The Miyoo Mini Plus is the handheld that retro gaming subreddits have been recommending non-stop for years — a $39.99 pocketable device with a sharp 3.5-inch IPS panel, mature OnionOS support, and emulation capability through PS1. Is it still the right pick in 2026, with newer devices like the Anbernic RG34XX and Powkiddy RGB30 in the mix? After months of daily use, here's the honest answer.
Price: $39.99 at LitNXT. Buy the Miyoo Mini Plus at LitNXT → — use code NY2026 for 12% off.
Quick verdict
The Miyoo Mini Plus is still the best ultra-portable retro handheld at any price under $50 in 2026. The screen is excellent, OnionOS is a genuinely transformative custom firmware, and the form factor genuinely fits a jeans pocket. It is not the right pick if you want a bigger screen, dual analog sticks, or anything more powerful than PS1 — for that, look at the Anbernic RG40XX V or Retroid Pocket 5.
Key features and design
The Mini Plus is what you get when an engineer optimizes for the smallest possible device that still handles PS1 emulation. The 3.5-inch IPS panel is laminated, bright, and color-accurate — better than the GBA SP, better than any phone screen of its era. The plastic shell is solid without feeling cheap, USB-C charging finally arrived on a sub-$50 handheld, and the speaker is fine for casual play (headphones recommended for anything that depends on audio cues).
The single analog stick is hall-effect with no drift in our testing. The D-pad is genuine 4-direction (not microswitch-style) and feels right for fighting games and platformers.
Specifications at a glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | Allwinner H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Mali G31 MP2 |
| RAM | 1GB LPDDR4 |
| Screen | 3.5-inch IPS, 640×480, full lamination |
| Storage | Single MicroSD |
| Battery | 3,000mAh, ~6h gameplay |
| OS | Stock Miyoo + OnionOS (community) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), USB-C |
| Dimensions | 121 × 75 × 16 mm, 145g |
| Price | $39.99 |
Performance by system
The Mini Plus shares the H700 chip with multiple Anbernic devices in the same price range. Performance is:
- GB / GBC: Perfect. Pokémon Crystal, Link's Awakening, Tetris DX — all flawless.
- NES / Master System / Game Gear: Effortless 60fps.
- SNES / Genesis: Smooth, including SuperFX and S-DD1 titles.
- GBA: Flawless. The full GBA library runs at native speed.
- PS1: Plays the full library at full speed via DuckStation. Some demanding titles (R4: Ridge Racer Type 4) benefit from frame-skip but most just work.
- N64: Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 play; anything 3D-heavy will struggle.
- PSP / Dreamcast / GameCube: No.
OnionOS is the headline feature
Stock firmware is fine. OnionOS is what makes the Mini Plus great. Save states, rewind, themes, box-art scraping, organized libraries by console, hotkeys, per-game emulator settings — all things the stock OS lacks.
We have a complete OnionOS setup guide and benefits breakdown: Onion OS for Miyoo Mini Plus: Complete Setup Guide & Benefits.
If you're not going to install OnionOS, you might as well buy a different handheld — most of the Mini Plus's reputation rides on what the custom firmware enables.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- True pocketable form (jeans pocket, not jacket pocket)
- 3.5-inch laminated IPS panel is genuinely good
- OnionOS custom firmware is best-in-class
- 6-hour battery life realistic
- USB-C charging
- $39.99 — best price-per-feature on the market
Cons:
- Single MicroSD slot (one card holds OS + games)
- Single analog stick — no twin-stick games
- Hardware stops at PS1
- Speaker is mediocre
- Plastic shell scratches with use
How it compares
| Device | Form | Screen | Power | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miyoo Mini Plus (this device) | Vertical, smallest | 3.5" 640×480 | Up to PS1 | $39.99 | LitNXT → |
| Miyoo Mini V4 | Even smaller | 2.8" | Up to GBA | $109.99 | LitNXT → |
| Anbernic RG34XX | Horizontal (GBA shape) | 3.4" 720×480 | Up to PS1 | $59.99 | Anbernic → |
| Anbernic RG40XX V | Vertical, larger | 4.0" 640×480 | Up to PS1 | $89.99 | LitNXT → |
| Powkiddy RGB30 | Square | 4.0" 720×720 | Up to PS1 | $69.99 | LitNXT → |
| Miyoo Mini Flip | Clamshell | 3.5" 640×480 | Up to PS1 | $39.99 | LitNXT → |
The Mini Plus's closest competitor is the Anbernic RG34XX — a GBA-shaped device that's $20 more and has a slightly sharper screen. The Mini Plus wins on pure portability; the RG34XX wins on screen quality and ergonomics.
Should you buy the Miyoo Mini Plus?
Yes if:
- You want the smallest credible retro handheld
- You'll install OnionOS (and you should)
- $40 is the right entry point
- Your library leans Game Boy through PS1
Skip it if:
- You want N64 / PSP / Dreamcast — go to the Retroid Pocket 5
- You want a bigger screen — the RG40XX V is $90 and has 4 inches
- You want a clamshell — the Miyoo Mini Flip is the same price in flip form
The Miyoo Mini Plus is the cheapest "first retro handheld" recommendation I make, and I haven't found a reason to stop recommending it. The price-to-feature ratio remains unbeaten in 2026.
Buy the Miyoo Mini Plus at LitNXT → — $39.99, free shipping, NY2026 for 12% off.
Browse more in our Miyoo device guide or compare every handheld on the devices page.
