I'm seriously thinking about the RG556 instead because of retroids lack of quality management. Don't like the idea of buying something that is being shipped with hardware issues or damaged the way it is with them knowing about it. I would understand the build issues if they were engineering samples but these issues are with the retail units and they expect the user to fix the issue and replace the back plate for them.
@@adamlowther8034 Anbernic's products are not 100% flaw free either, products from all companies can come damaged etc. With Retroid I can at least say they are more approachable/contactable via both email and discord, and make regular updates there regarding any hardware and software issue they have, the plans/next action etc. For Anbernic and powkiddy, its mainly a buy and expect little to no post purchase support and communication from them, you are also expected to replace broken stuff like buttons/triggers yourself, even if they manage to understand and reply to your email properly. Still recall plenty of reports about falling out screens and failing shoulder buttons for the supposedly premium (definitely priced premium for a T618 at that time) RG405M. The shoulder buttons are also fixed only in a later iteration/batch.
Thank you for this video! There are so many many retro handhelds and I appreciate you consolidating them in these different price categories! It can get a bit overwhelming with so many of them on the market right now!
Miyoo Mini Plus running OnionOS with a gripcase for price/portability is my favorite. The SteamDeck OLED is my favorite for more demanding games and emulation when I am at home or near an outlet. I don't find the value of the mid-tier devices to be worth it but I understand budget constraints are different for everyone.
Onion OS for Miyoo Mini Plus makes it a must have handheld. It's so good that it prevents me from enjoying other more powerful handhelds with worse operating systems.
Looking at handheld retro consoles (newbie here) and your comment caught my eye. I am thinking about getting the MM+ but it's on Linux OS. Any pointers on how to download and install the onion OS you are referring to? Thanks. I presume the games will be on the SD card it comes with so I won't have to worry about losing them
Yeah until your screen goes permanently black… I received my Miyoo Mini Plus just yesterday and about a few hours ago it permanently crashed into black screen of death mode. ☠️ Looked it up… VERY common issue due to cheap crappy SD cards from the manufacturer… and now I can’t fix it…
@@TheDarkchum1 You can fix it. You get a not-crappy name-brand SD card and follow any number of tutorials to get Onion OS on the new card. Easy Peasy. Your issue isn't with Onion OS or the Miyoo Mini Plus, it's with the SD card. That can, and should, be replaced.
Thanks Joey - agree with all your choices! Still saving up for a SteamDeck OLED myself, but I have and love the Odin 2, Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, and Retroid 2S. The Odin 2 for me is the best all-rounder, and just a great return on your investment on so many levels.
I was thinking about doing a video like this and I think you did a better job than I could! Very informative and helpful for people wanting to make the right choice jumping into handhelds now.
I have a RG351P and I recently upgraded to the RP2S And the little bit of PS2 and GameCube it can run make this device endgame for me. Fun tip, if there’s a PS2 game that you can’t run, try to see if there is a Gamecube port of that game, specifically the PAL rom. GL!
@@EuroMIX2 Precisely! Considering these consoles are not even intended to be running on this device, thanks for the slight fps cut you give yourself a slightly higher chance of having a decent experience. Its not the answer, it doesnt magically fix every game, and some games do feel slower in their PAL port, but it does makes a larger part or the catalogue playable.
I recently picked up an R36S as my first emulator/handheld, the price is what sold me (paid $26 usd shipped). I’m very happy with it. Checked out your video to see the other options available further up the range if I decide to invest in something more capable. Good info.
Excellent video, Joey. I couldn't agree more. The Steam Deck is a fantastic device, but not for everyone, I owned one for 1 month and decided to sell it, although it was the LCD model. It wasn't the screen so much. I just felt myself tweaking settings more than actually playing. For those who just want to pick up and play emulation, Odin 2 is king!
Good solid list, even if somebody disagrees with any of them, they can readily see the reasoning for those choices. Think it would have been nice to give a mention to some of the niche devices that weren't quite enough of an allrounder to win their price tier, things like the RG Arc, RGB30 etc would only be runners up but still more interesting options than lesser allrounders like the R35/R36.
Great guide brother it surely will help a lot of people to choose their first emulation device. What I think is that combination of 2 devices is what most people are going for nowadays. I only own LCD SD but am very happy with it. Switch emulation 4-5h is perfect for me as a full time working dad (gets me a week with 1 charge😅). The problem with it is that sometimes I just want something small for a very short gaming session that I can bring everywhere. MM+ or RP2S for those lightweight emulation titles are probably the best partners for my case scenario. Also the price points for LCD SD plus any of those two will be close to owning 1 higher end device .. just food for thought for people just stepping into this zone.😊
ordered the R36S and just got it a day or 2 ago and gawd damn its pretty good for only 40bucks, also this is my first emulation handheld and i was a bit worried with ppl saying that the dpad sucks but for me its perfectly fine i feel like ppl are over reacting or got some shitty model lol. besides that its pretty great having the analogue sticks for DS games and such and that it can play some PSP games like Patapon/Locoroco/Little big planet (which the last one surprised me cause i didnt think it would run perfectly stable, 30fps). i do wish that the A,B,X,Y buttons were a little bit bigger though. but the choice is yours at the end of the day. personally im happy with my purchase, i dont think anything can beat it at its price point.
