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.
Retroid Opens Pre-orders for D1100 Flip 2
When Retroid first announced its Pocket Flip 2, there was a D1100 option alongside the SD865. This was offered as a cheaper option, but there has been little to no news about this until now. Earlier in the week, Chris posted in the Retroid Discord that pre-orders would be going live, and they’re available now!
Kawaii: A Functional, Metal Nintendo Wii Keychain
Some projects are just too cool to ignore, but then others are just mind boggling. That’s where the Kawaii falls, as this is a fully functional Nintendo Wii re-engineered to fit into a metal casing the size of a key chain. While you can’t buy this, all of the necessary files and build of materials has been posted on GitHub. However, this one isn’t for the faint of heart.
AYANEO Flip 1S DS and Flip 1S KB Indiegogo
After being shown off during one of AYANEO’s patented YouTube Livestreams, the Flip 1S Indiegogo campaign went live. Pricing for the AYANEO Flip 1S KB starts at $779, with the Flip 1S DS coming in at $799. These base models are powered by the Ryzen 7 8840U, paired with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 9 HX 370 variants start at either $1,279 or $1,299, respectively. According to the campaign page, shipping is expected to begin in September.
Mangmi Air X Nears Launch
There’s a lot of hype building around the Mangmi Air X, and for good reason. It’s the latest handheld to feature a Snapdragon processor, and comes from a company comprised of previous AYANEO employees. At the time of this writing, the Air X still isn’t available for pre-order yet, but you can head over to the Mangmi website and register to be notified once that changes.
Commodore 64 Ultimate
Just last week, we heard about how one YouTuber is purchasing Commodore, and now, you can actually buy a brand new Commodore 64. The Commodore 64 Ultimate is compatible with the 10,000+ original games, and although looks just like the original, there are quite a few modern features built in. To pick one up for yourself, the BASIC Beige is priced at $299, and is expected to start shipping sometime between October and November.
Limited Run DOOM SNES Launch
Speaking of old becoming new again, Limited Run Games announced DOOM for the Super Nintendo. According to the description, this is the “DEFINITIVE DOOM SNES experience!” The Standard Edition costs $99 and includes all four DOOM games, packed into a Gun-Metal cartridge, SNES-styled box, and a 12″ x 16″ poster. The Collector’s Edition was limited to 666 units, and added some blood splatter to the cartridge, alon gwith a “Premium Embossed Foil Box,” and was priced at $174.99.
DOOM SNES at Limited Run Games
RetroAchievements Now Supports Playback
❗️NEW EMULATOR SUPPORT ❗️
We are now officially supported on Playback, which allows you to play your Game Boy/Color/Advance games directly from the cartridge! The physical GB Operator is required, and will give you all the achievements you’re used to!https://t.co/9ENO78Z9c8 pic.twitter.com/sCp2eBc5Ta
— RetroAchievements (@RetroCheevos) July 8, 2025
Retroid Shows Off 3DS Emulation with Dual Screen Add-On
GoRetroid has posted a preview video of their newest handheld accessory, the Retroid Dual Screen. If you haven’t been previously acquainted, the Dual Screen is, well, just that. It’s an additional, hinged screen that can be added to your base Retroid Pocket 5 model.
Taki Teases Something NES Related
All you need are 8-bits.
Our hardware intern has been working on a cool project that is almost done. pic.twitter.com/nKHyv80qEj
— Taki Udon (@TakiUdon_) July 7, 2025
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.
Nintendo Ending Game Vouchers in 2026
We recently reported on Nintendo announcing the discontinuation of gold points within its My Nintendo platform, and how Switch vouchers are not applicable to Switch 2 games. The company has now announced that the program is coming to a halt completely in early 2026.
World’s “First Switch 2 Emulator” Supposedly Gets DMCA’d
With all of the work that Nintendo put into trying to squash any Switch emulator from existence leading up to the launch of the Switch 2, we found it hard to believe that there was a working Switch 2 emulator. Axiom claimed that it was the first of its kind, but was met with backlash and evidence provided that it wasn’t possible.
