Best retro handheld emulator consoles: Anbernic, Ayn, Miyoo & more
Reliving the glory days is made easier with the best retro handheld emulator devices, and luckily there are a range of devices on the market to bring back those memories.
Nostalgia can have a powerful effect on us all, and people interested in early titles like those for the NES or Game Boy 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.
The best retro handheld consoles
1. Anbernic RG556
Anbernic, Pexels- 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
- 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
- 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- 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+
- 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- 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.
7. Anbernic RG35XXSP
- CPU: H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53
- Graphics: Dual-core Mali-G31 MP2
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: Dual card slots, support TF card expansion, maximum 512GB
- Display: 3.5-inch IPS
- Operating System: Custom Linux
- Weight: 192g
- Price: Starts from $64.99
| Pros | Cons |
| Under $80 | 4:3 screen crunches vertical & widescreen gaming |
| Clamshell design | Stock OS isn’t up to par with third-parties |
| Surprisingly powerful | Mini HDMI port |
One of the latest handhelds from Anbernic, the RG35XXSP takes its inspiration from the Game Boy Advance SP.
However, it’s far more than just a Game Boy emulator machine, as it can run everything up to some early Dreamcast titles. Clocking in with a sub-$70 price tag, you’re not only getting a pretty nifty machine that can do some serious legwork in the emulation space.
You’re also getting one of the best-designed handhelds on the market. Is it fair to say that, when it’s a clone of Nintendo’s design? Yes, we think so. Anbernic doesn’t try to fix what’s not broken.
The clamshell look is more than just compact, as the RG35XXSP also comes with a built-in screen protector thanks to its clamshell design.
It’s perfect for quick play sessions and in our RG35XXSP review, we said it had great build quality on top of everything else. We’d also recommend installing a community OS, as the stock operating system isn’t quite up to scratch.
How to choose the best retro handheld emulator console
With so many retro handheld emulators to choose from, and even more on their way, it can be difficult to know which one is best suited to help you next relive your nostalgic gaming endeavors.
Not everyone has the means, or the budget, to accommodate our top picks. With that in mind, there are some things to consider before buying your first retro handheld emulator:
- Price: With retro gaming handhelds still being relatively niche, that can drive up the price for these nostalgic devices. The Ayn Odin 2 sets the bar high with an MSRP of $299, around the same cost as picking up the launch version of the Nintendo Switch.
However, no matter how expensive retro handheld emulators get, the real deal can be just as costly, if not more expensive. Taking that into account, we still always recommend ensuring the device you want is in keeping with your budget. Especially if you only want it for short bursts of old-school gaming. - Screen size: The bigger the screen size, the bigger the handheld. If you favor making sure you can keep your retro handheld emulator in your pocket, picking up the Analogue Pocket or the Anbernic RG35XXSP with their compact 3.5-inch displays is a good plan.
It’s also worth considering what old games you want to play, as not all screen sizes and resolutions are ideal for every console library you want to emulate. - Accessibility: Not all retro handheld emulators are straightforward to use. If you want to avoid the stress of loading up your own games, picking a retro handheld emulator, like the Miyoo Mini+, that’s pre-loaded with games to play is a no-brainer.
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