There's another class to consider. Switch CFW, it able to play Dreamcast, N64, and PSP when using Android. no GC, and PS2 but it can play Switch games.
The logic behind the choice of the sub 50$ hardware to get is simply spot on, having tinkered with a lot of stuff for hobby and personal projects with little experience of software/hardware modding, I can't stress enough how important a solid and active community is, for long term longevity of the product (which these chinese manifactures don't even bother providing) is the real deal.
I just paid ~$270aud for an RP2S metal. This was including all the discounts I could find on aliexpress. It ended up being ~$30aud more than the standard RP2S. Way more than I was originally intending on spending, but the jump between an RP2S and RP3+ is huge in australia.
I've had my R36S for a few weeks now and am loving it. I do get your criticisms of it though. I bought it for $40 shipped, which is hard to beat, and for the games I play it does really well: mostly rpg's and some super mario/mario kart. It does play Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 well. The analog sticks make the device a bit longer, which to me is more comfortable in my hands. Once I buy another new 3DS to replace one that finally croaked (kicking myself for not buying a spare), I'll be looking at a more powerful one in the future - but I think it's a great entry point.
Dude. You just sold me the retroid pocket 4pro hahaha. Here I’ve been thinking on getting a modded GameCube which is almost half of what the retroid pocket 4pro costs which offers all I’m looking for. Great video!
thanks joey - personally im happy with my r36s i think its a fantastic introduction to handheld gaming for the price - but my next handheld will have to be the retroid 4 pro
I prefer the r36s over the pricier mm+ and 35xx. The screen is much brighter and the sound is a lot louder and clearer. For $35+ vs $65+ I would still prefer r36s.
Good luck finding a Miyoo Mini Plus at $50 at your locations. In mine, it's pretty hyped up and mostly even overpriced to around 70-90 usd equivalent, not even including shipping yet. Id say the RG35XX Plus and the RG35XX H are a very close sub. The retroid pocket 2S is definitely one of the best choices.
Im so happy everyone was so into miyo mini that rg35xx plus wasnt sold out....the fact that rg35xx plus was way better in everyway with wifi and bluetooth , i could buy it without wasting money...in time i know people gonna switch to rg35xx plus...
The ROG Ally is amazing and the update support is surprising good. I really wish to like the Steam Deck more, but SteamOS, the lower resolution and the weaker CPU/GPU make a difference. Xbox(360), PS3 and Switch emulation are noticeable better on Windows and the 780M make a difference too. If you want to play Starfield, you can play at a higher resolution and more details on the Ally. In many games like Star Ocean, Baldurs Gate e.g, the Steam Deck struggle with playable framerates or you have to deal with very low details / resolution that even the hud is pixelated. The ROG Ally has a nice screen, but of course not a 1000nit OLED screen and it lacks these pad controls to play RTS. Talking about smaller handhelds, I would go for the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, because you won’t miss many games that the Odin 2 can play and you don’t need to upscale that much. For Switch games, get the Switch OLED. If you don’t have a Switch and want to play these games on a handheld with emulation, than you are some sort of Jack Sparrow :-)
I’ve got an LCD Steam Deck and was thinking of offloading it to get myself an RP 4 Pro (I mostly play GC, N64, and Saturn). I’ve got a decent PC so I could always stream my games but fear the RP4 screen may be too small. Is it worth it to keep both if I’m mostly looking for a small portable?
kinda in the same boat and I never really got to use the steam deck as much as I wanted to so looking for something lighter to take with me outside. The deck is just too bulky and no point of keeping it for PC games when I just have my PC lol
I would buy the first one myself, but not a portrait gamer I like the landscape design always have since the GBA. AS FOR SOME, I agree the second device is definitely a perfect handheld I love it those front firing speakers should of been a thing on their next device. Now the third device, you need to own the others you mentioned being Ayn as I honestly loved my Odin 1 Pro I got the Lite model. I hated the third device, it's an OLED and is going back to where it came tomorrow the Ally is my go to. Then there we go the Android beast of course made the list! GO LEAFS!
Great video and I agree with your choices. I think the Steam Deck is great too, and I don't have the OLED model. I remember when the big choice was between the RG351P and Retroid Pocket 2. How far we've come in a few short years.
I just got an ally and ps2 emulation like ssx3 is butter smooth and its amazing. What a game to play handheld. Also, i typed "an ally" without a space by mistake which spells, "anally" 😮😮😮
I have an R36S, and I actually really like it. Despite having worse face buttons and shoulder buttons. It's more comfortable than Miyoo Mini Plus, and it can play some N64, Dreamcast, and NDS. Plus, it has Arkos, which is really good CFW, and it has joysticks you can use for stuff like N64. Plus, I paid 35$ for it. At that price you can't really complain at all. Anyway, no one asked me lol but that's just me.
@ScrubsWasTaken I do. I think the people saying it's that bad are really reaching. I have one, and it's not that bad. That's why Russ and Taki recommend it. It has a lot of the same parts as some of the other handhelds at higher prices. The display is better than a lot of displays at higher price points, too. Also, the controls, I forget about them when actually playing, but thats just me. Im really not that picky, I guess. It's far from ewaste, though.
