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.
AYN Thor / Odin 3
AYN has been pretty darn quiet since the Odin 2 Portal late last year, but that all changed this week as it announced the AYN Thor and Odin 3. This came the day after the Pocket DS pricing was revealed and Indiegogo campaign launch, which is important considering that Thor is the company’s first clamshell handheld.
After it’s initial reveal on Tuesday, AYN drip-fed various pieces of information about Thor, culminating in revealing pricing and that pre-orders will open on tomorrow, August 25. Meanwhile, we’ll likely have to wait until at least Tuesday to learn more about what AYN has in store for the Odin 3.
Check out the links below to learn more about the AYN Thor.
- [UPDATE: Thor Screens] AYN Odin 3 and Dual-Screen ‘Thor’ Teased with ‘Next-Gen Features’
- AYN Thor Pre-Orders Go Live on August 25
- AYN Thor Price, Colors, Grip Case Confirmed
KONKR Pocket Fit: A Pricey Budget Handheld
Not to be outdone, AYANEO responded to AYN by announcing a livestream for the Pocket Fit where it was revealed that the starting price will be under $329. Not only that, but the KONKR Pocket Fit Elite was also announced, a seemingly upgraded iteration of the Pocket Fit. Although AYANEO stopped short of revealing all of the specifics, we’ve been left to assume that this will be the first Android gaming handheld powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
XU Retro
On the opposite end of the spectrum, XU Retro announced two budget-friendly handhelds in the XU35 H40 and the XU35 H50. The former is set to arrive in December, featuring a 4-inch display, a MediaTek Dimensity G85, and a $90 price tag. The H50, on the other hand, looks to take on the MANGMI Air X, utilizing the same chip G85 chip, but with a larger 5-inch screen, and is expected to be released in October.
AYANEO Pocket DS IGG Campaign Goes Live
After about a month after its unveiling, you can finally pre-order the AYANEO Pocket DS as the Indiegogo campaign is now live. There are several configurations to choose from, starting with the 8GB/128GB model priced at $399, maxing out with the Retro Gray Special Edition with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $639.
Game Bub CrowdSupply Campaign
Earlier this year, we first caught wind of the Game Bub, an Open-source FPGA handheld that supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. Originally, the project started out as a vertical handheld, but that’s been changed to provide a horizontal FPGA handheld. The CrowdSupply Campaign is now underway, and you can choose from either the standard transparent model, or the “Campaign Exclusive” Transparent Purple version.
Other Hardware News
- MANGMI Air X Lands in September Starting at $79
- Report: 2.3 million PC Gaming Handhelds to be sold in 2025
- Anbernic Supposedly Isn’t Producing the 8GB RG477M
- GPD Win 5 Launches October 17 | GPD
- Abxylute 3D One | VideoCardz
- ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X Set to Launch on October 16
- Game Bub CrowdSupply Campaign
- Retroid Dual Screen Latency Reduced ‘To Nearly Zero’
- Analogue 3D Delayed for a Fourth Time
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.
ROCKNIX Adds Initial Pocket DMG/EVO Support
I don’t know how I managed to miss this, but last week, the ROCKNIX team began implementing support for the AYANEO Pocket DMG and Pocket EVO. It’s still very early in the development process, so we don’t recommend trying to do it yourself just yet. Nevertheless, It’s incredibly exciting to have the option to use ROCKNIX instead of Android on these excellent handhelds.
Sudachi Halts Development, Eden v0.0.3-rc3 Released
In what comes as a bittersweet moment, Sudachi developer, Jarrod Norwell, confirmed that the Sudachi project has been on hold due to their “required commitment to my paid project, Folium.” As such, Norwell recommends checking out Eden, if you want “real, significant changes.”
Speaking of which, Eden v0.0.3-rc3 is now available for download, bringing with it a slew of fixes, improvements, and other changes. There’s a lot going on in just this single release, but if everything goes according to plan, we should see the Stable version of Eden updated sometime this coming week.
Starship, Perfect Dark, and SpaghettiKart Ports Come to Android
Are you jealous of those who were able to enjoy playing modern ports of Star Fox 64, Mario Kart 64 and Perfect Dark? Well thanks to izzy2lost, you don’t have to feel left out. All three titles have been ported to Android, and can be found via the links below.
