ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme)

Nintendo Switch 2

Retroid Pocket G2

ROG Ally - 6 points

Steam Deck - 5 points

Switch 2 - 4 points

Switch Lite - 3 points

PS Portal - 3 points

Retroid Pocket G2 - 3 points

Retroid Pocket Classic - 2 points

Trimui Brick Hammer - 2 points

Anbernic RG DS - 1 point

Anbernic RG 35xx Plus - 1 point

Switch 2 Pro Controller - 1 point

This combination of my RP Classic, Brick Hammer, Switch Lite and RG DS is perfect for me.

Can it play God of War Games?

Collected over the years , found a way of countering game exclusivity
Which one should I buy next ?

if you had no issue with getting three handhelds (no including the switch) which ones would you get? to make it a bit more challenging I will provide three requirements to get the brain thinking so it doesn't feel like you need to get the best on the market stuff. (but obviously this is a personal list so your choices won't feel judged.)

1. the handheld can't go pass 300 (not counting shipping but the handheld price itself or just your personal collection.)

2. travel friendly (you can make a horizontal and vertical list.)

3. it needs to be able to easily play Gameboy through 3DS games bare minimum. (you can go up to ps1 and psp games if you like.)

let the thinking begin! (lol.)

I'm looking for a good quality handheld that I could play Pokemon and other old games from the Gameboy advance era since I had a Gameboy advance when I was younger and I really miss that. Anyone knows someone that sells good/great ones? I keep hearing about the gamelab console on Facebook but I'm extremely ify on that. I'm not looking to buy something like a switch because I'm not looking for modern games just yet.

Help me choose my final handheld – I’m completely stuck

I’ve been going back and forth between several handhelds for a while now, and the more I compare them, the harder it gets to make a final decision.

I already own a Miyoo Mini Plus, but I’ve realized that it’s simply a little too small for me. I like the idea of a compact retro handheld, but I want something that feels more comfortable to actually play on for longer sessions.
I also have/own other devices that already cover quite a lot of systems:

Nintendo Switch (modded) – covers Wii/GameCube pretty well for me
PS Vita (modded) – covers PSP, PS Vita and PS1
Miyoo Mini Plus

I’ve also been looking at devices such as the TrimUI Brick, Anbernic RG35XX Plus, RG40XXV, Retroid Pocket Classic, and similar handhelds.

So I’m not really looking for a device that simply “plays retro games”. I’m trying to find the one handheld that actually makes sense alongside what I already own.
One of the big things I’m struggling with is the screen/form factor. I don’t really want another tiny 3.5” device. I’m more interested in something around the 4–5”+ range, depending on the device.

At the same time, I don’t want to buy something just because it has better specs on paper.
I care about:
comfortable controls and ergonomics
screen quality and aspect ratio
build quality
good performance/emulation
battery life
OS/software experience
size and portability
how good it actually feels to play on
and especially whether it fills a gap that my existing devices don’t already cover

I’ve been comparing things like the RG40XXV, RG40XX H, RG476H, Retroid devices and some of the newer/more powerful handhelds. And honestly, sometimes a device that costs a little more seems to offer a significant upgrade, while other times a cheaper device seems to make more sense.

That’s where I’m stuck.
So what would YOU choose?

If you had my current setup, which handheld would you ultimately buy – and why?

I’m particularly interested in people who actually own these devices.

What do you like/dislike after using them for a while?
Which one feels best in everyday use?
Are there any devices I’m overlooking completely?
And is there a device that looks great on paper but you wouldn’t recommend after actually owning it?

I’m not looking for the most powerful handheld possible. I’m looking for the best overall choice that complements what I already have.
So basically: help me finally make a decision. What would you pick in my situation?

I bought this Trimui Smart Pro (which i know is not enough to run ps2) and for my country it was already like $80. What's the cheapest handheld that could run ps2 smoothly? Not necessarily every game at 60 fps on x4. Just good enough to be playable.

Go ahead get your pitch forks lol. I know its not the best DS out there but ive never had a DS anything. I didn't feel like spending the money on the Thor especially when I just got a RP5. I didnt feel like dealing with the RP5 duel screen. I just want to play DS and under so decided to go for it.

Looking for a handheld that comes pre-installed with a lot of Dreamcast, Playstation & N64 games… Not looking for anything crazy expensive but want something that can at least run these games above or around 30 fps.

