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.
Table of Contents
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.
Retroid Pocket 5 Is Arriving
The wait is finally over, as the Retroid Pocket 5 began shipping last week and retail units have started arriving for those who pre-ordered either a Black or GameCube model. We’ve also been spending some time with a review unit, sharing our first impressions, and compiling a setup guide!
Retroid Pocket 5 First Impressions
Anbernic Win701 Looks to Be a Beast
We had a feeling that Anbernic wasn’t done releasing new devices in 2024, but we didn’t expect this. However, this isn’t the type of handheld you probably were expecting, as the WIN701 is expected to be powered by the AMD Ryzen 8840 series. It’s also said to offer an 8.8-inch screen with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. Currently, there’s no word on how much this beast of a machine would cost.
Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White is Now Available
A week after announcing the Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White, this new model is now available for purchase. It’s priced at $679, and at the time of this writing, you can actually still order one for yourself. However, this won’t be around forever, as Valve “will not be making more of this particular design.” So once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Ayaneo Pocket DMG Arrives at RH Headquarters
AYANEO DMG has landed, video in the works! pic.twitter.com/dYkGuaSdJ6
— RetroHandhelds.gg (@RetroHandhelds) November 15, 2024
There’s about a month and a half left before the year comes to an end, and there are still a couple of Ayaneo handhelds that we’re expecting. It seems that we might not have to wait too much longer for the Ayaneo Pocket DMG, as it’s been arriving in the hands of some prominent YouTubers. This includes our fearless leader, who received his over the weekend and will be sharing some of his thoughts on the podcast.
Anbernic RG406H Pre-orders Commencing
One of the more surprising releases came at the hands of Anbernic, as the RG406H was announced and you’ll soon be able to pre-order it for yourself! Pre-orders are set to commence on November 19 at 5 AM EST (2 AM PST) and will be priced at $167.99. However, for the first 72 hours after the listing goes live, you’ll be able to save $10, which helps make it a bit more enticing. If you’re curious about the RG406H, we’ve already published our first impressions, and Jalanimal is hard at work on the review, so stay tuned!
Other Hardware News
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.
Lime3DS and PabloMK7 Citra Fuse Into Azahar
On October 30, 2024, it was announced that Lime3DS and the PabloMK7 fork of Citra were ceasing development in favor of a merged project between the two development teams. That joint project now has a name: Azahar. Azahar translated to “orange blossom” in Spanish and is meant to signify the growth and evolution of the original Citra on which both apps were based. Citra, as may be assumed by its name and icon, is named after citrus, but more directly, oranges.
The Game Awards Nominees Announced
As we barrel towards the end of the year, that means it’s time for shopping, holidays, and The Game Awards. Starting today, you can cast your vote for your favorite games, spread across more than 20 different categories. There are some surprise inclusions, such as Shadow of the Erdtree, while more obvious ones like Balatro are sure to put up a fight.
Half-Life 2 RTX 20th Anniversary
November 16 will mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Half-Life 2. To celebrate, Valve and NVIDIA have partnered up, giving fans a chance to win a “Custom Wrapped GeForce RTX 4080 Super.” Plus, Half-Life 2 RTX was announced, bringing modern features like ray-traced graphics to this timeless game. There’s already a listing on Steam, but you can only add it to your wishlist for now.
Microsoft Releases Windows 11 on ARM Build
Following the launch of the latest Surface devices, Microsoft has been leaning heavily into improving the Windows 11 experience on ARM devices. Until now, the only way you could download an ARM-compatible Windows 11 ISO was if you were a Windows Insider member. That’s no longer a potential barrier, as Microsoft has made the ARM64 ISO available for everyone.
Major Improvements Coming to GammaOS
Since I defeated scope storage stuff on Android 13, I can do cool things.
