Intentional Tech

Retroid Pocket 6 (8GB) | A Casual Gamer's Review

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Doing It All Wrong

It's so easy to get drawn into the hype of more exciting and dynamic handheld designs than the Retroid Pocket 6. But having played it for over a month now, I've realised I've been doing it all wrong, because this is exactly the kind of form factor I should have begun with.

Let's be fair to Retroid here, because they did initially give the community a choice between the form factor we see today and one that looked a little more like a PSP. Arguably, the alternative design had a bit more punch to it, but at least Retroid gave us the option of choosing between D-pad up top or joysticks up top. Alongside a choice between 8 GB and 12 GB of RAM, you actually get a decent amount of customisation in terms of how you want your Retroid Pocket to look. In my case, I went with D-pad up top and 8 GB of RAM because I always envisioned this as more of a sidekick to my more powerful PC handhelds.

Right after I finished recording this video, Retroid announced they would have to discontinue the 12 GB version of the RP6 and increase the price of the 8 GB model to $244 before shipping. It's a pretty bitter pill to swallow, especially because it's all down to surging RAM prices at the hands of AI companies. This video does focus on the 8 GB version, though, so perhaps it's even more useful in that context. You've still got that Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which is really compatible across loads of different systems and can even stretch to some Windows emulation. It is a real shame, but all is not lost.

You're also getting a 5.5-inch AMOLED display that runs all the way up to 120 Hz with a 550-nit max brightness setting. Combine that with a 6,000 mAh battery and Wi-Fi 7, and this is a seriously capable device.

The Perfect Starter Handheld

If you own a previous generation of the Retroid Pocket, you probably won't be running to pick this up in a hurry. But if this is your first handheld, what you'll find is something specced out to perfection for beginners. Even the setup and onboarding process is made a lot easier for people new to handheld emulation than some of the other devices I've tested recently.

The Retroid Pocket 6 game launcher is something you want to avoid no matter what your experience level, but at least Retroid gives you the option to install some of the common emulators as part of the onboarding flow. You'll want to check out some of these projects on GitHub or the Android Play Store to grab the most up-to-date versions, but it's a nice way of walking you into the hobby if you're completely new. After that, there will be quite a bit of tinkering to get everything set up exactly how you like it, but there are loads of guides online that will help you through it. I wanted to keep this a pretty simple, low-maintenance device, so I've personally gone with a front end called Beacons, which is just a really straightforward way of getting into your games.

From GBA to GameCube (and Beyond)

I've got an original GBA cartridge of Pokémon Leaf Green. I've also just bought Fire Red on the Nintendo Switch 2, but the Retroid Pocket 6 is kind of the perfect form factor for playing through games like this, and no amount of Switch 2 cope is going to convince me otherwise. Sure, you can get a perfect aspect ratio on some other handheld devices, but the OLED display means those black bars aren't quite as distracting as they would be on an LCD, and this form factor just creates such a cosy experience for GBA games, helped further by having that D-pad up top.

Where this device really feels at home, though, is playing PSP games. It just makes me wonder if that alternative form factor would have been even better in this regard. Either way, it runs through PSP titles without so much as a hiccup, and the form factor feels really native. Even some PlayStation 1 games were quite D-pad-centric at the time, so playing something like SmackDown! 2 with all the movement on the D-pad feels great. I've actually found this to be an amazing little device for playing through wrestling games.

GameCube games run really well on the Dolphin emulator, and having access to two back buttons is pretty useful if you need to map the Z button somewhere. The RP6 is also a great device for Dreamcast emulation; you can get your widescreen cheats running and everything performs smoothly.

It is very easy, though, to pick up one of these devices with aspirations of playing through all your old nostalgic classics and then just end up emulating Steam games through Game Hub. This is where the amount of RAM starts to make a difference. Blueprints, for example, is playable but kind of a stuttery mess, not really hitting a consistent frame rate just under 30. I've struggled through it at nighttime purely because it's so convenient on this form factor, but it's definitely not the best experience. The Steam game that's actually sucked me in the most on the Retroid Pocket 6 has been Shogun Showdown. It really makes the most of that OLED display, and it's the perfect bedtime game to just knock out before you fall asleep.

Silver, Nostalgic, and (Mostly) Beautiful

I've already covered the aesthetics and general ergonomics of the Retroid Pocket 6 in my first impressions video, but I want to recap on how comfortable and appealing I find it about a month later. I'm approaching my late thirties, and this silver aesthetic really reminds me of being a teenager. It's got such an amazing nostalgic kick, and I also think it's beautifully put together. At the same time, I do find myself a little jealous of people who've got the purple colourway, because I think that is gorgeous. For me, it really is a toss-up between those two.

To give you an idea of how it looks compared to other devices, it's a lot glossier than the iPhone Titanium or the Apple Silver line of MacBooks. It's actually a lot more like the silver section on my Miyoo Mini Plus, which is stainless steel, so the RP6 is a little lighter and a bit more robust than that plastic might suggest. It definitely feels like a glossier, shinier silver than some of the other silver products you're likely to own.

Upon closer inspection, though, I have started to notice that sheen disappear slightly. It's not as well put together as some other handhelds I've used. If you look really closely, you can see the join lines where the plastic mould has been put together. It's particularly noticeable on the main mould line that goes all the way around the device, and up by the triggers it can be a little unpolished and distracting. That said, I have not been babying this device. It's mostly lived on my bedside table, and I haven't taken much care to keep it in pristine condition. There are no noticeable scratches or rough-and-tumble damage so far, which bodes well for the future. That was my biggest concern when I first saw the painted plastic on the back, but it has held up well.

Controls and Comparisons

I'm still really happy I got the D-pad up top version, because even the Steam games I've been playing on this device have been D-pad-focused, and having the base model means it's not really powerful enough to rival other handhelds for modern titles. In my case, having the D-pad up top actually helps it fulfil a niche that some of my other handhelds don't really fill.

I feel like I've worked the buttons in quite a lot, particularly A and B, and now they are really silent, very responsive, and just overall great quality. I haven't used the joysticks too much. They do feel like they're slightly in the way of the face buttons at times, but there's quite a lot of tension in them, and for this size of handheld, they're pretty solid.

For a sense of scale, the Retroid Pocket 6 pretty much fits inside the screen of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is kind of cool and shows just how much more portable it is. Compared to the original Nintendo Switch, it's a little narrower but a little thicker because of those grips on the back. The Steam Deck, of course, is so wide to accommodate those touch pads that there's really no contest when it comes to throwing one in a bag. And compared to the Legion Go S, it's almost ridiculous how much smaller the RP6 is.

Final Thoughts

If I didn't have this channel, I'd probably find it a bit silly to own so many different handhelds. But I definitely think I'd be able to find a place for the Retroid Pocket 6 alongside any of my more serious options. It fulfils a great niche for me: something I can take in my bag or keep on my bedside table and play at nighttime without disturbing anyone.

Many of the RP6's quirks in design, and even that silver-and-purple aesthetic, make me think Retroid were really hoping the alternative form factor would win. It feels like a lot of the smaller decisions around this handheld were made with that other design in mind. Sure, these Retroid devices are converging into a very similar form factor, but if you're new to the hobby, that's actually perfect. For a more casual gamer who's fresh to the experience and maybe coming from a Nintendo Switch, it's better to have a design that isn't as opinionated as something like the AYANEO Pocket DMG or the Ayn Thor. The Retroid Pocket 6 offers a tried-and-true design that's fairly easy to pick up and start playing.

For that reason, I think most people should probably start here, or pick this up as a companion device to something much bigger like a Legion Go S for when you don't want to lug a large handheld around.

abxylute N6 | A High Stakes Handheld Pro Controller for Switch 2

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

What Is the abxylute N6?

The abxylute N6 is a Dex-style controller for the Nintendo Switch 2, designed to address two of the Joy-Con's most persistent criticisms: comfort and control quality. It's not an entirely new idea — the CRKD Nitro Deck has been doing something similar for a few years, and a Switch 2 version of that is also due soon. But abxylute brings enough of its own thinking to make the N6 worth a proper look.

One important caveat: this is a review unit provided by abxylute, and it's not the final retail version. There may be some differences between what's described here and what ships to customers.

