Welcome to the latest edition of Retro Handhelds Weekly. This week, we saw a bunch of news in the world of hardware and software. Our writing team continues to be on an absolute tear, and there’s even a surprise or two sprinkled in! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and catch up on what’s happened this week in the world of Retro Handhelds.
Table of Contents
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.
Helegaly Action Pi Delayed
Just hours before the floodgates for the Helegaly Pi were expected to open, we’ve learned that the launch has been delayed. In an announcement, the company stated that this was due to “minor visual artifacts appearing at the screen edges during gameplay (not present on the home screen).”
Currently, there’s no indication as to when the issue will be remedied, nor when we will be able to finally order this handheld.
Evercade EXP-R and VS-R NES Refresh
Evercade, the retro gaming platform built around physical cartridges, is updating the EXP and VS systems it originally released in 2021 with new models: the EXP-R Solo and the VS-R Solo.
OneXPlayer X1 Air Teased
The next handheld from OneXPlayer is on the way, as the company has started teasing the X1 Air. So far, we know that the X1 Air sports a 10.95-inch display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. We also know that it will be powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V chipset paired with 32GB of RAM.
GamerCard
Do you remember the ZX Spectrum? It was invented by Sir Clive Sinclair and was introduced in 1982. Now, Sinclair’s nephew is keeping the family legacy alive by announcing the GamerCard. This is a unique handheld featuring a “hi-res 4-inch square IPS display,” and at the helm is the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W.
You can currently pick one up from Grant Sinclair’s website, and it is priced at £125, or about $170.
GamesCare Revives the Canceled Sega Neptune with FPGA Console
The long-canceled Sega Neptune is finally seeing a form of release, thanks to a new FPGA-based console set to launch in December 2025. As reported by Time Extension, the device is called the GF1 Neptune and is being developed by the Brazilian company GamesCare.
Originally envisioned by Sega in the mid-1990s as a combination of the Genesis and 32X in a single unit, the Neptune never made it past prototype mockups. This upcoming system is not officially licensed by Sega but is built to replicate what the company never released, using modern hardware to bring a historical curiosity to life.
MSI Open Pre-Orders for the Z2E Powered Claw A8 BZ2EM – at least in Asia
Image via MSI
The new Claw is the first MSI handheld gaming PC to launch with an AMD CPU — the Z2 Extreme. This new device was shown at Computex in Taipei about a month ago, but reviewers haven’t yet had the device in their hands, outside that MSI booth. The Z2E chipset has also not yet been fully tested, although it’s expected to be based on the Ryzen 7 AI HX370, only with 8 active cores as opposed to the HX370’s 12 cores. The same iGPU should be present on both chips.
Apps and Software
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.
ES-DE Bringing Support to the MagicX Zero 40
Now that initial pre-orders are shipping, along with expanded availability via AliExpress, now’s a good time to jump on the MagicX Zero 40 train. Especially considering that the ES-DE team confirmed that it “will be able to support 3:5 and 5:3 screen orientation for devices such as the MagicX.”
SM64: Surge of Starlight ROM Hack Released
This week, a new Super Mario 64 ROM hack named “SM64: Surge of Starlight” was released. According to the developer, the ROM hack “has 131 stars to collect, with 20+ custom level models.” It’s available to download now via the button below.
Launchbox Version 13.22 Released
It’s been more than two months since the last LaunchBox update was released, and for good reason. Version 13.22 launched on July 3rd, and packs a plethora of new features, including the following:
- LaunchBox can now auto-login to RetroAchievements for supported emulators like RetroArch, Dolphin, and PCSX2
- Supported emulators now have a RetroAchievements section with login options, hardcore toggle, and manual credential injection
- Hybrid Views have been added to Big Box with 3 making their way to the Default theme.
Seriously, the changelog is almost as long as this weekly news roundup. It’s crazy.
