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.
AYN Odin 3 Pre-orders Move to Official Site, First Gameplay Footage Revealed
In a move that came out of left field, the AYN Odin 3 is no longer available for pre-order from Indiegogo. No, this doesn’t mean that you can’t pre-order one at all, but instead of dealing with Indiegogo, you can now just head over to the AYN website to pick up the Odin 3 for yourself.
Retroid Teases New Handheld Reveal for October 27
After nearly a year of the Retroid Pocket Mini and 5 and two more successful handhelds later, Retroid is back and teasing new hardware to be shown off sooner than you think! A new graphic from Retroid shows that we will soon know what they have been cooking. While expected since Retroid recently dropped the prices of nearly all of their handhelds, it’s great to see we are so back, and the hype cycle can begin anew.
MagicX Announces Additional Details for the One Retro45
Originally announced back in August, MagicX just shared some additional details on their new handheld, the One Retro45. While some glimpses of pre-production images were shared previously, MagicX has now provided some additional hardware specifications and pricing. The device takes some major design inspiration from the Nintendo 64, following in the footsteps of the MagicX Zero 40 as a device seemingly tailored for a specific console.
AYANEO Pocket DS Begins Shipping Globally
It’s been more than two months since the AYANEO Pocket DS was made available for pre-order through Indiegogo, and now, it’s FINALLY beginning to ship globally. The catch here is that only 71 units have been confirmed as shipping so far, according to the Pocket DS Shipping List provided over on Indiegogo. But hey, at least the needle is starting to move a little bit, right?
AYANEO Sells Almost 2,000 Pocket AIR Mini’s
In addition to sharing a shipping update for the Pocket DS, AYANEO also announced that it had sold almost 2,000 Pocket AIR Mini devices in less than a week. Based on the way that the Indiegogo post is phrased, there’s seemingly no interest in the 2G/32GB model, despite its $69 price tag. Instead, the company revealed the 3G/64GB variant is overwhelmingly more popular, with about 1,800 units being sold. To celebrate, AYANEO says it will extend the “Limited-time Offer” for the 3GB/64GB model, meaning that it will “release an additional 2,000 units at the same special price!”
More Hardware News
- You’ll Soon Be Able to Turn Your LEGO Game Boy Into a Working One
- Abxylute 3D One Brings 3D Without Glasses to PC Handhelds
- RG52PRO MAX Handheld Game Console
- GKD PIXEL2 PINK COLOR
- Relaxed Gaming with the abxylute M4
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.
muOS Releases “Golden Goose” Update
The muOS development team recently announced its “latest, and likely final, chapter in the Goose releases” and the Golden Goose (build number 2508.3) represents the culmination of a large effort to clean up several bugs and improve overall usability, in preparation for Jacaranda, the upcoming iteration of muOS due for release early next year.
RetroAssembly Updated to Version 3
The team behind RetroAssembly has updated their ‘retro game cabinet’ for your web browser to version 3. The update adds ten classic consoles to the platform, which means you can now add and play games from the Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari Lynx, Magnavox Odyssey 2, ColecoVision, Famicom Disk System, PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16), Channel F, Game & Watch, and Philips Videopac+ to your own library.
Luigi’s Mansion is Coming to Switch Online on October 30
Continuing Nintendo’s steady stream of releases for the Switch 2 exclusive GameCube app, we now have a pretty spooky release date for a Luigi’s Mansion and IT’S OCTOBER 30 BOO! Have you recovered since that body-shaking and nearly life-threatening jump scare? I bet that one will take a while. Anyways, Luigi’s Mansion takes us back to the launch of the Nintendo GameCube itself in 2001 as both an infamous and beloved launch title for simply not being Mario, but also being… well…Luigi’s Mansion.
ARMSX2 1.0 Is Official
There’s (potentially) a new sheriff in town when it comes to PS2 emulation, as ARMSX2 1.0 has been officially released. According to the website, this is based on the popular PCSX2 emulator, which has long reigned as one of the best. As for ARMSX2, it’s currently available for Android, but is also expected to be released on iOS, along with ARM builds of Linux and Windows.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is Actually Coming to PS5 in 2026
I can’t believe it’s actually happening. Not only are we getting a modern remake of Halo: Combat Evolved next year, which is pretty darn awesome in its own right. Seriously, you can’t tell me that you don’t want to fire up Halo right now after watching the trailer above. Anyways, along with coming to Xbox and PC in 2026, Halo: Campaign Evolved is ALSO coming to the PlayStation 5. I never thought I’d see the day.
More Software News
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run Gets a Futurama Facelift
- Ship of Harkinian – Copper Alfa (9.1.0)
- Free Tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming Is on the Way
- PC ClassicMini SNES Edition Frontend
- Fallout 4 is getting an “Anniversary Edition”
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows coming to Switch 2 on December 2
- Pokémon Legends Z-A has sold 5.8 million units in its first week
- Amazon Luna Redesign Released with “GameNight”
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.
Game Over: The “Nintendo” DS ML
In the retro gaming community, where people are searching for any obscure or bizarro items they can find, an obscure Nintendo DS model isn’t something that comes up often in conversation. The Nintendo DS ML started popping up on sites like AliExpress as a ”brand new” Nintendo DS sometime during the early days of COVID.
Naturally, this prompted the community to throw money at it out of a combination of curiosity and boredom. What they found was a bizarre Frankenstein of unknown origin, which has since gone on to sell upwards of ten thousand units.
Flydigi Dunefox Review: Great Idea, Bad Execution
Coming hot off the heels of having my first experience with the Flydigi Apex 5, I figured now was the best time to go to the other end of the pricing spectrum to see if you really need to spend $150 on a controller. Luckily for me, Flydigi also fills in that spacing with their Dunefox, a controller that ranges from $20-$30, depending on where and when you find it. I grabbed it from Amazon and want to figure it out.
The Flips and Dings of Pinball Expo 2025
Every fall, the worldwide pinball industry descends on Schaumburg, IL, to meet, celebrate, and show off all the latest and greatest coming to an arcade near you. The show has grown significantly over its 40+ year history, and includes not only pinball, but the newest offerings in the home and coin-operated arcade markets, as well as bringing the retro video game scene we all know and love into the show.
Radical Retrospective: Skate Story
Radical Retrospective has had ten entries so far, and true to its name, they’ve all been focused on the past. We’ve gone as far back as the first known skateboarding game, hovered around the 32-bit era, and even checked out some Java games from the genre’s most enduring series.
Today, though, I want to look forward and discuss an upcoming skateboarding game that is shaping up to be not just a high point for the genre but an artistic statement in its own right. Today, I want to talk about Skate Story.
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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