Comfort and Ergonomics

Hold the N6 for a few minutes and you'll immediately understand the appeal. Where Joy-Cons are long, thin, and awkward to grip for extended sessions, the N6 sits naturally in the hands. Rounded sections slide into the palm, and the textured grips on the reverse give you something to actually hold onto. The Switch 2 slides into the dock securely — tight enough that there's no wobble around the USB port, which matters for long-term port health.

abxylute have also rotated the face buttons and left joystick away from the right joystick and D-pad, making it easier to rotate your thumbs between inputs. It's a small change, but one that makes a noticeable difference in day-to-day play.

Controls: A Genuine Step Up

If you spend any time with the N6's controls, it's clear that this is where abxylute have invested their energy. The D-pad is a traditional membrane style with good inputs and a satisfying bounce — a world away from the Joy-Con's individual directional buttons, which only exist in that form so they can double as face buttons in tabletop mode. For anyone picking up Pokémon Fire Red or any side-scrolling platformer on Switch 2, a proper D-pad like this is genuinely transformative.

The joysticks are noticeably more rigid than the Joy-Cons, which makes them better suited to shooters and anything requiring precise analogue input. They're also hall effect, which should help them hold up over time without developing drift. The ABXY buttons — fitting, given the brand name — are springy, smooth, and click back into position with confidence. Precision gaming on this device feels considerably better than on standard Joy-Cons.

The shoulder buttons and triggers are both clicky and well-positioned, sitting far enough down the grip that you don't need to arch your finger to reach them. The triggers in particular suit fast inputs rather than analogue control, so they're better suited to action games than something like Cyberpunk where nuanced trigger pressure matters.

abxylute have also included programmable back paddle buttons, set up by holding the end button and recording an input. They're well-placed, unlikely to be pressed accidentally, and clicky in a satisfying way. A dedicated camera button mirrors the Joy-Con's own, too — useful if that's something you actually reach for.

Sound and Haptics

One unexpected highlight is the speaker design. The N6 routes the Switch 2's downward-firing speakers into a small echo chamber, projecting sound out through two cutouts on the grip. abxylute claim a 10% volume increase and a fuller, bassier sound profile — and having used it, it does sound noticeably louder and rounder than the Switch 2 alone.

Haptics are a more complicated story. The Joy-Cons are genuinely class-leading when it comes to nuanced vibration, and the N6 doesn't replicate that subtlety. What it does offer is power — strong, adjustable rumble that you can dial in using the D-pad while holding the M button. It's a different experience rather than a worse one, but worth knowing if HD Rumble is important to you.

The Exposed Corners Problem

Here's the issue that will make or break the N6 for most people: the corners of the Switch 2 stick out completely. There's no protection around the edges of the screen, and no case is going to fix that while the N6 is attached. It's reminiscent of an upside-down PlayStation Portal — a device that has survived over two years of use without damage — but the Switch 2 simply isn't designed to have those areas exposed in the same way.

For home use, it's a reasonable risk. For putting the device into a rucksack, taking it on holiday, or anywhere it might get knocked around, it's a different calculation entirely. At $79, that's a meaningful concern — for that price, you'd want something that felt safe to travel with.

Final Thoughts

The abxylute N6 is a genuinely comfortable, well-built grip controller that makes a real difference to the Switch 2 experience at home. The controls are improved across the board, the ergonomics are a step change over the Joy-Cons, and the speaker enhancement is a welcome bonus. But those exposed corners are a hard limit on how versatile it can realistically be, and that's a significant trade-off at this price point.

My recommendation: If you primarily play in handheld mode around the house — especially if D-pad games are your thing — the N6 is worth serious consideration. If you need something you can confidently throw in a bag, keep looking.

Retroid Pocket 6 | Serious Y2K Vibes...

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A New Device, A Familiar Feeling

The Retroid Pocket 6 gives me serious Y2K nostalgia, and not just because of the silver aesthetic. It feels a little rough around the edges in a way that a lot of tech devices did back then, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.

This is my first ever Retroid device, and I'm coming to it directly from the AYN Thor, which is considerably more premium in terms of build quality and noticeably heavier. When I first picked up the Retroid Pocket 6, I was genuinely surprised at how light it is. Weight can be deceptive, though. We tend to associate heft with quality, but after ten or eleven hours of playing over the past few days, I've come to appreciate that the build quality here is actually quite good. The issues are more about design and ergonomics than construction, and those are what stop the RP6 from reaching up into the same category as something like the Thor.

The Retroid Pocket 6 ships with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and is configurable both in terms of storage and D-pad layout. You can get the D-pad above the left joystick, as I have, or below it in the more traditional position. I went for the base 8GB model with the D-pad on top, partly to lean into that Y2K portable aesthetic I was already drawn to.

The Silver Aesthetic

I'm really glad I went with the silver colourway. I originally had a different colour on my order, but I emailed Retroid to switch it over and they got back to me within a day or two. They also kept my original position in the queue, which meant I still received the device in an early batch. It was a small but genuinely appreciated gesture.

The silver itself is a layered, textured affair that reminds me strongly of early 2000s consumer electronics. I still have my old MiniDisc player from my teenage years, and the parallels are striking: the way different shades and finishes of silver are stacked onto the design, with metallic-looking ring plates around the thumbsticks and face buttons, and similar accents around the front-facing speakers. The faceplate running over the display has an almost metallic sheen, and if you look closely, there's a subtle sparkle in the paint underneath it. It's a surprisingly complex-looking finish for what is, in theory, a monochrome design.

The main concern I have with the finish is longevity. The body is painted rather than moulded in colour, which gives it that brilliant glossy look but also means it's likely to show scratches over time, in bags, on tables, the usual wear and tear. You might want to think about some protection if you're precious about that. There's also been some discussion online about the lack of a grippy texture on the back, and I understand that criticism. The back does have some texture, but it's the sort that wedges the skin of your fingers into it in an uncomfortable way rather than actually aiding grip. Most people will probably care more about how a device feels after an hour of gaming than how it looks on a shelf, and on that front the RP6 makes some trade-offs.

Ergonomics: The Good and the Cramped

The best thing about the Retroid Pocket 6 is its size. The 5.5-inch AMOLED display looks absolutely beautiful, and having it in such a compact, portable form factor is genuinely brilliant. But being this small does come with real ergonomic compromises.

The buttons sit on a near-vertical axis and feel noticeably cramped. When I was playing Pokémon Leaf Green on the Game Boy Advance emulator, it wasn't too much of a problem, as that game leans heavily on the A button and D-pad, so your hands stay fairly spread out. But switch to PSP titles where you're regularly pressing the face buttons alongside the joystick, and things get uncomfortable quickly. The left joystick constantly butts up against your thumb as you press B to tap through dialogue, and I found myself having to adopt an awkward claw grip to compensate. That's not something you want to sustain over a long session.

A few other niggles: the volume buttons and power button sit in positions that require you to take your hand off the device to reach them, which is irritating mid-game. The rear triggers are sensitive enough that I find myself accidentally pressing them while just shifting the device in my hands, which is not ideal when playing Pokémon, where that brings up a screen I have no interest in. I've also noticed a small amount of input lag on the D-pad when transitioning from down to left; I have to fully release one direction before the other registers cleanly. I haven't experienced this on other hardware running the same games, so I suspect it's either a hardware quirk or something in the emulation.

On the positive side, the buttons themselves are satisfyingly quiet (great for late-night gaming), and I love the transparent effect on the silver model. With the joystick LEDs switched on, the light shines up through the translucent face buttons and illuminates them from below. It looks really lovely in the dark. The triggers also have a clicky, tactile feel reminiscent of the AYN Thor, and they worked nicely when I played a bit of Die Hard Vendetta on GameCube, with throwing grenades feeling appropriately satisfying.

Setup and Software

I've been focusing on Game Boy Advance, PSP, and dipping into GameCube, and one of the genuine pleasures of coming to the RP6 after the AYN Thor is just how straightforward it all feels. There are fewer in-device controls to navigate, and the quick-access panels keep everything close to hand without being overwhelming: swipe from the side for settings, swipe down from the top for things like frame rate.

