Pocket Retro Gamer - expert reviews and buying guides for retro handheld gaming devices
Pocket Retro Gamer publishes handheld reviews, buying guides, portable retro gaming news, and game recommendations for devices like Miyoo, Anbernic, Retroid, and Powkiddy.
Pocket Retro Gamer helps you choose the right hardware, skip the weak launches, and rediscover the games that still feel good on a small screen.
Handhelds tracked
63+
Stories published
161+
Review focus
3 fresh picks
Buying tools
Compare and guides
The best handheld for Pokemon depends on which generation you play. Our picks for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and GBA Pokemon games, with prices and stock re-checked.
A quick shortlist of devices worth checking before the prices move again.
Classic Game Boy inspired design with a 3.4-inch 720x480 IPS display. Great build quality and excellent for Game Boy Advance games.
Classic Game Boy inspired design with a 3.5-inch IPS display. Great build quality and excellent for Game Boy Advance games with GarlicOS support.
Latest Android handheld with full-glass screen and powerful specs. A 4.7-inch LTPS In-Cell display with full OCA lamination. Handles demanding emulation up to PS2 and GameCube.
The recent hardware coverage worth reading first, from budget classics to premium Android handhelds.
The Brick Pro fixes almost everything people wanted fixed about the Brick, except the one thing you might expect. Here is what it changes and who it suits.
The Anbernic RG Cube puts a sharp 3.95-inch square IPS in an Android 13 handheld with hall sticks and triggers. Here is what the reviewers who tested one found, and where they disagree.
The RG Rotate is a $79.99 Android handheld whose screen swings open to uncover the controls. Here is what four outlets that held one found, where they disagree, and who it is actually for.
A broader editorial mix covering setup help, current handheld news, and the games still worth your time.
Firmware, setup, and practical fixes.
GameNative, GameHub Lite, DroidDeck, Winlator or Steam Link: which to use, how to set each one up, and what the Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova and AYN Thor actually run, with every claim attributed and prices checked 13 October 2026.
CrossMix OS keeps TrimUI's stock interface and rebuilds everything behind it. Here is what it does, the version confusion nobody explains, and how to install it.
Launches, sales, and handheld movement.
DroidDeck runs Valve's real Steam client and ARM64 Proton on Android handhelds with an Adreno 730-or-newer GPU. Version 0.4.0, released 12 October 2026, adds GOG, Epic Games and Amazon Games sign-in, a SteamOS-style KDE Plasma desktop, Steam's touch controller and four-controller co-op. Here is what changed, what it needs, and which handhelds in our catalogue qualify.
Anbernic's RG SP is a clamshell Linux handheld with a 3.4-inch laminated screen and a Hall-effect sleep lid. It launched at $57.99 on a three-day discount and lists at $62.94 as of 7 October 2026.
The classics worth loading first.
Explore the best Game Boy Advance games that you can play on the ANBERNIC RG 34XX, each offering unique gameplay and nostalgia.
Dive into the best Dreamcast games that every retro gamer should try, highlighting what makes them classics in the gaming world.
The handhelds readers keep comparing, buying, and asking about.
Miyoo Mini Plus
Ultra Compact
$69.99
Anbernic RG34XX
Classic Style
$59.99
Anbernic RG405M
Premium
$119.99
Retroid Pocket 5
Android
$259
Steam Deck
Gaming PC
$639
Anbernic RG35XX
Classic Style
$47.99
The compare tool and beginner's guide are the fastest way to narrow the field without chasing forum posts for hours.