One of the things I’m looking into right now is the ability for a user to simply insert a SD card from another ArkOS or Rocknix device, and GammaOS will autopopulate the available systems in Daijisho.… pic.twitter.com/80fnCJWXZn
— Gamma (@TheGammaSqueeze) November 17, 2024
If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with GammaOS and GammaOS Core, it turns out that there’s actually quite a bit in the works. It seems that GammaOS will soon let us use an SD card across multiple devices, provided that it’s flashed with ArkOS or ROCKNIX. Plus, Gamma showed off ES-DE on the GKD Bubble running GammaOS Core, while also adding a memory usage counter and optimization setting.
Other Software News
- NVIDIA App Officially Released
- GOG Preservation Program
- GTA Trilogy Definitive Editions are FINALLY fixed
- Rocket League No Longer Supported on macOS and Linux
- Unreal Gold and Tournament Can Now Be Downloaded From Archive.org
- New PSXE Alpha Release Improves Performance
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
With the hype of the new phone app, I have decided to go back and play the Game Boy Color game. The second game won GotM a while back and I really enjoyed that one. This is one I have owned since being a kid and I was always too dumb to figure it out. I am ready to go back and win some battles now as a slightly less dumb adult.
Help Us Pick the Best Handheld of the Year!
As the days get shorter and the nights grow colder, it’s clear that the end of the year is nigh. 2024 has been an absolute roller coaster, not just in the emulation space, but with retro handhelds on the whole. With so many different options to choose from, it would be impossible for us to just pick our favorite handheld of the year. So we’re instead looking to get some input from you!
Retroid Pocket 5 First Impressions: Oh My
It’s wild to think that in a year dominated by Anbernic handhelds of all shapes and sizes, Retroid releases one device that trumps them all. That’s exactly what it looks like so far with the Retroid Pocket 5.
Retroid Pocket 5 Setup Guide (and Mini!)
If your new Retroid Pocket 5 or Pocket Mini just landed on your doorstep and you’re wondering where to start, we’ve got you covered with this setup guide.
Anbernic RG406H First Impressions: A Wider Cube
We knew that Anbernic had at least one more device to release this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw at least one or two more before the calendar flips to 2025. What did surprise me was seeing the RG406H actually see the light of day, seemingly meant to take on the Retroid Pocket 5 and Pocket Mini.
More Than Just Gaming: The Art of Collecting Retro Handhelds
You cannot throw a rock in this community without hitting a post on Reddit or Discord about how “I’ve become an addict” coupled with a picture of piled emulation handhelds. It’s easy to look at this hobby from a thousand-foot view and point out how silly it is to have multiple devices that essentially do the same things.
Retroid Pocket Mini: A Linux Review
It’s not often Retroid releases a handheld, usually landing at least 4 months before releases. Ignore the 3 and 3+, please. Since 2020 Anbernic has released 30+ handhelds including their variants. At that same time? Retroid has officially announced 11. So each time another one comes around, I’ve gotta take a look at it.
Spruce 3.0 on the Miyoo A30: Layers of an Onion
The Spruce Dev team released a new version of spruce for the Miyoo A30, find out below why I think this release is the “Game Changer”, which will stop A30 owners from dreaming of an OnionOS port.
MuOS is Coming to the Anbernic RG CubeXX!
MuOS Big Banana is currently in its beta testing phase for KoFi supporters. This version of MuOS will bring support for the newly-released Anbernic RG CubeXX.
On the YouTubes
Don’t think that the writers are the only ones getting things done. the RH video team is constantly working on new videos, and now’s the best time to subscribe. This week, Stubbs tells us why it’s time to stop, along with taking a look at the RG406H. Meanwhile, Zu shares his favorite PICO-8 games for the RG CubeXX, and Ban unboxes another entry for e-waste of the year.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. However, with November officially underway, it’s that time of the year when you can save a boatload of money thanks to different promotions. That includes the 11.11 sale, which is currently taking place over at AliExpress and even Anbernic is hosting an 11.11 sale of its own. Along with the various discounts already available, you can save even more when using one of the codes below!
- USD003: $3 off $19
- USD005: $5 off $39
- USD800: $8 off $59
- USD012: $12 off $89
- USD016: $16 off $109
- USD025: $25 off $169
- USD045: $45 off $299
Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week
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