I've installed Beacon as a front end, and it's the first time I've actually bothered to set one up on any device. It only took about fifteen minutes and costs around £2.50 in the UK, which is a negligible outlay for what you get: a clean, minimal interface with a nice selection of themes. I've set mine up with a rain background that shifts between light and dark mode depending on the time of day, and I've added some background audio too: a blend of ambient rain and a quiet piano track I put together from a couple of Epidemic Sound pieces. I want to feel calm when I sit down to game on this thing, not hyped up. Beacon makes it easy to organise favourites and browse by system, and it's made the whole experience feel a lot more considered.

Is It Worth It?

The display alone is a strong argument for the Retroid Pocket 6. At 550 nits brightness with full AMOLED dynamic range, it's gorgeous for the price, at just over $200, or roughly the same in pounds. In bed with the brightness wound right down, it's a near-perfect bedside device. The compact size, the aesthetic, the capable chip, and that stunning screen make a genuinely compelling package.

The ergonomic issues are real, though, and anyone planning to spend long sessions with games that demand more from the controls should factor that in. This is a first impressions piece, and things may shift as I spend more time with it, but right now the RP6 sits clearly in the mid-range: not a budget device, not a premium one, but a very stylish and capable handheld with a few frustrations that keep it from being truly great.

A full review is coming once I've had more time with it. In the meantime, I'm going to go and work on my Colin McRae Rally skills.

The Gamer Dad's Ultimate Survival Guide

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Gaming and Parenthood Aren't Mutually Exclusive

When you've got a child on the way, it's natural to feel anxious about how your life might change and whether you'll still have time for the passions that made your life special before. As soon as that child is in your arms, though, you'll realise that becoming a parent does fundamentally change who you are — and your priorities will shift, not because they have to, but because you actually want them to.

At the same time, if you want to be a good parent, it's important to hold on to some semblance of yourself and find space for your own hobbies and progression. Despite what you might have been told, gaming is a perfect outlet for exactly that.

What Games Can Teach You About Being a Dad

There's actually quite a lot about fatherhood we can learn from certain games. God of War and God of War Ragnarök tell the story of Kratos — someone who has to step away from the person he used to be and into the role of a father who wants to protect his son at all costs, and who later has to contend with the prospect of letting him go his own way. Similar stories exist throughout the Yakuza series and The Last of Us. Whether those stories end well or not, there's always something to take from them.

Gaming can also teach you habits you didn't know you needed. In my twenties, I was completely prone to procrastination — spending hours staring at the wall because I couldn't rouse myself from whatever paralysis I found myself in. During lockdown, I got into Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, and started to see the value of doing a little bit of something each day and building small micro-routines that cascade into something greater. I didn't fully understand what I was doing until I later read Atomic Habits by James Clear, but I was flexing that muscle of building good habits — habits that are essential when you're looking after kids.

The Three Big Constraints: Time, Energy, and Money

You don't need some grand moral justification to keep gaming after becoming a parent. But what you will need is a release. And if gaming is your favourite hobby or the place you go to escape the pressures of real life, then parenthood is actually a great time to find the games you enjoy — you'll just have to change the way you play them.

The three biggest constraints as a parent gamer are time, energy, and money. Your routine will keep shifting as your child gets older, and it's really about finding pockets of time you can use for yourself. If they're young enough to nap, that could be the perfect window to squeeze in an hour or so of gaming. When they're very young, you'll often get "nap trapped" — your kid falls asleep on you, you can't move, and the only option is to quietly pick up a controller. Just make sure you switch off all the sounds and vibrations first.

Beyond naps, you're looking at early mornings or late nights once everyone else has gone to bed. If you're lucky enough not to need much sleep, this is the perfect time for your own projects and hobbies. Family members who help with childcare are also golden opportunities — not exclusively for gaming, but definitely for catching up on everything you need for yourself.

Adjust Your Expectations (and Your Game Library)

One thing you'll have to completely readjust is how long it takes to get through a game. It took me around eight months to finish the main story of God of War Ragnarök, and there are plenty of games I simply haven't been able to reach the end of.

You'll also want to think carefully about what you're playing. Anything you can't pause — competitive online games, battle royales — becomes incredibly difficult when a child could interrupt you at any moment. The only time I've ever been close to winning on Fall Guys, my son woke up and threw up all over me. That was the end of that.

Turn-based and strategy games, on the other hand, are ideal. You can put them down for five minutes and nothing changes. I've found myself doing the dishes or preparing bottles while thinking through my next move or planning a build for later. Open-world games that let you complete a side quest in thirty minutes are also great — at least you've made some progress and feel like you've actually done something. Cozy games that let you play gently without too much stress are another solid option. I found games like Elden Ring, for instance, left me so wired after a boss fight that I had too much adrenaline to sleep — which is the last thing you need when a child might wake up at any moment.

Gaming Together: It Gets Even Better

When your kids reach a certain age, they'll want to play with you — and this is where things can genuinely evolve. The most-played game in our house right now is Pokémon Snap, simply because it's accessible enough for my nearly-four-year-old to operate. I'm even considering Mario Party for the first time in my life.

I recently took my son Gabriel to the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, where they have a big gaming exhibit. We sat on a couch playing an old FIFA game together, both on the same side as Liverpool against Everton, just passing the ball back and forth. We drew nil-nil, but he was absolutely made up that he could pass and do little skills by accident. You just have to learn not to get frustrated if they're not playing the game "properly." He still hasn't worked out how to move characters with the joystick, so he just mashes face buttons — but we discovered that in Astrobot, he can practically carry a level on his own in the flying sections, and the pride on his face was something else.

The One Gaming Hack Every Parent Needs

For the times you do want to play on your own, there is one genuinely excellent hack: get into handheld gaming. Whether it's retro handhelds, a streaming device like the PlayStation Portal, or a full handheld gaming PC, the ability to play away from the TV — or even just beside it while the kids watch their programmes — keeps a low profile and means the controller is far less likely to get taken off you.

Being a parent gamer isn't about neglecting your kids. It's about finding the right balance between your priorities towards them and towards yourself. If you look after yourself, you'll be a much better parent for it.

A Casual Gamer's EDC (AYN Thor Edition)

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Why the Thor Made the Trip

A week at my in-laws' place in France meant limited time to myself, but a few late-night hours after everyone had gone to bed felt worth planning around. The AYN Thor was an easy pick. Its dual-screen OLED setup means it can handle an enormous range of systems, the clamshell form factor keeps it compact in a bag, and it doubles as a media tablet when you just want to watch something. It covers a lot of ground without taking up much space.

What I didn't anticipate was how much I'd end up leaning on single-screen mode. Games like Dr. Mario and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 turned out to be ideal for the kind of fractured gaming sessions you get as a parent — ten minutes at the airport, half an hour while waiting to pick someone up. Those sessions add up. I very nearly 100%'d Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 entirely in stolen moments like those.

The real surprise was how well the Thor handled proper PC emulation. Dispatch runs to around eight or nine hours for a single playthrough, which made it perfect for a one-episode-a-night approach over the break. That top OLED — only six inches, but genuinely stunning in terms of vibrancy and clarity — made it a pleasure to sit with each night. There were a few graphical glitches here and there, and the ABXY buttons being reversed from what's shown on screen led to some unintended dialogue choices, but overall it was a really solid experience. Battery life was impressive too — I only needed to charge it two or three times across the whole trip.

Carrying the Thor Day-to-Day

AYN make their own carry case for the Thor and it's well built — nice materials, a hand strap, and a TPU grip moulded perfectly to the device. The problem is the bulk. It's considerably larger than the Thor itself, which makes it awkward to slip into a bag alongside everything else you're carrying.

Just before the trip, Insta360 sent me a cross-body bag designed for cameras, and it turns out it's an almost perfect fit for the Thor once you leave the TPU grip at home. The top zips open cleanly, the interior layer holds the device snugly without putting any pressure on it, and there's a small zipped pocket for a stylus and a hidden compartment underneath for charging cables. It's also waterproof, which is a nice bonus. The neutral colourway with bright toggle accents is exactly the kind of outdoor gear aesthetic I tend to gravitate towards, and being able to wear it across your shoulder means the Thor is always within easy reach on public transport.

