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
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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.
MagicX Touch One 35 Colors Finalized, Processor Upgraded
A little over a week ago, the MagicX Retro 45 was announced, complete with pre-production images being revealed. Now, we’re learning more about another upcoming handheld as the “final color scheme for the MagicX One 35 has been confirmed, along with an upgraded SoC.”
XU Retro Unveils Major Chipset Upgrades in Upcoming Handhelds
Exclusively on our Discord, LUNA, a XU Retro news representative, has shared that there are major changes coming to two of the upcoming handhelds. First up, the XU40 H55 is switching away from the Allwinner A733 and will utilize the MediaTek Dimensity 7050. The next device is the XU35 H40 and H50, which will use the MediaTek Helio P65, a relatively weaker chip that mirrors the compatibility of the Allwinner A133P, topping out around N64.
AYANEO Pocket DS Launch Event
AYANEO Pocket DS – Open Yellow
It’s been about three weeks since we last heard anything about the AYANEO Pocket DS, but that’s all about to change. The company confirmed it will provide more highlights along with revealing the price tomorrow, August 18 at 8 AM EST. We’ve already known what the spec sheet looks like, and after tomorrow, we’ll know when we’ll be able to actually buy one and hopefully some kind of release timeframe.
XU Retro XU40 H44 Revealed
It’s been quite a week for MagicX and its spin-off brand, XU Retro. In addition to updated details regarding the MagicX Touch One 35 and XU Retro’s updates for a few of its upcoming products, we now know more about the XU Retro XU40 H44. The final design has been shared, looking rather similar to the AYANEO Pocket ACE, but this one sports a 4.4-inch 3:2 display and is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050. XU Retro also confirmed that the H44 is expected to launch sometime in November 2025.
8BitDo Pro 3 Controller Available Now for $70
The 8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth controller is now available for $69.99 from Amazon and the official 8BitDo website. Most third-party controllers these days offer a few nice features, but they have also become run-of-the-mill when compared to the competition.
Hall effect joysticks, analog triggers, customizable back paddles, and USB-C charging are all features found in previous 8BitDo controllers. The Pro 3 delivers those same features, but adds more on top, making the controller not only stand out but hopefully stand above the rest.
Other Hardware News
- OneXPlayer SuperX
- Someone Made a Gaming Handheld With an RTX 4090 GPU Built-in
- GuliKit ES and ES Pro Controllers Released
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.
KNULLI Gladiator II
It’s been more than three months since we last saw a a new version of KNULLI released, but the wait is now over. KNULLI Gladiator II is now available to the public, implementing a ton of new features, along with introducing support for various handhelds that have been released over the past few months. This includes the likes of the RG34XXSP, RG35XX Pro, PowKiddy V90S, and PowKiddy V20.
Azahar Emulator Adds Dual-Screen Support for 3DS Games
The recent trend of dual-screen retro handheld emulation continues to chug along, and now Azahar is getting in on the fun. With version 2123, Azahar now officially supports “secondary screen support for wired and wireless displays (Chromecast, Miracast). It’s also important to note that even after installing the latest version, you’ll need to manually enable the functionality from within the Settings app.
Anbernic Adds Dual Screen Support to Unisoc T820 Devices
Anbernic has updated the firmware for all of its Unisoc T820 devices to add dual-screen support. This includes the likes of the RG Slide, RG406H/V, RG556, and RG Cube, offering native support for those who want to play DS and 3DS games the way they were intended to be played, with two screens.
ARMSX2 Brings PCSX2 to Android
Things have been mostly quiet when it comes to PS2 emulation on Android, save for a few updates to the NetherSX2 patches. We’ve been hoping to see PCSX2 make its way to Android for quite some time, and that dream is finally being realized. However, it’s not actually coming from the PCSX2 team, but instead, is a ported version which is now being called ARMSX2. The project is just getting started, but there’s already a roadmap of what’s in the pipeline, and we’re very excited.
EmuReady Android App Nearing Launch
If everything works as well as it looks, things are about to get a lot easier when it comes to emulation on Android. That’s because an EmuReady Android app is right around the corner, which will let you import settings and tweaks right into whatever game you’re trying to play, based on the various compatibility listings available on the EmuReady website.
More Software News
- You Might Want to Hold Off on Xanite
- Mario Kart 64 – Amped Up Mod for Mario Kart 64
- Enter the Gungeon & Exit the Gungeon Now Available on Android and iOS
- Itch.io Integration Comes to Junk Store
- CHDroid
- Cave Story MD Now Available to Download
- AM64 Pre-Alpha Gameplay
- Handheld Companion – v0.26.0.2
- Red Viper for 3DS Hits Version 1.0
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.
RH Picks: The Best Retro Handhelds So Far in 2025
We’re a bit late to the party on this one (you can blame me for that), but a few weeks ago, Stubbs, Rob, Ban, myself, and Zu jumped on a livestream to discuss our picks for the best retro handhelds so far. This year has been quite a bit different compared to 2024, as Anbernic didn’t even release its first handheld until March.
Sharge Disk Review: Building a Portable Retro Library
When it comes to loading my legally obtained backup game files on my Retro Handheld devices, I usually resort to popping the microSD into a USB-C Adapter and transferring the files from my PC to the MicroSD card directly. I’ve messed with FTP File Transfer before with my AYANEO Pocket DMG, but it’s usually more steps than I want to take, and can be pretty slow. I had been kicking around the idea of converting my old 1TB 2230 SSD from my OLED Steam Deck into a portable retro library, and I finally decided to pull the trigger on the Sharge Disk after it went on sale a few weeks ago.
Still Playing the Wii in 2025? Here’s How to Make It Look Amazing
Get the Best Image Quality from the Wii!
Having never owned a Wii growing up, when I finally bought one in 2018, it basically became my “Better GameCube Machine”. As part of my ever-loosing battle of finding the best image quality possible on these machines, I have picked up a lot of tips and tricks to fast-track what was a nearly 10-year battle for me.
Retroidspectives: Retroid Pocket 2 and Pocket 2 Plus
So when Retroid steps in and upgrades to the Retroid Pocket 2+, could they keep up? These two handhelds helped really push the market around. But 4 years later, where do they really stand. And how did they age against their competition?
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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