@@JaviPlayRetro I disagree. the cheap analong sticks are just too much for a lot of people to play higher end stuff, the software is very lacking to the point where you can commonly see people posting on reddit about issues they're having with it much more than people talking about enjoying it, people want good quality controls and software first, performance is also very important but a quality experience should always be first. it's still e waste it just has a processor than used to be sought after 3-4 years ago.
Love all your picks I just wish all the X86 handhelds weren’t so massive. To me the size of the steam deck just makes it unusable and definitely not portable. I can’t wait for the day where things get small enough to where we can have something that powerful in an Odin two size.
The other side of this is that the Deck knows it is massive, and it leans into it as a strength. The Deck is easily the most comfortable handheld out there (unless you have really small hands of course). It isn't trying to be small, and it leans into the size with amazing grips and a Dpad+joystick layout at the top of the device. The Ally, Odin 2, Switch models, Aya Neo devices, etc. all try to be both comfortable and portable, and all of them compromise to different degrees. The Odin 2 for example, go to the odinhandheld subreddit and look how many people are printing giant 3D printed grips for it.I give big props to Valve for sticking to their guns.
The Retroid Pocket 3+ is only $125 right now and I’m strongly considering it. The 4 is only $25 more than that, but the 4/4pro seems like overkill since I’ll mainly be playing PS1 and below. I’d rather have something bigger like the Odin 2 for anything above that. As for the R36S I like mine much more after getting some custom buttons from SakuraRetroModding. It makes it feel way more premium. I just wish someone made a better dpad.
My daily gaming is primarily on the Legion Go, but for portability, i bring my Retroid Pocket Flip everywhere. Too bad it's not on the retroid page anymore, but maybe they'll make another clamshell based on the 4+.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds I thought you already did one. Is a new one coming? Because that would be super exciting, even if another handheld isn't in the budget for now.
Man, I have an old Galaxy J7 with a Exynos 7870 chip - I believe it's around RK 3566 levels of performance. I can play Conker's Bad Fur Day with few, sparse hiccups. And I have an 8BitDo Pro 2 with the phone clip. So I keep telling myself I don't need a handheld for up to N64 - I don't need - I don't need. At most, a telescopic (bluetooth) controller for portability. But man the RP2s is calling me like the Batman sign. 😂😂😂. But at the same time I dig the bigger screen from the phone, and it's AMOLED too. A 4" screen on the 2s would seal the deal for me. (The real issue is that the dollar conversion is quite pricey in my country, things get expensive real quick :/ )
U dont need it trust me. Yr fone plays your games well dont give in. I also need to listen to this advice cos i keep feeling fomo and wanting to buy new handhelds all the time. Being into emulation is tiring sometimes
I own one Miyoo mini plus, and like you said it's amazing, everybody should have one 😂 For my next handheld i would like it to have an oled screen and of course good buttons and hall sensor analogues and triggers!!! But i must wait a little longer because i wanted to emulate until ps3/xbox 360 and we are not quite there yet.. Maybe next year who knows!! Until there i have a lot to go thru with the Miyoo 😂😂😂 Fantastic video great job 🙏
I have a Retroid Pocket 3 (with 3gb ram), a r35s with the latest ArkOS - Emulation Station and a Powkiddy q90 with the miyoo cfw. With some optimization and effort you can play PS2 and gamecube games on the RP3 ( psp and lower will run perfectly out of the box), with the R35S everithing up to PS1 will run flawlessly but due to the buttons quality it is better to use it only for tactics and turn based RPG games, last but no least the old but good Powkiddy q90 is good for everithing under SNES and GBA (not powerful but pocket friendly) size and price excellent for retro retro if you don´t care about screen size. BTW Miyoo cfw 2.0 for powkiddy q90 coming soon with a lot of new features (New TV-Out feature, New USB driver features, Safer File System, Built-in RetroArch and more)
I'm looking for an emulator that can play most PSP games, primarily the smackdown vs raw series, marvel imperfects, X-Men legends, ultimate alliance and some of the Madden series games. And for GameCube I'm look to play super Mario baseball mainly. Can the pocket 2s and also the pocket 4/pro play those well? If anyone knows and can answer, I'd appreciate it.
Thank you for this. I think you could probably have added an extra tier, the "super cheap", under $30, like the V90, Q90, SF2000, Sup+, etc. I don't think these devices belong to the same tier as the Miyoo Mini Plus and the RG35XXs, The extra cheap ones should have their own category, something like "the best gift to give to your 6yo nephew".
I think i'll be waiting for the next Retroid Pocket since I can literally put it in my pocket unlike Odin 2. I hope it will be as powerful or very close to Odin 2 to play some Switch games. Because if not, then I'll just buy a Switch Lite.
Been debating between Odin 2 pro vs OLED Steam Deck. Given the price difference makes me kind of iffy as I already have a gaming PC and my only focus would be emulating older systems. If the Steam Deck cannot do PS3 games then I don't see the benefit of something bigger and worse battery. (even though OLED is soooo nice)
If you just want to emulate older systems just get the Odin 2 pro. The difference is around 200 dollars. If you really want to play the higher end games just stream it on the Odin using your PC.
RGB30 is the goat for everything retro around a 4:3 scale. It’s the perfect form factor and screen size. Everything else sub $100 is just too small of screen for all that 4:3 content.