The Bigger Bag Option

When I'm heading somewhere that warrants taking more kit — or a bulkier handheld — I reach for the CRKD Pro Gamer carry case. CRKD are best known for the Nitro Deck, which I reviewed and wasn't entirely won over by, but this carry case is genuinely excellent regardless of your feelings about their controllers.

The main compartment is deep and wide, with a magnetic flap that keeps larger handhelds in place. A Switch in a Killswitch case, a Steam Deck, a Legion Go S — it handles all of them comfortably, and there's still room left over for accessories. I keep my reading glasses in there these days, along with a Joy-Con adapter for tabletop mode and the magnetic adapters that go with it. A hidden zipped pouch handles cartridges and cables, a front compartment offers more storage than it looks like it should, and the inner lining pockets are handy for smaller items you don't want rattling around loose. You can even slot a vertical handheld into those inner pockets, so if you want to travel with a handheld PC and a retro device simultaneously, there's genuinely enough room to do it.

Audio and Power

For everyday use, the AirPods 4 remain my go-to. The noise cancellation hits a sweet spot — enough to take the edge off street noise without making you feel cut off from your surroundings, and the Apple device integration is seamless. The slight catch is that a lot of these handhelds run Android or Linux, and while you can pair AirPods to something like the Thor or a Steam Deck, it's not quite as frictionless.

For those situations, I've been using the Sony Pulse Explores. The planar drivers deliver genuinely impressive spatial audio, particularly through the PlayStation Portal, and having them paired to multiple devices simultaneously is convenient once it's set up. The setup process itself, though, is a frustration — holding a button for twelve seconds to establish a connection doesn't make for a smooth experience. The case is also notably bulkier than the AirPods 4, and getting the earbuds seated correctly when putting them away can feel unnecessarily fiddly. They do a good job; they're just not a joy to use.

For power on the go, an Anker battery pack has been serving me well for a while now. The built-in stand lets you prop your phone up on a plane tray table for media or controller-based gaming, and it's compact enough to be genuinely portable. I also use it around the house more than I'd like to admit, largely because handheld PC battery life still isn't quite where it needs to be.

Final Thoughts

The everyday carry setup is always evolving, and the Thor has slotted into mine more naturally than I expected. The Retroid Pocket 6 is on my radar for later in the year, so if that's something you're curious about too, it's worth keeping an eye out.

I Traded Doom Scrolling for Handheld Gaming. Here's what happened...

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Phone Problem Nobody Talks About

Social media platforms are getting harder to justify by the day. Flooded with AI-generated slop, staged interactions, and algorithmically-tuned outrage, they leave you feeling worse for having opened them — and yet you keep going back. That's not a personal failing; it's by design. These apps are quite literally engineered to hack your brain chemistry in service of advertisers.

The most insidious part isn't the content itself — it's the automatic reach. You look down and your phone is already in your hand, and you have no idea how it got there. Breaking that reflex is the real first step to loosening social media's grip.

Why Gaming Is a Surprisingly Good Replacement

Gaming isn't a perfect alternative, but it has one crucial advantage: it demands more of you upfront. There's a higher bar to opening a game and getting started, which means it doesn't lend itself to the same mindless, reflexive reach. And once you're in, you're genuinely in — immersed rather than passively consuming.

At its best, gaming brings together more forms of media than almost anything else. Titles like Dispatch can deliver storytelling and visuals that rival prestige television. Puzzle and strategy games keep your mind active and sharpen your problem-solving. The music, sound design, and voice acting in modern games represent genuinely deep creative fields. And when everything clicks, a great game can put you into a flow state that melts the stress of the day away in a way that no Instagram reel ever could.

There's also something for every mood. A cosy management game helps you decompress and organise your thoughts. A competitive shooter gets the blood pumping. A sprawling RPG offers escape into a world that rewards your attention over dozens of hours. Even something like Fortnite, for all its flaws, can be a genuine way to spend time with friends who don't live nearby.

Watch Out — Gaming Has Its Own Doom Loops

Here's where it gets complicated. Many modern games are deliberately designed to replicate the worst parts of social media, keeping you engaged through the same dopamine manipulation rather than through genuine enjoyment.

Loot boxes are the most obvious offender. They front-load the rewards to get you hooked, then slowly throttle them so that the only way to maintain that hit is to spend real money. Even well-regarded RPGs like Metaphor: ReFantazio aren't immune — the grind of levelling up characters or hunting specific items can start to feel uncomfortably similar to scrolling a feed if you're not paying attention.

Then there's the digital storefront problem. Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo — they all have polished, always-accessible shops that make it very easy to keep adding to a backlog you'll never clear. Having the Steam app on your phone is particularly dangerous; it collapses the distance between a passing thought and an impulse purchase. And the culture around gaming — Reddit threads, comment sections, discourse — can pull you into exactly the kind of rage-bait rabbit holes you were trying to escape.

Retro Gaming as a Safe Haven

If modern gaming sometimes feels like it's working against you, older games almost never do. Go back to titles from the '90s or early 2000s and you'll find a noticeably different pace — slower, steadier, and completely free of the engagement mechanics that have infected so much of what's released today.

Developers of that era were working within tight memory and hardware constraints, which forced them to prioritise creativity and playability above all else. When you bought an N64 cartridge, you got the whole game. No day-one DLC. No online subscription required to play with friends. No achievement system nudging you to keep going past the point you stopped having fun. The experience began and ended on its own terms.

There's also something to be said for the treasure hunt aspect — rummaging through charity shops for old games is, rather pleasantly, something that actually gets you out of the house.

Try the Experiment

Next time you feel the pull of an evening spent doom scrolling, pick up a game instead. Play for an hour or two, then stop and notice how you feel. The contrast tends to be striking. Gaming, at its best, is proactive rather than passive — you're doing something, solving something, experiencing something — and that distinction matters more than it might sound.

The goal isn't to swap one compulsion for another. It's to be deliberate about where your attention goes, and to choose things that leave you feeling better rather than worse. Games, chosen carefully, can do exactly that.

The Handhelds That Got Me Through The Year

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A Year Worth Escaping From

2025 wasn't an easy year — for me or for the world in general. Handheld gaming became something of a lifeline: a reliable way to step away from the noise and disappear into an imaginary world for a while. This isn't a roundup of the best devices that launched in 2025. It's a tribute to the five handhelds that actually got me through the year, whatever year they came out.

AYN Thor — Handheld of the Year

The Thor is my favourite handheld of 2025 by some distance. On the surface it resembles a Nintendo DS, but you don't need to be a DS enthusiast to get enormous value out of it. The 6-inch top OLED is among the best displays I've ever gamed on — vibrant, sharp, and genuinely stunning. Below it sits a 3.92-inch OLED that can be used independently or combined with the top screen for dual-screen gaming. That flexibility means the Thor handles almost any form factor you throw at it: GBA games on the bottom screen, PS1 on top, or native 3DS gaming across both.

Windows emulation on Android has come on considerably, so lightweight Steam games are now viable on the Thor too. Pair all of that with the clamshell form factor and up to eight hours of battery life, and you've got something genuinely confident to travel with. It's the device I packed for Christmas at my in-laws — perfect for a couple of hours of cosy gaming after the kids have gone to bed. The fact that you can also access streaming subscriptions and VPN apps on it is a genuinely useful bonus.

Legion Go S — The House Powerhouse

For raw handheld PC performance at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage, the Legion Go S is hard to beat. I've got the Z1 Extreme version running SteamOS, and it's become my daily driver for gaming around the house. The 8-inch LCD display challenges everything you thought you knew about non-OLED screens, and the ergonomics are arguably the best in the category. Games like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle run beautifully on it.

Its limitations are real, though. The fans get loud under load, and the battery life is poor enough that I rarely take it out of the house — a trip to Barcelona taught me that lesson when it died before I even reached my destination. But as an at-home handheld PC at a still-reasonable price point, it's an exceptional machine.

Nintendo Switch 2 — Complicated, But Undeniable

I'll be honest: the Switch 2 didn't live up to expectations. The display is fairly underwhelming, it's uncomfortable to hold without a grip, and the game library still feels thin. And yet it's the handheld I've spent the most time with since it launched. That's largely down to Yakuza 0: Director's Cut shipping with it — a series I'd never have explored otherwise, and one I promptly became obsessed with for the rest of the year. I'm now through to Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2 with the third entry due in February.