In a message posted on its Discord, the Axiom team “ran into multiple legal issues,” and that Nintendo “ordered us to shut down the ability to donate.” That alone is enough to raise red flags, but just three days after contacted by Nintendo, the Axiom team decided to close-up shop but teased that another project would be announced “soon.” However, in a separate message, the developer stated that it would be “retiring” and “that you people don’t deserve this emulator.”
I call foul.
NSW2U Seized by the FBI
Something a little less suspicious, but not by much, was that the popular Switch piracy site, NSW2U has been apparently “seized” by the FBI. This was done as part of a warrant that was issued in Georgia, although it seems that FIOD, or the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service of the Netherlands, was somehow involved. At the time of this writing, the website is still down, but we have yet to hear anything regarding the future of the site or its owner(s).
There’s a Web-based CHD Compressor Utility
MAME’s chdman tool is absolutely essential for those with vast emulation libraries that need to try and reduce the amount of space taken up by ROMs. Until now, chdman has only been available on computers, but now, there’s a new web version that will convert your BIN/CUE or ISO to CHD right from your browser.
Bazzite Gets its Own App Store
We love Bazzite around here, so we love seeing when new, useful, and major changes are being made to the platform. The latest comes courtesy of the July 2025 Update, where it was shared that Bazaar is now the default Flatpak Store for Bazzite. According to the post, it’s still reliant on Flathub, but there are hopes that Bazaar will “encourage developers to ship and maintain their applications for Linux themselves.”
More Software News
- GyroBuddy Lands on Play Store
- EmuReady Now Supports PC Compatibility
- Playable Squid Game Demake for Game Boy
- Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster coming to Steam
- Minigalaxy Version 1.4 Released
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.
Anbernic RG ARC-D: How to Install ROCKNIX or KNULLI
After looking at Zu’s recent video, which highlighted the alpha build of KNULLI, which was available for the Powkiddy V90S, I started wondering whether there was any news on the build for the RG-ARC, which was announced a few months back.
While it turns out there is a KNULLI Alpha build available to supporters, it is only a build of KNULLI Firefly (the previous release to the current version, Gladiator). However, would it still be good enough for my needs, were it to be usable?
RH Picks: Best Prime Day Gaming Deals of 2025
As another year brings us Amazon’s Black Friday in July, the RH deal gnomes have been hard at work scouring the depths for the best Prime Day deals on handhelds, accessories, and various doodads that we, the tinkering folk, enjoy. So come show your appreciation for our deal-digging friends and see if there’s something that you can’t live without on this celebration of consumerism.
5 Great Retroid Pocket Flip 2 Accessories
The Retroid Pocket Flip 2 is one of my favorite devices I’ve gotten recently. I love the form factor, screen, and performance for the cost. Personally, I want to keep this one for a while! (I say this all the time until that new shiny thing comes, but I’m tired of setting up devices, okay?!). Why not get some accessories to make the Flip 2 even better?
Minisforum UM880 Plus Review: A 2 Pint Powerhouse
In the world of handhelds, we’re focused on one thing: playing the game of “setup” with our devices. But we never ask what device we use to do that. Are we sending stuff from a laptop to a handheld? Do we have a proper desktop for it? Is that desktop too big?
Well, okay, no one is asking that last one except for me. In an attempt to downsize in space but not power, Minisforum has sent over their UM880 Plus for me to take a look at for review, and I’ve been digging into it practically non-stop since I got it. So now’s the time to take a look and see if maybe this is all you need for a PC?
Why I Bought Balatro (Again)
It starts off simply enough…
It isn’t terribly difficult to find nice things for me to say about Balatro. It was the surprise game of 2024 that quickly locked its claws into anyone who decided to see what all the fuss was about. The solo-developed labor of love born out of the pandemic combines a brilliant mix of genius roguelike design, a pleasing retro pixel aesthetic, and a premise simple enough for anyone to be able to pick up and play, combined with a nearly endless level of depth. Andrew and I both had it as our GOTY 2024.
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.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Hit the button below to check out our favorite deals of the week. We know how much everyone loves a good deal, so we’ve been cooking up something to help you get the best deal possible.
Retro Handhelds Deals of the WeekHandheld.Deals
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