Great video! I think the RG556 at leats deserved an honorable mention on the under 200$ section if you preferf a bigger, oled screen and better ergo. Watching while waiting my RG35xx H
I would almost GOAT my SteamDeck and it’s pretty damn Good but yeah I don’t have the 512GB or 1TB OLED model. 🙄 Guess I will get a better one in 2025 or ‘26! 😎 Why did you exclude EverCade EXP?!?
Does the RG35xx H change anything about this video? Been looking to get a horizontal as I currently have a Miyoo Mini plus and I want something that can do a little more without breaking the bank. Right now I’m eyeing the XXh or RP2s
How come you didn't even mention RP3+? Its a step up to the 2S. $125 from retroid, but shipping will take longer. They are available used on Ebay, but dont pay no more than $130, ships from usa and will arrive sooner.
Yeah I'm new to this and will pay for the learning experience which will involve some selling as I move up the price ranges.....if I enjoy the experience Started with an rgb 30 and amazed at what's on offer in the game menu In a way there is too many to choose from and I may end up with one upmarket console like the steamdeck
There isn't one, second best is literally a hundred devices as they all share the same RK3566 processor, so performance is the exact same between basically everything. There isn't anything better under $100.
He just called my handheld (r35s) e-waste and I'm not even mad about it. Shoot for the miyoo mini +, r35xx/+/h etc. Getting the r35s has me urging to buy a new console constantly just because its not that high quality. Terrible buttons, less pocketable because de sticks arent recessed, booting up issuess, no wifi, no bt etc. I love my device because i appreciate i alr have it but if u haven't bought one alr. Steer clear. Spending abit more can get you the best of the best in this price tier so just do it. Otherwise you'll have to deal with fomo like me
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Just got my retroid pocket 4 pro working with all my libraries installed and no joke I almost busted a cashew. It’s perfect
I can't wait to get mine! its been a state away from me for a week now.
@@ultimatebreak827mine has been stuck in China for 6 days now :((
I'm seriously thinking about the RG556 instead because of retroids lack of quality management. Don't like the idea of buying something that is being shipped with hardware issues or damaged the way it is with them knowing about it. I would understand the build issues if they were engineering samples but these issues are with the retail units and they expect the user to fix the issue and replace the back plate for them.
Same! I just got mine and I love it. Anyone recommend a good front end for it?
@@adamlowther8034 Anbernic's products are not 100% flaw free either, products from all companies can come damaged etc.
With Retroid I can at least say they are more approachable/contactable via both email and discord, and make regular updates there regarding any hardware and software issue they have, the plans/next action etc.
For Anbernic and powkiddy, its mainly a buy and expect little to no post purchase support and communication from them, you are also expected to replace broken stuff like buttons/triggers yourself, even if they manage to understand and reply to your email properly.
Still recall plenty of reports about falling out screens and failing shoulder buttons for the supposedly premium (definitely priced premium for a T618 at that time) RG405M. The shoulder buttons are also fixed only in a later iteration/batch.
Thank you for this video! There are so many many retro handhelds and I appreciate you consolidating them in these different price categories! It can get a bit overwhelming with so many of them on the market right now!
Glad it was helpful!
Miyoo Mini Plus running OnionOS with a gripcase for price/portability is my favorite.
The SteamDeck OLED is my favorite for more demanding games and emulation when I am at home or near an outlet.
I don't find the value of the mid-tier devices to be worth it but I understand budget constraints are different for everyone.
Onion OS for Miyoo Mini Plus makes it a must have handheld. It's so good that it prevents me from enjoying other more powerful handhelds with worse operating systems.
I definitely agree with this, Onion OS COMPLETELY transforms the console, improving the quality of life aspect almost entirely, It’s great.
I own MM+ for up to PS1, RP3+ for PS2, PSP and above.
Looking at handheld retro consoles (newbie here) and your comment caught my eye.
I am thinking about getting the MM+ but it's on Linux OS.
Any pointers on how to download and install the onion OS you are referring to? Thanks.
I presume the games will be on the SD card it comes with so I won't have to worry about losing them
Yeah until your screen goes permanently black… I received my Miyoo Mini Plus just yesterday and about a few hours ago it permanently crashed into black screen of death mode. ☠️
Looked it up… VERY common issue due to cheap crappy SD cards from the manufacturer… and now I can’t fix it…
@@TheDarkchum1 You can fix it. You get a not-crappy name-brand SD card and follow any number of tutorials to get Onion OS on the new card. Easy Peasy. Your issue isn't with Onion OS or the Miyoo Mini Plus, it's with the SD card. That can, and should, be replaced.
Thanks Joey - agree with all your choices! Still saving up for a SteamDeck OLED myself, but I have and love the Odin 2, Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, and Retroid 2S. The Odin 2 for me is the best all-rounder, and just a great return on your investment on so many levels.
I was thinking about doing a video like this and I think you did a better job than I could! Very informative and helpful for people wanting to make the right choice jumping into handhelds now.
Thanks man! Love your stuff.
I know these videos are very time consuming to make. I really appreciate you putting this list together!
Glad you like them!
I have a RG351P and I recently upgraded to the RP2S And the little bit of PS2 and GameCube it can run make this device endgame for me. Fun tip, if there’s a PS2 game that you can’t run, try to see if there is a Gamecube port of that game, specifically the PAL rom. GL!