StarshipSpaghettiKartPerfect Dark
LaunchBox 13.23
LaunchBox remains a fan favorite when it comes to launchers, and for good reason, as it provides quite a lot of options and flexibility. Most recently, LaunchBox 13.23 was released, bringing with it new a new Screensavers feature, a Welcome Wizard to help you get up and running quickly, and quite a few other features and improvements.
Xbox Insiders Gain New “My Apps” Feature on PCs and Handhelds
Microsoft and ASUS just announced that the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will be officially released on October 16. These handhelds bring an all-new Windows gaming experience thanks to overhauled Xbox for PC app. In order to make sure things are ready to go by launch, Microsoft has been releasing various updates for Xbox Insiders, including a new “My Apps” feature for PCs and Windows handhelds.
When installed, you’ll see a new “My apps” tab “within the Xbox PC app’s library that allows players to locate, view, and download third-party applications and most commonly used storefronts.”
More Software News
- PSMove-DSU
- Streets of Rage 2 Reginited Mod 2.0
- RAweb Update
- New Multiplayer Mode for ModRetro Chromatic Tetris
- NSMB-MarioVsLuigi v2.0.4.0
- Zelda64Recomp v1.2.1
- MarioKart 64 Recomp v0.9.1
- Delta Patcher Android
- 86Box/PCBox v5.0
- “Control Game Launcher” is a Potential New Frontend
Custom Firmware Updates
Emulation 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.
Retro Handhelds Turns 5!
Believe it or not, 5 years go ridiculously fast when you’re building a community. On August 10th, 2020, Retro Handhelds started its journey towards… Greatness? And alongside the backing from other folks in the community, including RetroGameCorps (who’s also going 5 years strong), Rob the Retro Tech Dad, Team Retrogue, Shem, the community devs, and more, we’re all still kicking, fighting the handheld sickness, and producing more content than ever before. So to kick off year five, it’s good to take a look back at where we’ve come from.
Maybe You Should Play Psychonauts
Shows like Spongebob Squarepants, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and Invader Zim were always considered favorites amongst us, despite also having episodes geared around harvesting organs. Parallel to that, the video games were equally absurd with the likes of Tak and the Power of Juju, Jak and Jaxter, and underrated gem, Psychonauts. But wait, what’s Psychonauts?
Backloggd: Documenting Your Gaming Experience
Backloggd and Ayaneo Pocket Micro
I love playing games, and I’ve been participating in the Retro Handhelds Discord‘s Game of the Month community for nearly four years. In that time, I’ve played and beaten 335 different games. I know this number exactly, because I catalogue everything I play through Backloggd.
The Worst Game Boy Setup
In the modern age of handhelds, companies are working on making their experiences better for the user, and in some cases, properly tailoring the hardware they use for a certain niche. The RG477M is great for 4:3 content. The Retroid Pocket Classic is great for Game Boy, or pushing SNES to 8:7. But in comparison to finding the best modern experience for emulation, what if we took that the other way, and went for the worst?
3 More Hidden Secrets of the MagicX XU Mini M
I have three things I want in my ideal micro handheld: Bluetooth, an Emulation Station-based front-end, and L2/R2 buttons. While it doesn’t feel too much to ask for, it’s not actually something which has been available in, to my knowledge, any device with a 3-inch screen or smaller.
Like all good articles, in the modern age of content, that article has produced a sequel, based on my further discoveries after using the XU Mini M for another 3 months.
Radical Retrospective: Sega’s Lost Tony Hawk Precursor
Skateboarding games began, in earnest, in the arcades. In last week’s Radical Retrospective, we talked Atari’s 720º, the first major milestone in skateboarding games. 720º went on to spawn a half-dozen imitators in the 1980s, but by the time the 1990s rolled around, skateboarding games had mostly fallen out of favor. Notably, there are no dedicated skateboarding games for either the Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo.
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.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Hit the button below to check out our favorite deals of the week. We know how much everyone loves a good deal, so we’ve been cooking up something to help you get the best deal possible.
Retro Handhelds Deals of the WeekHandheld.Deals
What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.