Junk Store 2.0
Junk Store originally arrived on our handhelds via Decky Loader a little over a year ago. Fast forward to now, and Junk Store 2.0 is set to be released any day now. However, instead of just being an updated Decky Loader extension, Junk Store 2.0 will be a “fully standalone” app.
Unfortunately, this massive overhaul comes with an equally massive change to the pricing structure. Version 2.0 will cost $40 for 12 months, but if you paid or subscribed to version 1, that will not carry over to this latest iteration. You can read more over at the official Junk Store website.
More Software News
- 64-Bit Flappy Bird for Android
- “The Winlator Controller Revolution is coming…”
- Air Combat 22 Comes to Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2
- ProtonPlus v0.5.8
- Hydra is a “Switch emulator from scratch” for Mac
- aPS3e v1.25 Released
- Sunshine v2025.628.4510 Released with “Critical Security Updates”
- Contra for Famicom Ported to SNES
Custom Firmware Updates
Emulation Updates
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 and reviews that you might have missed over the course of this week.
The Return of The Forgotten: This Man Is Buying Commodore
This is the story of, what looks like one person’s work to keep a brand, held dear to many, alive
In June 2025, Christian Simpson of the YouTube channel “Retro Recipes” uploaded a video, which was ambitiously called “Part 1” of what he called the “Let’s Buy Commodore” series. The episode ended on a cliff-hanger, where the current owners of the Commodore brand were suggesting, in a voicemail he heard for the first time on camera, that they might sell the whole Commodore brand to him. YouTube being YouTube, and content farming being what it is, I didn’t personally think anything would come of this.
Fantech EOS Pro IIS Review: A Clicky Controller
The Fantech EOS Pro IIS tries to change the ergonomics while providing some additional features on top of it. Are the changes from the original EOS Pro worth the upgrade? Are the ergonomic changes going to be worth your time? Now’s the time to figure out, and that’s exactly what I’m here to help do.
Games from My Childhood: GameCube Edition
Revisiting games from your childhood is such a fun thing to do with the power of emulation. You can beat impossible games that made you angry as a kid with cheats or save states, or even see if they hold up now. I am going to do the latter with the GameCube, which was a console I loved as a kid. I did something similar with the Game Boy, which can be read here.
A Clamshell Comparison: What Wins?
Over the last year, we’ve seen four more options emerge in two main form factors. The Anbernic RG35XX SP and Powkiddy V90S, alongside the Anbernic RG34XX SP and Miyoo Flip. How well do they stack up? Is there one that’ll be more worth it to you in the end? And how will I rank them using my extremely scientific points rating system? Well, that’ll be the question to ask, won’t it?
GotX: Sci-Fi July Lands Giving Us 4 New Retro Games with a Space Theme
“Everything is becoming Science Fiction,” JG Ballard once wrote. “Time is an illusion, and Lunchtime Doubly so,” Douglas Adams added. Proving them both right is GotX, which is back with a new collection of games this month, following a Sci-Fi theme.
Emulation²: A 1:1 Device Roundup
March of the Cubes
Before starting, let it be known that I like playing these systems stretched out to 1:1 as best as I can. Overlays and proper scaling aren’t my concern on these handhelds. Games from the late-90s on back translate really well to this aspect ratio for me (some better than others, of course), and I want to fill out the full square with emulated pixels. Playing with cores and filters to find the best match for tuning each console to my preferences is a big part of the experience, even if the results aren’t always perfect.
Ruffy and the Riverside Review: A Great Homage to N64 Platformers
Ruffy and the Riverside oozes charm. The gameplay mechanic is so cool and unique. Swapping things in the environment is so satisfying and feels good. You can tell a ton of care went into the the creation of this game with the graphics, story, and creativity. To me, this game is an easy recommendation for fans of the collection games of the N64 era. This will be the perfect game to hold me over before the new Donkey Kong drops next month.
On the YouTubes
Don’t think that the writers are the only ones getting things done. The RH video team is constantly working on new videos, and now’s the best time to subscribe.
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