Curious about why PAL. Is it the 25fps that makes it easier to run them?
@@EuroMIX2 Precisely! Considering these consoles are not even intended to be running on this device, thanks for the slight fps cut you give yourself a slightly higher chance of having a decent experience. Its not the answer, it doesnt magically fix every game, and some games do feel slower in their PAL port, but it does makes a larger part or the catalogue playable.
I recently picked up an R36S as my first emulator/handheld, the price is what sold me (paid $26 usd shipped). I’m very happy with it. Checked out your video to see the other options available further up the range if I decide to invest in something more capable. Good info.
Me watching this video to validate dropping over $200 on a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro
Excellent video, Joey. I couldn't agree more. The Steam Deck is a fantastic device, but not for everyone, I owned one for 1 month and decided to sell it, although it was the LCD model. It wasn't the screen so much. I just felt myself tweaking settings more than actually playing. For those who just want to pick up and play emulation, Odin 2 is king!
Good solid list, even if somebody disagrees with any of them, they can readily see the reasoning for those choices. Think it would have been nice to give a mention to some of the niche devices that weren't quite enough of an allrounder to win their price tier, things like the RG Arc, RGB30 etc would only be runners up but still more interesting options than lesser allrounders like the R35/R36.
Great guide brother it surely will help a lot of people to choose their first emulation device. What I think is that combination of 2 devices is what most people are going for nowadays. I only own LCD SD but am very happy with it. Switch emulation 4-5h is perfect for me as a full time working dad (gets me a week with 1 charge😅). The problem with it is that sometimes I just want something small for a very short gaming session that I can bring everywhere. MM+ or RP2S for those lightweight emulation titles are probably the best partners for my case scenario. Also the price points for LCD SD plus any of those two will be close to owning 1 higher end device .. just food for thought for people just stepping into this zone.😊
ordered the R36S and just got it a day or 2 ago and gawd damn its pretty good for only 40bucks, also this is my first emulation handheld and i was a bit worried with ppl saying that the dpad sucks but for me its perfectly fine i feel like ppl are over reacting or got some shitty model lol. besides that its pretty great having the analogue sticks for DS games and such and that it can play some PSP games like Patapon/Locoroco/Little big planet (which the last one surprised me cause i didnt think it would run perfectly stable, 30fps). i do wish that the A,B,X,Y buttons were a little bit bigger though. but the choice is yours at the end of the day. personally im happy with my purchase, i dont think anything can beat it at its price point.
Got my Retroid 4 pro back in March for my birthday and I think I've used it everyday. It connects nicely to my USBC dock in the living room.
This is exactly what I've got. My RP4 pro is on its way.
Thanks for getting right to the point and narrowing it down for us!
The Miyoo Mini/+ dpad really needs more credit. At that price or even for far more, you are not getting a better dpad, period.
The controls are beautiful on that dpad, you don't see anything as good until the RP2S, but I still like the Miyoo's more. Both are great.
I bought a RG35XX standard for £12. Installed Garlic and having a blast. Now I want more!!
Hope you enjoy it!
Modified Switch OLED takes my heart though in a higher price bracket for the emulation
There's another class to consider. Switch CFW, it able to play Dreamcast, N64, and PSP when using Android. no GC, and PS2 but it can play Switch games.
I actually did a video on that! It does do some GC and PS2 surprisingly.
very informative video, Im going for that RP 2s
Good choice!
I have these:
Original Miyoo Mini,
Retroid Pocket 4 pro,
Odin2,
SteamDeck LCD.
I sold these:
RP3+, RG35XX, RG353V.
So yeah I'm mostly agree with you 😅
JOEY'S ALWAYS RIGHT, IT JUST TAKES PEOPLE LONGER TO REALIZE IT
FACTS🔥@@JoeysRetroHandhelds
The logic behind the choice of the sub 50$ hardware to get is simply spot on, having tinkered with a lot of stuff for hobby and personal projects with little experience of software/hardware modding, I can't stress enough how important a solid and active community is, for long term longevity of the product (which these chinese manifactures don't even bother providing) is the real deal.
I just paid ~$270aud for an RP2S metal. This was including all the discounts I could find on aliexpress. It ended up being ~$30aud more than the standard RP2S. Way more than I was originally intending on spending, but the jump between an RP2S and RP3+ is huge in australia.
I've had my R36S for a few weeks now and am loving it. I do get your criticisms of it though. I bought it for $40 shipped, which is hard to beat, and for the games I play it does really well: mostly rpg's and some super mario/mario kart. It does play Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 well. The analog sticks make the device a bit longer, which to me is more comfortable in my hands.
Once I buy another new 3DS to replace one that finally croaked (kicking myself for not buying a spare), I'll be looking at a more powerful one in the future - but I think it's a great entry point.
Dude. You just sold me the retroid pocket 4pro hahaha. Here I’ve been thinking on getting a modded GameCube which is almost half of what the retroid pocket 4pro costs which offers all I’m looking for.
Great video!
Great list dude! Odin 2 is king for me
Mine too!
I can’t say I disagree with anything here. Very solid advice Joey!
I just can't with the 3.5" on the 2s. 4" is a perfect size for 4:3 content like N64 and DC.
