Welcome to the Fifth Edition of Retro Handhelds Weekly. There wasn’t all that much in the way of new hardware, but it definitely wasn’t a slow week for news. Some of the highlights include a massive update for Knulli, Powkiddy’s next handheld gets new colors, and a popular emulator lands on the Play Store. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and catch up on what’s happened this week in the world of Retro Handhelds.
Hardware
If there’s one thing we know about retro handhelds, it’s that there is always something new around the corner. Seriously, it’s “worse” than smartphones, as some companies release new handhelds every other week. On the bright side, at least there’s no shortage of options.
Anbernic RG35XX SP Charging Saga
A couple updates on the Anbernic RG35XXSP charging issue:
A community member has been testing their device’s charging capability, with no noteworthy issues so far: https://t.co/FyPpyOGYiY
I’ve also summarized everything I know here: https://t.co/OvtEVFN2OU pic.twitter.com/N3YceUJC45
— Retro Game Corps (@RetroGameCorps) July 17, 2024
For the past few weeks, Anbernic has had a bit of a saga on its hands, as owners of the RG35XX SP have seen batteries swell and burn up. This isn’t a very widespread issue, but there’s been enough of a buzz that there was definite cause for concern. One person took to Reddit, building their own sensor to test the battery and charging speeds.
Russ from RetroGameCorps also received a response from his Anbernic contact. The response revealed that “at least 50k+” RG35XX SPs have been sold, and “the 3 cases here are the only ones they have heard of.” Additionally, Anbernic even went so far as to try charging a handheld with the same charger/cable combination, to no avail. While there are still some concerns, it’s just something that we’ll continue to keep an eye on.
New Powkiddy RGB20 Pro Colors Leak
About a week after the Powkiddy RGB20 Pro was confirmed to be in the works, we got our first real-world look at the handheld. This shows four different colors that the RGB20 Pro should be available in, all of which have the same transparent cutout at the bottom.
Gaminja K36 Hits AliExpress
Speaking of e-waste, Gaminja is back with an RK3326 handheld of its own, something that we definitely shouldn’t be seeing any more of. We first saw mentions of the K36 back in June on the RH Discord, but now, there’s an actual listing over at AliExpress. The K36 comes in three different colors, runs EmuElec out of the box, and is priced at $53, for some reason.
MagicX XP18 Pad is Coming This September
It’s not all that often that we see a retro gaming tablet being announced. But, that’s exactly what we have in the MagicX XP18 Pad. A new video has been published on the MagicX YouTube channel, showing off the XP18 Pad. The video description reveals that it will sport a 7-inch display with a 1024×600 resolution, and a 4,000mAh battery that’s rated for up to 5 hours. MagicX even posted a comment on the video sharing that the “pre-sale price is less than 60 US dollars.”
Retro Lite CM5 Custom Handheld
The Retro Lite CM5 might look familiar, but it’s making its way into RH Weekly as the project seems to finally be complete. This custom retro handheld is powered by the RK3588S and sports a 5.5-inch screen with a 1280×720 resolution. All of the open source files, including the CAD files, Armbian build files, and more, are now available.
Software and Custom Firmware
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.
A Massive Update for Knulli Rolls Out
Ports in Knulli
It’s been almost two months since the last stable build of Knulli was released. But that doesn’t mean that the team hasn’t been hard at work in the background. Version 20240721 of Knulli is now available, bringing along with it official support for the RG40XX H and hinge support for the RG35XX SP. The update adds a slew of other new features, including ADB support for the TrimUI Smart Pro, an emulation switch to toggle between the D-Pad and Analog input, and so much more.
Oh, and there’s preliminary support for the original RG35XX and a few devices powered by the RK3128.
CrossMix-OS for the TrimUI Smart Pro
In what seemingly came out of nowhere, a new custom firmware has dropped for the TrimUI Smart Pro. The first release arrived on June 2, but development has been happening at a rapid pace as CrossMix-OS v1.2.1 dropped this week. In this latest version, there are a slew of fixes and updates, such as updating PortMaster, improving emulator performance, and fixing “N64 widescreen modes.”
Simpsons: Hit and Run Ported to the PS Vita
Who doesn’t love sitting back and playing The Simpsons: Hit & Run on their favorite devices? Well, you can add two more devices to the list as the popular game has been ported to the PS Vita AND the Nintendo Switch. Not only can you play the main game, but there’s even support for local multiplayer “in the bonus game.” On the GitHub page, it’s noted that “the port is however still incomplete, so some glitches can be observed and some visual effects are missing compared to the PC version.”
Flycast Arrives on the Google Play Store
Flycast is one of the best and most popular emulators, supporting the Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, and Atmoiswave consoles. Previously the only way to use Flycast on Android was to download and sideload the app manually. However, that’s no longer the case as Flycast is now available on the Google Play Store!
