Reviews
Check out our thoughts on the latest retro handhelds, and retrospectives on ones we still can’t put down.
The Latest
Steam Deck Case Showdown: IINE vs. bibuks
Finding a case for the Steam Deck is overwhelming. I picked 2 of the pink options and compared them with each other to see what is best! Let’s find out together
Building a Bazzite Streambox with the Blackview MP60
Nick tests the new Blackview MP60 Mini-PC with Intel N150 processor as a networked game streamer for handhelds. Is this your new Bazzite solution?
Powkiddy V20 Review: Familiar, Flawed, and Forgettable
The Powkiddy V20 is a $60 handheld that struggles to justify its place in 2025’s crowded retro gaming market. Is it worth your money? Let’s find out.
Retroidspectives: The Retroid Pocket 1
Five years later, we look back at the Retroid Pocket 1 — its quirks, missed potential, and whether it’s still worth owning in the retro handheld world.
Game Console RX6H Hands On: We All Have Our Limits
Nick test drives the new Game Console RX6H. Is this horizontal option a new budget-friendly champ, or an all-around disappointment?
SummerCart64: Is This the Perfect Flashcart?
The N64 Summer Cart makes playing your favorite N64 games, romhacks, and homebrew a possibility! Is it worth the $50 price tag though? Let’s find out.
AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic Review: Nostalgic Luxury or Overkill?
Ayaneo’s Pocket Micro Classic offers a premium take on retro handhelds, but is it overkill or the perfect nostalgia machine? We break it down.
Nyxi Striker Review: Homerun or Swing and a Miss?
Nyxi’s Striker keyboard blends retro GameCube aesthetics with modern wireless features. But is it worth your money? We put it to the test!
AceMagic Vista V1 Review: Budget Batocera Box?
Looking for a budget-friendly mini PC for retro gaming? We put the AceMagic Vista V1 to the test with Batocera to see if it’s worth picking up for your emulation setup.
MagicX Mini Zero 28 Review: Pocketable Power?
Explore the MagicX Mini Zero 28, a compact Android handheld with a 2.8″ screen, strong controls, and plenty of tinkering potential.
PXN P5 Review: Your Budget Xbox Controller?
Discover the PXN P5: a budget-friendly rechargeable Xbox controller packed with features like Hall effect sticks, gyro, and back buttons. Is it worth $30?
Odin 2 Portal Impressions: A Big Step
AYN Odin 2 Portal offers a stunning 7” OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and powerful gaming performance. See what we love and dislike about it!
Nyxi Flexi Review: Great or Gimmick?
Discover the Nyxi Flexi, a modular gaming controller with swappable sticks, clicky buttons, and multi-platform compatibility. Is it worth $60?
Beitong Asura 2 Pro+ Review: Twice as Nice at Twice the Price?
If $40 is all you have to spend, you can get some really solid controllers. In fact, I covered that exact topic across 9 different controllers from 9 different brands. But most of those companies don’t just make one option under $40. One of those companies was...
Fantech Maxfit Air 83 Review: Retro Meets Modern
When it comes to keyboards, there’s a lot of personal preference. What size do you want? What about the switches? Do you need wireless or just something to plug in and go? As someone who has fallen down the keyboard rabbit hole a few times, I know that the endless...
R36H Hands-On: New Horizontal Budget King or Half-Baked Clone?
What can I really say that I haven't written about the Game Console R36S several times before? It's my practical budget fave, with enough kitschy personality that I'm willing to overlook any of its shortcomings. The benchmark that all other possible e-waste clone...
Ayaneo Pocket DMG Review: How Much Game Boy do you Need?
When you’re spending a lot of money on a handheld, I really recommend trying to get something that fits your needs and does most, if not everything, you’re looking for in that category. You wouldn’t want to buy more than one $500 handheld, right? Uh, right? So when...
Furious X SU-10: Gone too Far
Usually, when I talk about handhelds here, I have at least something good to say. And I’m going to try that here too. But if you’re looking for true e-waste you can usually find those articles from Nick, like his cheap controller roundups. But when I saw this big...
Anbernic RG34XX Review: The Ultimate GBA
Anbernic has been making so many nostalgic Nintendo-looking devices that may as well steal Sega's old slogan of, "Anbernic does what Nintendon't" while they're at it. When the announcement of the Anbernic RG34XX was made, every kid that had a GBA audibly sighed,...
Fantech EOS Pro Review: Worth Exploring
If you had asked me about Fantech towards the beginning of the year, I would have known them for their mice, but not much else. The Helios Go XD5 and the Aria are two mice that seemed to get a lot of positive reception from smaller brand mice makers. But fast forward...
Ayn Odin 2: One Year Later
In a hobby where the hottest newly hyped device is always around the corner, sometimes it's easy to get caught up with what's coming next. Incremental improvements and hardware changes are all well and good, but I think we could use a reminder that these devices...
Analogue Pocket Worth It? 2024 Re-Review
Hey, remember when I talked a ton of smack about the Analogue Pocket and made some people mad in Ban's article here? To summarize my thoughts, I had a Pocket from the first batch released and after a year was annoyed with it. The things that bugged me were the lack of...
Ayaneo Pocket Micro Review: The Best 3:2 Handheld?
One of my first handhelds was a Game Boy Advance SP. A small clamshell that played some of my favorite games from the time, as well as some of my least. I’m looking at you Kong. But with that in mind, I’ve always been on the hunt for a handheld that plays GBA in my...
Beitong Zeus 2 Elite Review: Worth the ‘Elite’ Tax?
When I think of pro controllers, my mind almost immediately goes to things like the Xbox Elite Series 2, the SCUF controller lineup, or more recently the DualSense Edge. And if you pull back a little on the features, you can drop to something like the Xbox Elite Core...
Game Console R36MAX Hands-On: No Goal!
The new Game Console R36MAX is a fairly unremarkable device. It's another clone - this time with a tall 1:1 form factor and a curvaceous rear end. In an apparent attempt to stand out from the crowd, its designers have given the latest RK3326 on the block some boldly...
TrimUI Brick Review: A Rock Solid Upgrade
If there were ever handhelds that could be considered the gateway drug to the handheld emulation hobby, it would likely be either the Miyoo Mini+ or the Anbernic RG35XX. These small form-factor Game Boy clones have remained popular since their releases in the early...
GKD Bubble: The Good, The Bad, the Basic
In the past, when you think of handhelds modeled after something else you think of Anbernic. The RG353P is modeled after an SNES controller, and the RG-Arc is modeled after a Sega 6-button controller. But what about a handheld modeled after a handheld? No. Not the...
XGB36 First Impressions: Throw Another Clone on the Fire
As someone who was around when most of these games we're emulating were originally released, I find myself drawn more to the devices that are doing more-with-less than I am to the next technological behemoth. When I first tried the Game Console R36S, I was blown away...
Retroid Pocket 5 Review: Is This the Perfect Handheld?
Before we get too into the weeds with the Retroid Pocket 5 review, there's something that you should probably know about me. I have a tendency to be a bit of a "snob" when it comes to the devices I purchase, always looking to get the best. This applies to everything...
TrimUI Brick First Impressions: SOLID
TrimUI is one of those companies that haven’t released a mountain of products. With that, they’re similar in vein to companies like Retroid and AYN. However, where they focus on Android at higher prices, the TrimUI brand lands on the lower end of the market. Following...