20 Best Retro Handhelds Of 2025

Because of emulation, which makes it simpler to access high-quality retro gaming on the move, and the rising cost of retro hardware, which drives players to turn elsewhere, the market for retro portable gaming is expanding at an astounding rate.

Since I started Retro Dodo more than five years ago, I have compiled a list of my favorite retro systems that I have reviewed. I have probably reviewed more than 250 handhelds in my career, but these are the select handful that I suggest looking into.

The handhelds I'm highlighting on this list are pure emulators, with emulation software frequently pre-installed on the hardware and running Linux and/or Android as their operating systems. There are no "official consoles" from companies like Nintendo, Sony, SEGA, or Microsoft on this list because these devices need the ROM files of old games to function.

Why are the top vintage handhelds of interest to people? It's easy, actually. Retro gamers don't want to deal with the inconvenience of having to pay exorbitant fees for additional vintage games.

1. Retroid Pocket 5

Pros

• Incredible Playstation 2 Emulation
• Easy To Use & Setup Launcher/OS
• Beautiful Build Quality
• AMOLED Display

Cons

• Minor Bugs In The Newly Updated Retroid Launcher
• Battery Life When Emulating PS2/GameCube
• No Fingerprint Reader Like Its Competitors

A powerful all-around retro gaming device, the Retroid Pocket 5 has improved over the years from its predecessors and is now nearly flawless in terms of both build quality and game performance. At $219, it's one of the priciest handhelds on the list, but if you do decide to get it, it will be the only retro handheld emulator you need.

With a 5.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, LED hall joysticks, 8GB of RAM, a 5000MAH battery, and Android 13, the Retroid Pocket 5 feels like a modern-day PSP. You will be met with an extremely easy setup procedure right out of the box that guides you through the entire process of installing your own ROMs.

I can say with confidence that they've done a great job here, even though there are a few minor bugs that need to be fixed. It will pre-install the best Android emulators and walk you through a quick setup guide for their new Retroid Launcher, which had a major update that coincided with the release of this product.

The build quality is flawless; the device's front is covered in glass, and its premium buttons have a vintage feel to it. This is because the DPAD feels like it was taken from a PS Vita, while the action buttons resemble those on a Nintendo 64 controller. Then there are the shoulder buttons that resemble those on the Nintendo Switch and the LED hall-joysticks that give it a modern touch.

After your device is configured, you can start using the Ardeno 650 GPU and Snapdragon 865 CPU. When combined with the RAM and stunning display, this combination enables you to flawlessly simulate the majority of consoles, including the Playstation 2, with minimal tweaking of the settings. In certain titles, you can even double the resolution.

After all these years, you can now carry around a high-end Playstation 2 emulator on a $219 Android handheld device. It is a flawless modern retro handheld that establishes GoRetroid as one of the top handheld makers in the world at the moment.

This is the greatest $200 Android portable that can simulate older games.

2. ModRetro Chromatic

Pros

• Metal Shell With Impeccable Build Quality
• Beautiful Pixel-Accurate Display
• Flawless Cartridge Gameplay
• Passionate Team Behind The Brand

Cons

• Inactive Modules Teases Me
• Wireless Charing Would Be Nice (& I’d Pay Extra For It)

The exquisitely made ModRetro Chromatic portable is only compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy cartridges. Not only is this gadget not overly designed, but it is expressly engineered to feel and look like a Game Boy Color—so much so that ModRetro created the first pixel-perfect GBC screen in history.

In addition, it has GBC-inspired looks, a link-cable port that lets you trade, and it even accepts AA batteries, just like the old days. Batteries and a new Tetris game are included in the box, so you can start playing with the device right away and relive the good old days.

The display is shielded by sapphire glass, which is extremely costly and resistant to severe scratches, and the Chromatic is encased in metal, which makes it impervious to bumps and scratches.

The games function well; all you have to do is put in the cartridge, flip the thick on/off switch, and you're ready to play. There's no setup required, no fumbling with emulation settings, just pure Game Boy action on a fantastic display that's easy to see in the daytime.

It's one of my favorite handhelds of the year; the GBC-style makes it really comfy; the display is flawless; and it's so excellent that it will be the final Game Boy Color I ever purchase.

3. ANBERNIC RG35XXSP

Pros

• Clamshell/GBA SP Design
• Incredibly Affordable
• Good PSP & Dreamcast Emulation

Cons

• Average User Experience
• Sometimes Screen Doesn’t Sleep When Shut

In May 2024, ANBERNIC released the RG35XXSP, which many mistake for a vintage Game Boy Advance SP. Despite being almost identical, the RG35XXSP is better in many respects because of emulation power and the fact that it costs only $65.

With its Allwinner H700 1.5Ghz CPU, Mali-G31 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 3.5-inch IPS display (640 x 480), 3300MAH battery, WiFi, and Bluetooth, the RG35XXSP may be used as a portable gaming console by connecting it to a display and syncing a wireless controller with it.

