As I’ve written several times within the pages of RH, I like to separate handhelds into three categories: Pocket, Backpack & Sofa, depending on their use case. Sofa handhelds are handhelds that are rarely expected to leave the house and so can prioritize screen size and power.

Backpack handhelds are ones you can throw in a bag (or maybe even coat pocket) to take on trips, and should prioritize battery life, sleep function, and long-term comfort. Pocket handhelds are handhelds small enough to be in a pocket at all times, with good start-up and shutdown times. Tech Dweeb – friend of the RH Podcast – recently released a video on EDCs, which is similar to my idea of pocket handhelds.

Out of the three categories, I spend more time mulling over Pocket Handhelds than the other two. I think that this is because there are “almost perfect” solutions to Sofa Handhelds and Backpack Handhelds: the Steam Deck OLED and AYN Odin 2.

While other options, some may even say better, are available, owning these two devices will essentially meet any sofa or rucksack needs. However, at the time of writing, the “perfect” pocket handhelds have yet to be discovered.

High Hopes & Shattered Dreams

I had high hopes for the Miyoo A30 when I received it in November 2024. I took to the device immediately for 3 main reasons

• The Looks: I’m usually drawn to a Red and Gold Famicon colorway – I blame this on my old Game Boy Micro. However, I think the black and white colorway of the A30 is eye-catching and exactly the sort of device I enjoy playing in public.
• The Ergonomics: compared to many of the other pocket devices – like the Miyoo Mini which is wonderful but only in short bursts – the A30 is surprisingly comfortable to hold for 30-minute play sessions.
• The Operating System Options: I know Onion is the gold standard for pocket devices, but in my personal opinion, due to the hard work of the developers, spruce is the best option available.

Despite trying everything I can think of, the A30 has undocumented design flaws which prevent it from being a good match for people who want to play wearing headphones. This makes me ask myself, am I alone in wanting to play with headphones?

Problem 1: The Miyoo A30’s USB-C Port

The one on the right works with the A30, the one on the left doesn’t.

As Wikipedia helpfully reminds us, “USB Type-C is a 24-pin connector (not a protocol)” and “A device with a Type-C connector does not necessarily implement any USB transfer protocol”. The common standard for sound through USB-C is to use “Audio Adapter Accessory Mode.”

Almost every headphone adapter or USB-C headphones available through Amazon or AliExpress uses this standard. Unfortunately, the Miyoo A30 uses its own proprietary standard. This means that it is incompatible with any possible solutions listed on the internet, even if they look the same.

Problem 2: The Included Audio Adapter Isn’t Ideal

The Audio Adapter is in an inconvenient place for a pocket-handheld

When putting a micro handheld and wired headphones in my jeans pocket, I like to wind the cable of the headphones around the device, to save me precious seconds. This is possible for something like the Miyoo Mini, due to the placement of the headphone port.

But the design of the Miyoo A30’s headphone adapter requires the cable to stick out at a right angle from the device, meaning it can easily catch. Since the cable appears cheap (which is expected for a device as inexpensive as the A30), it feels like there are only a number of times the device can be taken in and out of the pocket without the cable getting damaged.

This wouldn’t be so much of a problem if it was possible to get replacement cables cheaply. There is an expectation within the RH scene that there will be wear and tear on our handhelds, especially our cheaper devices.

However, Miyoo won’t sell replacement audio cables, either directly, through a third party, or through AliExpress. This means that if the audio headphone cable gets damaged, there will be no way to use headphones with the device, without buying another A30.

Problem 3: Not All Wired Headphones Work

Cheap headphones on Amazon

In the modern world, the average tech user is frequently connecting headphones to a laptop or phone, due to the need to take video calls on things like MS Teams. Because of this, it is very common to see wired headphones include some form of microphone. In fact, a cursory glance through even the cheapest listings on Amazon shows that almost all cabled headphones include a microphone.

These won’t work with the Miyoo A30. Only headphones without a microphone will work with the Miyoo A30’s included audio adapter.

Headphones with 3 segments on the plug, like the one on the left, will work with the A30. headphones with 4 segments on the plug, like the one on the right, will not. The extra segment is for the microphone

The reason for this is likely a bad design with the included audio adapter. Old Stereo headphones only included 2 channels, while headphones with microphones use 4 channels – the difference can be seen on 3.5mm plugs. The newer 4-channel plugs were designed to be backward compatible with the old 3-channel connectors, and it is only when the audio socket has the connection in an unusual place that problems will be caused.

However headphones with microphones have been around since the 90s, and the A30 isn’t supplied with headphones, meaning there is a clear implication that it should be compatible with 3rd party headphones. Out of all the issues with the A30, this is the one that makes me question Miyoo’s quality control the most.

Some Headphone Recommendations

• SoundMAGIC E10
• SoundMAGIC E50
• Behringer SD251
• Shure SE215 PRO

Are These Issues a Deal Breaker?

My current collection of micro devices.

My perfect Pocket Handheld would be able to play all PS1 and below (meaning L2 & R2 buttons), would have Bluetooth audio, and an Emulation Station-based custom OS. In my dreams, Anbernic put the H700 chipset into the RG300X shell. Until these dreams are realized, all micro-handhelds are, to me, a compromise.

The Miyoo Mini causes hand cramps after a while, the TrimUI Smart doesn’t have all the buttons, the TrimUI Brick is heavier than the ideal, the RG28XX has small buttons, the XU Mini M won’t boot if anything is plugged into the USB-C port, and as we’ve seen in this article, the A30 has really specific headphone requirements.

The collection of wires I carry when I put the A30 in my pocket

Which device I pick up to put in a pocket somewhat depends on which game I want to play, what mood I’m in, and which imperfections I’m willing to deal with today. Despite all the audio issues, the A30 is still in a somewhat heavy rotation, which I put down to all the work the spruce devs have put into that frontend.

In the end, I ended up buying a U-shaped USB-C adapter, from AliExpress for a couple of bucks, which at least prevents the headphones adapter from being at a right angle to the device, and will hopefully extend the lifetime of the cable.

At its best, especially when powered by spruceOS, the A30 gives a great user experience. At its worst, the A30 remains frustrating, and it is clear the device was not designed for people who want to play wearing headphones.

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