Retro handhelds

Budget retro gaming handhelds on AliExpress

15 picks

Pocket consoles for playing classic games. Some run Android, so they can play phone games too.

Your budget

Boyhom R36S Boyhom R36S Pocket handheld for classic games from Trimui Smart Pro Trimui Smart Pro Widescreen retro game handheld from Retroid Pocket 5 Retroid Pocket 5 Android handheld with an OLED screen from ANBERNIC RG Cubexx ANBERNIC RG Cubexx Retro game handheld with a square screen from ANBERNIC RG35XX H ANBERNIC RG35XX H Pocket-size retro game handheld from Boyhom K56 Boyhom K56 Android handheld for retro and phone games from Miyoo Mini Plus Miyoo Mini Plus Pocket-sized retro handheld for classic games from TrimUI Brick TrimUI Brick Compact metal-back retro handheld with a very sharp screen from ANBERNIC RG35XX SP ANBERNIC RG35XX SP Folding retro handheld in a Game Boy Advance SP shape from ANBERNIC RG35XX Pro ANBERNIC RG35XX Pro Vertical retro handheld with two analog sticks from ANBERNIC RG DS Plus ANBERNIC RG DS Plus Dual-screen handheld for Nintendo DS games from ANBERNIC RG 476H ANBERNIC RG 476H Android handheld with a sharp 4:3 screen that plays PS2 and GameCube from TrimUI Brick Pro TrimUI Brick Pro Bigger-screen Brick with analog sticks and a larger battery from Anbernic RG SP Anbernic RG SP Slim GBA SP-style clamshell for Game Boy and 8/16-bit games from Anbernic RG Rotate Anbernic RG Rotate Square-screen Android handheld with a rotating screen from

Questions

Which retro handhelds can play PS2 and GameCube games?

Only the two Android handhelds with stronger chips. The Retroid Pocket 5 ($224) handles PS2, GameCube and PSP well, plus some Switch and PS3 games. The Anbernic RG476H ($194) plays a good part of the PS2 and GameCube library, but not every game runs well.

What is the best cheap retro handheld?

For 8-bit, 16-bit and PS1 games, the Boyhom R36S ($33) plays them well, and many N64, PSP and DS games too. The Anbernic RG35XX H ($47) adds PSP and Dreamcast games that are playable but can stutter. Both cost under $50.

Which handhelds run Android?

The Anbernic RG Rotate ($89, Android 12 with the Play Store), Anbernic RG476H ($194, Android 13), Boyhom K56 ($105, Android 14) and Retroid Pocket 5 ($224, Android 13). The others, including the TrimUI Brick and Miyoo Mini Plus, use simpler retro firmware, which is Linux-based on the ones that name an OS.

Which handheld plays Nintendo DS games best?

The Anbernic RG DS Plus ($115) is built for it, with two 4.3-inch screens and a DS emulator. Single-screen handhelds like the Boyhom R36S can run many DS games, but they have only one screen.

Are the picks tested by chi-fi?

No. Picks come from research into reviews and specifications, not hands-on testing. The How we pick page explains the process.

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