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.
Valve Drops Three New Devices for 2026: Steam Machine, Steam Controller, Steam Frame
Valve has released details concerning three new pieces of Steam-related hardware: the Steam Machine, the Steam Controller, and the Steam Frame. With this release of information comes a delusion of embargoed information from YouTubers and creators, and a palpable excitement from the community at the prospect of new Steam gaming hardware.
[UPDATE] TrimUI Smart Pro S Promises Better Performance and Faster Gameplay
Over the past few weeks, there have been a couple of blog posts over at MechDiY showing off a supposed TrimUI Smart Pro S. We’ve largely avoided the news, as this has been the only source, and we haven’t really seen much else about it from anywhere else. However, we’ve just received confirmation that it’s the real deal, with the Smart Pro S expected to provide a few upgrades over the original.
AYANEO’s KONKR Pocket FIT Begins Shipping
AYANEO provided an update on its IndieGoGo campaign for the KONKR Pocket FIT, indicating that they will begin overseas shipping for their new device on November 13, 2025. For those who backed the device, you’re one step closer to getting your KONKR Pocket FIT!
Analogue 3D Has a Shipping Date
Analogue has finally released a shipping date for their oft-delayed Analogue 3D. The Analogue website shows a date of November 18, 2025, indicating that the device will begin shipping in less than a week. For those of you who preordered this device (in some cases over a year ago), your wait is almost over!
More Hardware News
- Barcode Battler Is Back With A New Deck
- Machenike Mini GTR Updated with Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
- Abxylute M4 MagSafe Controller Is Live on KickStarter
- Minisforum MS-02 Ultra
- GameSir Controllers Come to GameStop
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.
Red Dead Redemption is Coming to More Consoles!
You’re a Cowboy, you get guns, it’s made by Rockstar. You’re in for a good time, because we will soon be able to play this gem natively on your Android handheld of choice! (Hopefully) Red Dead Redemption and the Undead Nightmare DLC are being released on Android, iOS, Netflix, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 2nd, 2025! So, less than a month to enjoy this adventure.
Pokemon Lazarus is Now Available
Pokémon Lazarus is out NOW! ⌛️
A fangame made by the creator of Pokémon Emerald Seaglass. 🟢
Features:
– Region based on Greece 🇬🇷
– 400+ Pokémon
– 9 Starters to pick from
– GBC artstyle
– Minigames
– Hard mode
– More⏬ Check it out ⏬https://t.co/qIKPQQyxpl pic.twitter.com/FoEQELtSyn
— Pokémon Fangame News (@PokeFangameNews) November 14, 2025
There’s an all-new Pokemon ROM Hack available, as Pokemon Lazarus was released this past week. As noted in the tweete above, Lazarus includes more than 400 Pokemon with nine different starters, and its artwork is done in the “GBC artstyle”. In order to get this up and running, you’ll need to download the patch files from Nemo622’s Ko-Fi account, and then patch a copy of Pokemon Emerald.
New Windows 11 Update Improves Gaming Handheld Performance
Microsoft dropped its November 2025 Windows 11 update, which has some improvements specifically designed for gamers and those on gaming handhelds. The update includes fixes for those who experienced “stuck” app windows when they were open in the background. It also aims to improve the long-standing issue of the battery draining even if the handheld is in Sleep or Low Power mode.
More Software News
- shadPS4 v0.12.6 Vastly Improves Bloodborne Performance
- ARMSX2 Finally Arrives on Play Store
- GameHub Lite v5.1.1
- Dream Disc ’25 Opens Submissions for Dreamcast Jam
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.
Mangmi Air X First Impressions: The New Budget War Has Begun
I picked up the Mangmi Air X because other members of the RH media team told me to during the device pre-sale. I believe the phrase “treat yo-self” may have been involved. Priced at just $80 during the presale ($90 retail) and promising some serious bang for that buck, it was a pretty perfect storm for an impulse purchase. Just the right amount where I don’t have to feel too bad about what I’ve done.
The Deal With the AYN Thor’s Ergonomics
If you read my article on my thoughts regarding the AYN Thor and saw my skepticism over its ergonomics…yeah, it’s basically that. And after a week of daily driving our favorite affordable-ish clam, it’s clear there’s a lot more nuance than initial impressions that range from a console that is super convenient/comfortable to one that is a baffling pain in my rear. AYN made a lot of interesting decisions here, so let’s get into it!
Retro Pixel Pocket V2: Better than Before?
My fascination with Pico-8 started back towards the beginning of the Miyoo Mini craze. A fantasy console with cheap or free games? Perfect for short bursts on handhelds? Sign me up. The interest got even worse when I purchased a Mini from a user on the Retro Handhelds Discord by the name of Jim Gray. Fully loaded with Pico-8 roms, I was set for life, right? At least until I decided I wanted a better device for it.
INNOCN GA27T1M: MiniLED Mouthful of a Name
Seems like INNOCN doesn’t quite know when to stop, as hot off the heels of their 25M2S, they’re coming back with a larger, higher refresh rate, better-designed monitor that still features the MiniLED panel that came in their last unit. The GA27T1M is their latest, but is it their greatest? Has anything changed in the software?
Retroid Pocket G2 First Impressions: Serious Firepower
I’d been browsing around on the RH Discord for-sale listings, and considering how much I’d enjoyed the Flip 2, I thought about picking up an RP5 (same guts, different form factor). This timing was apparently spot on, because it was within a day or two of then that the pre-order announcements for the Pocket G2 and Retroid Pocket 6 came. The Pocket 6 was still going to be several months out, but the G2 and its new, fancy new Qualcomm Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 processor were available to ship right away.
Game Over: The Mega Duck (aka Cougar Boy)
When the portable game industry exploded in the late 1980s, there were only two real players in this space: Sega’s Game Gear and Nintendo’s Game Boy. Orbiting above the pair were a gaggle of smaller electronic manufacturers attempting to grab their slice of the portable gaming pie. One handheld is remembered as one of the more obscure (and bizarre) pieces of gaming hardware ever created: the Mega Duck (or Cougar Boy, or Super Junior Computer, among other names).
Radical Retrospective: John Doe’s Pro Sporting
The success of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series was inevitably going to spawn spin-offs, but Activision really went for it. Thusly(?), let’s explore and celebrate their failed experiments. Note: We’ll be focusing on the home console versions, though in almost every case, a version was released for the contemporary Game Boy system, often developed by the legendary Vicarious Visions.
Installing ArkOS4Clones on the XF35H and XF40H
ArkOS4Clones on the XF40H
If you read my reviews of the recent Game Console XF35H and XF40H, you’ll see that while I was quite fond of the hardware on offer with these devices, the stock OS, while serviceable, left a fair bit to be desired if you’re someone who has been playing in the emulation pool for a while. Here we’ll go through the how-to of getting ArkOS up and running on these handhelds to bring out every bit of capability from these clever little clones.
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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