Comparisons

Last updated: September 2026 Vertical handhelds are the Game Boy shape: screen on top, controls underneath, tall and narrow. They are the most pocketable …

Last updated: September 2026 Under $200 is the most interesting price band in retro handhelds because it is where the Android devices take over and PS2, …

Last updated: September 2026 Under $100 is where most people buy their first retro handheld, and it is also where the spec sheets lie the most. Every device at …

Last updated: September 2026 PSP is the sweet spot for handheld emulation. The library is huge, the games were designed for a small screen and a single stick, …

Last updated: September 2026 PS2 is where cheap retro handhelds stop pretending. Everything below about $100 runs 8-bit and 16-bit games flawlessly and then …

Last updated: September 2026 PS1 is the last system that the cheap handhelds run properly, and the first one where the screen size starts to matter for reading …

Last updated: September 2026 N64 is the system that separates the $35 handhelds from the $70 ones. The chip that runs SNES and PS1 flawlessly for pocket money …

Last updated: September 2026 Every handheld in my database from $55 up runs Game Boy Advance games perfectly, and the $35 R36S comes within a few titles of it, …

Last updated: September 2026 GameCube is the second wall after PS2. Dolphin is a superb emulator, but it wants a GPU that the sub-$100 Linux handhelds do not …

Last updated: September 2026 Clamshell retro handhelds exist because the Game Boy Advance SP and the DS were clamshells, and a screen that closes over its own …

Last updated: September 2026 Android is where retro handhelds stop being retro. The Linux devices top out at PS1 because their chips do; an Android handheld on …

If you want a square-screen retro handheld, this is the fight that actually matters. The Powkiddy RGB30 was the weird little handheld that made people realize a …

The GBA SP was one of Nintendo’s best ideas. A backlit screen, a hinge that protected it in your pocket, and a form factor that just worked. So it was …

This is one of those comparisons that shouldn’t be confusing — and yet people agonize over it constantly. The Anbernic RG353V and Anbernic RG353VS share …

These are the two cheapest retro handhelds worth talking about, and the internet will not shut up about either of them. The R36S went viral on TikTok as the …

This is one of those comparisons that looks straightforward on paper but gets surprisingly messy once you start digging in. The TrimUI Smart Pro and the …

This is one of the most interesting matchups in the retro handheld space right now. The Retroid Pocket 5 and AYANEO Pocket S both target the premium Android …

Here’s the thing about the mid-range Android handheld space in 2026: it’s crowded, competitive, and confusing. The Anbernic RG556 and Retroid Pocket …

If you’ve spent any time browsing r/SBCGaming or watching retro handheld videos, you’ve seen these two devices recommended more than any others. The …

Last updated: March 2026 PlayStation 1 emulation is solved. Like, actually solved. The PS1 was cracked wide open decades ago and the emulators available today …

Last updated: March 2026 Retro handhelds get all the attention, but sometimes you just want to sit on the couch, grab a controller, and play retro games on a …

Last updated: March 2026 The PlayStation 2 had one of the greatest game libraries ever made. Over 4,000 titles. And thanks to emulation, that library …

Last updated: March 2026 You want a handheld emulator. The market has exploded and there are now 40+ devices worth considering. This guide cuts through the …

GoRetroid dropped two handhelds at the same time and created one of the most agonizing decisions in the retro handheld space. The Retroid Pocket G2 and Retroid …

The retro handheld market in 2026 is absurd — in the best way possible. Whether you’ve got $70 or $160 to spend, there’s a device that can emulate …