You cannot throw a rock in this community without hitting a post on Reddit or Discord about how “I’ve become an addict” coupled with a picture of piled emulation handhelds. It’s easy to look at this hobby from a thousand-foot view and point out how silly it is to have multiple devices that essentially do the same things.
You might ask yourself after a while, “How many devices do I really need to play the SNES library on?”. And you’d be right. It can feel silly when you take a step back. Are we really just helpless consumers who blindly race toward every shiny new offering on the table?
I acknowledge that I am one of the people who probably has too many handheld devices. I would be in this position regardless of whether I wrote about them or not. 90% of the handhelds in my collection were purchased directly by me because I thought they were cool or interesting. That’s as deep as it really has to go.
We Are the Digital Model Builders
A collection of handhelds in my basement
I think I can safely speak for a large portion of our community when I say that the motivation behind purchasing a new console isn’t always directly related to gaming on the device. Hear me out. I am a tinkerer by nature. Ever since I was young, I’ve enjoyed taking things apart and using them in ways other than initially intended. The community software aspect of the hobby is what keeps me coming back for more. Only more recently have we really seen devices shipping in a truly ready-to-use state. Some offerings from not too long ago are great devices now but were horrible experiences out of the box.
There is a certain amount of guilt that seems to come with owning a number of emulation handhelds. Folks feel like since they all “basically do the same thing” it’s ludicrous to own a bunch of different form factors. I believe that there’s more than just the nostalgia of childhood gaming memories behind the connections. Nostalgia may have drawn folks into exploring the hobby, but once they start to dig deeper, they realize there’s more.
Image via Nintendo
One of the biggest toys of the moment, and indeed my entire lifetime, is LEGO. They are the every man’s model kit. Kids and adults alike love putting together a kit related to one of their favorite interests. Some people put a kit together only to tear it back down and move on.
Others, though, will look at a completed model, recognize the time and effort that it took to build it and feel a sense of pride displaying it somewhere in their home. As the hobby continues over the years, the display shelf might turn into a display area or even a room. Be it model trains, LEGO sets, model aircraft, boats in bottles, or indeed retro emulation handhelds, the pull can be the same.
Like the old adage (or hoarding justification depending on your angle) says, every item tells a story. I love looking at a display of handhelds on my wall and remembering the process that went into getting a device up and running as its best self. The act of formatting cards, choosing a CFW, curating your ROMs experience to best fit the device, etc.
These are all steps just like building a model. With a retro handheld, you often have all the pieces you need, but it’s going to take some effort on your part to get it to greatness. Once you’ve made that effort though, you can look back at the device with a sense of pride that you made it the best it could possibly be.
Chasing the Latest Hype
The Steam Deck can do almost anything
This is where I think that a lot of people lose their way with hobbies. Never satisfied with what we already have, and always champing at the bit for the next fix. If you can avoid these pitfalls, this can still be a healthy and fun place to play.
This can indeed be a consumerist world in which to hang out. Chinese manufacturers know that they have to strike while the iron is hot in the space. More and more clones and me-too-companies will continue to release devices that are at best a decent imitation of what has come before, and at worst just e-waste to be added to the pile.
March of the Cubes
Go towards the devices that draw you in. The devices that elicit some sort of connection with your own personal experiences. Just because a new device is coming, and they always are, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the device for you. Trying to consume everything will just consume your bank account.
Always chasing the latest and greatest is especially worrying with the higher-end devices in the hobby. Find one top-end device and stick with it, then fill in your collection with the different quirky and fun form factors available in cheaper devices. You can have a great time with any of Ban’s Best Handhelds Under $50. Or hey, IF you can afford it, go nuts. I’d certainly understand.
Which brings us to…….
It’s Affordable
I liked the R36S so much, I needed it in Ferrari Racing Red
Hobbies can get expensive quickly. Ask anyone with a decent board game habit, or any seasoned Lego enthusiast. By comparison, ours is really quite affordable. You can spend less than $30 and have something to talk about with thousands of other people on Reddit or in our Discord. The bar for entry is very low, which makes it a hobby that can be accessible to everyone.
If the average device is somewhere in the ballpark of $40-$70, that’s equal to or less than the cost of a single new console game release. That’s an insane amount of value for money for your average cash-strapped gamer. I’ve reached a point where I scoff at spending $70 on a new PS5 release. I could get another RGB30 for less than that! This is an exaggeration, but the point remains. You can comfortably spend a small amount of money on a semiregular basis in this hobby and receive a whole new console every time. That appeals to me.
The Socials of The Handheld Hobby
Yes, I do have an Ikea glass display shelf full of handhelds. Thank you for noticing.
Any hobby is usually only as good as the community behind it, and oh what a wonderful community has evolved in the retro handheld space. Talking to other like-minded retro freaks can help folks find commune in their shared culture.
Getting excited with others about something coming down the pipe is fun. You get to chat about how you think it might run this or that, or debate which existing OS could work best. It’s a lot of fun and a great reason to maintain a continued interest in devices.
Spruce running on the A30
I’ve found myself learning more about different operating and file systems just by way of chatting with other folks about troubleshooting or just tinkering to try things for fun. As I learn something new, it makes me want to expand on that and see what can be done with other devices that I already own, too. If my only experience was what was delivered from AliExpress, I might have never felt compelled to stay and hang out, and I certainly wouldn’t be so enthusiastic about them.
Take a look at what other people might have done with their handhelds and draw some inspiration. It’s a shame to collect these devices and then just bury them in a drawer. I love all of the designs and colors on offer. The more kitsch, the better, oftentimes.
You can’t tell me there’s anyone out there who swears on the emulation prowess of the Chicken handheld or the Tetris experience on a Chicken Nugget. They can just be cool things to have sometimes, too.
What Have We Learned
This is a consumerist hobby and there’s no getting around that, but so is gaming in general. People with shelves full of movies, models, games, or anything else they feel connected to don’t look down on themselves for their hobby, and neither should this community. It’s not an addiction unless you’re facing consequences in other portions of your life because of it.
If you’re choosing between making rent and scoring the next Anbernic, it might be time to reassess some things, but if you have disposable entertainment income for the month, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a new retro handheld instead. No more so than anyone indulging in any other pastime of their choice.
So I say go ahead and collect if you want to. I might trim some items as I go in the interest of eliminating devices that never clicked with me, but I certainly keep the vast majority. What could be greater than a display piece that you had a hand in putting together to reach its final form, which can then be taken down off the shelf and played with for hours on end? You’re not going to be short on options for colors or designs to try.
So fear not. Feel no shame. Collect to your heart’s content and your budget’s ability. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to hang some floating wall shelves for the handhelds I just ordered from AliExpress.
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