Just under a year ago, my RH colleague Ban wrote a handheld showdown article comparing the 3 devices that were, at the time, the pinnacle of micro handhelds: the Miyoo Mini, the Miyoo A30, and the Anbernic RG28XX.
But that was then.
Between the start of December 2024 and the end of January 2025, we’ve seen the release of 3 new devices that wish to lay claim to the “best micro handheld” title. That means it’s time for a new Handheld Shootout article.
So, in this article, I’ll be putting four handhelds — three new releases and one, not-so-new release — through their paces in the four considerations that are important to me when considering pocket devices.
- MagicX XU Mini M, running PlumOS
- AYANEO Pocket Micro, running stock Android 13 (using ES-DE frontend)
- TrimUI Brick, running the Alpha build of Knulli.
- MagicX Mini Zero 28, running stock Android 10 using Dawn Launcher
For each consideration I’ll be ranking the devices from 1st to last, explaining the good and bad of each handheld, before deciding which handheld is the best current pocket micro.
Test 1: An Hour’s Gaming, AKA The Threads of Fate Test
To me, a micro handheld is a device that is always available to be pulled out and switched off for some quick gaming. A micro handheld is not a device that is going to be used for multiple hours of gaming in one sitting. To this end, I played an hour of gaming on each device to see what my experience was like. In order to make the comparison as fair as possible, I decided to play the same game on the same emulator.
I chose one of the current RH Games of the Month, Threads of Fate on the PS1, running on the Swanstation core via RetroArch. This also allowed me to move my current save between devices. I ran the game at an appropriate upscale on each device; 2x upscale on the MagicX devices (due to their 480p screens) and 3x upscale on the Pocket Micro and Brick (as their screens are 720p).
Commonalities
To my surprise, I found that every device struggled with Threads on the SwanStation RA Core, with gameplay never reliably reaching 60fps, most of the time it played at 50-55fps, with the framerate dropping to 25-30fps during cutscenes. Dropping the resolution down to native fixed this. Starting each session at full charge, I also found an hour of gaming on each device with 78-80% battery, so battery life should be relatively comparable too.
Alongside general gaming experiences, I also was watching out for hand fatigue. I have a problem with my thumb joints which I inherited from my mother (thanks Mom), which means that, if I can’t keep my thumbs straight, I am incredibly susceptible to thumb cramps. I think this makes me a good, if over-sensitive, test subject for ergonomics.
1st Place: AYANEO Pocket Micro
Threads of fate running slowly on the Pocket Micro
The Micro is an incredibly comfortable device to use. While I only played on it for an hour, I can imagine it being usable for many hours in a row without even the slightest discomfort. The controls also feel top-tier for a micro handheld. The Micro has a great screen, which while 3:2, has the exact same display size as the Brick when playing 4:3 content, and to my uneducated eye, has the best screen color of the four devices.
The only downside to the device is the Start & Select buttons, which sit on the same piece of plastic without a pivot. This means it’s very easy to press both Start and Select at the same time, especially when reaching for Select+L1 or Select+R1 for save states. If the standard hotkey configuration is set, this will quit the game, and I found this really frustrating until I moved the hotkey to L3.
2nd Place: TrimUI Brick
I’ve been a fan of TriumUI devices all the way since the Model S. One of the reasons is that TrimUI devices always have exceptionally good D-pads and great face buttons. The Brick also has the best screen out of any of the 4 handhelds here (the Brick’s screen is 400 pixels per inch, compared to the Micro’s 330 pixels per inch). I did find that I had the slightest hint of thumb cramp in my right thumb after an hour’s gaming, however. I also enjoyed controlling Mint using the right analog stick on the other devices, something I couldn’t do on the Brick
3rd Place: MagicX XU Mini M
The Mini M is not a bad device to game on, however, compared to the Brick and the Micro, it has a worse screen and more cramped controls. I could start to feel my right thumb cramping up after an hour, and probably wouldn’t have been able to play for 90 minutes without taking a break. I am a fan of the controls in general thought, including the clicky shoulder buttons which were softened on the Zero 28
4th Place: MagicX Mini Zero 28
Cut scenes run even worse on the Zero 28
There is only the tiniest difference between gaming on the Zero 28 and the Mini M, and that is the face buttons. In my personal experience, the face buttons on the Mini M are better, with the ABXY buttons of the Zero 28 being made of a much smoother plastic – so easier for a thumb to slip off – and less satisfying to press
Test 2: Pocketability
Some fit better in jeans pockets than others
As an adult, I spend most of my waking life wearing a pair of jeans. Usually, when I leave the house I carry my wallet, keys, phone, and some form of earbuds in my pockets. For this test, I compared how each device lived up to my jeans life, in relation to traveling on public transport. Did it fit in my pockets? Was it too heavy and made it feel like it was trying to pull my trousers down? Could I still comfortably run for a bus, and then when I’d caught the bus, could I sit down?