Big Update Comes to RetroDeck
There are plenty of different ways to get emulators onto your Steam Deck, with EmuDeck being one of the most popular solutions. However, RetroDeck is also available and it actually might be the easiest of the two. The latest release is a big one, bringing with it updates to ES-DE, engines, RetroArch, and emulators. But, it has also “upgraded KDE Framework to 6.7”, while adding two new tools for managing your ROMs.
A New Tool To Import Apps to ES-DE on Android
Being able to use ES-DE on Android has been an absolute wonder, removing the frustration of manually switching between emulators to play your retro games on Android. However, it didn’t exactly make life easy for those who wanted to add Android apps or games to the popular front-end. Until recently, we’ve been able to use ES AppLauncher for that purpose, but now, ES Android Apps offers the same basic functionality, while adding a few quality-of-life improvements.
Gamma for iOS Gets a Bunch of New Features
Gamma, the PlayStation(tm) 1 emulator for iOS App Store, has been greatly updated with multiplayer, cheats, analog controls, no ads, disc swapping, beautiful game library cover art, and so much more!
Get it now:https://t.co/dBuBEKx6UB pic.twitter.com/QkmZvfVttt
— zodttd (@zodttd) July 16, 2024
Did you know that you can play PS1 games on the iPhone and iPad? Well, you can thanks to Apple loosening its stance on emulators in the App Store. Back in May, Gamma for iOS landed in the App Store, offering a dedicated PS1 emulation solution. Recently, the app has been updated with a bunch of new features, such as disc swapping, multiplayer capabilities, and more.
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 that you might have missed over the course of this week.
AYN Odin 2 Mini Review: Vita Who?
It’s been one of the most highly anticipated handhelds to be released so far this year, but the AYN Odin 2 Mini has landed. A few days after my first impressions went live, Jalanimal published his full review. You’ll definitely want to check this one out as he comes to a rather surprising conclusion.
Odin 2 Mini Setup Guide
Odin 2 Mini Setup Guide
Speaking of the Odin 2 Mini, we decided it would be helpful to provide a setup guide. This walks you through practically everything that you’ll need to do to get your Odin 2 Mini up and running, from start to finish.
Making Batocera (& Knulli) Better: Customize Hotkey Shortcuts
Something that many of us overlook when using our handhelds is that you can actually customize the hotkey shortcuts. If you’re a fan of Batocera and Knulli, we’ve got you covered, as Dan shared his guide on customizing those hotkeys on your compatible devices.
Powkiddy V10 Review: 2020 Meets 2024
Surprisingly, Powkiddy’s latest device isn’t another 1:1 handheld. Instead, it’s the Powkiddy V10, a handheld that’s fairly deceiving when it comes to the design. So take a walk on the wild side as Joe checks out a random RK3326 device released in 2024.
GuliKit KK3 Pro Controller Review: Nearly There
Are you intrigued by what GuliKit has to offer with its various controllers? Are you wondering whether it’s a worthy replacement for the trusty Xbox Core Controller? Ban’s here to give us the low-down as he reviews the GuliKit KK3 Pro controller.
How to Play PICO-8 on Android Handhelds
I can’t believe that there wasn’t already a way to play PICO-8 games natively on Android. Thankfully, that’s no longer much of an issue, provided that you have a bit of time and patience to get everything setup and working.
Anbernic RG40XX H Review: The Final H700
If maxzhou88 is to be believed, the RG40XX H will be the last Anbernic device to be powered by the H700 chip. Although we aren’t fully convinced this is the case, head on over and check out how Anbernic’s latest handheld stands up.
ASUS ROG Ally X First Impressions: Leaving a Mark
In case you didn’t know, the ASUS ROG Ally X is officially here and you can finally buy one for yourself! To celebrate, I’ve published my first impressions, and frankly, things are looking good so far. But, I’m not sure if it’s enough to sway me away from the Legion Go and Steam Deck OLED.
On the YouTubes
Don’t think that the writers are the only ones getting things done. Stubbs and Zu are constantly working on new videos, and now’s the best time to subscribe. The past week saw Zu takes us on a walkthrough on getting MinUI installed and setup on the Miyoo A30!
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. This week was a bit different, as Prime Day gave us our yearly “Black Friday in July” sales event. Although the promotion is no longer taking place, there are still a bunch of great deals to be had. And, you can check them all out in the latest edition of Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week.
- Miyoo A30: $47 w/ free Grip w/ code RH15
- Anbernic RG Nano: $33 w/ code USGD03
- Xbox Amazon Fire TV Stick Bundle
- ROG Ally X Pre-orders
- Miyoo Mini Plus: $35 w/ code USGD03
- Patriot LX Series 128GB microSD Card (5-pack)
- TrimUI Smart Pro: $45 w/ code USGD03
- Powkiddy X55: $54 w/ code USGD03
- Powkiddy RGB20SX: $61 w/ code USGD08
- Anbernic RG Cube: $149 w/ code USGD20
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