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.
Before we get started, we’d like to formally announce the launch of the Retro Handhelds Weekly newsletter! This has been a long time coming, but basically, it’s what you’ve enjoyed about this weekly news round up, just in an email format. You’ll receive ad-free weekly updates on what’s going on around the Retro Handhelds community. We have handhelds, devices, emulation/software, gaming, community news, reviews, deals, current RH games of the week/month/quarter/year, and more!
Retro Handhelds Weekly
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Table of Contents
Hardware
- AYN Clears the Air About The Odin 3 RAM Speed ‘Controversy’: After an Odin 3 owner reported findings suggesting AYN was using slower RAM with newer batches, many began to wonder if we had another ‘-Gate’ on our hands. Thankfully, AYN squashed those concerns, providing a succinct response.
- PS Portal rumored to get refreshed with OLED screen: It’s been two years since the PlayStation Portal was released, and in that time, it’s functionality has grown immensely. Now, rumors are starting to swirl suggesting a new version could be on the way, this time sporting an OLED display.
- Original N64 controller now working on Sega Dreamcast: Leave it to the community to find unique ways to enjoy our favorite games. This time, someone was able to get the original N64 controller working properly on the Sega Dreamcast.
More Hardware News
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.
- AYN Issues a Massive Thor Update: A new update is rolling out to the AYN Thor, bringing with it a total of ten different changes. These include a few different bug fixes, but it also brings an “OLED screen protection feature,” along with “updated audio EQ configurations.”
- Last Crown Warriors Is A New GBC Game Mashing Up Zelda and RTS: Last Crown Warriors looks like someone mashed up Link’s Awakening and a light RTS, and it bills itself as an “action-tactics” game, blending overhead action-RPG combat with territory control and base-conquering mechanics.
- Ghostship: A New Super Mario 64 Port!: As part of the unrelenting community support for N64 decompilation projects and PC porting, Harbour Masters takes on the mantle of producing their own version of the Super Mario 64 port.
More Software News
- Bubble Bobble: Lost Cave Gives C64 the Sequel It Deserved
- Archivist Recovers Footage From Monolith’s Scrapped Nolan-verse Batman Title
- New Saturn Shooter Took Five Years and Pushes Hardware To The Brink
- You No Longer Need $8K to Enjoy Delisoba Deluxe
- Super Robot Wars 64 Finally Getting English Translation
Emulation Updates
- SaveState v2.3
- Azahar 2124
- Daijisho no longer works with Play Store RetroArch
- Citron now supports creation of shareable Custom Configurations
- Pre-release of a PS3 emulator for android
- RPCS3: 2025 Highlights Showcase
- GamePlaytoo for iOS
- GameNative Dual-Screen TEST 2
Custom Firmware
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.
AYN Odin 3 Review: The New Go-To
In the last two years since the Odin 2 release, the handheld market has made drastic changes. Three handhelds later AYN releases the Odin 3, but is it any good?
Five PSP Games on the Mangmi Air X
PPSSPP on Mangmi Air X
Who doesn’t love a top-five list? We take a look at five great PSP games on the Mangmi Air X, a budget handheld that feels made for the PlayStation Portable.
PortMaster Roundup: January 1 — January 15
There haven’t been a huge run of new PortMaster games so far this month, but there’s a heavy emphasis on free, ready-to-run titles!
Guide: Crank Up Steam Deck Performance on the cheap with Lossless Scaling
Want smoother Steam Deck performance without new hardware? Use LSFG VK to unlock Lossless Scaling style frame gen on SteamOS and tune per title.
Epomaker RT82 Review: Retro Modern?
Retro colorways, tiny screens, thocky sound. Sound good to you? Then the Epomaker RT82 might be the keyboard you’re looking for. But is it really any good?
Budget Beatdown: Mangmi Air X vs. AYANEO Pocket Air Mini
Budget Beatdown Feature
The Mangmi Air X and AYANEO Pocket Air Mini are both heavy hitters in the budget retro handheld space, so we compare the two to see who comes out on top!
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.
- Miyoo Mini Flip
- R36T
- TrimUI Brick Hammer
- ASUS ROG Xbox Ally
Retro Handhelds Deals of the WeekHandheld.Deals
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