1st Place: MagicX XU Mini M and MagicX Mini Zero 28
It should be no surprise that these devices share the same spot since they use the same shell. Either device fits comfortably in my front pocket alongside my wallet and is small enough to be quickly forgotten until needed, with no pocket bulge of note or restriction of movement.
2nd Place: TrimUI Brick
I know having a device in 2nd place after a joint 1st is a cheat, but doing this helps with my summary narrative. The Brick is slightly bulkier and heavier than the MagicX devices, meaning it’s just over the size where it’s comfortable to fit in a front pocket. The Brick is much more a back pocket device, and when in a back pocket, is perfectly comfortable until it’s time to sit down when it becomes an annoyance.
3rd Place: AYANEO Pocket Micro
In-person, the Pocket Micro is much larger than could be expected after only seeing it in press images and YouTube videos. The largest device I have which I still consider pocketable is the Powkiddy RGB10, and the Pocket Micro is much thicker than that device. It’s not possible to fit the Pocket Micro in a jean pocket without discomfort, and the device would be much better suited to a jacket pocket than a trouser pocket.
Test 3: Operating Systems
Knulli on the TrimUI Brick and PlumOS on the MagicX XU Mini M
We’ve all seen how the right operating system, like Onion or spruceOS, can make a disappointing device like the Miyoo Mini or A30 into a must-have. For each of the four devices under consideration. I compared the operating experience, not only considering how easy it is to navigate and customize, but included setup considerations like whether an emulator was pre-configured, how intuitive the hotkeys were, and how easy it was to transfer ROMs from a Windows computer.
1st Place: MagicX XU Mini M
PlumOS is one of those device-specific operating systems which is just a joy to use. It has a bright attractive look and a logical interface. Since the game partition on the SD card is FAT32 by default, it is easy to transfer ROMs from a Windows machine. The device is essentially limited to a 1 SD card set-up since a design fault means that if a second SD card is installed it will stick into the player’s hand, and the 1 SD card setup does require the default partition to be expanded, but this is easy to complete using the instructions in Zu’s video.
PlumOS 1.0 is the final release, so unlike when Zu made the video, there’s no need to worry about new releases. There is also a Rocknix build, but I found it difficult to transfer ROMs in Rocknix due to the games partition not being compatible with Windows, and the device having no WiFi to facilitate the transfer of files over the network.
2nd Place: TrimUI Brick
My favorite RH custom operating system is Batocera, so it should be no surprise that I rate the Knulli build for the Brick highly. At the time of writing, the build is still in alpha, but everything appears to me to be working, other than the RGB lighting and the custom buttons under the screen.
In order to get the experience I wanted, I needed to use two previously documented hacks, to make the games partition readable on a Windows device, and to change the hotkeys to a more standard configuration. Since the setup required these two customizations, I scored it under PlumOS.
3rd Place: AYANEO Pocket Micro
Setting up the Pocket Micro was a reminder of the downside of an Android operating system: manual configuration. Needing to download and set up every emulator and hotkey is a point of frustration for me. Using the ES-DE frontend does help take away some of that frustration. In my case, it meant I could just drop the SD card from my Odin 2 in and have all my themes, screenshots and folders set up without effort. I still had a better experience on other devices.
4th Place: MagicX Mini Zero 28
The Zero 28 uses a build of Android without a touchscreen. When needed, “mouse mode” can be triggered enabling a cursor to be controlled with the left analog stick, however, it’s not a great experience. The Zero 28’s operating system seems to have been designed to be entirely self-contained, with no convenient way to add emulators or ROMs to the device.
While this could still lead to a reasonable experience for gamers who buy the Zero 28 with the 64GB or 128GB cards populated with games, people like me who buy the 16GB base model and expect to be able to set up their own games are not going to have a pleasant journey. In fact, I had such a difficult time with Zero 28’s operating system that it led to me detailing my experiences in a whole section at the bottom of this article.
Test 4: Headphones
Handhelds and Headphones
As I pointed out in my recent article about the Miyoo A30, a lot of YouTube reviews don’t seem to consider headphone use when looking at Micro Handhelds, To me, the point of a micro handheld is to be able to use it in public for short periods of time, and that includes listening to in-game sounds and music.
