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.
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Game of the Month: Join our monthly club to play curated retro titles and compete for RH merch. Get involved by joining our Discord community.
🎮 The guts behind the glory
- AYANEO Pocket Block Leak Points to a Smaller, Cheaper Android Handheld: A new AYANEO handheld has seemingly been discovered after its user manual appeared on manuals.plus. Little is known about the handheld just yet, but it could end up as AYANEO's budget vertical handheld.
- Valve Hopes to Avoid Another Steam Controller Mess With the Steam Machine and Steam Frame: Hidden in the commits for one of the latest Steam updates were references to the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame. These were spotted by u/Pepeizq, with Valve’s next upcoming devices joining the Steam Deck and Steam Controllers within the same reservation system.
- New DIY Adapter Connects a Wii Remote to the Dreamcast via Bluetooth: Developer and hacker Yombo, who has built a device called the Motecast: a small adapter that connects to the Dreamcast’s controller port, pairs with a Nintendo Wii Remote over Bluetooth, and translates its inputs so the console can read them natively. The result is exactly what it sounds like: a Wii Remote being used to play Dreamcast games.
More Hardware and Industry News
- AYANEO NEXT 2 Shipping Is Still on Track, But New Orders Remain Unavailable
- Sega Announces New Reason To Sit Down All Day
- Project Positron Could Bridge the Gap Between Discs and Helix
- Xbox Cloud Gaming controller and Elite Controller 3 leaked
- AYANEO Announces a Restock of Pocket Fit Elite, Pocket Air Mini, and More
🕹️ Your gateway to pixel-perfect worlds
- Anbernic RG DS Gets a New Linux Firmware That Finally Embraces Dual Screens: It’s been almost six months since the Anbernic RG DS was released, aiming to offer a budget alternative to the AYN Thor and AYANEO Pocket DS. However, Anbernic’s decision to ship this with Android resulted in quite a few frustrating quirks that soured the experience. Anbernic is finally looking to right the ship, as it announced an “All-New Linux System” designed for the RG DS and its dual-screen design.
- KNULLI Scarab Makes One of the Best Handheld Firmwares Even Better: Would you believe me if I told you that it’s been almost eight months since the last major KNULLI update was released? Well, if you’ve been wondering when the next major version would arrive, you’re in luck, as KNULLI Scarab is now officially available for download.
- Batocera 43 Adds Support for AYN Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and More: If you’re a fan of messing around with different custom firmware solutions, but primarily use Android handhelds, you’re in luck. Batocera 43 is now available, not only bringing with it a laundry list (or two) worth of new features and bug fixes, but it’s also compatible with more handhelds.
More Software News
Emulation Corner
Latest Emulation Updates
Custom Core
👾 Game of the Month: Mobile May
Game(s) of the Week
RPG of the Quarter (4/1 - 6/30)
✍ Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Write
Anbernic RG Rotate Review: Anbernic’s Best Non-Handheld | Retro Handhelds
Anbernic is getting weird again. Rather than another clamshell or vertical, they’re sliding out with the RG Rotate. Rocking Android and a T618, is it worth it?
Ban
DSpico Setup and Review: A DS Flash Cart Under $10 | Retro Handhelds
The DSPico is an open-sourced flash cart for the Nintendo DS system that can be purchased for less than $10, and comes without bricking software.
kalkeg
Flydigi Vader 5S Review: Wired Peak | Retro Handhelds
In an age of wireless controllers, can the Xbox compatible, wired, Flydigi Vader 5S stack up to the competition? Or has it been tethered for no reason?
Ban
Anbernic RG Rotate Setup Guide | Retro Handhelds
The RG Rotate is more than just a pocketable Android handheld. Maximize Anbernic’s unusual device with our guide to apps, updates, and everything in between.
andrew
Right Angle: The Games Best Suited for the RG Rotate’s Unique Design | Retro Handhelds
Nick looks into some of the titles perfect for matching the Anbernic RG Rotate’s unique design with its capable T618 chipset.
Nick
Game Over: Coleco Gemini | Retro Handhelds
Coleco’s Gemini was a sleek Atari 2600 clone with a clever combo joystick/paddle controller, but it launched into the 1983 crash and vanished almost instantly.
Jim Gray
📺 On the YouTubes
RH Partners
💸 Achievement Unlocked: Big Savings
AliExpress Discount Codes
- USSS02 | RHH2 | USAFF2 - $2 off $18+
- USSS05 | RHH5 | USAFF5 - $5 off $39+
- USSS12 | RHH12 | USAFF12 - $12 off $85+
- USSS24 | RHH24 | USAFF24 - $24 off $165+
- USSS35 | RHH35 | USAFF35 - $35 off $249+
- USSS55 | RHH55 | USAFF55 - $55 off $379+
- USSS70 | RHH70 | USAFF70 - $70 off $499+
- USSS90 | RHH90 | USAFF90 - $90 off $599+
Deal Highlights:
- DSPico: $14.51 at AliExpress
- Anbernic RG Rotate: $87.99 w/ code USSS12
- R36 Ultra: $34.47 w/ code USSS05
- GameSir Pocket Taco: $33.49 w/ code USSS02
- Anbernic RG DS: $96.52 w/ code USSS12
- Miyoo Mini Flip: $62.06 w/ code RHH5
- AYN Thor: From $315.38 w/ code USSS35
- RG43H Pro: $61.62 w/ codes 6FTIM3M73G40 | RHH5
- Lenovo G02: $62.95 w/ code RHH5
🗣️ Stay Connected
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