Same, I love vertical handhelds like the Miyoo Mini + but I also bought the RG405V and the 4” 4:3 screen is perfect for retro.
thanks joey - personally im happy with my r36s i think its a fantastic introduction to handheld gaming for the price - but my next handheld will have to be the retroid 4 pro
I prefer the r36s over the pricier mm+ and 35xx. The screen is much brighter and the sound is a lot louder and clearer. For $35+ vs $65+ I would still prefer r36s.
Agreed.. you can't beat it for under 50$.. people hate on it all day.. but you can't deny that it kicks A$$
Good luck finding a Miyoo Mini Plus at $50 at your locations. In mine, it's pretty hyped up and mostly even overpriced to around 70-90 usd equivalent, not even including shipping yet. Id say the RG35XX Plus and the RG35XX H are a very close sub. The retroid pocket 2S is definitely one of the best choices.
Im so happy everyone was so into miyo mini that rg35xx plus wasnt sold out....the fact that rg35xx plus was way better in everyway with wifi and bluetooth , i could buy it without wasting money...in time i know people gonna switch to rg35xx plus...
The ROG Ally is amazing and the update support is surprising good.
I really wish to like the Steam Deck more, but SteamOS, the lower resolution and the weaker CPU/GPU make a difference.
Xbox(360), PS3 and Switch emulation are noticeable better on Windows and the 780M make a difference too. If you want to play Starfield, you can play at a higher resolution and more details on the Ally. In many games like Star Ocean, Baldurs Gate e.g, the Steam Deck struggle with playable framerates or you have to deal with very low details / resolution that even the hud is pixelated.
The ROG Ally has a nice screen, but of course not a 1000nit OLED screen and it lacks these pad controls to play RTS.
Talking about smaller handhelds, I would go for the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, because you won’t miss many games that the Odin 2 can play and you don’t need to upscale that much.
For Switch games, get the Switch OLED. If you don’t have a Switch and want to play these games on a handheld with emulation, than you are some sort of Jack Sparrow :-)
Solid video my man.
I'm stuck between the RP 4 Pro and the Odin 2 for ps2 games. is it worth the extra to spend on the Odin 2?
for ps2 the rp 4 pro is great already but the odin 2 is ideal if you want to play even stronger games like switch games
I’ve got an LCD Steam Deck and was thinking of offloading it to get myself an RP 4 Pro (I mostly play GC, N64, and Saturn). I’ve got a decent PC so I could always stream my games but fear the RP4 screen may be too small. Is it worth it to keep both if I’m mostly looking for a small portable?
kinda in the same boat and I never really got to use the steam deck as much as I wanted to so looking for something lighter to take with me outside. The deck is just too bulky and no point of keeping it for PC games when I just have my PC lol
I ordered it from your link and I haven't heard from them since 😢. it's been a week. has anyone else experienced this??
I would buy the first one myself, but not a portrait gamer I like the landscape design always have since the GBA. AS FOR SOME, I agree the second device is definitely a perfect handheld I love it those front firing speakers should of been a thing on their next device. Now the third device, you need to own the others you mentioned being Ayn as I honestly loved my Odin 1 Pro I got the Lite model. I hated the third device, it's an OLED and is going back to where it came tomorrow the Ally is my go to. Then there we go the Android beast of course made the list! GO LEAFS!
Great video!!! You just turned me into a retro player! You did It!
Glad to hear it!
Miyoo mini plus and Odin 2 let’s go
Just get the Odin 2, Steam Deck OLED and Switch ( wait for the switch 2 )
Great video and I agree with your choices. I think the Steam Deck is great too, and I don't have the OLED model. I remember when the big choice was between the RG351P and Retroid Pocket 2. How far we've come in a few short years.
Can't wait to see a few more years!
I just got an ally and ps2 emulation like ssx3 is butter smooth and its amazing. What a game to play handheld. Also, i typed "an ally" without a space by mistake which spells, "anally" 😮😮😮
What Will you choose:
Retroid pocket 4
Ayn Odin
No pro version each side...thanks and have a good day 😊
I never understood why so many people recommend the R36S. I would never buy a someone a handheld that I know has a large amount of quality issues.
Yep.
I have an R36S, and I actually really like it. Despite having worse face buttons and shoulder buttons. It's more comfortable than Miyoo Mini Plus, and it can play some N64, Dreamcast, and NDS. Plus, it has Arkos, which is really good CFW, and it has joysticks you can use for stuff like N64. Plus, I paid 35$ for it. At that price you can't really complain at all.
Anyway, no one asked me lol but that's just me.
@@JaviPlayRetro I still wouldnt even consider recommending it to anyone the bd quality outweighs performance
@ScrubsWasTaken I do. I think the people saying it's that bad are really reaching. I have one, and it's not that bad. That's why Russ and Taki recommend it. It has a lot of the same parts as some of the other handhelds at higher prices. The display is better than a lot of displays at higher price points, too. Also, the controls, I forget about them when actually playing, but thats just me. Im really not that picky, I guess. It's far from ewaste, though.
@@JaviPlayRetro I disagree. the cheap analong sticks are just too much for a lot of people to play higher end stuff, the software is very lacking to the point where you can commonly see people posting on reddit about issues they're having with it much more than people talking about enjoying it, people want good quality controls and software first, performance is also very important but a quality experience should always be first. it's still e waste it just has a processor than used to be sought after 3-4 years ago.
