Help Us Pick the Best Handheld of the Year!

As the days get shorter and the nights grow colder, it’s clear that the end of the year is nigh. 2024 has been an absolute roller coaster, not just in the emulation space, but with retro handhelds on the whole. With so many different options to choose from, it would be impossible for us to just pick our favorite handheld of the year. So we’re instead looking to get some input from you!

Last year, things around here were a bit different, but we’ve grown tremendously as a community, and hope that trend continues into 2025. Although there were a few more categories the last time we did this, we came to a collective decision to narrow things down to just three: Best x86 handheld, best Android handheld, and best “retro” handheld. We also have included two open-answer prompts at the bottom of the voting sheet.

If you’re going through the list and wondering what something isn’t there, it’s because we are only including handhelds that were released between November 2023 and October 2024. The only exception is that the Retroid Pocket 5 is here seeing as it’s getting ready to arrive on doorsteps.

So the way things are going to work is that you’ll have about two weeks per round of voting, with the final round concluding on December 20. Then, we’ll be revealing the winners during the Retro Handhelds Podcast, along with sharing the results here on the website.

Vote for Handheld of the Year

Best x86 Handheld

We have a pretty good feeling about who is going to win this category, especially considering that the Steam Deck isn’t eligible to win here. Even still, who can ignore devices like the Ayaneo Flip DS or the GPD Win Mini? And of course, Stubbs’ beloved MSI Claw, simply because of its “excellent speakers.

Vote for x86 Handheld of the Year

Best Android Handheld

When putting this together, I didn’t actually think there were this many Android handhelds released over the past year. Even with the inclusion of the Retroid Pocket 5 and Pocket Mini, I would have only guessed that this list would be half as long as it turned out to be.

Remember, although the AYN Odin 2 Portal, Ayaneo Pocket DMG, and Ayaneo Pocket EVO have been announced, those have yet to ship, so they aren’t eligible.

Vote for Android Handheld of the Year

Best “Retro” Handheld

Are you surprised that this list is dominated by Anbernic retro handhelds? We’re not. I’m actually surprised that the RG460H wasn’t while I’m in the middle of writing this post. Just because Anbernic dominated headlines for most of the year, it doesn’t mean that it released the best handheld, as there are so many great options.

Vote for Retro Handheld of the Year

Handheld of the Year: 2023

In case you want a reminder, here’s how last year’s results played out:

Vote for Your Handheld of the Year!

As I said before, each round of voting lasts for about two weeks, with the polls currently scheduled to close on December 20. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to remind and update everyone on the results as each comes to an end.

Vote for Handheld of the Year

What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!

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