Last Update: 5/18/2022
On this page, you’ll find a number of Retro Handhelds and additional links to tutorials / information on some of the most popular Retro Gaming handhelds. Clicking a thumbnail image will take you to the associated video. We’ll start with the most recent devices.
Table of Contents
Quick Glance
The chart below provides a quick look into the specifications on all the portable retro gaming devices discussed on the channel :
| Handheld | OS | Dual Sticks | HDMI Output | Battery | Notes |
| Anbernic RG503 |
LinuxOS | Yes | Yes | 3500mAh | Includes an OLED display, 2.4/5Ghz WiFi and a new shell design. |
| Anbernic RG552 | Android 7.1 & Linux OS | Yes | Yes | x2 3200mAh | Beautiful display, CPU is more powerful than prior generations. WiFi is 2.4Ghz (only) and no Bluetooth. |
| Powkiddy X18S | Android 11 | Yes | Yes | 5000mAh | An impressive CPU and performance. There are a few issues, check out the link to the left to learn more. |
| Anbernic RG351MP | EmuElec | Yes | No | 3500mAh | This unit has a 640×480 OCA/IPS Display. Two micro SD slots (Firmware & Games) and an RK3326 CPU (Quad Core @ 1.5GHz. |
| Anbernic RG 300X | OpenDingux | No | Yes | 2500mAh | Capable of playing up to PS1, this device uses older technology with a Game Boy Micro design. |
| Powkiddy V90 | Open Linux OS | No | No | 1020mAh | This small handheld is inexpensive and quite capable of playing most systems fairly well, with the exception of PS1. Many PS1 games will struggle. |
| FunKey S | Custom Linux | No | No | 410 mAh | The smallest folding Retro Handheld gaming device. Includes 13 emulators and more can be added. |
| RG351V | EmuElec | No | No | 3900mAh | A vertical (“V”) handheld which resembles the classic Game Boy. CPU is the RK3326. |
| ODROID-Go Super | None included (many choices – Recalbox, Batocera, EmuELEC, Retro Arena, ArkOS, LineageOS, etc. ) | Yes | No | 4000mAh | Large 5″ 854×480 display. No microSD is included. Many options exist. CPU is the RK3326. |
| RG351P/M | EmuElec | Yes | No | 3500mAh | Display is a 3.5″ 320×480 display. CPU is the RK3326. |
| Retroid Pocket 2 | Android | Yes (right is digital) | Yes | 4000mAh | CPU is a 4x Cortext-A7. Dual-boot RetroidOS or Android. |
| RK2020 | EmuElec | No | No | 2600mAh | CPU is the RK3326. |
| Powkiddy A12 | Custom RetroArch | No | Yes | 4000mAh | CPU is an ARM Cortex-A7. Not exactly a hand-held form factor, more of a small desk arcade. |
| RG280M | OpenDingux | No | No | 2500mAh | 2.8″ display (320×480). CPU is a JZ4770. |
| RG350/M/P | OpenDingux | Yes | Yes | 2500mAh (M) | CPU is a JZ4770. RG350M has a 640×480 display, RG350/P is 320×240. |
| PocketGo v2 | OpenDingux | No | No | 2000mAh | CPU is a JZ4770. |
| RG300 | OpenDingux | No | No | 1800mAh | 3″ 960×480 display. |
| Pocket Go (v1) | OpenDingux | No | No | 2000mAh | No longer available. |
| Retroflag GPi Case | RetroPie | No | No | x3 AA | Pi 0 w (sold separately) is required. |
Anbernic RG503 Review: an OLED Retro Gaming Handheld
In this video we’ll check out the RG503 Retro Gaming handheld from Anbernic. This device sports a 4.95″ OLED display at 960x544p, RK3566 CPU and has an impressive shell design.
Helpful Links
- RG503 (Anbernic’s website)
- 3D Printed Stand (Thingiverse) mentioned in the video
- USB Type C Male to USB A adapter
- Mini HDMI to HDMI Cable 6FT
- Portable Monitor
The EVERCADE Cartridge-based Retro Gaming Handheld
In this video, we’ll check out the Evercade Handheld which allows playing Retro Games using cartridges! The Evercade is great for retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors in that it provides physical media for the games you want to play. There are 6-20 games per cartridge and there are many collections available with more being released frequently.
Helpful Links
Anbernic RG552 Review & Setup with Fixes for Android + Linux
The RG552 by Anbernic is an impressive piece of tech for Retro Gaming. It has a 5.36″ IPS display, faster processor and can boot Android and Linux OS (Batocera). However, there are a few issues that you should be aware of and solutions provided in this video. Get all the facts that you need to know to make an informed decision. Also, check out the RG552 Guide which has more information.
