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 Reveals Pocket Flip 2 Specs and Colors
Retroid Pocket Flip 2 Colors
Over the past few months, we have been tracking and following the launch of the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, and today, Retroid has finally dropped the official specs.
Of note, the console will have two different versions, one with the Snapdragon 865 that we see in the Retroid Pocket 5 and Mini, and another with the MediaTek Dimensity 1100 that we see in the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro.
Supposed Steam Deck 2 Leaks Leave The Phawx Confused
3.8ghz on CPU and 1.8ghz on GPU?
8533MT speeds?
A SteamDeck+ isn’t that exciting even tho it would close the gap when pushing more wattage against latest handhelds.
Kind of scratching my head at this one https://t.co/lTNsKNBZyk
— Cary Golomb (@carygolomb) February 28, 2025
There have been a lot of questions about what Valve might have in the pipeline for future hardware. This obviously includes a successor to the Steam Deck, which Valve was recently reported to have “just under 6 million shipments in three years.” Nevertheless, a recent leak might have given us an idea of what will be at the helm for the Steam Deck 2.
According to a leaked screenshot, the Steam Deck 2 will be powered by the AMD “Aerith Plus” chip, with a 20W TDP and a CPU clocked at 3.8GHz. The Phawx put this in perspective, as this would make the Steam Deck 2 more of a “Steam Deck+.” If this is the case, it would go against Valve’s previous statements suggesting that it was waiting for a “generational leap in performance” before releasing a new gaming handheld.
AYANEO Halts Production of the Flip…Then Changes Its Mind
AYANEO Flip DS gameplay
In a now-deleted update on the AYANEO Flip Indiegogo page, the company stated that it was halting production of the Flip KB and DS. No explanation was provided, but it was rather curious as there were still backers who had yet to actually receive their handheld.
However, it seems that after the news started making its way around the web, AYANEO reversed course. In a statement to overkill.wtf, AYANEO confirmed it would “produce several hundred units of FLIP in coming months.” Perhaps even more surprising, in the same statement, the company claimed it has a “product developing plan for new generation FLIP.”
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Arrives, Packed with Pro-Level Features
This new controller features TMR joysticks (a first for any 8BitDo controller), customizable 6-axis controls, and their new proprietary 8Speed integration, which is meant to deliver low latency over 2.4GHz. It also features linear and non-linear trigger switches and back paddle buttons that can be configured to your liking.
Another RK3566 Arrives in the Form of the R40S
Do you remember the BOYHOM R40S from back in May? Yeah, I forgot about it too. However, it seems that I’m not the only one, as there’s a new R40S on AliExpress, but it’s not an updated RGB30 clone. Instead, this R40S comes in a candy bar form factor with dual joysticks and is powered by the RK3566. I’ll just say it now, don’t buy one.
Taki Udon Announces SUPER7 for Nintendo Switch
Are you tired of looking at the same old display on your Nintendo Switch? Were you excited to upgrade to the Switch 2 just for the larger screen? Well, Taki Udon is back with another project, as the SUPER7 OLED Touch and SUPER7 IPS were announced. This is touted as being a “solderless display upgrade for the standard Switch, with a new custom shell, dramatically improved kickstand, and support for a larger battery.”
If interested, you can reserve one over at the Retro Remake website in the form of a “Preorder deposit.” The SUPER7 OLED Touch is expected to be priced between $70 and $95, while the IPS version is expected to come in between $45 and $70.
Apps and Software
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.
Early ROCKNIX Dev Build for AYN Odin 2
The dream is finally being realized, as there is now a Dev Build of ROCKNIX available for the AYN Odin 2. Installation is pretty straightforward, especially if you’ve tried installing ROCKNIX on the Retroid Pocket 5. Basically, you need to flash a Linux Loader ABL file on your Odin 2, then flash the build to a microSD card, restart, and boom! You’re in!
However, this is just the first build, so there are a bunch of issues and features that don’t work yet. Notably, this build is also only available for the regular Odin 2, as the ROCKNIX team is waiting for a software update from AYN before it can make it available for the Odin 2 Portal or Mini.
Bazzite Crosses 30K “Active Devices Per Week”
Bazzite installed on the Legion Go
Since it landed on the scene, Bazzite has been the default choice for many who want to ditch Windows in favor of a SteamOS-like experience on their handhelds. The OS has been making its rounds in the handheld space, but we’ve also wondered just how popular Bazzite really is.
