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.
The New MSI Claw Might Be Coming Sooner Than We Thought
Lost in the wave of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, it turns out that Amazon had another surprise hidden in plain sight. After being introduced earlier this year, we haven’t really heard much about the MSI Claw 8 AI+, besides a few rumors and leaks.
Originally spotted by Videocardz, new Amazon listings appeared for both the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+. A few days later, these upcoming handhelds were also listed on Best Buy. However, we still don’t know when they’ll actually be released.
OneGx2 Gaming Handheld Revealed
If you’ve been looking for a competitor to the GPD Win series, you might be in luck. One Netbook, the company behind the OneXFly lineup, published a video to Bilibili revealing an upcoming handheld named the OneGx 2. It features a similar design to the GPD Win Mini 4, but it appears that there will be two different keyboard layouts.
One Netbook has yet to provide any specifics about when this new handheld will be fully revealed.
Lenovo Legion Go S Leaked Yet Again
Just a few days ago, VideoCardz discovered that Lenovo released a BIOS update for the Legion Go S 8ARP1. This obviously comes as a surprise given that the Go S has yet to be actually unveiled, or even teased. The firmware confirmed that Lenovo’s “budget” offering “will feature an AMD Rembrandt APU.”
Earlier today, Windows Central followed up with some new renders, showing off the front, back, and top of the Legion Go S. Besides looking like a rounded-off ROG Ally, there is one unique aspect of the Go S in that it features a “nub” which is “similar to Lenoo’s popular TrackPoint cursor” found on various laptops.
8Bitdo Announces Retro 87 Xbox Edition Keyboard and Mouse
We’re big fans of 8Bitdo’s lineup of retro keyboards, and the company dropped a surprise on us all last week. The Retro 87 Xbox Edition Keyboard and Mouse were announced, complete with the “Transparent Green” design of the original Xbox.
Pricing for the keyboard comes in at $120, while the mouse will set you back another $60. According to the Amazon listings, these will be released on January 16, 2025.
8Bitdo Retro 87 Xbox Edition Keyboard 8Bitdo Retro 87 Xbox Edition Mouse
New Video Shows How Powkiddy Handhelds Are Assembled
Behind the Scenes: How Powkiddy Retro Handhelds Are Assembled
byu/_manster_ inSBCGaming
Have you ever wondered what the assembly process looks like for our favorite retro handhelds? Well, at least in the case of Powkiddy, wonder no more! A video was published to the r/SBCGaming subreddit, showing everything that goes into assembling the Powkiddy X35S. Simply fascinating.
Other Hardware News
- GPD Launches Pocket 4 Indiegogo Campaign
- Steam Controller 2 Leaked
- Sony Might Soon Release a Black PlayStation Portal
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.
Azahar Could Let You Install Your Own 3DS Games From the eShop
Installing owned games and demos, as well as updates from the eShop is now possible in @azahar-emu.org !
Thanks again to @luigoalma.bsky.social for helping!
— PabloMK7 (@pablomk7.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 10:47 AM
Something that’s often lost in the conversation about emulators and piracy is that these apps also play a major role in game preservation. Earlier this year, Nintendo shut down the eShop, so even if you were using original hardware, you can’t buy or download new games.
PabloMK7 had a surprise for everyone, as they showed off a video of the eShop working within a build of the upcoming Azahar emulator. It’s possible to download your purchased games and updates, right from the emulator.
Gamma Gets GammaOS Core Working on the GKD Bubble
Why not? pic.twitter.com/LPVYjY6uNi
— Gamma (@TheGammaSqueeze) November 27, 2024
The GKD Bubble is just the latest retro handheld to get some love from Gamma. Published to his Twitter account, Gamma showed the Bubble running GammaOS Core, complete with the Disney+ app installed and able to play the Duck Tales movie!
Nintendo’s Warpath Continues
Ahead of the Switch 2 launch, Nintendo has been doing everything it can to stop piracy, emulation, and others in their tracks. As spotted by Game File, Nintendo is now broadening its approach, seeking to “subpoena business records from internet domain companies Name Cheap, Go Daddy and Tucows, as well as Cloudflare, Github, Discord, Google, and Reddit.” All of this is being done as part of the court case against a Switch modder.
ArkOS Comes to the Powkiddy RGB20 Pro
It might have come as a surprise if your Powkiddy RGB20 Pro came with ROCKNIX out of the box. However, until now, there haven’t been many custom firmware options. That’s no longer the case, as the latest version of ArkOS now supports the RGB20 Pro.
This is fantastic news, but there’s a bit of a catch. If your RGB20 Pro came with ROCKNIX, there are a few extra steps that you’ll need to take in order to get ArkOS working properly.