I was worried about the hinge's quality, but they made one that is strong, solid, and can be pushed back 180 degrees, offering the user a variety of viewing angles. The build quality is excellent for such an inexpensive item.

Because of its powerful hardware and 4:3 screen ratio, it's ideal for playing a lot of your old games, including those on the N64 and Dreamcast. The RetroArch emulator even automatically adds aesthetically nice bezels around the screen to make it look like you're playing on genuine hardware, and smaller consoles function perfectly.

The OS is a tad boring, which is the only drawback I can think of. Emulation severely suffers in the "games room" section of the device, but if you go around that and play your games using RetroArch, it feels like a brand-new device, with the majority of titles operating without any issues.

The majority of the buttons have the same feel as the GBA SP, but it takes a lot of pressure to read the L2/R2 buttons. Aside from that, it's a fantastic device that's affordable, portable, and strong enough to play the majority of your old games. As such, it's one of the greatest retro gaming presents you can get for handheld enthusiasts.

Despite the fact that this will be a difficult handheld to top, I think this will start a trend and other businesses will want a piece of the pie, even if ANBERNIC beat many of their rivals to the clamshell market.

4. TRIMUI Brick

Pros

• Beautifully Designed
• Super Sleek & Simple OS
• Pocket-Friendly
• Competitively Priced

Cons

• Shoulder Buttons Can Get Lost
• Games Requiring Analogue Stick May Be Awkward To Play
• Screen Bezels

For EDC enthusiasts, the TRIMUI Brick is the ideal handheld device. One of the most exquisitely designed, portable gadgets, it runs a divinely crafted Linux operating system that is incredibly slick and user-friendly. It has adequate power to replicate games on the Gameboy, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Playstation 1.

A function button enables you to quickly convert the DPAD into an analog stick, which makes the majority of N64 and Dreamcast games manageable enough to spend a few hours playing. You might be asking how that is even conceivable without an analog stick, and you'd be partially correct—it's definitely clumsy.

With its excellent resolution of 1024 x 768, the 3.2-inch display makes games look very sharp. You may use this device without any problems in broad daylight because it is sufficiently bright. Below that are a few premium buttons that are small and pliable.

Your detachable shoulder buttons are located on the back. Indeed, these components are interchangeable, and each unit includes a choice of two or three sets of shoulder buttons in the package to help you customize the device's comfort level. Although it's a fantastic feature that I believe many other manufacturers will adopt, it does make them more likely to be misplaced if they fall out of your pocket or bag.

The gadget feels as though it was created by Apple. It has a similar weight as a deck of cards. The gadget has been thoughtfully designed in every way, and the aesthetics and user interface complement each other to create a delightful retro gaming experience.

Although its power won't blow you away, it's one of the greatest portable vertical retro handhelds available, and anyone who values product design will see why I adore it as soon as it lands on their desks. Well done, TRIMUI; the moment has come.

5. Retroid Pocket 2S

Pros

• Incredibly Affordable
• Android 11 OS
• Very Easy To Setup
• N64 & Dreamcast Emulation

Cons

• Does Not Come Pre-Loaded
• Screen Bezels Too Big
• Long Shipping Times (2 Weeks+)
• DPAD & Stick Layout

After unboxing the Retroid Pocket 2S, I was immediately surprised by its lack of physical modifications, even though I was not impressed when it was first introduced.

This gadget has many improvements that elevate it to a completely new level, despite having a nearly identical appearance to its older sibling, the Android Pocket 2. First of all, its specifications have been improved, and it now has the capacity to powerfully imitate games from the Gamecube, PSP, and Dreamcast.

The DPAD's design has been updated to resemble the PS Vita, which is extremely welcome. The action buttons have more travel, the new shoulder buttons on the back, and the analog sticks have been replaced with hall joysticks, giving the device a much more upscale feel.

One of the greatest vintage handhelds under $100 is this one, which is only $99. With a 3.5-inch screen, excellent battery life, and the simplest setup process we've seen on a handheld emulator, we've finally got true "budget" Gamecube emulation.

Just to answer your question, you may install your favorite Android games as well. However, don't expect it to run streaming apps like Xbox Game Pass, since the screen is simply too small for such things. We're quite pleased with this device, and for an additional $20, you can increase the RAM from 3GB to 4GB, which is something I also suggest.

6. AYN Odin 2

Pros

• Incredible PS2, PSP & Gamecube Emulation
• Large & Beautiful Display
• Comfortable Ergonomics
• Android/Cloud Gaming

Cons

• Expensive After Shipping & Import Fees
• Slightly Overkill For Retro Games

Even though the AYN Odin 2 costs between $299 and $459 before import taxes, it's nearly perfect, so if you're on a tight budget and want a throwba