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.
AYANEO Promises To Do Better
AYANEO 2026 Improvement Plans
On a Reddit post over on r/ayaneo, Arthur Zhang, the CEO of AYANEO, has responded to the recent concerns expressed by the retro handheld community with promises and detailed plans for the company to improve in 2026.
AYN Sending Bag to Thor and Odin 3 Backers
AYN Bag Front
Some members of the retro handheld community have been receiving an unexpected package from AYN. Turns out, those who bought both the AYN Thor and AYN Odin 3 from AYN have been sent branded sling bags from AYN, something that was teased during the Odin 3 IndieGoGo campaign and seems to have been mostly forgotten about by the community.
AYANEO Reveals Pocket DMG Aura Yellow
AYANEO Pocket DMG Aura Yellow Front and Back
AYANEO sure does like the Pocket DMG. Following their recent reveal and release of the Limited Edition Bright Silver edition of the Pocket DMG, AYANEO is back at it again with the reveal and release of the Aura Yellow edition of the Pocket DMG.
MiniLoong Pocket 1 Is Competing For Best Handheld Of 2023
The MiniLoong Pocket 1 is yet another Rockchip RK3566-based handheld, straight out of 2023, and appears to be an attractive but underpowered first outing for the newest contender in the Chinese emulation console wars. Details first surfaced on the SBCGaming subreddit from user Qinki001, and now we have an in-depth unboxing video from NITTRX showing it off in the mortal plane.
More Hardware News
- GameSir Debuts New Driving Peripherals at CES ’26
- DSpi Turns A Raspberry Pi Into A DIY DS
- Ohsnap Announces Two Sleek Variants of the MCON Controller
- GameSir Pocket Taco: $35 Controller for Portrait Gaming on the Go
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.
Tinkerer’s Treasure: dArkOS Brings Debian Linux to RK3326/3566 Devices
Sure, CES is happening in Vegas this week and all the latest and greatest in coming-soon tech is on display, but one of the most interesting software developments in the world of handheld emulation has quietly arrived. dArkOS is here to get the most out of the devices you may already own.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 4K Just Got Better!
I do not think there is a harder working person in the texture pack space than Henriko Magnifico, and for a swell New Years treat, he dropped a large update to arguably his best work: The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess for GameCube 4K project.
Lenovo Reveal SteamOS on the Legion Go 2
Lenovo are back with a new iteration of their Switch-style handheld PC; the Legion Go 2. Debuting as a Windows handheld back in October of last year, the Legion Go 2 will see something of a relaunch in June of 2026. This is when the company will open preorders on a SteamOS version of the handheld.
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.
MagicX One 35 First Impressions
How many times do you look at a handheld and think to yourself “man this would be so much better if it was vertical.” Or maybe you’ve looked at an 8BitDo Lite and thought “put THAT on a handheld”.
If either of these thoughts have passed through your mind I recommend two things; Help, and the MagicX One 35. That’s at least what I hope I can recommend to you. After various delays in production as well as competition from the likes of Mangmi, TrimUI, or AYANEO, is the One 35 right on the mark? Or just too late.
AceMagic M1 Review: CPU Power Isn’t Everything
For most of the year, Mini PCs have been coming out with more RAM, more storage, and more power for your setup. However, as we’re closing in on the end of 2025, RAM shortages, SSD price increases, and GPU availability drying up for the wills of our AI Overlords means that mini PCs with more to them are becoming harder and harder to find. So when AceMagic offered to send over their newer specced M1, I wanted to take a look. Just in case you can manage to find it too.
CES 2026 Recap
Man, what a week. While a lot of the gaming handheld industry is kind of slowing down as we await what’s next, there was a lot more at CES 2026 than I expected. The team covered a few of the major announcements from the past week, but here are a few more of our favorite products and booths that we visited.
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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