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
- Anbernic Joins in on the 2026 Weirdness with the RG Rotate: It’s no secret that Anbernic has been off to an awkward start in 2026. The release of both the RG Vita series and the G01 controller has put off mixed sentiment from the community, and it shows. But now Anbernic is trying to follow the path of other companies (namely GameMT), and it’s trying to be weird. The RG Rotate, thanks to its initial reveal trailer this morning, is shaping up to be one of the more interesting releases from Anbernic since the RG Slide of 2025.
- DSpico Is the Open-Source DS Flash Cart We’ve Been Waiting For: The DS Flash cart scene has a reputation problem. Long-running brands have a habit of engineering expiration dates into their hardware, leaving buyers holding a brick after a year or two. The DSpico wants to be a different kind of answer to that problem, and it’s now easier than ever to get your hands on one.
- AYN Announces Another AYN Thor Price Jump and a Major Change to the Thor and Odin 3: In another surprise announcement, AYN confirmed that the next round, Batch 6 of Thor and Batch 7 of Odin 3 pre-orders, “will soon be opening.” The company also announced major changes to both devices, as they will “transition to UFS 3.1 moving forward,” a downgrade from the UFS 4.0 storage on existing models.
More Hardware News
- The Neo Geo AES+ Uses Re-Engineered Original Chips and Launches This November
- PS6 Portable Leak
- Some Find Swollen RP Classic Batteries
- MagicX Delays Two Dream Pro
- The Polymega Has Been Almost Completely Re-engineered, and the Remix Is Finally Ready to Ship
- The EasySMX M20 Solves the Xbox vs. Nintendo Button Layout Problem
- GameSir Announces Updated Tarantula Controller Lineup
🕹️ Your gateway to pixel-perfect worlds
- ROCKNIX Now Turns Your Android Handheld Into a Mini Steam Deck: The ROCKNIX team announced that Steam is now officially supported, with the firmware now “allowing you to run native Linux games as well as Windows games through Proton.” Currently, this is available on “Qualcomm-based” handhelds, which include everything from the Retroid Pocket 6 to the AYN Thor, and more.
- Afterplay Now Has a Storefront Where You Can Buy and Instantly Play New Indie Retro Games: Afterplay, a browser-accessible emulation platform that lets you play and sync your games from anywhere, has added something the retro gaming scene has been missing for a while: a proper storefront for brand new indie games built for classic hardware.
- A Popular PSP and PS Vita SNES Emulator Just Got Its First Update in Eight Years: Eight years is a long time to go without an update. Long enough for a project to be written off, its GitHub page is gathering dust while newer alternatives fill the gap. Snes9xTYL, one of the most popular Super Nintendo emulators for the PSP and PS Vita, has been sitting in exactly that position since April 4, 2018. Now, a developer has stepped in and pulled it back into shape.
More Software News
- Anbernic RG G01 Controller software update
- AYN Odin 3 Linux Support
- Proton 11.0 Brings Official ARM64 Support
- One of Retro Dev’s Most Powerful Tools Now Runs Entirely in Your Browser
- Developer Behind Game Boy Colorization Projects Reveals Groundbreaking New Emulator
- Xbox Promises “Entirely New Ways” to Play Classic Games for Its 25th Anniversary
Emulation Corner
Latest Emulation Updates
👾 Game of the Month: Aurora April
Game(s) of the Week
RPG of the Quarter (4/1 - 6/30)
✍ Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Write
How to Install Steam on Android with ROCKNIX | Retro Handhelds
Learn how to install Steam on your Android handheld using ROCKNIX. Follow our step-by-step guide to flash the ABL and play PC games on the go!
andrew
GameSir Pocket Taco Review: Clip-on Comfort | Retro Handhelds
Is the GameSir Pocket Taco the ultimate retro phone controller? Nick reviews this $35 clip-on that turns your smartphone into a pocketable DMG-style powerhouse.
Nick
AYANEO Pocket S Mini Review: Not Bigger, but Better | Retro Handhelds
The AYANEO Pocket S Mini offers big power in a compact handheld, though its underwhelming screen and lingering software problems spoil the value.
Ban
KONKR Pocket Fit Setup Guide | Retro Handhelds
This guide will walk you step-by-step on how to set up your KONKR Pocket Fit, including installing emulators, frontends, quick tips and tricks, and much more!
kalkeg
Game Over: Mattel Odyssey 3/Videopac G7400 | Retro Handhelds
The G7400/Odyssey³ offered modest upgrades over Odyssey² but launched as the crash hit, computers rose, and NES loomed; caught between eras with nowhere to go.
Jim Gray
📺 On the YouTubes
💸 Achievement Unlocked: Big Savings
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🗣️ Stay Connected
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