Welcome to the Retro Handhelds Weekly newsletter! Whether you’re a seasoned modder or just getting started with classic gaming on the go, you’re part of a passionate group that keeps the retro handheld scene vibrant and fun. Dive in for the latest reviews, guides, and community highlights.

🎮 The guts behind the glory

• GPD Win Max 3 is Coming “Soon”: Shared in a recent Twitter Post, GPD announced that they would be publicly showcasing the GPD Win Max 3 at the 23rd annual ChinaJoy this weekend, so if you’re looking for more in-person photos or information, that’d be the way to check it out. 
• AYANEO Shares a Few KONKR Pocket Advance Details, With More to Come ‘Next Week’: Earlier this week, AYANEO announced that a “Product Sharing Session” for the KONKR Pocket Advance would be live-streamed. A few hours later, we learned just a little bit more about what the company’s latest “REMAKE” handheld will have to offer.
• Retroid Announces Nova Shipping Dates: If you ordered the RP Nova on day one, you’ve likely been sitting on your pre-order page waiting to see when it would ship. Or if you were like me, waiting for those real color photos to decide if you wanted to change your order around or not. Well, as of now, Retroid has officially announced their shipping timeline.

🕹️ Your gateway to pixel-perfect worlds

• GammaOS Nano v1.4 Comes to RG DS, RG Rotate, Brick, and others: After weeks (or months?) of teases, the day has finally arrived. GammaOS Nano v1.4 has been officially released for the Anbernic RG DS, RG Rotate, TrimUI Brick, and other A133P handhelds, bringing with it more features and changes than you can shake a stick at.
• Socket Launcher Gets First (and Second) Alpha Release: Socket is the latest frontend to hit the scene, but has been in the works for quite some time. It's design is meant to give you a more "tactile feeling," with your games appearing as cartridges as opposed to just relying on pictures of box art or of the game.
• eOr v1.10.0 (Dual-screen Support): Earlier this month, we covered the release of eOr launcher, which attempts to offer a more organized approach to your emulation frontend. v1.10 dropped this week as a pre-release and introduces dual-screen support for handhelds like the RG DS, Thor, and Pocket DS.

Emulation Corner

Custom Core

• dArkOS v07262026
• plumOS for Miyoo Flip
• pocknix-os 0.2.0
• NextUI itch.io Pak v1.0.22
• MP6 Native Port
• NextUI for Anbernic RG XX v6.14.0-rc3

👾 Game of the Month: Adaptation August

Game(s) of the Week

RPG of the Quarter (7/1 - 9/30)

✍ Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Write

8 Games to Grow Your Backlog – August 2026 | Retro Handhelds

Another month means more games to play. From racers to rhythm to honking like made. There’s something for everyone in this months Games to Grow your Backlog.

Retro HandheldsBan

Game of the Month: Learn to Adapt this August | Retro Handhelds

Discover the Retro Handhelds Games of the Month for August 2026, featuring Aladdin, GoldenEye 007, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, and more community picks.

Retro HandheldsBan

PortMaster Roundup: July 2026 | Retro Handhelds

This might be the biggest month ever for PortMaster users, in terms of quantity. The Twilight Princess recomp, Star Wars shooters and some ultra-bloody hockey?

Retro HandheldsJim Gray

Anbernic RG SP First Look: Not Much New, But If You Love GBA, It Might Be For You | Retro Handhelds

Never ones to shy away from a hardware revision to sell you another device and address that one annoying irritation about the handhelds that came before it, Anbernic is back with a new clamshell offering.

Retro HandheldsNick

Epomaker NEX Pro Review: A Retro Look with Modern Insides | Retro Handhelds

Mice aren’t normally a focus for retro gamers, but what if you want it to look the part. The PS2 Silver Epomaker NEX Pro is a powerhouse, but is it good?

Retro HandheldsBan

5 Games That Look PERFECT On The Retroid Pocket Nova | Retro Handhelds

The Retroid Pocket Nova was built for 4:3 gaming. These five classics show off its AMOLED display, integer scaling, and powerful emulation hardware.

Retro HandheldsZu

Omnibox Z Box Lite Review: A Tinkerer’s Paradise | Retro Handhelds

If you’re looking for a powerful TV Box, the Z Box Lite aims to please with the ultimate “Phone as a Console” experience. But is it worth the cost of entry?

Retro HandheldsBan

Mining Board Meets Bazzite: The $300 DIY Steam Machine | Retro Handhelds

Originally built as an enterprise crypto-mining blade, the AMD BC-250 boards became unprofitable surplus when the mining boom ended. They were destined for an industrial electronic grave—despite housing a slightly cut-down variant of the same AMD silicon inside a PS5.

Retro HandheldsNick

Kamrui Hyper Series H2 i5-14500HX Review | Retro Handhelds

The Kamrui H2 is built for processor-heavy homelab tasks, offering strong Proxmox and Plex performance while falling short as a capable gaming PC.

Retro HandheldsNick

📺 On the YouTubes

RH Partners

💸 Achievement Unlocked: Big Savings

The latest AliExpress Sale is upon us, saving you up to $70 on something new and shiny. Plus, if you use PayPal Pay Later at checkout, you can save another $12 on top of it.

Deal Highlights

• TrimUI Brick Pro: $72.25 w/ code YRHH10
• Anbernic RG Rotate: $83.07 w/ code YRHH10
• Anbernic RG DS: $86.59 w/ code YRHH10
• Miyoo Mini Flip: $42.09 w/ code YRHH05
• AYN Thor: From $320.31 w/ code YRHH35
• Retroid Pocket 5: $184.90 w/ code YRHH23
• AYN Odin 3: From $342.83 w/ code YRHH35
• GKD350H Ultra: $165.18 w/ code YRHH23
• GUSGU H7: $47.36 w/ code YRHH5

🗣️ Stay Connected

Want more classic gaming goodness? Join the Discord, or follow us on YouTube for live podcasts and reviews every Monday at 6pm Pacific. Your feedback, mods, and stories make this community what it is, so keep sharing!