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

• [UPDATE: Spec Info] Anbernic RG DS Plus Officially Revealed, Equipped with Larger Screens and Built-in Stylus for ‘under $100’: After a first half of the year that was pretty quiet, Anbernic is picking up the pace a bit. The Anbernic RG DS Plus has been officially revealed, giving us a glimpse at what the company’s latest Nintendo DS/DSi clone will offer.
• MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Gets a New Arc G3 Model in Luminous Blue: At Computex 2026 back in May, MSI announced its latest x86 handheld with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. This represented a complete shift in design philosophy, while also coming in as one of the first handhelds to be powered by Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme processor. We’ve now learned that another configuration of the Claw 8 EX AI+ is on the way, as a listing has appeared on EXCaliberPC (via VideoCardz).
• FunnyPlaying Shows Off Mini Game Boy in the Works: The “Retro Pixel MiniGB” is not only reminiscent of a small Game Boy DMG, but is also capable of playing the same cartridges as well. While everything seems to be scaled down from the face buttons to the D-pad, it sounds like the screen size is going to hopefully remain around a similar size at 2.6″. If this is using a similar FPGA to their older FPGBC, this will be a solid device for both Game Boy and Game Boy Color ROMs.

🕹️ Your gateway to pixel-perfect worlds

• Socket Frontend Now Available for Free: In an update email sent out to all Patreon backers of the Android frontend Socket, the developer Depmots mentioned that they are making the 0.3.2 build free for everyone as a way to say thank you for all of the support they’ve received over the past month!
• Ocarina of Time 3D 4K 5.0: It’s Fantastic: In a world with increasing amounts of excellent dual-screen mods, here we have the opposite in 2011s Ocarina of Time 3D, with a true single screen support mod and an accompanying 4K texture pack to support it. This package also brings fixes to many known issues with the 3DS version of Ocarina of time, making it a near-definitive way to play this version!
• Wave Launcher Drops V1.0: Today marks the V1.0 drop of Wave Launcher, an XMB focused front end that’s been built with a genuine affection for style, and it shows. After months of time, work, and testing for a number of users, it’s finally ready for release.

Emulation Corner

Custom Core

👾 Game of the Month: Sleptember

Game(s) of the Week

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

✍ Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Write

I Have Android, Armada, and ROCKNIX on My Odin 3, and It’s Become My Endgame Handheld | Retro Handhelds

My Odin 3 now runs three operating systems: Android, Armada, and ROCKNIX, creating one of the most flexible ARM gaming handheld setups around.

Retro Handheldsandrew

Razer Prio First Impressions: Pocketable Gaming With a Few Caveats | Retro Handhelds

Razer’s Prio is one of the smallest telescopic controllers around, featuring clever engineering, responsive controls, and some unavoidable compromises.

Retro HandheldsBan

EasySMX D10 Review: How Did I Miss This One? | Retro Handhelds

We’re no strangers to EasySMX, but the D10 is a bit different. At $60 it’s one of their higher end controllers. But with all of the competition; is it worth it?

Retro HandheldsBan

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

Another month brings more games. From pod racing to small town exploration, there’s something for everyone to play as summer turns to fall in this roundup.

Retro HandheldsBan

Game of the Month: Wake Me Up When Sleptember Ends | Retro Handhelds

This month’s Retro Handhelds Game of the Month theme is Sleptember, highlighting hidden gems, overlooked favorites, and games that deserved more love.

Retro Handheldskalkeg

KT-R2 Review: Three Years Makes a Difference | Retro Handhelds

The KTR2 is three years in the making, and it shows. Major improvements over the KTR1 brings up a lot of questions. But the main one is; is it worth it?

Retro HandheldsBan

UGREEN Is Getting Into the Smart Home Business | Retro Handhelds

UGREEN’s latest launch includes local AI smart home hubs, security cameras, ePaper displays, liquid-cooled Qi2 chargers, and no mandatory cloud subscription.

Retro HandheldsZu

📺 On the YouTubes

RH Partners

💸 Achievement Unlocked: Big Savings

The AliExpress Labor Day Sale kicked off on September 1, and there's still time to take advantage of some discount codes before the sale concludes. Below, you'll find just a handful of codes, but you can head over to handheld.deals to find even more and see what deals might be worth grabbing.

• RHH2: $2 off $15+
• RHH4: $4 off $30+
• RHH9: $9 off $69+
• RHH15: $15 off $109+
• RHH23: $23 off $169+
• RHH35: $35 off $259+
• RHH55: $55 off $379+

🗣️ 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!