RG556 is better than the RP4 Pro overall, the AMOLED screen is significantly more noticeable than the minor processor difference.
Thanks as always. One of the channels I got into miyoo mini plus.
Would love to see your starters and setup guide for steam deck emulation 😊
Awesome vid as always :) ironically I have like 90% of what you listed. Only thing I don't have but do kinda want is the OLED steam deck
Do it!
I don’t know anything about emulation thanks for making it easy lol
Love all your picks I just wish all the X86 handhelds weren’t so massive. To me the size of the steam deck just makes it unusable and definitely not portable. I can’t wait for the day where things get small enough to where we can have something that powerful in an Odin two size.
The other side of this is that the Deck knows it is massive, and it leans into it as a strength. The Deck is easily the most comfortable handheld out there (unless you have really small hands of course). It isn't trying to be small, and it leans into the size with amazing grips and a Dpad+joystick layout at the top of the device.
The Ally, Odin 2, Switch models, Aya Neo devices, etc. all try to be both comfortable and portable, and all of them compromise to different degrees. The Odin 2 for example, go to the odinhandheld subreddit and look how many people are printing giant 3D printed grips for it.I give big props to Valve for sticking to their guns.
im waiting for a ps vita slim model size handheld that can do most ps2/gamecube games
Legion go is my choice, love it.
very informative vid...ty!!
Good video Joey 😊
really curious about retroid pocket 5 vs 4 pro..
Thanks for the information! Just a question, RP4pro its good enough to play cloud gaming? Gamepass and GeForce now, thanks
My favorite/owned handhelds
Miyoo mini V3 v4 (trans blue)
Miyoo Mini Plus (trans purple
RG35XX (Trans white)
RP3+ (Trans blue)
Ayn Odin pro (Trans White)
Switch v2
Rog Ally 9coming soon)
considering
RGB 10 Max 3 (new one)
R35S/R36S
Legion Go
The Retroid Pocket 3+ is only $125 right now and I’m strongly considering it. The 4 is only $25 more than that, but the 4/4pro seems like overkill since I’ll mainly be playing PS1 and below. I’d rather have something bigger like the Odin 2 for anything above that.
As for the R36S I like mine much more after getting some custom buttons from SakuraRetroModding. It makes it feel way more premium. I just wish someone made a better dpad.
My daily gaming is primarily on the Legion Go, but for portability, i bring my Retroid Pocket Flip everywhere. Too bad it's not on the retroid page anymore, but maybe they'll make another clamshell based on the 4+.
Video coming about the Flip next week :)
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds I thought you already did one. Is a new one coming? Because that would be super exciting, even if another handheld isn't in the budget for now.
check out the aiy neo ds flip its awesome it was eta primes channel the other day
Man, I have an old Galaxy J7 with a Exynos 7870 chip - I believe it's around RK 3566 levels of performance. I can play Conker's Bad Fur Day with few, sparse hiccups. And I have an 8BitDo Pro 2 with the phone clip. So I keep telling myself I don't need a handheld for up to N64 - I don't need - I don't need. At most, a telescopic (bluetooth) controller for portability. But man the RP2s is calling me like the Batman sign. 😂😂😂. But at the same time I dig the bigger screen from the phone, and it's AMOLED too. A 4" screen on the 2s would seal the deal for me. (The real issue is that the dollar conversion is quite pricey in my country, things get expensive real quick :/ )
U dont need it trust me. Yr fone plays your games well dont give in. I also need to listen to this advice cos i keep feeling fomo and wanting to buy new handhelds all the time. Being into emulation is tiring sometimes
nice video, thanks. Question: which one is the best for Neo Geo games? budget is under 150$ and display should be bigger than 3.5 inches.
Hi Joey! I'm new to your channel and am just getting into the retro handhelds. Is the Anbernic RG405m worth it?
Good video. My list would be a little different, though. RGB30 > RP2S.
Too many quality issue for RGB30. On the other hand, I rather play RG-ARC on this tier. Especially when you got a higher end devices.
Shinobi in beginning 🎯
Does the Retroid Pocket 2S play Mortal Kombat: Deception, GTA San Andreas, or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?
What about the lenovo legion go 🥺🥺?
This convinced me. I'll be picking up a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro asap.
I own one Miyoo mini plus, and like you said it's amazing, everybody should have one 😂
For my next handheld i would like it to have an oled screen and of course good buttons and hall sensor analogues and triggers!!! But i must wait a little longer because i wanted to emulate until ps3/xbox 360 and we are not quite there yet.. Maybe next year who knows!! Until there i have a lot to go thru with the Miyoo 😂😂😂
Fantastic video great job 🙏
Good choice!
I have a Retroid Pocket 3 (with 3gb ram), a r35s with the latest ArkOS - Emulation Station and a Powkiddy q90 with the miyoo cfw. With some optimization and effort you can play PS2 and gamecube games on the RP3 ( psp and lower will run perfectly out of the box), with the R35S everithing up to PS1 will run flawlessly but due to the buttons quality it is better to use it only for tactics and turn based RPG games, last but no least the old but good Powkiddy q90 is good for everithing under SNES and GBA (not powerful but pocket friendly) size and price excellent for retro retro if you don´t care about screen size. BTW Miyoo cfw 2.0 for powkiddy q90 coming soon with a lot of new features (New TV-Out feature, New USB driver features, Safer File System, Built-in RetroArch and more)
Good emulator that will play nds and GameCube ? 😊
i just ordered the m17 handheld as a starter console what is your opinion on it
What about all the build quality with the RP4 and pro?
