I love silly little tech and miss when pocket consoles could actually be placed in your pockets. As a result I've gotten pretty deep into Retro Handheld Emulators. They're a lot of fun! But if you don't know where to start, it can be overwhelming. So here's a little guide I've written up based off my own experiences. --- # Step 1: Know What You Want The world of pocket consoles is vast and varied, and so deciding what you want out of your handheld experience will determine what you end up going with as a device. So it's important to take stock of what you're really looking for. The main things I think you need to consider is form factor, budget, consoles to emulate, and aspect ratio. A combination of these factors is what will determine what you should go for. ### Form Factor How pocket do you want your pocket console to be? I'm focusing on stuff that can fit in your pocket for this article, because the handheld PCs out there are, in my opinion, an entirely different class (your Steam Decks, your Ayns, etc). But even then, there are form factors to consider, like if you want the console to be a clamshell or not. ### Consoles to Emulate What you want to emulate will be one of the biggest determinations for what console you pick up. Most pocket consoles can go up to at least the GBA, but some can go further, and further beyond. Note that the more powerful consoles a pocket handheld can emulate, the more dosh you're likely to have to put down. On that note: ### Budget Like anything, we must deal with capitalism, and in the world of handheld emulated consoles, the more you spend, the better your experience will be. BUT there are definitely some budget conscious picks that I think are worth grabbing which we'll go over. I'm sticking to $60 and up in this guide. ### Aspect Ratio This one surprised me, but it's also the reason why I have two pocket consoles. If you hate black bars, you're gonna wanna go for a taller pocket console to maintain that 4:3 aspect ratio. If you're looking to emulate GBA games, or even console games that have widescreen hacks, you'll want to grab something more horizontal. With that in mind, let me walk you through what I would consider based on these factors and a lot of my own research. --- # Step 2: Buy What You Need ## The Best Sub-$100 Handhelds: Miyoo Mini Plus & Anbernic RG35XXSP There are two great entries for this price-point, one of which I just picked up! ### Miyoo Mini+ ![[A Quick on Retro Handheld Emulators-20240608144222815.png]] This one's a smaller vertical handheld and an incredibly popular option. It looks like an GameBoy which is cute, has a big screen, ergonomic controls and internal wi-fi for updates straight from the device. Fantastic for NES to GBA emulation on the go. And! It's very intuitive for newcomers, so you don't have to worry about using a different custom firmware or anything like that. ### Anbernic RG35XXSP ![[A Quick on Retro Handheld Emulators-20240608144254584.png]] It's a GameBoy Advance SP. That's pretty much it. Okay not really but like, if you want a thing that looks like a GBASP just get this and ignore the rest of this guide. I got one and can vouch for how great it is right out of the box. I love it because a lot of these pocket consoles feel like android phones with controls grafted on to them - which is, uh, because they are. I want my silly little console to feel like a console sometimes, and the RG35SP being a clamshell device gives that feeling perfectly. It can emulate from the NES all the way up to the GBA just like the Miyoo. Don't forget to slap a [[Tribal GBA|tribal sticker]] on the top for maximum benefit. ## Powkiddy RGB30 ![[A Quick on Retro Handheld Emulators-20240608144457858.png]][^3] This is imo the best pocket console you can get under $100 that has two control sticks. It has a 720P screen which is great for all sorts of systems you want to emulate. That screen is also 1:1 ratio, so it's great for games from the NES all the way to the PS1 and N64 - which become much easier to play when you have two control sticks, compared to the previous handhelds I mentioned above. The only caveat to me is that the thing is honestly pretty damn unergonomic, with a completely flat back. If that doesn't bother you though, I think it's a great console. ## The Absolute Banger: Retroid Pocket 4 Pro ![[A Quick on Retro Handheld Emulators-20240608144854212.png]] Let's say you don't wanna think about this too much. You just want the best possible handheld experience. Form factor? Who cares. Budget? It's tax return season baby you got money to burn. Let me emulate any game and give me some extra sauce on the side too. Just get a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. This $200 handheld came out in 2024 and it's a revolutionary piece of tech - you know, if you're a fucking nerd anyways. It has a fantastic screen, great buttons, analogue sticks, the works. And it can play anything. "Even the Sega Saturn Barquq?" **Anything.** From the NES all the way up to the fucking PS2 and GameCube,[^1] the RP4P can truly do it all. *And* it's an Android device, so it can play Android games too! All that and some fantastic battery life. This is, in my humble opinion, the best pocket console you can get on the market right now for the price point. --- # Step 3: Set Up What You Got Picked what you wanted? It shipped out? Great! Now it's time to get it set up. A retro emulated handheld is a tinkering machine by its nature, which is part of the appeal, but it can be daunting to start. I don't really have much to say here, but what I *will* do is direct you to the best person to give you the guide you need to set up your device, and that's [Retro Game Corps](https://retrogamecorps.com/). This quirked up white boy has detailed, step-by-step guides that guide you through pretty much any of the consoles I've mentioned on this list, along with ones I didn't! His YouTube channel is also a great source if you want a second opinion on whatever devices I've brought up here, along with a bunch of extra detail I didn't give.[^2] Follow RGC's guides and you'll be up and ready in no time. # Step 4: Have Fun! You're ready to go! I genuinely hope you enjoy your pocket console (or pocket consoles plural if you're silly like me). They've reminded me of what I missed about a little box you can keep in your pocket or bag to pull out for a game whenever you've got the free time. When I travel for work, I don't even pack my Steam Deck anymore, just one of my handhelds! You've got access to entire swaths of gaming history whenever you want, and that's pretty neat in my opinion. I hope this guide is helpful! Let me know what you end up grabbing! [^1]: barring Rogue Galaxy, which is just unplayable to me for some reason, but I haven't tried that hard to get it working tbf [^2]: he gets paid to do this and I don't, soooo- [^3]: deadass this thing got a longer back than Taylor Swift