Guides
Black Friday retro handheld deals in the UK: how to judge one
No price list, just a checklist for judging a retro handheld deal in the UK: the maker's price, import VAT, returns, warranty, stock and charger.
8 min read
Guides
How-to guides and explainers for handheld gaming.
Guides
Retro handheld chips explained: H700, Snapdragon and more
Decodes the chip names makers list on retro handhelds, explains our entry, mid, high and flagship tiers, and says what those tiers cannot tell you.
8 min read
Guides
microSD cards for retro handhelds: sizes, classes and slots
What the card does in a retro handheld, what makers state about slots and maximum sizes, and what the SD Association capacity and speed labels mean.
7 min read
Guides
IPS vs OLED vs LCD retro handheld screens: stated labels and figures
Compares the IPS, OLED and LCD labels across 34 retro handhelds, with stated sizes and resolutions and pixel density worked out from the maker's figures. It does not explain how the panel types work.
7 min read
Guides
How to choose a retro handheld: a six-question checklist
Six questions to ask before buying a retro handheld, each answered with the stated figures on our pages and example devices from the catalogue.
7 min read
Guides
Best retro handhelds for PS2 and GameCube: stated hardware
Six handhelds ordered by the chip, memory and cooling their makers list. No device here is tested, and no maker promises PS2 or GameCube performance.
10 min read
Guides
Android vs Linux retro handhelds: what the OS changes
What the operating system changes for a retro handheld owner: updates, software, storage and controls, using only maker statements and named catalogue devices.
7 min read
Guides
What is a retro handheld? Kinds, systems and what to expect
A definition-first guide to retro handhelds: the kinds by shape and operating system, what they can and cannot do, and where a first-time buyer should start.
7 min read
Guides
Retro handheld battery life explained: mAh and maker hours
What mAh means, why the hours on a product page are the maker's own estimate, and how stated capacities and hours compare across 28 handhelds, 17 of which state hours.
8 min read
Guides
How to read retro handheld specs, row by row
Every spec row on a PlayGearHQ device page explained with catalogue examples, including what "not stated by the maker" tells you.
7 min read
Guides
Best Vertical Retro Handhelds: Upright Game Boy Style Picks
Three upright, Game Boy style retro handhelds compared from maker-stated size, screen and battery, plus the devices we left out for lack of proof.
10 min read
Guides
Best retro handhelds in the UK: eight picks from entry to flagship
Eight retro handhelds across entry, mid, high and flagship tiers, chosen from each maker's own stated specs and prices, not from testing.
9 min read
Guides
Best Retro Handhelds for GBA: 3:2 and 4:3 Screens Compared
Which retro handhelds suit Game Boy Advance games? We compare 3:2 and 4:3 screens, size, weight and stated battery, from maker figures only.
10 min read
Guides
Best Clamshell Retro Handhelds: Flip Designs Compared
Four folding retro handhelds confirmed by their makers' pages, plus two flip-style names we could not confirm, compared from stated specs only.
7 min read
Guides
Best budget retro handhelds: what a low price buys
Eight entry-tier retro handhelds compared on the makers' own figures, with a plain account of what a low price buys and what it leaves out.
8 min read
Guides
Best Android retro handhelds: all 14 compared on stated specs
Fifteen Android handhelds from Retroid, AYN, Anbernic, AYANEO and Mangmi, compared using only what each maker states about its specs and price.
10 min read
