Best retro handheld emulator consoles: Anbernic, Ayn, Miyoo & more

Looking for the best retro handheld emulator consoles in 2024? We’ve assembled a comprehensive list of the very best options available. You just need to know what you are shopping for.

Retro gaming now covers a huge range of consoles and games from the 80s until the early 2000s. Nostalgia can have a powerful effect on us all, and luckily there are a range of devices on the market that can help players relive the glory days. But, you’ll need to focus on exactly what you want from a retro handheld emulator console first.

People interested in early titles like those for the NES or GameBoy will have a broader range of options than those who want to emulate the Nintendo 64, or the notoriously tricky SEGA Saturn.

The next thing to consider is the budget. There are some inexpensive handheld emulators out there, but they will lack features compared to the more expensive premium competitors.

We’ve listed our choices for the best handheld retro emulation machine, along with the pros and cons to help you make the right choice.

1. Anbernic RG556

Anbernic, Pexels

Specifications:

• CPU: Unisoc T820 CPU
• Graphics: Quad Core Mali G57
• RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
• Storage: 128GB
• Display: 5.4-inch AMOLED screen
• Operating System: Android 13
• Weight: 330g
• Price: $184.99

Pros	Cons
Bright and vivid display	Custom RG launcher is underbaked
Great build quality	Not as powerful as some other handhelds
Stays nice and cool

The Anbernic RG556’s biggest advantage is its impressive specs. It features a Unisoc T820 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a large battery. All of this means that it is capable of handling emulation of pretty much anything right up to the PlayStation 2 era.

The Anbernic RG556 can even take on the task of emulating tricky consoles like the Saturn, though not every game will run well. The stand-out feature of the Anbernic RG556 is the 5.4-inch AMOLED screen, which shows everything in crystal clear quality.

The downside of the Anbernic RG556 is that the user interface can be counterintuitive and often requires a lot of fiddling to get it right. Thanks to its other great features like its power, screen, and ergonomics it should be considered worth its $184.99 price tag.

2. Ayn Odin 2

Specifications:

• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
• Graphics: Adreno 740 GPU
• RAM: Up to 16GB
• Storage: up to 512GB
• Display: 6-inch IPS touchscreen
• Operating System: Android 13
• Weight: 420g
• Price: $299

Pros	Cons
Comfortable to hold for long periods	Uses Micro HDMI for external connection
Excellent Android performance	Expensive for a pure emulation handheld
Hall Effect sticks

It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the words ‘retro gaming handheld’, but this Android-based device is a very capable emulation machine.

Thanks to its modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the Ayn Odin 2 has some serious power inside its shell. It can handle anything that the Anbernic RG556 can, plus more besides. It isn’t quite as compact and ergonomic as the Anbernic RG556, or other devices on this list, but it is still quite comfortable to use, and its Android interface should be familiar to most.

The major downside of the Ayn Odin 2 is the price. At $299 for the base model, it’s a bit difficult to justify if its main job will be acting as a retro emulator.

3. Analogue Pocket

Specifications:

• CPU: Altera Cyclone V, Altera Cyclone 10
• RAM: 32MB
• Storage: Expandable via MicroSD
• Display: 3.5-inch LCD
• Operating System: Analogue OS
• Weight: 275g
• Price: $220

Pros	Cons
Accurate emulation thanks to FPGA	Not consistently in stock
Excellent build quality	Is a bit small for large hands
Great battery life

Analogue built its reputation by delivering superb quality and extremely accurate hardware emulation. Many modern devices rely on software emulation devices to recreate the gaming experience, but Analogue products instead use ‘FPGA’.

FPGA, or Field Programmable Gate Array, allows the internal circuitry to behave more like the electronics found inside old retro hardware. This improves the quality of the emulation for a more authentic experience.

The Analogue Pocket was highly sought after when it first launched, because not only could it emulate the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, but also used the cartridges created for those systems.

At $220, the price might put some people off, but the build quality and the ability to use original cartridges are likely to attract more than a few users.

4. Evercade EXP

Evercade

Specifications:

• CPU: 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A7 SoC
• RAM: 4GB
• Display: 4.3-inch IPS screen
• Operating System: Custom Linux
• Weight: 270g
• Price: $149.99

Pros	Cons
Beautiful display screen	USB and Bluetooth controllers not supported
Amazing library of licensed games	Not compatible with Bluetooth headsets
TATE vertical mode option

The Evercade series of handhelds takes a slightly different route when it comes to emulating games. Instead of having a host of game ROMs built into the device, it instead uses cartridges. This throwback method allows users to collect physical media as well as trade and lend out games just like in the good old days.

There are now well over 300 games available for the Evercade, and each one is officially licensed. Users of the Evercade EXP will never need to worry about a lawsuit bricking their device, as a huge range of developers such as Atari, Capcom and Namco have all given their blessing to Evercade.

The Evercade EXP has been praised for its build quality, and it supports a horizontal and vertical mode, a rarity amongst handheld devices.

5. Miyoo Mini+

Specifications:

• CPU: ARM Cortex A7
• RAM: 128MB
• Storage: MicroSD card up to 128GB
• Display: 3.2-inch IPS screen
• Operating System: Linux
• Weight: 162g
• Price: $109

Pros	Cons
Powerful specs	OS is awkward
Good build quality	No Bluetooth compatibility

If you want something super portable and suitable to slip into your pocket or bag whenever you are out and about, then the Miyoo Mini+ is a definite contender. There’s a reason it got high marks during our review.

Despite the diminutive size, it sports some decent specs, with a 1.2Ghz CPU, 128MB of RAM, and a 3000mAh battery.

It has an excellent screen that can deliver clear and crisp graphics for a surprisingly large range of games. It is particularly well-suited for titles from the Game Boy line, and there are certainly much worse ways to spend your time than playing some Golden Sun as you wait for a train.

Remarkably, it can handle anything up to the PlayStation 1 era, making it an impressively versatile device, and at only $84.95 it is quite affordable.

6: Retroid Pocket 2S

Retroid, Pexels

Specifications:

• CPU: ARM Cortex-A7
• Graphics: Mali-400 MP2
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 8GB (option for microSD card expansion)
• Display: 3.5-inch IPS
• Operating System: Android 8.1
• Weight: 196g
• Price: $99.90

Pros	Cons
Inexpensive	Low screen resolution
Hall Effect sticks	Struggles with demanding games
Good specs

The Retroid Pocket 2S is a fairly blocky-looking device that conceals something quite capable. It can emulate anything up to the Dreamcast and GameCube with a fair amount of success and can handle a wide range of PSP games too.

Though it costs a modest $99, it has some lovely premium features, such as the Hall Effect analog sticks and redesigned shoulder buttons. For an extra $20, it is even possible to upgrade the RAM to 4GB, which is a pretty good investment.

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