The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet update finally prompted me to finish the DLC, and being able to play competitive Pokémon on a bigger, brighter screen was genuinely enjoyable. What the Switch 2 still needs is more software like Donkey Kong Bananza — games that actually justify its existence rather than things that could have run on the original. It feels like a Switch Pro for now. But I'm glad I have one.

PlayStation Portal — A Slow Burner That Came Good

The Portal launched to a fairly muted reception, and that was fair at the time. But compare it today to what it was at launch and it's almost a different device. We've gone from simple PS5 streaming to accessing PlayStation's broader game library and, for those with a PlayStation Premium subscription, even a selection of your own digital purchases — no PS5 required. It's a remarkable turnaround.

What the Portal does better than any streaming alternative is feel like a proper controller. Because it's essentially a DualSense split in two, you get the full haptics and adaptive trigger experience that makes PlayStation's controllers so distinctive. That targeted, console-quality feel is why I'd always reach for the Portal over streaming via an app on a Steam Deck. Wi-Fi reliability has improved significantly with updates too, and you can now troubleshoot your connection directly on the device, which helps.

iPad Mini — Don't Sleep on It

For anyone not ready to commit to a dedicated handheld, the iPad Mini deserves more credit than it gets as a gaming device. I've gone back and forth on the iPad's identity over the years, but the Mini sidesteps all of that — it's just a brilliant, compact tablet that happens to be very good for gaming.

Snap on a controller like the Backbone One or my personal favourite, the EVO Vagabond — which is light, well-balanced, and makes no real compromises on quality — and you've got something that feels genuinely comfortable to hold for extended sessions. The game library is broader than people assume: Red Dead Redemption is now on iOS, Football Manager 26 Touch scratches a particular itch, and if you have a Netflix subscription, a decent selection of games comes included. Emulators run on it too. It's versatile, approachable, and worth taking seriously.

Here's to whatever 2026 brings — and to the devices that'll help us get through it.

Analogue 3D | A Casual Gamer's Review

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

An FPGA-Core Memory

My most vivid memory of the N64 is finding it a few weeks before Christmas, hidden in my parents' bedroom. My brother and I couldn't help ourselves — we loaded up Wrestlemania 2000 and played through a full game. Of course, we got caught. The cartridge was confiscated, and we were in a lot of trouble. Twenty-odd years later, the Analogue 3D has landed on my doorstep just a week before Christmas, and it feels like a kind of cosmic reckoning. This truly modern reconstruction of the N64 is the sort of thing me and my brother could only have dreamt about back then.

Earlier this year, while helping my mum clear out my brother's old bedroom, I discovered that our original N64 had been completely destroyed by water damage. Nobody's quite sure how it happened, but it does underline why companies like Analogue exist — and why technologies like FPGA matter for keeping these old systems alive.

The Analogue 3D is a Time Machine

The Analogue 3D is not simply a one-to-one rerendering of the original console. It's 100% compatible with all original N64 cartridges regardless of region, works with your old controllers and accessories, and can output up to 4K 60fps. It also supports Bluetooth controllers and Wi-Fi. In person, it cuts a faithful but slightly sleeker figure than the N64 — which, looking at it now, has aged remarkably well in its own right.

The standard colourways are white and black, both of which look quietly elegant. I was lucky enough to pick up the gold version as part of a limited drop that came out in December. It's a point of genuine contention among loyal Analogue fans, many of whom had been waiting nearly two years on pre-orders for the white or black versions, only to see a range of additional colourways announced days later. It does feel like a kick in the teeth to those who committed earliest. Analogue also places a fair amount of pressure on customers outside of the US — I paid £49 in customs duty to ship mine to the UK — so those tensions are understandable.

That said, I'm personally very happy with the gold. To my eyes it reads more as a rose gold than a traditional gold, and I think it looks absolutely stunning. My main concern is longevity — given how often you'll be handling the console to swap cartridges, I do worry about it picking up scratches over time. Fingerprints seem to dissolve off the surface within a couple of seconds, which is at least a good sign.

Getting Set Up

Before you dive in, there is some initial tinkering to do. You'll need to update the firmware via SD card and, if you've picked up the 8BitDo 64 controllers, update those too. The console also includes a couple of cartridge cleaners, which is a thoughtful touch — years of grime can build up on old cartridges, and you really do want to sort that before inserting anything into a shiny new system.

The Analogue 3D will automatically detect the output settings your display supports when you plug it in. If you're on a monitor without 4K, the image may look quite small initially — that's where the "integer plus" option comes in, using integer scaling to stretch the image without losing the original aspect ratio. You can play at 50 or 60Hz depending on your display.

One frustration worth flagging: every time you swap cartridges, the console reverts to default display settings, which means frequent trips into the menus if you're cycling through games. Hopefully that's something a firmware update addresses in time. I'd also love to see Bluetooth headphone support added down the line — the hardware has the chip for it, it's just not enabled yet.

The Games Themselves

Nostalgia aside, the real appeal of these retro systems is that they hold genuinely great games — titles that were foundational to the future of game development. There's something deeply satisfying about inserting a cartridge and simply being in the game, without online menus, force-fed multiplayer, or sprawling open worlds pulling your attention in a dozen directions.

Spending time with Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it becomes obvious just how different the design philosophy was. Modern JRPGs and live-service games are built around dopamine loops that keep you grinding and engaged through systems rather than through the game itself. The N64 classics found their heart in creativity, problem solving, and sheer fun in a way that many modern titles could still learn from.

Analogue seem to have this spirit in mind when designing their operating systems. As with the Analogue Pocket, the 3DOS is deliberately minimal — it gets out of the way and puts you into the game as quickly as possible. At times it can be a touch confusing, but the overall intention is clear and welcome.

The 8BitDo 64 Controller

A big part of the playing experience comes down to the controller, and this is where the Analogue 3D makes its most significant departure from the original hardware. Working in partnership with 8BitDo, Analogue have produced the 64 controller — a far more comfortable and ergonomic redesign that retains everything important about the original layout.

The six face buttons are in exactly the right positions, and the C buttons especially feel remarkably faithful to the originals. The joystick has moved to the upper left of the controller, above the D-pad — the contemporary standard — which feels much more natural for anyone used to modern systems, though your thumb may occasionally search for a second joystick that isn't there. The gate on the joystick is octagonal, which is important for certain games and a thoughtful detail. You also get Z1 and Z2 shoulder buttons, which means the controller translates well to other platforms — there's even a dedicated Switch mode for playing the N64 library via Nintendo Online.

My favourite feature, though, is the rumble. Switching into rumble pack mode, the feedback feels genuinely tactile and weighty for such a light controller — I was very impressed.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Analogue 3D brings back the N64 in faithful and stunning style. It moves the technology forward in exactly the ways you'd want — 4K output, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi — while remaining true to the original console's design and spirit. If you already own controllers and a collection of cartridges, the outlay isn't as steep as it might seem. I paid $299 for the gold limited edition and picked up a couple of extra controllers at around $40 each. The £49 customs duty stings if you're in the UK, but compared to paying upwards of £150 for a secondhand N64 from somewhere like CEX, it starts to make a lot of sense.

Most of my old collection is still at my parents' house, so I'm looking forward to reclaiming it over Christmas and having the rather delicate conversation with my brother about which games actually belong to whom. For now, Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time are keeping me more than happy. I'm looking forward to building the library out through 2026, and eventually introducing my son to these games when he's old enough to be trusted with it in front of the TV downstairs.

My recommendation: If you grew up with the N64 and want the definitive modern way to play your cartridges, the Analogue 3D is an easy recommendation. Just budget for customs if you're outside the US.

They Just Can't Keep the Steam Deck Down...

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Come at the King, You Best Not Lose

More than three years on, there's no shortage of pretenders to the Steam Deck's crown. But Valve just keeps finding new ways to make the Steam Deck relevant.

To be completely open, since I picked up the Legion Go S, it's become my daily driver for PC gaming. It offers benefits like a larger screen, better performance, and potentially even more comfort. But despite the roll out of all these fancy new handhelds, there are still so many people who will just tell you to get a Steam Deck.

