Welcome to the latest edition of Retro Handhelds Weekly. This week, we saw a bunch of news in 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.
Anbernic RG557 Leaked Specs Paint a Pretty Powerful Picture
It’s almost like Anbernic never left. The company is already in mid-season form, drip-feeding news and teasers ahead of the Anbernic RG557 launch. After announcing its latest handheld last week, there’s a new gameplay showcase video to enjoy. Not only that, but we’ve learned about all of the specs, thanks to a member of the RH Discord.
Smartphones and Computers Tariff Exemption; Not Gaming Handhelds
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the tariff situation between the U.S. and China. It even reached the point that Apple brought in five planes of iPhones just to avoid issues ahead of the May 2 deadline. However, it was recently announced that phones and some computing devices would be exempt from tariffs, leading many to rejoice. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether this exemption will apply to gaming handhelds of any kind, not just retro handhelds. The entire situation is extremely fluid, as the information seemingly changes on a daily basis.
RP Flip 2 and Classic to Ship Before Tariff Changes
The Retroid Pocket Flip 2 and Classic orders should all be fulfilled by May 2, 2025. According to an announcement shared on the Retroid Discord, the company is aiming to have all pre-orders for this year’s flagship devices, the Flip 2 and Classic, shipped in the next few weeks.
Game Console R36S Plus Brings the R36S into 2025
The new R36S Plus upgrades the standard RK3326 found in the original model to the more powerful Allwinner A133P, delivering enhanced performance for games, up to and including those from the PS1 library. It also upgrades the screen to the once novel 720 x 720 we’ve seen in devices like the RG Cube, Cube XX, and Powkiddy RGB30.
Steam Deck Prototype Sold on eBay for $3,000
It’s not often that we see prototype devices make their way into the public eye, but it’s always exciting to see when it does happen. The latest of which was an “Early Engineering 34” Steam Deck, which recently sold on eBay for $3,000. It’s immediately apparent that Valve drew some inspiration from its Steam Controller, as this model features round trackpads, as opposed to the square ones that we have today. We’re not sure how this ended up on eBay, but it will be interesting to see if Valve’s lawyers end up getting involved in order to get this prototype back into Valve’s possession.
Other Hardware News
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.”
EmuDeck Retro Library
There is no shortage of solutions for those who want to integrate their retro gaming library into Steam on gaming handhelds. And now, there’s yet another option, as the EmuDeck team has introduced “Retro Library.” Instead of operating as a separate app entirely, Retro Library is available as a Decky Plugin that’s currently in Open Beta. According to the landing page, this plugin “creates a parallel Retro Library with all your retro games so you get the whole SteamOS experience without having to use other applications or cluttering your Steam Library.”
There’s Still a Chance for Wind Waker Remake on Switch 2
During the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement, it was also confirmed that we would finally be getting GameCube games via Switch Online. This includes Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, which led many to assume that Nintendo would never properly port Wind Waker HD from the Wii U to the company’s latest console. However, during an interview with Tim Gettys of Kinda Funny Games Daily (via VGC), Nintendo SVP of Product Development Nate Bihldorff didn’t rule it out, saying, “No, all options are on the table.”
Super Mariomon
What do you get when you combine Pokemon and Mario? Super Mariomon! There’s a new ROM hack out for Pokemon Emerald, which essentially replaces your favorite Pokemon with various characters from the world of Mario. Here’s a quick synopsis from the thread over at PokeCommunity:
Princess Peach is hosting a game for everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom to play! The first person to get all 8 Power Stars from the various worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom will be granted a wish! Just make sure you get there before Bowser! A simple and silly adventure, Mariomon’s story mostly focuses on the conflict from Bowser trying to get the 8 Power Stars before you. Otherwise, it’s a pretty free form adventure where you’re just trying to have fun in the game the Princess and Professor E. Gadd are hosting!
First look at ‘Eden’ for Android
As if there weren’t enough problems already, the Switch emulation scene has been going through a bit of turmoil over the past couple of months. Camille is one of the devs that has been dealing with issues related to the Citron community and has split off to work on a brand new Switch emulator dubbed “Eden.” Technically, Eden is not yet available, but an Alpha build was leaked, revealing an overhauled interface that is quite refreshing. Camille actually replied to the original Reddit post, asking the “community to avoid the build” as it “doesn’t contain all the work,” suggesting that even more exciting changes are to come. Trust me, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this.
Bazzite is Now Officially Supported on Framework Laptop 13 Models
Bazzite is now an officially supported operating system for the @FrameworkPuter 13 (AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 Series) 🥳https://t.co/bCtRgsaOeg pic.twitter.com/2ej80mHaHX
— Bazzite (@bazzite_gg) April 11, 2025
Bazzite is the best thing since sliced bread for x86 handhelds, and it’s only getting better. Just a couple of days ago, the team announced that Bazzite is “officially supported” for the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series of Framework laptops. This is simply incredible, as it will get Bazzite into the hands of even more people, joining Fedora 41 as the only other officially supported Linux distro.
More Software News
- Razer PC Remote Play Now Available
- PlayStation Portal software update
- Ship of Harkinian Blair Bravo (9.0.1)
- TLOZ: BOTW for Switch 2 Won’t Include DLC
- RomM v3.8.2
Emulator Updates
- NetherSX2 Classic v2.0a
- AzaharPlus 2120.2-C
- RPCSX-UI-Android v20250409
- Retrom v0.7.18
- Yaba Sanshiro for Android
- Kenji-NX 2.0.2
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.
Powkiddy V20 Review: Familiar, Flawed, and Forgettable
The Powkiddy V20 arrives at a strange time in handheld emulation. Anbernic has thus far been silent for the first months of 2025, and we may be reaching something of a point of market saturation, given the niche level of this hobby and the price-to-performance sweet spots that have largely been covered.
Retroid Pocket Flip 2 First Impressions
But after all of the initial hubbub was done, Stubbs provided even more thoughts in a separate Retroid Pocket Flip 2 First Impressions video. So let’s take a look at what he had to say about the different aspects of Retroid’s latest handheld.
Building a Bazzite Streambox with the Blackview MP60
Enter the Blackview MP160 Mini PC. When the company reached out and asked if we’d like to give their new mini-PC a test drive, it seemed like the perfect candidate for my idea to stream throughout the house from a device with minimal power consumption. Packed with the low-power needs of the Intel N150 processor, could this be the project box I’ve been looking for?
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 makes the N64 handheld of our dreams, and Zu embraces the x86 lifestyle with the Legion Go S.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Although the last AliExpress deal just came to an end, we suspect that there will be another one right around the corner. Plus, you can save on Retroid’s latest handhelds and so much more. Hit the button below to check out our favorite deals of the week.
Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week
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