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
- AYN is Sunsetting The Odin 2: After being available for the better part of the past two years, and setting the standard for Android handhelds, AYN has officially confirmed that the Odin 2 is being discontinued.
- AYANEO Pocket S Mini Now Available: AYANEO is back at it, announcing the release of the Pocket S Mini. However, instead of dealing with crowdfunding campaigns, you can order one directly from AYANEO, and it will ship within the next week.
- Sony Again Rumored to Release an OLED PlayStation Portal in 2026: We’ve heard rumblings of Sony working on a successor to the PlayStation Portal for some time. A new crop of rumors suggests that it will be released at some point this year, with an OLED display being one of the big selling points.
More Hardware and Industry News
- This is The New Worst Game Boy Setup
- MiniST Gives The Atari ST The Boutique Revival It Deserves
- Someone Just Ordered Domino’s on a Wii in 2026
- Xii-Boy Ultra
- AYANEO Pocket PLAY Powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9300
- EU Sets Deadline For Stop Killing Games Decision
- Open Gaming Collective
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.
- Windows 11 Update Breaks ROG Xbox Ally Controls: It’s always fun when Windows messes up our devices, with the ROG Xbox Ally being the latest victim. The latest update makes it impossible to use your built-in controls, but there is a workaround to get things back in working order.
- Citron 2026.02.1 “Pathfinder”: A week after Eden saw a stable release, Citron is here with a major update of its own. “Pathfinder” includes changes such as “Cross-Compatible Emulator Save Pathing with Custom Save Paths,” Integrated Mod Downloader & Manager, QLaunch Support, and much more.
- Azahar 2124.3 Brings Back .3DS Support: Azahar has been the de facto option for 3DS emulation ever since it arrived last year. However, in an effort to avoid piracy issues, it removed compatibility with .3DS files, forcing users to convert them to .CCI. With Azahar 2124.3, .3DS ROM support returns as the developers attempt to avoid an “unhealthy open-source development environment.”
More Software News
- Landmark Visual Novel Shizuku Finally Gets An English Fan Translation
- New Sonic R Patch Lets You Explore Levels Without The Race
- Screw A Remake, Halo Finally Gets A Demake
- Disney Afternoon Collection Finally Comes To Switch With Two SNES Classics Added
- PS2Recomp: Porting PlayStation 2 Games to PC
- Robo Gems Brings Competitive Arena Chaos To The C64
- Party Cannon Aims To Slam Some Metal In Your Cartridge Slot
- Virtual Boy Classics On Switch Are Bringing Back Two Lost Games
- Thor 1.0.0.372 OTA
- GeForce Now Comes to Linux PCs
- Virtua Racing Deluxe On 32X Has Been Fully Decompiled
- Classic Puzzler Nebulus Gets A Fresh Spin On GBA
- Sausageware Launching Two New ZX Spectrum Titles
- Invanoid Mashes Up Two Arcade Classics For One Good Time
- Huntdown Prequel Is Happening, And It’s A Rogue-lite
Emulation Updates
Custom Firmware
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.
Game of the Month: FebZuary Hands the Reins to Zu
FebZuary Feature
For those who played “Omakase October”, FebZuary is going to feel quite similar. This time, our own esteemed Zu (of Zu Reviews fame) is taking over GOTX for the month of February. Zu provides a lot of great content and insight for Retro Handhelds, and this time, he has provided a selection of bangers for Game of the Month, which the community voted on and selected three.
AISPLC R36T and R36T Max Setup Guide
The R36T and R36T Max from AISLPC (pronounced ACE-L-PC per the company rep, for those of you who may have been curious) have made a bit of a budget splash on the scene since their recent debuts. These odes to cathode ray tubes of yesteryear are the love letter nostalgia that anyone with a fondness for retro games can get behind.
But maybe you’re looking just to see what else is out there that can run on these handhelds, or just want something you can build from the ground up as your own. Here are the steps to install ArkOS4CLone to get the most out of your R36T family of devices.
Geekom A5 Review: The 2026 Standard?
2026 isn’t going to be the best when it comes to pricing PC’s, thanks to the increased prices for RAM and Storage. N100 class mini PC’s are back above $200, and if you want something that’s sitting with a Ryzen 5, you’re looking at least $300 for a 5500U. With that in mind, what can you get that’s worth your money?
The Games I’m Actually Playing on My Odin 3
The Odin 3 is pretty much a perfect handheld in my eyes. It’s feels and plays like a natural evolution of everything that made the Odin 2 great. The Odin 3 has unmatched Android power, and a form factor that hits the 3 little bears formula for my hands. Not too big, not too small, everything feels just right (I do like to use a shell). After the initial setup and testing for writing though, these machines are meant to actually be used for playing games, and the Odin 3 has commanded the majority of my handheld attention since it arrived in the mailbox on Christmas Eve.
Game Over: Casio Loopy
During the middle of one of the most competitive eras in console history, Casio surveyed the battlefield of PlayStations, Saturns, and Super Nintendos and decided to do something no one else would have attempted.
They released a video game console designed specifically for young girls. Not a reskinned Super NES, not a Barbie-themed plug-and-play, but a real console with its own hardware, its own library, and its own defining feature:
That feature was a built-in thermal sticker printer.
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.
- ASUS ROG Xbox Ally
- AYN Odin 2 Portal
- AYANEO Pocket S Mini
AliExpress Discount Codes
- USCD02 – $2 off $15+
- USCD04 – $4 off $29+
- USCD07 – $7 off $49+
- USCD09 – $9 off $69+
- USCD13 – $13 off $99+
- USCD20 – $20 off $159+
- USCD25 – $25 off $209+
- USCD40 – $49 off $329+
- USCD55 – $55 off $459+
Retro Handhelds Deals of the WeekHandheld.Deals
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