I'm looking for an emulator that can play most PSP games, primarily the smackdown vs raw series, marvel imperfects, X-Men legends, ultimate alliance and some of the Madden series games. And for GameCube I'm look to play super Mario baseball mainly. Can the pocket 2s and also the pocket 4/pro play those well? If anyone knows and can answer, I'd appreciate it.
Thank you for this. I think you could probably have added an extra tier, the "super cheap", under $30, like the V90, Q90, SF2000, Sup+, etc. I don't think these devices belong to the same tier as the Miyoo Mini Plus and the RG35XXs, The extra cheap ones should have their own category, something like "the best gift to give to your 6yo nephew".
I think i'll be waiting for the next Retroid Pocket since I can literally put it in my pocket unlike Odin 2. I hope it will be as powerful or very close to Odin 2 to play some Switch games. Because if not, then I'll just buy a Switch Lite.
Been debating between Odin 2 pro vs OLED Steam Deck. Given the price difference makes me kind of iffy as I already have a gaming PC and my only focus would be emulating older systems. If the Steam Deck cannot do PS3 games then I don't see the benefit of something bigger and worse battery. (even though OLED is soooo nice)
If you just want to emulate older systems just get the Odin 2 pro. The difference is around 200 dollars. If you really want to play the higher end games just stream it on the Odin using your PC.
RGB30 is the goat for everything retro around a 4:3 scale. It’s the perfect form factor and screen size. Everything else sub $100 is just too small of screen for all that 4:3 content.
9:22 my favourite game ever. id love to play that on handheld :D
Hah, it works so good!
The retroid pocket 2S costs around 140-160 dollars on average in my country, rather than it being just around 100 dollars :'))
Team Miyoo Mini and Steam Deck here let's gooo
Great video! I think the RG556 at leats deserved an honorable mention on the under 200$ section if you preferf a bigger, oled screen and better ergo. Watching while waiting my RG35xx H
especially if you have to add the $15 grip. Slides the RP4 up to the 556 and the RP4P out of the category.
Has the ROG Ally fixed their issue with burning up the sdcard or is that still a problem?
IIRC it was fixed a few revisions ago
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds ok good to know, glad it's no longer frying the SD cards.
I think I'm lucky, been working since launch!
Unusable steamdeck unless an oled is the most first world gripe I’ve heard in a long time 😂
So if i buy odin 2, and i want to download these emulators. Do i have to pay to download or it’s free to download?
I would almost GOAT my SteamDeck and it’s pretty damn Good but yeah I don’t have the 512GB or 1TB OLED model. 🙄 Guess I will get a better one in 2025 or ‘26! 😎
Why did you exclude EverCade EXP?!?
Whats good for ps3 emulation
Does the RG35xx H change anything about this video? Been looking to get a horizontal as I currently have a Miyoo Mini plus and I want something that can do a little more without breaking the bank. Right now I’m eyeing the XXh or RP2s
Nope, software holds it back, this video was made after those came out.
How come you didn't even mention RP3+? Its a step up to the 2S. $125 from retroid, but shipping will take longer. They are available used on Ebay, but dont pay no more than $130, ships from usa and will arrive sooner.
It doesn't make sense anymore with the RP4 existing. I covered this in the $100-150 section :)
Which one of thoes can play sonic adventure 1and2
Sonic heroes
Sonic advance games pretty well?
retroid pocket 4 pro does it, or anything above that ofc.
Sorry for being slightly off topic... but which device is most comparable to the PS Vita performance and feature wise? Thanks for another great video!
a ps vita, vita3k is super immature and not ready to replace the real thing
Got a miyoo mini plus for $42
Yeah I'm new to this and will pay for the learning experience which will involve some selling as I move up the price ranges.....if I enjoy the experience
Started with an rgb 30 and amazed at what's on offer in the game menu
In a way there is too many to choose from and I may end up with one upmarket console like the steamdeck
Why no savage KTR reference??
Amazing video!!!!!💯💯💯💯
Thanks 💯
What is the second best handheld in the second tier bro!
There isn't one, second best is literally a hundred devices as they all share the same RK3566 processor, so performance is the exact same between basically everything.
There isn't anything better under $100.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds ok but I'm not experienced in android.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds so could you tell me what's ur best bet in the second tier?
Great video thanks
Added sub👉🏾👍
Hey bro, What about the Anbernc Rgxx H ??
He just called my handheld (r35s) e-waste and I'm not even mad about it. Shoot for the miyoo mini +, r35xx/+/h etc.
Getting the r35s has me urging to buy a new console constantly just because its not that high quality. Terrible buttons, less pocketable because de sticks arent recessed, booting up issuess, no wifi, no bt etc. I love my device because i appreciate i alr have it but if u haven't bought one alr. Steer clear. Spending abit more can get you the best of the best in this price tier so just do it.
Otherwise you'll have to deal with fomo like me