Helpful Links
- RG3552 (Anbernic’s website)
- RG552 Guide
Powkiddy X18S Review & Setup Guide + Game Play
In this video we’ll take a look at the Powkiddy x18s. The x18 s is easily the most powerful retro gaming handheld I’ve used, but setting up the emulators can be frustrating. Check out the X18S Guide to make the setup process much easier.
Helpful Links
Anbernic RG351MP Retro Gaming Handheld: Unboxing, Game Play & Review
The RG351MP Retro Game (RG) handheld now sports an impressive 640×480 display! We’ll unbox it, check out the features and play a few games.
Where to get one
Anbernic RG 300X Review and Quick Look
In this video we’ll take a look at the RG 300X retro gaming handheld. We will unbox and try out a few games on the RG 300X. While it has an interesting Game Boy Micro aesthetic, the internal technology is a bit dated by today’s standards. Most information on the RG350 tips page is applicable to this device as a result. To add specific emulators or general use details, please see the RG350 tips guide here.
Helpful Links
PowKiddy V90: Review + How-To Setup Custom Firmware
In this video we’ll take a look at the PowKiddy V90 retro gaming handheld. When I bought this device, MAME vertical games would not scale correctly. That was, until I updated the firmware. This device is reminiscent of the Game Boy Advance SP but can play thousands of games on multiple emulators. In this video, we’ll take this ~$30-$50 handheld and update it with the most recent firmware and have an awesome (and cheap) little retro-gaming handheld!
Helpful Links
- AliExpress – Cheaper but will take awhile to receive it
- Amazon – More expensive, but faster/easier returns
- Extra set of more powerful batteries (x2): BL-5C Battery, Upgraded 3.7V 1600mAh Li-ion Replacement (Amazon) – Installed in my V90 and are working well (Thanks to Russell B. for the tip!)
FunKey S Review: Smallest Retro Gaming Handheld + How to Setup MAME
The FunKey S is without a doubt the smallest retro gaming handheld I’ve ever owned. While it’s small, it is relatively powerful, includes 13 emulators and you can add more -including MAME! Let’s see how it performs in the video to the right.
Helpful Links
RG351V – Wood Grain
The RG351V Retro Game (RG) handheld has built-in WiFi and comes in 3 variants including gray, black transparent and wood grain! This vertically oriented Anbernic device sports the familiar RK3326 CPU but with a 640×480 display (4:3), let’s check it out! More info. available on the RG351 page located here.
Helpful Links
- RG351V – Anbernic’s webside
- RG351VÂ (Amazon)
- List of Supported Platforms (EmuElec)
ODROID GO Super: Checking out Recalbox, EmuElec & Batocera – No Tweaks
In this video we’ll check out the new ODROID-Go Super Retro Gaming handheld by HardKernel. We’ll try out 3 popular operating systems, including: Recalbox (v7.1.1-Reloaded), EmuELEC (v4.0) & Batocera (v30). This device has most of the same specs as the ODROID-Go Advance, but with a 5″ display and a larger-capacity battery.
Visit my ODROID-Go Super Guide for the latest notes & tips.
RG351M by Anbernic – Unboxing and First Look!
In this video, we will take a look at the new RG351M with built-in WiFi and an aluminum shell! This is the latest addition to the RG (Retro Game) family.
While it shares most of the specifications with the RG-351p there are a few differences between the two, let’s talk about it.
Visit the RG351M page for more details.
The Retroid Pocket 2: Quick and Easy Getting-Started Guide
In this video, we will take a look at Retroid Pocket 2.
We’ll unbox, set it up and of course try a few games/systems! At the end, I’ll let you know my thoughts on the unit.
Check out the Retroid Pocket 2 page for more. There is also a video which demonstrates how to run various virtual pinball games on the Retroid Pocket 2. Something I find personally exciting!
Powkiddy A12 Review and How-to Quickly generate your own Game List
Here, we are going to check out the Powkiddy A12. Not only that, we are going to make it better! The only issue I had with this unit was that the game-list is all in Chinese.
However, in this video I’ll show you how to create your own custom game list from your own games, with artwork using a PC or a Raspberry Pi 4. Best of all, game list generation is quick and easy.
For much more info/details check out the Powkiddy A12 Tips page here.
RK2020 Retro Portable Handheld – Play Dreamcast, PSP, N64 and more!