1st Place: TrimUI Brick
The Brick is the only device on the list that has both an audio jack and internal Bluetooth, allowing for both types of headphones to be used. While Bluetooth is not yet implemented in Knulli, it is working in both the Stock and CrossMix operating systems.
2nd Place: MagicX XU Mini M
The Mini M has both a headphone jack and (using PlumOS only) is able to output sound through the USB-C port, meaning it is technically able to provide Bluetooth audio using a supported adapter. However using a Bluetooth adapter like this leads to horrendous audio lag, meaning it’s best to stick with wired. The fact the functionality exists at all is why I rated this device above its sister.
3rd Place: MagicX Mini Zero 28
The Zero 28 has a headphone jack and can use any pair of standard headphones. I’ve seen rumors that the Zero 28 may also be able to support audio over USB-C, however at the time of writing, I was not able to get this working within the stock Android.
4th Place: AYANEO Pocket Micro
I really value Bluetooth connectivity in a micro handheld. For the Pocket Micro Bluetooth is the only option for headphones, and when it comes to ease of pairing to a pair of earbuds, the Micro has the best experience. Audio lag can be bad, but this can be overcome with the use of low-latency headphones like the Razer Hammerhead or Apple Airpods earbuds.
But even the inclusion of decent Bluetooth audio can’t overcome the terrible expertise of using wired headphones on the Micro. The Micro is not compatible with standard headphones as there is no audio jack. As pointed out by BassDerek in his RH review, the USB-C socket can only be used for headphones when the inbuilt controller is turned off, meaning the Micro is functionally incompatible with any form of wired headphones.
So Who’s The Winner? 3 Devices for 3 Situations
You have to try Bonk on the Brick
There is a clear winner of the contest to crown the best of the new generation of Micro Handhelds — and it’s the TrimUI Brick. Even if considering my four categories, the Brick manages to finish first or second each time, In addition to my categories, the Brick clearly has the best screen of any micro handheld released to date, and – while such things are very objective – comes in the best colorways of the devices under consideration, all for a reasonable RRP.
As with many more boutique devices, there is still a use case for the AYANEO Pocket Micro. The 3:2 screen means it’s a much improved GBA experience compared to the Brick, and the more powerful chip means that it can play Saturn, PSP, GameCube, and PS2 games that the Brick just can’t run. For these situations the Micro really is the only option available, so it’s not a device without merit
However, when it comes to my personal use, I’m finding that I still reach for the MagicX XU Mini M more than the others, for one main reason: portability. Much as it’s not objectively the best device out of the 4 under consideration, for my use case, which is based on what I can fit comfortably in my jeans pocket. I find the Mini M enjoyable to use, and I think it looks cute.
Issues With the MagicX Mini Zero 28
A MagicX Mini Zero 28 in a drawer
I’ve been in the Retro Handheld community since 2021. My first handhelds were the RG280V (which I hated) and the RG351P (which I loved). The MagicX Zero 28 is the first handhelds I’ve ever used which feels like it wasn’t designed for someone like me. If AYANEO is known to have the motto “real gamers know gamers”, the Zero 28’s motto might be “non-gamers get what they’re given”. It’s a Pick-Up and Play device, but not one that was tested by people familiar with the experience of Anbernic or Retroid handhelds.
I’m not a fan of the included Dawn Launcher. It’s fine for what it is, a worse version of Dajisho, but the fact that it doesn’t include the copywrite notice required to use Dajisho’s code (their only requirement) disproportionally annoys me. This OS isn’t for gamers who want to update the included emulators or use their own ROM set. Mouse Mode is an understandable compromise, but it really gets in the way of standard set-up activities.
These include things like linking folders on SD2 to Dawn Launcher or connecting the device to a Windows PC for file transfer. Using it as provided, with the included games, shows that the system wasn’t set up by anyone familiar with things like save states. Effort has been made to set up frameskip on some games, but never to set up hotkeys, It all just feels basic, and not in a good way.
The Zero 28 isn’t the first device with promising specs but bad software. For example, I remember Garlic rescuing the original RG35xx and turning it from a hated handheld to a community favorite. At the time of writing, the stock Android 10 without a touchscreen belongs next to the stock A30 and stock RG552 experiences in the category of “what were they thinking”.
I do expect the Zero 28 to be rescued by the community, for example through the release of GammaOS Core and MinUI, although Knulli is the dream, but I’m not interested in using it until that happens. Until we get decent working firmware, my Zero 28 is destined to sit unloved in a draw, much like the TrimUI Smart Pro did at one point, waiting to be saved.
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