Powkiddy, as a competitor in the overall retro handhelds discourse, has become one to follow due to their seemingly outlandish choices and designs becoming uniquely special in their own ways.
For example, the RGB30 was one of the first 1:1 devices we saw enter the market, but its 720 x 720 screen made it almost perfect for Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulation, perfect for PICO-8, and offered 3x integer scaling on GBA games for a price that was hard to beat. The V10 is perfect for 2x integer scaling on GBA but has an oddly chunky design going for it.
The RGB20 Pro has a slightly opened design allowing gamers to see the internals of the device, and pairs it with a 3.5-inch screen that delivers an incredibly high resolution of 1024 x 768. Even before those two consoles, the Powkiddy V90 was one of the first clamshell devices we saw hit the market, held back only by its build quality and software.
The V20 is Here
But now, Powkiddy is back, but hopefully only with the intention of introducing an odd physical design.
The Powkiddy V20 runs a pretty standard set of specs when compared to its peers but with the Allwinner A133P. This just so happens to be the same chip found in the TrimUI Smart Brick and the MagicX Mini Zero 28, we may see it become a key vertical option for those who are interested in the TrimUI handheld.
Powkiddy V20 Specs
- Operating System: Linux-based
- Display: 3.5-inch IPS
- Resolution: 640 x 480
- CPU: Allwinner 133P
- RAM: DDR3 1GB
- Storage: Dual microSD slots
- Battery: Lithium-ion 5000 mAh
- Features: USB-C charging, headphone jack, dual analog sticks
The 3.5 inch 640 x 480 handheld class will seemingly never die off, but it’s perfectly suitable for a league of classic consoles. And as the old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 640 x 480 allows for 2x integer scaling on essentially every retro home-based console, and when that same screen is no longer a 21-inch CRT monitor in a living room, but a 3.5-inch backlit screen in the palm of your hand, you can easily see an increase in quality.
The inclusion of the Allwinner A133P is also an interesting choice given the above. For reference, the TrimUI Smart Pro and TrimUI Brick use the same CPU, but their focus among fans is how smooth games run on the chip when not pushing the boundaries of what you can expect out of it. Typically, as long as you stay around PS1 gameplay, you shouldn’t face many problems if any at all.
Relatively, Comparatively
But the Powkiddy V20 launches as a side-step from the aforementioned TrimUI devices. While the TrimUI Smart Pro houses dual analog sticks and a 16:9 720p screen, the TrimUI Brick houses no analog sticks and is smaller, but packs a punch with its own 1024 x 768 screen. The Powkiddy V20 sits right in the middle of them both. A smaller design, and dual analog sticks, but a 640 x 480 screen.
The design of the device is also…bewildering. Art is subjective, and opinions can range from love to hate, but the design here pings mash-ups of two separate nostalgic ideas. It’s almost as if the Star Wars universe is where the NES originated, and this is an homage to that imaginary console. The other designs just simply remind me of C-3PO and R2D2 — but who knows what the true inspiration is?
In any case, the new Powkiddy V20 looks to be an interesting option for those looking for a vertical handheld, and if the past of Powkiddy is anything to go by, then this will surely find its placement within the retro handheld world.
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