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Welcome to the latest edition of Retro Handhelds Weekly. This week, we saw a bunch of news in the world of hardware and software. Our writing team continues to be on an absolute tear, and there’s even a surprise or two sprinkled in! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and catch up on what’s happened this week in the world of Retro Handhelds.
Table of Contents
Hardware
If there’s one thing we know about retro handhelds, it’s that there is always something new around the corner. Seriously, it’s “worse” than smartphones, as some companies release new handhelds every other week. On the bright side, at least there’s no shortage of options.
Miyoo Mini Flip Launches Tonight!
The next device from Miyoo is finally official, with Miyoo announcing that the Mini Flip will arrive on October 19th at 8:00 PM PT (11 PM ET). Miyoo aims to capture lightning in a bottle for a second time by taking the beloved Miyoo Mini experience and cramming it into a nostalgic, ultra-portable clamshell design.
Miyoo Mini Flip (Direct) Miyoo Mini Flip (AE)
Anbernic RG DS Gets Shown Off Playing 3DS Games In New Video
Anbernic has revealed new footage of their upcoming RG DS clamshell, showing the device in action for the first time. The engineering prototype in the video is a premium-looking device, and the hype factor is real when combined with a remarkably cheap price point.
MANGMI Air X Is Finally Here: Snapdragon Power, Sub-$100 Price
It’s been a long and arduous journey to get to this point, but the MANGMI Air X is FINALLY available to order, directly from the company. If you manage to jump in quickly, the Early Bird Offer will knock $10 off the retail price, and you’ll get a free carrying case, all for just shy of $80.
AYANEO Pocket Air Mini Pre-orders go LIVE starting at $69.99
The new Pocket Air Mini initially looked to be no more than a squished version of the Pocket Air from 2023, having a 4.2-inch LCD 4:3 screen rather than the 16:9 OLED in the Pocket Air; however, the actual device has targeted a much more budget audience.
GameMT E3 Vigor Officially Teased With 1:1 Aspect Ratio
A rather surprising YouTube video has surfaced showing what appears to be a new device from GameMT called the GameMT E3 Vigor. Porting a 1:1 screen, similar to the PowKiddy RGB30 and Anbernic RG CubeXX, the new device purportedly runs on an Android operating system. Since little else has currently been shared about the device, it’s hard to speculate about the capabilities of the GAMEMT E3 Vigor.
More Hardware News
- abxylute N6
- MCON Available For Pre-order From Ohsnap
- Atari To Revive The Mattel Intellivision
- The Definitive Book of SNES RPGs Vol. 1 Pre-Order is Live
Apps and Software
Don’t get me wrong, hardware is definitely fun and exciting to talk about. But what good is an awesome handheld if it doesn’t even work? That’s where software and custom firmware come into play, so here’s everything you might’ve missed this week.
Lost Ratchet & Clank Game Found After 20 Years
In another huge win for game preservation, a long-lost Ratchet & Clank game has been uncovered following an astonishing 19-year wait. As reported by GamesRadar+, the previously scrapped mobile title Ratchet & Clank: Clone Home has been recovered and is now available for everyone to play.
Playdate GB Emulator CrankBoy Updated To 1.1.0
The team behind the Playdate’s best Game Boy emulator, CrankBoy, have released version 1.1.0 to GitHub. This update features enhancements across the board, detailed on their Patreon page. The release addresses community feedback aimed at improving performance and introduces a host of new features.
PortMaster Roundup: October 1st-15th
The first half of October has been chock-full of bangers for PortMaster fans. Individual setup instructions are available on the PortMaster website. So far this month, Ready-to-Run titles include the likes of OpenRA, PacMan ROM, Ikemen Engine, and others. But there are also some pretty great games to enjoy despite needing to either purchase the original game, or manually transfer some files over.
More Software News
- Play Ten New Dreamcast Games For Free!
- Lost Shmup And Bomberman Games Unearthed
- First-Person Horror Pinball Game Now Available In English
From the Writers
While there’s always a lot of news to cover and talk about, we also try to take a step back and give everyone something a bit different to enjoy. These are the more editorial-styled articles and reviews that you might have missed over the course of this week.