With conservative estimates putting the Steam Deck at around 8 million units sold worldwide, it’s precisely that scale of adoption that means the Steam Deck doesn't have to be as powerful as its rivals to compete in a very real sense.

Valve's Assault on Windows

Valve has been supporting—even directly funding—open source projects like Proton or Wine for over a decade. Because of this infrastructure, developers have enough goodwill with Valve to make sure games run well on their system.

They can have enough confidence to actually target its specs. We now even have developers like Larian Studios who've created their own runtime for Baldur's Gate 3 to really dial in to the Steam Deck's capabilities.

Indie Games Still Rock on the Steam Deck

We know the Steam Deck is not going to run AAA games at 120 FPS. One area that it does really excel in, though, is indie games.

Low TDP Efficiency: The Steam Deck is an absolute beast at low power draws. You can get a really good battery life out of it compared to many other handhelds.
The OLED Advantage: That OLED screen really does a lot of heavy lifting for indie titles. I've noticed a trend toward high-contrast design with lots of dark areas—games like Shogun Showdown look absolutely stunning.
The Experience: Playing Blue Prince this year embodied the essence of the Deck for me. Much like the game, I’ve slowly unpacked different areas of the Steam Deck and found things that really surprised me.

Compatability is King

The Steam Deck’s trackpads offer a brilliant solution for tabletop board game ports like Twilight Struggle that require a mouse. You also get four back paddles and great gyro support.

But the real cool thing is the community controller profiles. If you are struggling to map controls on any game in particular, the chances are somebody's already done it for you and you just have to search for that profile and you get off the mark.

Valve’s New Hardware Ecosystem

The overall experience of SteamOS just keeps getting better. Now, with the announcement of the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame, that support is only going to continue.

The Steam Machine is claimed to be six or seven times more powerful than the Steam Deck. You'll be able to stream that power over to your handheld and play with really high settings. Valve even pointed out that the Steam Machine will have the exact same SD card formatting as the Steam Deck. You'll simply be able to take it out of your machine, put it in your deck when you're on the go, and have access to all your games with no extra effort.

Every piece of Valve hardware is a wedge designed to further embed Valve in the wider gaming landscape and bring about this shift from Windows gaming to Linux or even Android.

While other manufacturers keep striving to push performance and price even higher, the Steam Deck is sitting pretty and maintaining a really good value for money.

AYN Thor | A Casual Gamer's Review

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

How AYN Finally Nailed the Dual Screen

Android devices have been edging toward this form factor for a while, but the AYN Thor is the first one that absolutely nails it. The clamshell design offers ultimate portability, and when you open it, you're greeted by two beautiful displays.

Up top, we have a 6-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate -the very same premium panel found in the AYN Odin 3. Down below, another OLED which comes in at 3.92-inches running at 60Hz. The way these two screens interact is incredible. Using default settings, you simply tap the display you want to operate, and the physical controls become active for that screen. The bottom screen also serves as a fantastic hub for settings while playing in single-screen mode.

Gaming Performance

The Thor comes in four main models, all running Snapdragon chips:

| Model | Storage | Ram | Chip | | ----- | ------- | ---- | ----- | | Lite | 128GB | 8GB | SD865 | | Base | 128GB | 8GB | 8Gen2 | | Pro | 256GB | 12GB | 8Gen2 | | Max | 1TB | 16GB | 8Gen2 |

As you'd expect, the Thor excels at DS emulation (via MelonDS) and 3DS emulation (via Citra). Beyond nostalgia though, you can run pretty much anything all the way up to Nintendo Switch emulation and Steam games courtesy of GameHub. While it won't hit the performance heights of a Steam Deck, it is perfect for loading up indie titles and even some AA games from your library. The 6,000 mAh battery provides between 2 to 8 hours of playtime depending on the intensity of the game.

Because it runs Android 13, you can use regular apps, such as Netflix and Disney+, making it versatile beyond gaming. Just note that the official PlayStation Remote Play app doesn't recognise the built-in controls. For streaming PS5, you'll want to use a third-party app like PXPlay.

Build Quality: Hinge and Controls

The launch of the Thor hasn't been without its growing pains. Being a dual-screen device, the hinge is a focal point. Some users have reported hairline cracks, which AYN have clarified are cosmetic blemishes from the molding process rather than functional failures. Whether you believe that or not, the result has left a lot of early customers feeling disappointed. The hinge snaps into three positions, just like an original DS, and you will find yourself swapping between viewing positions in different situations.

The A, B, X, and Y buttons are firm and clicky, though they can be a bit "squeaky" until you've worn them in. Honestly, they feel great for a device of this size. On the other hand, the triggers are woeful. Because they rotate around an axis, they feel almost like a water pistol. I'm not into them at all.

Despite the thumbsticks being slightly depressed so that the clamshell can close, they have a good amount of action and rigidity, making them a joy to game on.

Recommended Accessories

If you are picking up a Thor, you should consider accompanying it with a Nintendo Switch Stylus. A traditional DS stylus won't work on these screens due to its different display technology. However, this touch pen created for the Switch provides the precision needed for small touch targets and UI navigation, and unlike many Nintendo products these days, it doesn't actually cost that much.

In terms of AYN's own accessories, their dedicated grip slots underneath the device to provide a more comfortable, ergonomic experience in long sessions. It feels a lot more controller-like and is a must for those of us with larger hands.

AYN also offers a custom soft-shell case that fits the device and grip perfectly, as well as a transparent shell that protects the entirety of the device, while giving it a snugger, more secure fit into the TPU grip. You can even get a lanyard & pouch extra security when gaming on the go.

The "Tinkering" Factor

The trade-off for the Thor’s flexibility is the time required to set it up. This is not a "plug-and-play" console. You will spend hours, maybe even weeks, getting your emulators and front-end set up.

Even just mapping controls for every individual emulator can be time-consuming and frustrating. But I also know that's exactly what many handheld enthusiasts love about these devices! Just remember to actually play some games, once in a while...

Final Thoughts

The AYN Thor is a brilliant device that brings back childhood nostalgia while offering the power of a modern handheld. If you love to tinker and want a versatile dual-screen machine, the Thor is unmatched. However, if you lack the patience for 30-minute YouTube setup guides, you might be better off with a Steam Deck.

My recommendation: Go for the Pro or Max models. The extra power and storage are well worth the investment for a device this capable.

The Legion Go S is All I Need

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Is Legion Go S the End Game?

The Legion Go S lacks an OLED display, detachable controllers, and a current-gen chip, yet it might still be the best handheld gaming PC for the average person. While it sits technically as the "awkward middle child" between the Steam Deck OLED and the original Legion Go, in practice, it feels like the ultimate sweet spot.

Why Bother with a Last Gen Chip?

The Legion Go S has become my go-to for PC gaming. While it won't run the latest titles flawlessly at ultra settings, it handles demanding games surprisingly well. I was able to run Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Medium settings. Titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio run at 1080p/40 FPS without any setting tweaks, no doubt helped by its 32GB of RAM.

Unlike some competitors, it comes standard with a 1TB SSD, which is essential if you plan on installing modern, high-capacity games. Sure, the Legion Go 2 (with the Z2 Extreme chip) will offer better performance, but it is expected to cost nearly double the price of a Go S. For most people, that upgrade won't be worth it.

But it's not OLED...

The lack of an OLED panel is the biggest sticking point for many. However, the Legion Go S proves that a high-quality LCD can still be beautiful.

If you are switching from a Steam Deck OLED, you will notice a decrease in dynamic range, especially since the Go S lacks HDR compatibility. Darker game sections can feel like a compromise even with the 500 nits of brightness.

The "saving grace" is the 8-inch, 1920x1200 (16:10) display. The extra screen real estate is a game-changer for text-heavy RPGs or expansive environments—especially for those of us in our "reading glasses era." The 120Hz refresh rate and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support do an excellent job of smoothing out performance dips caused by the older chipset.

Controls and Design

The Legion Go S is a much more focused, less "experimental" device than its predecessors. Lenovo jettisoned the detachable controllers for a fixed, all-in-one body, resulting in a more coherent and comfortable design.

To replace the "FPS/Mouse Mode" of the original, Lenovo added a tiny trackpad.While it’s no replacement for the Steam Deck’s dual pads, it is vital for navigating Windows pop-ups and game launchers.

