arrive until the beginning of October. That doesn’t mean that you should wait, as there are still ways to save a few bucks if you want a new retro handheld.
- UGREEN Steam Deck Dock:
$49.99$29.99 at Amazon - TrimUI Brick (Pre-order): $67.99 w/ code RH15
- RG40XXV: $68 w/ code GREG9
- RG35XX: $33 w/ code GREG9
- RG Nano: $33 w/ code GREG9
- RG35XX SP: $60 w/code GREG9
- RGB20 Pro (Pre-order): $69
- RGB10X: $36 w/ code GREG9
- RGB30: $61 w/ code GREG9
- A30: $23 w/ code GREG9
- Lenovo Legion Go (512GB):
$699.99$598.99 at Amazon - Enter the Mysterium Humble Bundle
- Borderlands 2, Black Desert, Ghost Song, and more for FREE from Amazon Prime Gaming
- The Spirit and the Mouse for FREE at Epic Games
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