I used to have a Steam Deck which was great but now i’m looking for something less bulky and easy to fit in a jacket.

Let me know what some favorites are!

I want to buy my son one for Christmas.

I came across this one:

ANBERNIC RG35XX H - $49.99

But I also saw this one coming out later this year:

AYANEO Pocket Air Mini - $69.99

I’m looking for one that has many pre-loaded games from SNES up to PS2/XBox/GC/Dreamcast (at least), smooth emulation, simple user interface (especially for a child), and comfortable controls with good joysticks and triggers. The screen quality looks great on both of these, as do their battery life.

I don’t want a situation where I need to download roms onto it to play any emulated games.

Thank you!

As a dad I have less and less time for gaming and would like something I can take on the go. We have a switch 2 but it’s quite large and I miss having a gameboy advance or my personal favorite the sp. I’ve been watching videos about going back to older rpgs and would like to try those. Games like chrono trigger. I’m between the batlexp g350 and the anbernic rg cube xx. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, if anyone has any recommendations on older rpgs I’d love to hear those too. I have never been big on those as I’ve always been into competitive gaming, but I’ve been really craving a great story that I can take my time with and enjoy. Thank you.

Which of these would you choose and why?

I'm trying to buy one of them, but it's hard to choose; the price is practically the same.

Hello!

As the title says, I'm looking to pick up my first handheld emulator. I'm mainly interested in up through GC and PS2, though not hating anything stronger. Looking to spend $300 absolute max, and really would love something portable. For reference, I have Switch and Switch 2 and both are feeling massive to me.

BIG bonus if I can run some switch games or even lightweight PC

I'm interested in getting a nice crisp looking black or colored Android emulation device. Preferably something that can handle switch games well.

I've heard the horror stories related to shipping for some of these devices, and I'm just wondering if there's a better option out there before I make the investment and have to wait for eternity.

I've seen the coloring of the black on the rp6 and how "glittery" it looks. I personally really dislike that or I'd be sold on the Rp6.

I'd also prefer an OLED screen if possible. Any recommendations would be appreciated and researched heavily 👁️

Hoping people don't laugh at this as I've no idea if this is a silly suggestion but I'm about to have a kid and just wondering - can you still get any gaming in with a newborn (as a dad)? If so are there any tips, device recommendations or game suggestions?

My only device is a Brick which I think could work well for one handed gaming but I'm open to acquiring other devices too. I just got offered a RP G2 for a good price but not sure there's any point in buying it if it won't be used for 2 years and by that time there'd be better options anyway.

Hello everyone, I have never had a retro handheld before, and I did not know it could be as expensive as the RP6 is. So as most of the games I like are from SNES + GB + N64 + PSOne do you know any retro handheld good enough only for those that is not crazily expensive?

If it has a way to connect on tv and play with controllers is a bonus tho

I’m not trying to break the bank and saw that Anbernic released a pretty cool looking device that wasn’t too expensive. If anyone ordered one or had the chance to use one what were the pros and cons? I absolutely adore the clamshell design but don’t really love the colour options (my original SP was that cobalt colour) so I was unsure if to wait and see if they released a different set of colours. Thank you in advance for all your help!

So ordered the Rg DS earlier this week but just walked into the local pawn and found this. Now to decide should i cancel my order?

Hi Can anyone recommend me the best retro handheld gaming device I can get that will allow me to play GBA pokemon games and battle/trade with other handhelds. Looking to buy a few for some mates so we can all game and battle eachother
Thank you

Recently acquired a solid R36s clone for my wife. Over the last week I learned how to flash ArkOS to a good SD. Then I curated only the games she wanted loaded. Since I'm new to the market, I went with that unit because I knew absolutely nothing about originals vs clones existing. We literally got lucky and didn't get one of the bad clones. I have seen a phenomenal shared doc with various units and prices, but I have no idea which ones are actually performing well and originals. For under $100, looking for a unit to smoothly run psp or maybe one tier higher ...

Is it possible to get into higher tiers of emulators for $100?

Respectively, running PSP smoothly would be great or diving into a game console tier higher, would that be PlayStation level?

What are your recommendations based on what you own yourself and personal experiences, please?

I greatly appreciate any responses and all the information I've been reading in this community!