You get two back buttons (compared to the Steam Deck’s four). If you rely on heavy input customisation, this might feel like a downgrade; for everyone else, it’s a more streamlined feel.

One of the best features is the choice of Windows or SteamOS preinstalled on your device. You don't have to deal with the "rigmarole" of installing Bazzite or third-party forks; you just pick your OS and go from there.

The Verdict

The Legion Go S is a (relatively speaking) modest device catering to console gamers or those who want an easy, pick-up-and-play experience. Its drawbacks—the older chip and the LCD screen—feel like intentional design choices to keep the price from becoming astronomical while maintaining a premium feel. Honestly, this thing is hard to put down.

$5 vs $500 Vertical Retro Handheld

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Five Handhelds, Five Very Different Price Points

Nothing hits you in the nostalgia quite like a retro gaming handheld that looks and feels like a Game Boy. But the vertical handheld space has exploded in recent years, and the range of what's available — in terms of both price and quality — is genuinely wild. From a $5 TikTok impulse buy to a $500 OLED powerhouse, here's what you actually get for your money.

The $5 Handheld: Surprisingly Decent Stocking Filler

At the bottom of the pile is a no-name retro handheld picked up on TikTok Shop for $5. The lightweight plastic feels cheap and a little scratchy, and the buttons are functional rather than satisfying. It has a 2.4-inch display with chunky bezels, a 6-hour rechargeable battery hidden under a small clasp, a front-facing speaker with a volume wheel, and — genuinely unexpected at this price — a headphone jack. It charges via USB Mini, and you can't access the memory card, so you're locked into the 500 games that come preloaded.

That "500 games" figure is generous. There are duplicates with different skins, and the library leans heavily on clones rather than authentic ROMs. That said, you will find recognisable titles in there — Contra, Streets of Rage style games, even Angry Birds. It works. It's not going to blow anyone away, but as a secret Santa gift or a stocking filler, it punches well above its price tag.

The $40–$80 Range: Where Things Get Genuinely Interesting

Step up to the $40–$80 bracket and the quality jump is immediately apparent. Two handhelds sit comfortably in this range and represent very different takes on the form factor.

The Miyoo Mini Plus is one of the most recommended handhelds in this price bracket, and for good reason. It runs a custom Linux skin designed to make ROM navigation as simple as possible, comes with RetroArch built in, and crucially lets you eject the SD card and load your own games. The translucent black body looks great, the buttons feel considerably more refined than the budget tier, and the 2.4-inch display has noticeably smaller bezels and better brightness. It charges via USB-C, has a removable battery, and can handle games all the way up to PS1. It's small enough to live in a bag or a car glovebox permanently — the kind of device you're genuinely glad to have when you're waiting somewhere unexpectedly.

The POWKIDDY V10 takes a slightly different approach, with a wider form factor that makes it a little more comfortable to hold for longer sessions. Its 3.5-inch 480x320 display is particularly well suited to Game Boy Advance emulation, and the proportions just feel right for that era of gaming. It has clicky triggers, a removable battery, a headphone jack, and can also push up to PS1. The wider body means it sits less easily in a pocket, but it's still the kind of device you won't be precious about — which is actually one of the most underrated qualities a handheld can have at this price.

The Analogue Pocket: An Enthusiast's Dream at ~$400

This is where things get serious. The Analogue Pocket is officially listed at $219 on the Analogue website, but once you factor in shipping and customs duty for UK buyers, the real cost lands closer to $400. Getting hold of one at all requires either patience — waiting for stock drops and hoping for the best — or a willingness to pay a premium on eBay.

If you do manage to get one, what you're holding feels unlike anything else in this roundup. It's almost as if Apple had designed a Game Boy. The translucent blue model in particular is stunning, with fine details throughout including the Analogue logo visible through the casing on the motherboard. It accepts original Game Boy and Game Boy Advance cartridges directly, meaning you can play your actual collection on modern hardware rather than emulating it. The 3.5-inch LCD display runs at 1,600x1,440 — roughly ten times the resolution of an original Game Boy — and offers multiple display modes that faithfully recreate everything from the original DMG green tint to the Game Boy Light and beyond. With firmware updates, software emulation extends all the way to the Sega Mega Drive.

The controls are excellent for their intended purpose, though they're very much designed around Game Boy rather than anything more complex. Playing a Mega Drive racing game, for instance, feels slightly awkward — the D-pad doesn't invite the same rolling inputs you'd use on original hardware. This is emphatically an enthusiast product, best suited to someone with an existing cartridge collection who wants to experience it in the best possible way. It's also the kind of device you'll be nervous taking on the bus.

The AYANEO Pocket DMG: Complete Overkill, and Worth Every Penny

At $419 on the AYANEO website — closer to $500 once shipping reaches the UK — the AYANEO Pocket DMG is the top of this particular pile, and it knows it. The 3.92-inch OLED display is gorgeous, especially in low-light environments, and the device runs Android, which makes it an extraordinarily flexible emulation platform. Dolphin for GameCube, Redream for Dreamcast, DuckStation for PlayStation — it handles them all, pushing emulation capability up to PS2 territory.

The control setup is genuinely unusual: one joystick pairs with a trackpad that doubles as a clickable mouse, switching between modes by holding start and select together. A "magic switch" on the side handles brightness, volume, and performance profiles, and a turbo button cycles between power modes on the fly. There is a fan inside, and at full performance it can get loud enough to compete with game audio — the balanced or gaming profiles are the sweet spot for most use cases.

This is a device for someone who is deeply committed to the vertical handheld form factor and knows exactly what they want to do with it. It's beautiful, premium, and arguably complete overkill — but sitting in a hotel room on a work trip working through a Dreamcast library on that OLED panel, it's hard to argue with.

Which One Is Right for You?

If you're new to retro handhelds, start cheaper. The Miyoo Mini Plus or POWKIDDY V10 will tell you everything you need to know about whether this hobby is for you without any real financial risk. If you already know you want something more, the Analogue Pocket is the premium pick for cartridge collectors, while the AYANEO Pocket DMG is the choice for anyone who wants the most powerful, flexible vertical handheld money can currently buy.

AYANEO Pocket DMG | A Casual Gamer's Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

That Game Boy Feeling

You don't need to spend more than five seconds with the AYANEO Pocket DMG to understand what it's going for. The vertical form factor, the four face buttons in a diamond, the soft grey colourway — it's a love letter to the original Nintendo Game Boy. AYANEO have leaned into the nostalgia hard enough to include a boot animation that mimics the original DMG-01's pea-soup LCD screen. It's a neat touch that will either delight you or leave you completely cold depending on your relationship with that particular piece of gaming history.

Whether that nostalgia appeals to you will colour everything else about your experience. I grew up with a Game Boy, so I find the design genuinely charming — like picking up something familiar and discovering it's been quietly upgraded while you weren't looking. At 278g it's on the heavier side for a handheld, and you'll feel it in your pocket, but in your hands the weight actually gives it a reassuring, substantial quality that cheaper devices lack.

A Screen Worth Talking About

This is where the Pocket DMG genuinely excels. The 3.92-inch OLED panel with its 1240×1080 resolution gives you a near-perfect 8:7 aspect ratio — which is exactly what you want for Game Boy-era games. When you're running something like Pokémon Gold through an emulator and the pixels are rendered with that pixel-perfect sharpness, it looks absolutely stunning. Better, honestly, than any handheld I've tested in this category.

OLED means real blacks, vibrant colours, and an immediacy to the image that LCD simply can't replicate. The 8:7 ratio is a niche choice that makes total sense for the intended use case — it's not ideal for widescreen content, but for retro games and vertically-oriented titles it feels considered and deliberate in a way that more generic handhelds don't. This is one area where AYANEO have clearly spent real money, and you can see exactly where it went.

What It Can Actually Do

Under the hood you've got a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, which is a genuinely capable chip. GameCube and PS2 emulation run well. Lighter GameCube titles handle themselves without breaking a sweat, PS2 is similarly solid, and for anything below that — GBA, DS, PSP — you're well within comfortable territory. Android 13 gives you access to the full Google Play Store alongside your emulators, plus streaming services and cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass or GeForce Now.