How to Save the Powkiddy V90s by Installing PlumOS
Clock Tower on the V90s
Several weeks ago, everyone’s favorite YouTuber, Zu, made a video about the Powkiddy V90s and whether Knulli could save the device from mediocrity, before eventually deciding the V90s was “the disappointing progeny of one of the all-time greats”. Frequently, I agree with Zu, but this was one of the times where mine and his opinions were polar opposites.
I kinda love the V90s. I love the cheapness of it and how, especially in the yellow colorway I own, it looks like a children’s toy. While I haven’t yet got my hands on the second revision of the Anbernic RG35XXSP or the RG34XXSP, I do own a Miyoo Flip and the first revision of the RG35XXSP, and I prefer the feel of the V90s over both of them. The fact that the device is also so cheap (it’s available direct from Powkiddy for $40 with a coupon at the time of writing) also endears it to me.
Why the Xbox Ally Matters
After almost two weeks of using the ROG Xbox Ally, I am convinced that it has the potential to shake up the x86 market in a way we haven’t seen since the Steam Deck. This isn’t a situation where we’re looking at an amazingly powerful new chip, or drastically improved efficiency or battery life.
In a lot of ways, the individual parts and components of the Xbox Ally are pedestrian. They’re things we’ve seen before, and in some cases, things we’ve seen cheaper on other devices. So why do I think the Xbox Ally matters so much? It all comes down to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Game console R350S Review: Cheap, Playable, but Compromised
The search for the elusive diamond handheld in the budget rough can occasionally yield some surprising results. Devices like the BatleXP G350 or R36S offer a gateway to emulation at a budget price. Finding these gems, though, often means slogging through a slew of copycat competitors, where there’s often more chaff than wheat.
Enter the Game console (note the lowercase-c) R350S. A device that looks to be attempting to take a bite out of the Anbernic RG35XX or Miyoo Mini+ markets. But is there still room for such a device in the 2025 handheld emulation landscape?
Nintendo Switch 2: 3 Months Later
June brought about the biggest console launch in years. Outside of the constant leaks and discussion that ended up getting one company sued in the process. The Nintendo Switch 2 is exactly what a lot of people wanted. Most of what some people needed, and almost nothing that would improve my experience over a Switch OLED. But I still bought one. The Nintendo Switch 2 is what can still be called the handheld most people will end up buying. But depending on your needs, that might not include you.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X Hands-On: First Xbox Handheld Experience
One more day. There’s just one more day before the latest Windows handhelds are released to the masses, as the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are arriving. Ahead of the launch, we were fortunate enough to spend some time with these handhelds, which was downright awesome.
During our briefing, we learned about the partnership between Microsoft and ASUS, along with AMD’s role in these new handhelds. Sadly, I didn’t get to spend as much time with either of these compared to Stubbs or Zu, but I still came away with a few thoughts.
Kinhank K56 Review: Could Have Been Better
Are you lazy? I’m not talking about a workout routine or getting around to doing your laundry, but rather in setting up your handhelds. Do you leave your Android devices just sitting around on the home page because you don’t feel like setting up launchers or proper configurations for them? Sometimes, that’s how I am, and in the end, I feel I don’t use those handhelds as much by comparison.
Radical Retrospective: Goofy Hyuck’s Pro Skater
I’d like to tell you that I spent a lot of time researching today’s Radical Retrospective. I could tell you that I was planning a piece on Disney’s checkered history with extreme sports games, or abandoned skateboarding games from PC gaming’s weirdest decade, and I’d be telling the truth, but neither of those brought me to Disney’s Extremely Goofy Skateboarding.
Prior to 1999’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, good skateboarding games were mostly confined to arcades, and while Pro Skater wasn’t the first skateboarding game for home consoles, it was the first to spawn true imitators.
Depending on who you ask, 2000s Grind Session was actually in development as far back as 1997, when Shaba Games was first formed by former members of the Crystal Dynamics team. As the story goes, Sony approached Shaba directly with an outline for a PlayStation-exclusive skateboarding game.
On the YouTubes
Don’t think that the writers are the only ones getting things done. The RH video team is constantly working on new videos, and now’s the best time to subscribe.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Hit the button below to check out our favorite deals of the week. We know how much everyone loves a good deal, so we’ve been cooking up something to help you get the best deal possible.
Retro Handhelds Deals of the WeekHandheld.Deals
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