Last updated: September 2026
Vertical handhelds are the Game Boy shape: screen on top, controls underneath, tall and narrow. They are the most pocketable design, they are the natural fit for 4:3 and 3:2 games that never used a second stick, and they are the reason the Miyoo Mini Plus sold in the quantities it did. My database holds 5 vertical handhelds, and this page ranks them by total emulation headroom, which spreads them from a $55 pocket device to a $149 Android one.
The Retroid Pocket Classic is the strongest vertical handheld in the database. The Miyoo Mini Plus at $55 is the cheapest and, for everything through PS1, loses almost nothing to it.
Quick Picks
| Pick | Device | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Retroid Pocket Classic | $99 | Highest weighted score (109); perfect on N64, Dreamcast and PSP |
| Best value | Anbernic RG353VS | $70 | 66 points for $70, the same ratings in a different shell |
| Budget pick | Miyoo Mini Plus | $55 | Cheapest device on the page; perfect on NES, SNES and Game Boy |
What Makes a Good Vertical Handheld
The vertical shape has one structural limit: the screen sits above the controls, so it is a 4:3 or 3:2 panel and stays small, usually 3.5 inches. That is the correct shape for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA and PS1, and the wrong shape for PSP and anything 16:9. The chip range is wide. The Sigmastar in the Miyoo Mini Plus and the Allwinner H700 in the RG35XX Pro stop at PS1. The Rockchip RK3566 in the RG353V and RG353VS adds most of N64 and PSP. The Snapdragon 865 in the Retroid Pocket Classic runs PS2 and GameCube, which makes it the only vertical handheld that reaches the sixth generation.
How I Ranked These
Every device in my database carries an emulation rating per system on a five-step scale: perfect, great, good, limited, none. I turn that into a weighted score where the hard systems count for more, so PS2 and GameCube are worth four times an NES rating, N64, Dreamcast and PSP three times, PS1 and DS twice. For this page I kept the 5 of 29 devices built as a vertical and sorted them by weighted score, breaking ties on price.
The Ranking
1. Retroid Pocket Classic, $99
Game Boy-shaped Android handheld with a 3.92-inch AMOLED and a Snapdragon G1 Gen 2; discontinued September 2026, $99 on clearance.
At $99 it runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 with 6GB LPDDR4X behind a 3.92-inch 1240x1080 AMOLED screen, with a 5000mAh battery, 223g in the hand, a vertical body and Android 14 as the operating system. Controls: D-pad, 4 or 6 face buttons, L1/L2/R1/R2. No sticks. Wi-Fi: WiFi 5.
Perfect on NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, Genesis, PS1, N64, Dreamcast, PSP and DS. Good on PS2, GameCube and 3DS. Limited or unsupported: Wii and Switch.
2. Anbernic RG353VS, $70
Budget version of the RG353V: same chip, Linux only, lower price for those who skip Android.
At $70 it runs a Rockchip RK3566 with 1GB LPDDR4 behind a 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen, a 4:3 panel, with a 3200mAh battery, 186g in the hand, a vertical body and Linux (custom) as the operating system. Controls: D-pad, 1 analog stick. Wi-Fi: WiFi 5 (dual band).
Perfect on NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, Genesis and PS1. Great on N64, Dreamcast and DS. Good on PSP. Limited or unsupported: PS2 and GameCube.
3. Anbernic RG353V, $90
A vertical handheld with a sharp IPS screen and dual-boot Linux/Android: the reliable mid-range pick.
At $90 it runs a Rockchip RK3566 with 2GB LPDDR4 behind a 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen, a 4:3 panel, with a 3200mAh battery, 193g in the hand, a vertical body and Linux / Android 11 (dual boot) as the operating system. Controls: D-pad, 1 analog stick. Wi-Fi: WiFi 5 (dual band).
Perfect on NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, Genesis and PS1. Great on N64, Dreamcast and DS. Good on PSP. Limited or unsupported: PS2 and GameCube.
4. Anbernic RG35XX Pro, $70
A polished step up from the base RG35XX with dual analog sticks and refined software.
At $70 it runs an Allwinner H700 with 1GB DDR4 behind a 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen, a 4:3 panel, with a 3300mAh battery, 168g in the hand, a vertical body and Linux (custom) as the operating system. Controls: D-pad, 2 analog sticks. Wi-Fi: WiFi 4 (2.4GHz).
Perfect on NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA and Genesis. Great on PS1. Good on N64 and DS. Limited or unsupported: Dreamcast, PSP, PS2 and GameCube.
5. Miyoo Mini Plus, $55
The pocket-sized retro darling: tiny, gorgeous IPS screen, and perfect for 8/16-bit gaming on the go.
At $55 it runs an Allwinner Sigmastar SSD202D with 128MB DDR3 behind a 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen, a 4:3 panel, with a 3000mAh battery, 136g in the hand, a vertical body and Linux (Onion OS) as the operating system. Controls: D-pad, no analog sticks. Wi-Fi: WiFi 4 (2.4GHz).
Perfect on NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA and Genesis. Good on PS1. Limited or unsupported: N64, Dreamcast, PSP, DS, PS2 and GameCube.
Side by Side
| Device | Price | Chip | Screen | OS | Weighted score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket Classic | $99 | Qualcomm Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 | 3.92" 1240x1080 | Android 14 | 109 |
| Anbernic RG353VS | $70 | Rockchip RK3566 | 3.5" 640x480 | Linux (custom) | 66 |
| Anbernic RG353V | $90 | Rockchip RK3566 | 3.5" 640x480 | Linux / Android 11 (dual boot) | 66 |
| Anbernic RG35XX Pro | $70 | Allwinner H700 | 3.5" 640x480 | Linux (custom) | 42 |
| Miyoo Mini Plus | $55 | Allwinner Sigmastar SSD202D | 3.5" 640x480 | Linux (Onion OS) | 27 |
Weighted score is the same number the ranking uses. Open any device for the full spec sheet, or put two of them into the comparison tool.
Which One Should You Buy?
The Retroid Pocket Classic at $99 is the strongest device on this page and the one to buy if the budget stretches. The Anbernic RG353VS at $70 is the best score per dollar. The Miyoo Mini Plus at $55 is the cheapest way into this shape, and for everything it rates perfect it gives up nothing to the pricier options.
Related reading: Miyoo Mini Plus Review — Still the Best Budget Handheld? (2026), Anbernic RG353V Review — Vertical Retro Done Right (2026), Anbernic RG353V vs RG353VS: Which One Should You Buy?, Anbernic RG35XX Plus vs Miyoo Mini Plus: Which One Should You Buy?.
FAQ
What is the best vertical retro handheld?
The Retroid Pocket Classic at $99 ranks first in my database. It is the only vertical handheld with an Android chip strong enough for PS2 and GameCube.
What is the cheapest vertical retro handheld?
The Miyoo Mini Plus at $55. It runs everything through PS1 perfectly and is the most pocketable device on the page.
Are vertical handhelds bad for PSP?
They are the wrong shape for it. PSP is 16:9 and a vertical 4:3 screen shows it letterboxed. The Retroid Pocket Classic runs PSP at full speed and the RG353V runs most of it, but a horizontal device shows more of the game.
Do vertical handhelds have analog sticks?
Most do not. The RG353V and RG353VS have one stick each and the RG35XX Pro short sticks. The Retroid Pocket Classic and the Miyoo Mini Plus have none, which rules out comfortable N64 play on either.
OnionOS | Every device in the database | Comparison tool
Last verified: September 2026