AYANEO have also added support for running some Windows titles via compatibility tools, which is impressive on paper. In practice your mileage will vary considerably depending on the title — don't expect to run anything demanding — but for lighter Windows games and older PC titles it's a genuinely interesting trick.

Battery life is reasonable rather than spectacular. In regular use you're looking at five to six hours, which is enough for an evening session but not a long trip without a charger. A 6,000mAh cell sounds substantial, but the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 and that OLED panel have appetites.

The Controls: Mostly Good, Occasionally Frustrating

Most of the controls are genuinely well done. The D-pad is clicky and satisfying. The face buttons have a nice travel to them — responsive without being tiring. The Hall Effect analogue stick is a smart inclusion; no stick drift is always welcome, and it's accurate enough for the titles you're likely playing on a device like this. The shoulder buttons are solid too, though L2 and R2 require a bit of a stretch if you have larger hands.

Where the Pocket DMG stumbles is the smaller ancillary buttons. Start, Select, and the AYANEO menu button feel mushy and unpleasant compared to the quality of everything around them — they feel like an afterthought. The trackpad, added in the space where a Game Boy would have nothing, is a thoughtful idea that's useful for navigating Android's UI but rarely feels essential in games. You'll use it occasionally and forget it exists the rest of the time.

Is It Worth It for a Casual Gamer?

Here's where I have to be honest. The Pocket DMG starts at $449 and climbs to $699 for the Game Boy-coloured variant. For that money you're buying a premium experience — and the screen, the build quality, and the emulation performance genuinely justify the word "premium." But the question for a casual gamer isn't whether it's good. It's whether it's right for you.

If you mostly want to revisit Game Boy, GBA, and DS games, there are far cheaper ways to do it. If you want a device that handles GameCube and PS2 emulation beautifully in a vertical form factor with one of the best OLED screens in the handheld space, and you're willing to pay for it, the Pocket DMG is one of the best options on the market right now. It knows exactly what it is — a maximalist, slightly over-engineered love letter to a specific era of gaming — and it commits to that vision completely. Whether that's worth the price of entry is entirely down to how much that Game Boy feeling still means to you.

Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1E) | A Casual Gamer's Review

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

The Steam OS Difference

As a busy dad, building up my Steam library has become the world's worst side hustle. But the rise of handheld gaming has genuinely threatened to get me out of backlog hell, even if I can no longer seem to escape Kamarucho. This particular model of the Legion Go S comes with the Z1 Extreme chip, 32 GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage, which is pretty substantial for the price range.

The big talking point here is Steam OS. Windows offers more flexibility in terms of the games you can play and other use cases for the device, but by cutting out background processes and a lot of bloatware, the Steam OS version gives you considerably more bang for your buck in terms of available memory. You've been able to put Linux distros like Bazzite on gaming handhelds in the past, but this is the first third-party handheld that Steam OS officially supports. That integration goes deeper than you might expect: even inside the controller options, you'll see an image of the Legion Go S rather than a generic Steam Deck, and there are bespoke features like updating the appearance of the thumbstick RGBs from within the OS itself.

Hardware That Feels Considered

The Steam OS version ships with a distinctive purple metallic finish (the SEA Edition), which is the only hardware difference compared to the Windows model. I personally really like it. It's metallic enough to feel premium, but neutral enough that it steps into the background when you're actually playing.

At first glance the Legion Go S looks a little bulky, certainly thicker than the Steam Deck. But turn it over and you'll see why that bulk works in its favour: the grips are moulded in a flowing shape that sits naturally in your palms, complemented by a nice textured finish on the rear. It's the most comfortable handheld I've ever used. It doesn't dig in like the Nintendo Switch 2. It just rests there, giving you something substantial to hold without any strain.

The thumbsticks continue that theme. Their concave moulding lets you rest your thumbs in place and maintain real control without feeling like they'll slip. The D-pad mirrors that same concave approach, which matters on a device this thick, since anything protruding further would tip it into awkward territory. The face buttons have a slightly translucent quality that reveals a floating effect when you tilt the device, and they're flat, reactive, and comfortable to press. One carry-over from the original Legion Go that I'm less keen on is the placement of the auxiliary buttons. The start, select, and Steam buttons sit close enough together that I regularly press the wrong one mid-game, particularly when trying to access quick settings. Perhaps that's the cost of switching between handhelds frequently, but it does feel like an odd arrangement.

On the top edge you'll find volume buttons and the power button, though unless you install a plugin like Decky, the LED on that power button stays on and pulses even when the device is idle. In a dark bedroom, it's genuinely irritating. The ventilation draws air in through the rear grid and exhausts it from the top, which means the right side of the device runs noticeably warmer during demanding sessions. The fan is loud at maximum power settings, not at an unpleasant pitch, but loud enough to compete with in-game audio. The front-facing speakers are decent, though I'd give the edge to the Steam Deck for audio quality.

One feature I've found genuinely useful is the trigger locks on the rear. At their default setting the triggers click like standard buttons, but releasing the lock gives you the full analogue draw. It's a small touch that makes a real difference depending on what you're playing.

Legion Go S

Getting the Most Out of Steam OS

Valve has rolled out consistent updates to Steam OS over the past few years, and the result feels increasingly polished and console-like. You get instant access to your Steam library, the Steam store, and a genuinely excellent quick settings menu that gives you per-game performance profiles. For anyone coming to PC gaming from a console background, that quick menu is a great gateway into the world of tinkering: set your TDP once per game and you're largely sorted. The Z1 Extreme chip being a step up from the Steam Deck means that any Steam Deck-optimised setting will run comfortably here, and you have a little headroom on top for more demanding titles.

The display runs at up to 120 frames per second (compared to 90 on the Steam Deck OLED) with variable refresh rate, which keeps things looking smooth even when the frame rate isn't perfectly locked. The 16:10 aspect ratio is particularly welcome for strategy games and for emulating older titles in squarer formats, giving you more screen real estate without stretching the image. The big caveat is that this is an LCD panel rather than OLED. If deep blacks are important to you, the Steam Deck OLED has the advantage. That said, I've been genuinely impressed with how bright and dynamic this screen is; Yakuza's Kamarucho and the cutscenes in Persona 5 look great on it.

For a performance boost beyond local hardware, Nvidia GeForce Now is worth setting up via desktop mode. It requires a little effort to install, but once it's running it appears in your games library like any other title. Baldur's Gate 3, for example, ran at a noticeably higher and more stable frame rate through Nvidia's servers than locally. The one limitation is that the Legion Go S doesn't support HDR10, which locks out some titles in GeForce Now's catalogue entirely.

The Practical Realities

Battery life is the enduring problem with handheld PCs. Playing something close to a AAA title, you're realistically looking at around two hours. Drop the TDP for indie games or emulated titles and you'll get a bit more, but the truth is you'll spend most of your time tethered to a power outlet. That's still the biggest frustration with the category as a whole.

It's also worth being clear-eyed about what you're getting into with a handheld PC versus a Nintendo Switch. You're not opening a curated storefront where everything is guaranteed to run. The Steam Deck Verified tag helps, but it isn't perfectly reliable. For those willing to do a little research (checking settings others have used on similar hardware, nudging the TDP), the experience is fantastic. For those who want a plug-and-play guarantee on every title, it's worth knowing the difference upfront.

One practical note if you're switching from a Steam Deck: your existing memory card isn't simply transferable. You'll need to reformat it, which means losing all the data on it.

Final Thoughts

The Legion Go S with the Z1 Extreme chip feels very much like what a Steam Deck 2 might look like. It offers a similar console-like Steam OS experience, with meaningful advantages in performance, display refresh rate, and (perhaps most importantly for long sessions) ergonomics. Whether the Steam Deck's touchpads matter to you will probably determine which side of the fence you land on, but if comfort and performance are your priorities, the Legion Go S has the edge.

Compared to the rest of the handheld market, it's also excellent value. The OG Legion Go remains a solid option if you can find it secondhand, but it's larger and Windows-only. The Legion Go 2 sits well above £1,000. Alongside the Steam Deck OLED, the Legion Go S is the strongest value proposition in the space right now.

My recommendation: If you're a casual gamer looking for a comfortable, performant handheld with a genuinely console-like experience, the Legion Go S Steam OS edition is the best option currently available at this price point.