SJGAM seems to be a company whose ambitions to break away from the shackles of e-waste are matched only by their reluctance to shed what has to be the worst electronics company name in history. Every time I find myself writing about one of their devices, I have to go back and double-check that the company is still choosing to go by this ridiculous name.

It can Gundam with cheese

These are the types of names picked for their randomness and ability to be changed in the night if they feel the heat approaching from around the corner. Ever since the M17 though, this company has shown that they have the ability to churn out plucky, capable handhelds at ridiculously budget price points.

So will this budget buy be another throwaway clone or the next cheapo king? Well, that depends, as ever, on the community. After spending a few weeks with the device, I think there may be enough on offer here to be worthy of your, and hopefully their, consideration.

Specs

So this is actually not a 3326 device. I know, right? What we have here is the “N909” processor. This is a chip is a budget mobile processor that is fairly new and not much has been seen of it in the emulation space. I don’t think this device is going to be more capable than any of the devices it’s copying, but this chip seems to be able to hold its head above water just fine in these applications.

• Design:
  • Display: 3.5-inch screen
  • Controls: Dual joysticks
  • Form Factor: Compact and portable
• Performance:
  • Processor: N909
    • CPU Cores: 2
    • Clock Speed: 1.2-1.8 GHz
• Emulation Capability: Up to PS1 without issues
• Operating System:
  • OS: Locked down custom EmuElec v39 image
• Connectivity:
  • HDMI: Mini HDMI-out for display on external devices
  • USB: USB Type-C port
  • Storage: MicroSD card reader
  • Expansion: Single TF/Micro SD card slot
• Battery:
  • Capacity: Li-Po 3.7V 3,000 mAh battery with custom “battery may explode in the fire” embellishment
• Additional Features:
  • Save States: Supports one save state per game with stock OS
  • Price: Approximately $40 at the time of writing. Sales will get you better deals.

M21 at AliExpress

Extra Features

One way the M21 tried to differentiate itself from the pack is by including a mini-HDMI on the top of the device. This lets you hook the handheld up to any external display of your choosing. Combine that with its Bluetooth connectivity, and you have an ultra-cheap way to pocket your gaming on the go or hook it up to play with friends on the TV.

If you want wall GI-Joe on a budget, this could be the handheld for you.

As someone who loves to tinker with all these possibilities (justifications for handheld addiction), I love knowing that I could throw this device in my bag before a convention and hook it up in a hotel room to play with friends on the go.

Feel

The M21 feels pretty good overall, but there’s nothing that’s going to blow you away by any means. The plastic shell housing is solid, but bordering on feeling extremely cheap. The D-Pad is OK. It’ll certainly get you by with a decent amount of precision, but the Contra test is going to fail, and it’s just a bit too recessed and tight for my liking. The dual analog sticks are the standard cheap offering seen on these budget devices. There isn’t a great deal of travel within them, but they get the job done.

Clean and compact with a great display

Triggers on the M21 shine where many of its competitors lag. They are satisfying to engage, requiring enough pressure to not have to worry about false inputs, without making it a struggle either. The first thing I noticed about them, though, was how relatively quiet they are when compared to the extremely loud clackers on devices like the Game Console R36S. The skittle-style face buttons are a joy to use, and I would gladly see them incorporated into more SJGAM devices in the future. Nothing wrong there at all.

The screen is the same as many others we’ve seen in the space. I don’t have a great deal to say about it other than I’m still bowled over at how good some of these devices look when considering the cost of entry.

Handy dandy rear volume rocker

One unique feature of the M21 that I actually really enjoyed was its tiny volume controls on the back of the device. Located just above the trigger layout, these volume controls are accessible to the user on the fly without getting in the way during normal gaming. With a lot of devices implementing weird button combos or solutions for volume control lately, I really appreciate the thought that went into this design. Something different, but functional.

Conclusions

Like nearly every device in this hobby, and certainly those in the budget category, this device’s potential is limited to its community support. It’s still too early to be able to say what may be coming around the corner, as this is still a new chipset in the space. The system seems to handle games quite well, but the stock OS experience feels pretty janky and just isn’t very nice to use.

If the community embraces the device, and we could see options like ArkOS, MinUI, etc appear, I think that it could really find some fans. As it sits, it’s functional, but not living up to its potential. I’d say adopt a wait-and-see approach, but I certainly like the device enough to keep my eye out for any future developments.

M21 at AliExpress

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.