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 RG476H: Everything You Need to Know
It’s been about a month or so since the RG477M was released, and wouldn’t ya know it, the Anbernic RG476H is just about ready for primetime. Anbernic started teasing its next handheld in early September and has shared a few different videos ahead of its release.
Pre-orders for the RG476H opened on September 19, priced at $149 for the first three days, before the price goes up to $165.
Anbernic RG476H (Direct) Anbernic RG476H at AliExpress
AYANEO Looks to Shake Up Retro Gaming with Pocket Air Mini Price Reveal
Much to the surprise of many people, AYANEO has announced that its upcoming handheld will be quite a bit more affordable than we initially expected. During a livestream, it was revealed that the Early Bird pricing for the AYANEO Pocket Air Mini will start at just $70 for the 2GB/32GB model, with the 3GB/64GB starting at $80.
Not only that, but CEO Arthur Zhang also revealed the AYANEO Pocket S Mini, and that it will be released in March 2026.
GPD’s WIN 5 Is Almost Here, But It’ll Cost You
GPD will soon unleash its new flagship handheld, the WIN 5, on Indiegogo, aiming to compete with your desktop in more ways than one. Firstly, GPD alleges performance rivaling the Nvidia RTX 4060, and also includes support for external GPU via USB 4.0. Another way it’s like a desktop: you can’t use it without plugging it into a wall!
XU Retro Dream 1
XU Retro has been making waves ever since it burst onto the scene with the XU20 V32. However, if you prefer having a horizontal handheld as opposed to a vertical one, the wait is almost over. The XU Retro Dream 1 is the company’s next handheld, and it was revealed this week that pre-orders will begin in late October for $66.
Retro Pixel Pocket Revision Available Now
FunnyPlaying is releasing a revised version of the Retro Pixel Pocket, now with the familiar RK3326 processor and a new price of $50, half the original’s price tag. Along with lower price, the re-release aims to improve the product based on community feedback.
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.
NeoStation Frontend Announced For October
Neo Game Lab, the brainchild of developer Miguel Soto, has revealed NeoStation, a new cross-platform front-end set to be released next month. NeoStation is meant to fill perceived gaps in existing front-end applications like ES-DE and Daijisho, and at launch will feature a cutting-edge UI/UX, cloud save capability, and support for multiple operating systems.
Microsoft’s new Xbox mode on Windows has leaked for any handheld
When ASUS and Microsoft officially unveiled the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, a new software interface was also shown off. It’s already been confirmed that this “Xbox Mode” will be made available for other x86 handhelds, but it wasn’t supposed to be until after the new ASUS handhelds were released. As luck would have it, the upcoming Xbox Mode was leaked, meaning that basically anyone can install and use it on their devices now.
Mangmi Air X Software Update
With all of these various handhelds being announced and released, there’s still one that many of us are waiting to get our hands on, and that’s the Mangmi Air X. Pre-orders were expected to commence in mid-September, but we’re now past that point, and it’s still yet to be made available. While we don’t know what is causing the delay, it might have something to do with the software, as a massive update was just released for those who have review units.
OTA for the Retroid Pocket Mini V1 with A10 is now available
OTA for the Mini V1 with A10 is now available. Please read the below instructions carefully!! pic.twitter.com/mUDUBDusYS
— Retroid Pocket Official (@Retroid0fficial) September 19, 2025
Speaking of software updates, Retroid just released one for the Pocket Mini V1, provided that your device is still running Android 10. The update includes Retroid’s new AOSP launcher, along with making a few other adjustments to account for the Retroid Dual Screen Add-on.
Super Mario Bros Remastered Honors 40 Years of Mario
In 2025, the Super Mario Bros franchise will celebrate 40 years of history. Many of the mustached plumber’s earlier games still influence platformers released today. Titles like Celeste, Silksong, and Ruffy and the Riverside draw inspiration from key elements and playstyles first introduced in Mario’s 2D and 3D adventures over the past four decades. Now, a dedicated developer has created a fully open-source remastered version of the original title (and more) that adds some modern flavor to the iconic series.
More Software News
- Microsoft is changing how Xbox controllers work on Windows 11
- Access Your Gaming Library, Apps, and Play History with Xbox on Windows PCs and Handhelds
- Strato news
- RPCS3 Windows Builds have been re-enabled
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.
Radical Retrospective: An Interview with Andy MacDonald
For the game’s 25th anniversary, I reached out to the legend himself: Andy MacDonald. Andy was kind enough to answer my questions about the game, as well as weigh in on the East Coast v. West Coast rap debate, telling us his thoughts on Tony’s legendary series, and letting us know his favorite games of all time. The text has been lightly edited for clarity, but is otherwise presented in its entirety below.
Game Console XF40H Review: The RGB30 Successor?
Has Game Console finally delivered on the improved RGB30 of my dreams? In short, mostly. Let me be clear that I bought this device with my own money, as I have for the vast majority of Game Console products.
This unit was snagged for just over $30 before the deminimus exemption ended. My enthusiasm or annoyances are genuine, and I stand by all of them. That out of the way, let’s take a look at what makes this budget 2025 device the logical successor to one of the first 1:1s on the scene.
GameNative: How to Play Steam Games on Android
GameNative is an actively developed compatibility layer that allows you to play Steam games you own directly on your Android devices. As a fork of the original Pluvia project, it furthers the effort to run PC games natively on Android, working to bring a small but growing portion of your desktop library to your retro handheld.
Dedicated Handhelds for Specific Games: Is It Worth It?
In the days and ages of handhelds that play every system from Atari 2600 to Nintendo Switch, you may find yourself having a harder and harder time deciding what to actually play. Only to end up spending more time scrolling through your lists or tinkering with your handhelds to actually play a game. But what happens if, rather than getting every game for every system, you had a handheld that just covered one thing?
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
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