How to choose a retro handheld: a six-question checklist

Pick a retro handheld by answering six questions in order: budget, systems, shape, operating system, screen and battery. Each section below names the stated figures to use and gives catalogue examples. Everything comes from the maker's own pages, nothing has been tested by us, and UK prices are not checked yet.

1. What is your budget?

Use the maker's price row, and remember what it is. It is the price on the maker's own store, shown with a dollar sign, with the date it was checked (October 2026). It is not a UK price, we do not convert it, and some listings are sale prices with a higher regular price shown beside them. That makes it a way to rank devices against each other, not a shopping total. Add delivery, import costs and a memory card yourself.

The catalogue falls into rough bands by stated price. Every device with a stated price is placed below; the Ayaneo Pocket S and the Trimui Brick, Smart Pro and Smart Pro S are not listed because their makers state no price.

• Under about $70. Anbernic RG28XX ($36.99), Powkiddy V10 ($39.99, sold out when checked), Anbernic RG35XX Plus ($49.99, sold out when checked), Miyoo A30 ($52.99, sold out when checked), Anbernic RG35XX H ($57.99), Anbernic RG35XX SP ($57.99), Miyoo Mini Plus ($58.99), Anbernic RG34XX ($59.99), Anbernic RG CubeXX ($64.99), Miyoo Flip V2 ($64.99 in USD, the lowest listed variant), Anbernic RG34XXSP ($67.99), Anbernic RG40XX H ($67.99), Anbernic RG40XX V ($67.99), Powkiddy RGB30 ($69.99, sold out when checked).
• About $95 to $160. Anbernic RG DS ($94.99), Anbernic RG353V ($97.99), Retroid Pocket Classic ($99), Mangmi Air X ($99.99), Anbernic RG405M ($119.99, a sale price), Retroid Pocket 4 Pro ($159).
• About $179 to $260. Retroid Pocket 5 ($179), Anbernic RG556 ($179.99), Retroid Pocket Flip 2 ($189), ModRetro Chromatic ($199.99 in USD, bundled with a Tetris cartridge), Analogue Pocket ($239.99, pre-order), Retroid Pocket 6 ($244), AYN Odin2 Portal ($259 for the base version), AYN Thor ($259 for the Lite, up to $579 for other versions).
• Above that. AYN Odin 3 ($369 for the base version), Ayaneo Pocket DS ($579 for the base version).

The two ends are covered in best budget retro handhelds and best retro handhelds in the UK.

2. Which systems do you want to play?

Look at the systems row, but know its limits. It lists only systems the maker names. The Miyoo A30 names NES, SNES, GBA and Game Boy, the Miyoo Mini Plus names NES, SNES and GBA, and the Analogue Pocket names Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. Anbernic mostly writes "30+ emulators" without a list, and Retroid does not say which systems run well.

So the rule is: if a device names your system, that is a stated fact. If it does not, the page is silent, and silence is not a yes. Use the chip, RAM and screen shape as supporting clues rather than proof, and read the system-specific guides: best retro handhelds for GBA games and best retro handhelds for PS2 and GameCube. The chip rows are explained in retro handheld chips explained.

3. What shape and size do you want to hold?

Use the weight and dimensions rows, where the maker gives them, and the screen size. Stated weight runs from 125 g (RG28XX) to 430 g (Odin2 Portal). The Anbernic RG34XXSP is listed at 178 g and 8.3 x 8.2 x 2.5 cm. Several pages state no weight, including the Retroid Pocket 6, Ayaneo Pocket DS, all three Miyoo models, the Powkiddy V10, the Trimui Smart Pro and the Analogue Pocket, so portability cannot be compared from them.

Dual-screen devices are their own category: the AYN Thor, the Anbernic RG DS and the Ayaneo Pocket DS each list two screens. Square 1:1 screens appear on the Anbernic RG CubeXX and Powkiddy RGB30. For folding and portrait designs, the form-factor guides are best clamshell retro handhelds and best vertical retro handhelds.

