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 & Industry News
- Anbernic Joins in on the 2026 Weirdness with the RG Rotate: It’s no secret that Anbernic has been off to an awkward start in 2026. The release of both the RG Vita series and the G01 controller has put off mixed sentiment from the community, and it shows. But now Anbernic is trying to follow the path of other companies (namely GameMT), and it’s trying to be weird. The RG Rotate, thanks to its initial reveal trailer this morning, is shaping up to be one of the more interesting releases from Anbernic since the RG Slide of 2025.
- DSpico Is the Open-Source DS Flash Cart We’ve Been Waiting For: The DS Flash cart scene has a reputation problem. Long-running brands have a habit of engineering expiration dates into their hardware, leaving buyers holding a brick after a year or two. The DSpico wants to be a different kind of answer to that problem, and it’s now easier than ever to get your hands on one.
- AYN Announces Another AYN Thor Price Jump and a Major Change to the Thor and Odin 3: In another surprise announcement, AYN confirmed that the next round, Batch 6 of Thor and Batch 7 of Odin 3 pre-orders, “will soon be opening.” The company also announced major changes to both devices, as they will “transition to UFS 3.1 moving forward,” a downgrade from the UFS 4.0 storage on existing models.
More Hardware News
Apps and Software
- ROCKNIX Now Turns Your Android Handheld Into a Mini Steam Deck: The ROCKNIX team announced that Steam is now officially supported, with the firmware now “allowing you to run native Linux games as well as Windows games through Proton.” Currently, this is available on “Qualcomm-based” handhelds, which include everything from the Retroid Pocket 6 to the AYN Thor, and more.
- Afterplay Now Has a Storefront Where You Can Buy and Instantly Play New Indie Retro Games: Afterplay, a browser-accessible emulation platform that lets you play and sync your games from anywhere, has added something the retro gaming scene has been missing for a while: a proper storefront for brand new indie games built for classic hardware.
- A Popular PSP and PS Vita SNES Emulator Just Got Its First Update in Eight Years: Eight years is a long time to go without an update. Long enough for a project to be written off, its GitHub page is gathering dust while newer alternatives fill the gap. Snes9xTYL, one of the most popular Super Nintendo emulators for the PSP and PS Vita, has been sitting in exactly that position since April 4, 2018. Now, a developer has stepped in and pulled it back into shape.
More Software News
Emulation Corner
Game of the Month
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.
- How to Install Steam on Android with ROCKNIX
- GameSir Pocket Taco Review: Clip-on Comfort
- AYANEO Pocket S Mini Review: Not Bigger, but Better
- KONKR Pocket Fit Setup Guide
- Game Over: Mattel Odyssey 3/Videopac G7400
On the YouTubes
RH Partners
Looking for Deals?
The monthly Choice Day sale from AliExpress has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean the discounts are gone. AliExpress is picking right back up where it left off, as the Spring Refresh Sale starts on April 13 and lasts until April 19, complete with a bunch of new coupons to take advantage of.
AliExpress Discount Codes
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