In this video we will take a look at the RK2020 which is a portable handheld that allows you to play Nintendo 64, Play Station Portable and Dreamcast games.
Let’s check it out.
RG280M by Anbernic: Unbox, Compare with RG350M, Game-play & Review
Let’s take a look at the RG-280M with an aluminum shell! The RG280M is the latest device from Anbernic, it is smaller, has one stick and a 320×480 IPS display. How does it compare to the recently released RG350M and how do the games look?
More details and additional information may be found on the RG350 Tips page located here.
RG350M Review – The Metal version of the popular RG350 + Tips!
In this video, we will take a look at the RG-350M with an aluminum shell! This is the latest addition to the RG-350 product line which also includes a new 640×480 IPS display. While it shares many specifications with the original RG-350 there are some differences between the two.
- RG-350M from TomTop (~$110 USD)
More details and additional information may be found on the RG350 Tips page located here.
Pocket Go Version 2 Review and Game play: Demonstration of GB, FBA, Sega, NES, SNES, MAME and more!
In this video, we’ll take a look at the PocketGo Version 2!
We’ll go over the specifications, un box, game play and identify a few issues so you can decide if they are important to you, or not.
Check out our Pocket Go Version 2 Tips page!
Retro Game 350 (RG350): Unboxing, Gameplay +Review/Tips – Demo of PS1, MAME(ARCADE), NES, SNES & FBA
In this video we’ll Un-Box, Review and play games on the Retro Game 350 (RG350). We’ll also show several systems and games being played on a number of the included emulators including: NEOGEO, PS1, MAME4All, NES, SNES, FBA and more.
RG350: Tips and Tricks – Definitely check out this page, lots of information covering most aspects of using your new RG-350!
Helpful Links
- RG350 (on Amazon)
- Handheld Retro Gaming Stand (on Thingiverse) – FREE Download created by WTT!
- Win32 DiskImager (OpenSource Software) – Software used to duplicate my RG300 microSD
Retro Game 300: The FULL Guide to Firmware Upgrade, Unbox, Setup, Tips and Review of the RG300 +MAME
We’ll take a look at the Retro Game 300, also known as the RG300. This Retro Gaming device has a 3″ screen, firmware upgradable, 3007 games pre-installed, L/R buttons and many emulators. Check out this thorough review that will take you from Unboxing, firmware upgrade, gameplay, tips and much more! Yes, the video is a little long, but you’ll learn everything you need to know in one video!
Where to find the RG300
- Retro Game 300 (on Amazon)
UPDATE (9/29/2019): The Intellivision emulator DOES WORK! Thanks to one of our viewers, Thomas, for the info. To get it to work, search for “OpenEmuBIOSPack”. Then, copy the following files to the roms/intellivision folder that contains the games: ecs.bin, exec.bin, grom.bin & voice.bin. That’s it!
Software and Tools Used for the Firmware Upgrade
PocketGo by BittBoy Review and Demonstration – Pocket Retro Gaming Handheld (Less than $40)
In this video, we’ll take a look at the new BittBoy Pocket Go, a less than $40 USD retro gaming device. This impressive gaming console can play the following systems:
- NES
- Game Boy
- Game Boy Color
- Game Boy Advance
- SNES
- Mega Drive
- Sega Master System
- PC Engine
- NeoGEO
- MAME
- PS1
You can get yours in the links below
- PocketGo (on Amazon)
- On Bittboy’s Website
- Retromimi (from Hong Kong)
How-To Setup: Retroflag GPi CASE – RetroPie on a RPi Zero W – ARCADE in your Pocket!
Here we’ll unbox, assemble and configure the microSD for the newly released Retroflag GPi CASE! For the latest information, also please see the link below. As I receive feedback, with problems or improvements I will update this page.
Setup Instructions to compliment this video
Purchase Links
- Retroflag GPi case for Raspberry Pi Zero W
- Pi Zero W (on Adafruit – best price) or with more accessories that aren’t useful for this particular build on Amazon here.
- Samsung 128GB microSD
- eneloop Rechargable Battery Kit – not the cheapest, but a good set of batteries
Change Log
- 2022-05-18 – Added the Anbernic RG503 Handheld review.
- 2022-01-23 – Added Evercade Handheld review.
- 2021-12-20 – Added the Anbernic RG552.
- 2021-10-12 – Added the RG351MP review.
- 2021-08-08 – Minor edits.
- 2021-07-28 – Added Powkiddy V90 review.
- 2021-06-04 – Added the FunKey S review.
- 2021-03-22 – Add RG351V to the list.