4. Which operating system suits you?

The OS row tells you the platform the maker states. Android is listed on the Retroid Pocket Classic, 4 Pro, 5, 6 and Flip 2, the Anbernic RG405M and RG556, the Mangmi Air X (Android 14), the AYN Odin 3 (Android 15), Odin2 Portal and Thor, and the Ayaneo Pocket S and Pocket DS (the Pocket DS states no version). Linux is listed on the Anbernic H700 devices, the Miyoo A30 and Mini Plus (the Flip V2 states no operating system), the Powkiddy pair and the Trimui devices. Two are hybrids as written: the Anbernic RG DS says "Android 14/Linux 64-bit" and the RG353V says "Android 11 + Linux (64-bit)".

The pages do not argue for either side, so we do not rank them. One thing they do state is update support: Retroid lists official OTA support on its devices, and Anbernic lists OTA or FOTA updates for the RG405M and RG556. The Analogue Pocket runs its own PocketOS. For the longer comparison, read Android vs Linux retro handhelds and the list of Android retro handhelds.

5. What kind of screen do you want?

Use four rows together: size, resolution, panel and, where given, brightness. A 3.5 inch 640 x 480 screen and a 5.5 inch 1080p screen are different things to look at, and the panel label (IPS, AMOLED, LCD) is just one part of that. Of the 34 retro handhelds, the catalogue names IPS on 22, OLED or AMOLED on 9 and LCD on 2; the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro does not state its panel type. Our screen guide lays out the stated figures and the pixel density we worked out from them.

A practical check is to match the shape to your main systems and then compare size. If you want a larger 1080p screen, the Retroid Pocket 5 vs Pocket 6 data page shows two such devices side by side. If you want a small screen, compare the Analogue Pocket and Anbernic RG35XX SP.

6. How much battery do you need?

Read the mAh figure first, then the maker's hours if there is one. Capacity runs from 2600 mAh on the Miyoo A30 to 8000 mAh on the Odin 3, Odin2 Portal and Pocket DS. Hours are the maker's own estimates and most are 6 to 8 hours where stated (the Analogue Pocket says 6 to 10). Several makers, including Retroid, AYN and Ayaneo, state only capacity.

Do not read a larger mAh figure as a guaranteed longer session; pages with the same capacity can state different hours. The reasoning and the side-by-side figures are in retro handheld battery life explained.

Worked example: two buyers, four devices

Here is how the rows turn into a decision. All figures are the makers' own, and the prices are maker store prices (checked Oct 2026), not UK prices.

The buyer who wants something small and cheap. The RG28XX and RG35XX SP list the same 640 x 480 grid and the same 8 hours. The step up costs $21.00 on the stated prices ($57.99 minus $36.99), adds 67 g (192 g minus 125 g) and 200 mAh, and buys a screen 0.67 inches larger on the diagonal. If pocket size matters most, the figures favour the RG28XX; if a bigger picture matters, the SP.

The buyer who wants a large Android screen. The Pocket 5 and RG556 are within a dollar of each other on the stated price, but the Pocket 5 page also shows a $209.00 regular price and does not say which is current, and the RG556 figure is a sale price. The RG556 lists 500 mAh more battery and weighs 51 g more (331 g minus 280 g). The Pocket 5 page gives no battery hours at all, so the two cannot be compared on that row.

What to check before you buy

• Is the price on the page a sale price, and does it say which currency it is in?
• Does the maker name the systems you want, or is the row silent?
• Is there a card slot, and does the maker state a maximum size?
• Are weight and battery stated, or do you need to ask?
• Does the page say which variant (RAM, storage, screen) the headline price covers?

What if a spec you need is not stated?

Write it down as unknown. A blank row means the maker has not said, as explained in how to read retro handheld specs. Our research page and editorial policy set out why we leave gaps visible. Then browse the full catalogue and filter by the answers you have written down.