Other Software News
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
Not having a PS3-5, I get so excited to play the Sony games on PC. Playing Sackboy: A Big Adventure on my Steam Deck. It’s really fun so far and reminds me of Super Mario 3D World.
Help Us Pick the Best Handheld of the Year!
You can blame me for why this wasn’t published yesterday, as I was sitting in the cold trying to get a few autographs. Nevertheless, we’re back with Round 2 voting for the best handheld of the year! We still have the original categories, but there’s a bit of a change this time around, after some internal deliberation. Plus, there’s another bonus question for everyone to answer and have some fun with.
Retro Handhelds Interviews: Arthur Zhang, CEO of AYANEO
It’s not every day that you get the chance to ask the CEO of a company like AYANEO a few questions. That’s exactly what Stubbs was able to do, as he fielded questions from the Retro Handhelds team before sending them over to AYANEO CEO, Arthur Zhang.
Retroid Pocket 5 Review: Is This the Perfect Handheld?
Before we get too into the weeds with the Retroid Pocket 5 review, there’s something that you should probably know about me. I have a tendency to be a bit of a “snob” when it comes to the devices I purchase, always looking to get the best. This applies to everything from the phones and computers that I use to the handhelds that I decide to pick up.
Steam Deck OLED: Worth It a Year Later?
Valve then did a refresh with an OLED screen and other improvements in November of last year. They even made a new refresh this year with just an updated white color for the OLED. The screen is gorgeous, the battery life is better, and the triggers and sticks feel better. With all the chaos of constant handheld releases, is the Steam Deck OLED still worth it a year later?
GotX: Wish List December Games Arrive!
Christmas time is here! It is now appropriate to start getting out the decorations and watching your favorite holiday movies. Here at GotM, we have plenty of great games to keep you entertained this holiday season!
TrimUI Brick Review: A Rock Solid Upgrade
If there were ever handhelds that could be considered the gateway drug to the handheld emulation hobby, it would likely be either the Miyoo Mini+ or the Anbernic RG35XX. These small form-factor Game Boy clones have remained popular since their releases in the early part of 2023 — which might as well be a lifetime in this hobby.
RH Thanksgiving: What to Be Thankful For
For such a niche interest, I feel like the retro handheld community can have some drama or negativity in it. In reality, we are playing with plastic toys from China that can make us nostalgic for our favorite games when we were a kid.
Nitpicking small things constantly is the norm, but if you told me 3 years ago that I could be playing PS2 and GameCube games on a handheld with upscaled graphics, I would have given you a blank check. I think this year it is important to take a minute and reflect on what to be thankful for in the community.
Our Favorite Deals From the Steam Autumn Sale!
Without checking the last Steam sale article I made (Summer), I’m pretty sure I opened with “Full Steam ahead!” or something stupid and corny (corn-ucopia-y?) like that, so instead I will write a 2016-esque metaphysical sentence about it to break the ice. Anyways, the Steam Autumn sale is here!
GKD Bubble: The Good, The Bad, the Basic
In the past, when you think of handhelds modeled after something else you think of Anbernic. The RG353P is modeled after an SNES controller, and the RG-Arc is modeled after a Sega 6-button controller. But what about a handheld modeled after a handheld? No. Not the RG35XX SP. The Game Kiddy Bubble is a Sega Game Gear-styled handheld that’s rocking the unkillable RK3566 at the end of 2024.
XGB36 First Impressions: Throw Another Clone on the Fire
As someone who was around when most of these games we’re emulating were originally released, I find myself drawn more to the devices that are doing more-with-less than I am to the next technological behemoth. When I first tried the Game Console R36S, I was blown away by how something this capable could be had for so little money. My childhood was reborn in one conveniently low-priced portable cloned package.
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, Zu flexes with his GameCube Retroid Pocket 5, Stubbs lies to us all about what handhelds we need (kidding), and we get our first look at the AYANEO Pocket EVO.
Looking for Deals?
With the days getting shorter and colder, it can only mean one thing — the 2024 holiday shopping season is underway. Coming as a bit of a surprise, many retailers kicked off their Black Friday deals early, and although time’s running out on Cyber Monday, there’s still time to take advantage of some awesome deals!
If you’re looking for even steeper discounts, we have a few special coupon codes. Just make sure you meet the minimum cost in your cart, then enter the coupon code at checkout. The only caveat when using these codes is that they are currently only available for those who live in the U.S.
- RHH9 – $9 off $49
- RHH15 – $15 off $89
- RHH25 – $25 off $159
- RHH60 – $60 off $299
More AE Codes
- USBF03 – $3 off $19
- USBF06 – $6 off $39
- USBF12 – $12 off $89
- USBF20 – $20 off $139
- USBF30 – $30 off $209
- USBF60 – $60 off $399
- USBF80 – $80 off $499
Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week: Cyber Monday Edition
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