In a forum post (via Mr. Sujano), it was revealed that Bazzite has more than 30,000 “active users per week.” To some, it might seem like a drop in the bucket, but in reality, this is absolutely incredible.
EmuDeck Retro Store Will Host New Indie Retro Games
The team behind EmuDeck, a popular tool used to assist in setting up emulators on the Steam Deck, is working on a homebrew and retro-focused games store. The new EmuDeck Retro Store aims to promote indie developers who primarily make games that are meant to be run on emulators for retro consoles. By making a store that allows gamers to download and buy popular or new indie homebrew games, it can potentially ease the burden of finding new titles that encapsulate the style and design of past consoles.
Someone ported Balatro to the DS (and Vita)
It is absolutely wild what the community is capable of. In the past week alone, Balatro has not only been ported to the Nintendo DS by one individual, but someone else also ported the popular game to the PlayStation Vita. Of course, you’ll need your own copy of the game in order for this to work, but we just can’t get over how freaking awesome this is to see.
RPCS3 for Android Shares First Alpha Build
When it was originally built for PCs, it was brought to life due to the contributions made by DH, one of its founding developers. DH now has released an alpha build of the Android version of the app on his GitHub.
As far as changelogs and reports go, there isn’t much to offer by way of noticeable features, changes, or compatibility for this first release. However, any gamer interested should be fully able to download the APK and install the app on a compatible Android device.
Other Software News
- EmuSkins: Manage, Test, and Share DeltaSkins
- Familiar Faces Bring Hope for PS3 Emulators on Android
- Winhanced Brings SteamOS-Like Experience to Windows Handhelds
- Xbox Cloud Gaming Adds Multiplayer Streaming
- TF2 Classic is Coming To Steam
- More Evidence Points to HL3 Being In “Late-Stage Development”
- EA Uploads Source Code for Command & Conquer titles
- Launchbox 1.18 for Android and 13.20 for Windows
- UnleashedRecomp is Unofficial PC Port of Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360
- LCL Allows the “execution of Libretro Emulators instead of integrated cores.”
Emulator Updates
- RPCS3 Founder Takes a Stab at PS3 Emulation on Android
- psOff build b2e06d9
- Adreno Tools Support for Winlator Is Apparently Being Implemented
- Gopher64 v1.0.9
- Azahar Emulator Development Picks up Steam
- MAME4droid v1.2.2 Released on GitHub
- Cloud Backups and Action Replay Code on Yaba Sanshiro for iOS
- Don’t Expect Any Updates for melonDS as Developer Is Experiencing Burn Out
- Winlator 10.0 (beta) Has Been Released
- Tanuki3DS v0.2.3
- RPCS3 v0.0.35 Alpha
- There’s a new PSX Emulator based on ProjectPSX
- Massive Flycast Updates
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.
GotX: Mobile Games March into Our Handhelds
Each year Rapid asks the GotX community for feedback and suggestions for improvements. One of the common requests at the end of 2024 was for a change to the categories within GotM. Many people felt that the existing categories were unbalanced since newer Retro Handhelds can play systems like PS2 and GameCube.
This meant that the more modern time period was getting overloaded with nominations and the late 90s time period was underrepresented. To combat this the start date for the modern era has been moved from 2000 to 2002, so games from 2000 and 2001 now join the games from the late 90s in the middle of the three categories.
5 Retro Games with Surprise Endings
Since then, I’ve really appreciated games that have an end sequence that contains an unpredictable surprise. Here I’m going to share 5 of my favorites, each from consoles that should be playable on any retro handheld (I used the Miyoo Mini as a baseline), ranked in order of the surprise.
Miyoo Mini and Mini Plus Setup Guide
The Miyoo Mini+
Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the handheld emulation pool, or you’ve got an entire collection of options at your disposal, the Miyoo Mini and Mini+ remain fantastic devices for all fans of classic gaming. The small (or smaller, depending on your choice) form factor in a familiar package makes these devices some of the favorites of the hobby.
Less Clutter, More Play: My 5 Essential Gaming Handhelds
Trimming down your handheld collection/addiction has been a big topic lately. Stubbs, Tech Dweeb, Retro Game Corps, and more have made videos on it and I have recently done the same and thought it’d be fun to write about.
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 showed off ROCKNIX on his Retroid Pocket 5, while also sharing some UNHINGED thoughts about the upcoming Pocket Flip 2.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Time’s running out if you want to save a few bucks during the latest Spring Sales events from both AliExpress and Anbernic. Hit the button below to check out our favorite deals of the week.
Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week
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