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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
I just paid ~$270aud for an RP2S metal. This was including all the discounts I could find on aliexpress. It ended up being ~$30aud more than the standard RP2S. Way more than I was originally intending on spending, but the jump between an RP2S and RP3+ is huge in australia.
Great guide brother it surely will help a lot of people to choose their first emulation device. What I think is that combination of 2 devices is what most people are going for nowadays. I only own LCD SD but am very happy with it. Switch emulation 4-5h is perfect for me as a full time working dad (gets me a week with 1 charge😅). The problem with it is that sometimes I just want something small for a very short gaming session that I can bring everywhere. MM+ or RP2S for those lightweight emulation titles are probably the best partners for my case scenario. Also the price points for LCD SD plus any of those two will be close to owning 1 higher end device .. just food for thought for people just stepping into this zone.😊
There's another class to consider. Switch CFW, it able to play Dreamcast, N64, and PSP when using Android. no GC, and PS2 but it can play Switch games.
thanks joey - personally im happy with my r36s i think its a fantastic introduction to handheld gaming for the price - but my next handheld will have to be the retroid 4 pro
The logic behind the choice of the sub 50$ 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.
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!
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.
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 :-)
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...
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.
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.
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 🙏
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.
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.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds thanks. Playnite looks great but sadly it’s Windows software, right? And 10:22 I don’t recall that view mode (carousel style?) in Steam OS.
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.
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.
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)
Yes. Anything you can emulate and can be emulated with the computing power of the device you buy. The platforms you mentioned are very lightweight and don't require an expensive console, any one of these listed will run any of those games no problem.
The Retroid 4 Pro comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 1100 processor whereas the Retroid Pocket 5 comes with a Snapdragon 865 processor. There's not much to think about. If I were you I'd go for the Retroid Pocket 5.
I bought the R36S. And can confirm that there are a fair bit of issues. Especially with the N64 emulator and definitely ps1 as well. On the psp, most games run seamlessly. Buttons aren't the greatest but not the worst either. However, I did switch to the retroid pocket 2s. Had I known about the retroid beforehand, I would have just got that instead. If you don't mind issues then go for the r36s. But Tbh for the extra 50 bucks you're getting alot 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.
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" 😮😮😮
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
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 have both and maybe? Sometimes? It's tough, both compete with each other in so many different ways. I think for having something very lightweight and on the go, the Odin 2 wins out, but for a full fledged PC, the Deck OLED comes out ahead of course.
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.
Wait how are you playing world of warcraft on the handheld? Does this work on the RP4 Pro as well? I assume you stream it from your computer? You do mention Moonlight.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds oh I wasn't aware that WoW runs on Linux nowadays. Was kind of a hassle if not impossible to get it to work a few years ago. Thanks for the answer. Love your videos I just recently found your channel and I'm enjoying your content quite a lot :-)
I recentky got the Odin 2, awesome device. However, I found myself trying to emulate switch all the time, so I thought, why don’t I just get a switch? So I just ordered an unpatched switch from eBay for super cheap lol. If it’s good enough for game streaming, it might take the place of the Odin 2 all together.
Don't forget to add in the cost of a hori split pad pro, nitro deck or retroflag controller as the joycons by themselves are very frustrating to play. I have the Retroflag controller and pretty happy with it but my Odin 2 max has better battery life than my 2017 Switch does.
@@glennshoemake4200 I have a bsp d9 that I’m planning to use, it’s a super comfortable controller. But yeah, I’m guessing battery life will be meh, around 3 hours.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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!
I know these videos are very time consuming to make. I really appreciate you putting this list together!
Glad you like them!
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$$
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.
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 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.
This is exactly what I've got. My RP4 pro is on its way.
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.
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.
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 just paid ~$270aud for an RP2S metal. This was including all the discounts I could find on aliexpress. It ended up being ~$30aud more than the standard RP2S. Way more than I was originally intending on spending, but the jump between an RP2S and RP3+ is huge in australia.
Great guide brother it surely will help a lot of people to choose their first emulation device. What I think is that combination of 2 devices is what most people are going for nowadays. I only own LCD SD but am very happy with it. Switch emulation 4-5h is perfect for me as a full time working dad (gets me a week with 1 charge😅). The problem with it is that sometimes I just want something small for a very short gaming session that I can bring everywhere. MM+ or RP2S for those lightweight emulation titles are probably the best partners for my case scenario. Also the price points for LCD SD plus any of those two will be close to owning 1 higher end device .. just food for thought for people just stepping into this zone.😊
Got my Retroid 4 pro back in March for my birthday and I think I've used it everyday. It connects nicely to my USBC dock in the living room.
There's another class to consider. Switch CFW, it able to play Dreamcast, N64, and PSP when using Android. no GC, and PS2 but it can play Switch games.
I actually did a video on that! It does do some GC and PS2 surprisingly.
I bought a RG35XX standard for £12. Installed Garlic and having a blast. Now I want more!!
Hope you enjoy it!
thanks joey - personally im happy with my r36s i think its a fantastic introduction to handheld gaming for the price - but my next handheld will have to be the retroid 4 pro
I just can't with the 3.5" on the 2s. 4" is a perfect size for 4:3 content like N64 and DC.
Same, I love vertical handhelds like the Miyoo Mini + but I also bought the RG405V and the 4” 4:3 screen is perfect for retro.
I can’t say I disagree with anything here. Very solid advice Joey!
The logic behind the choice of the sub 50$ 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.
Modified Switch OLED takes my heart though in a higher price bracket for the emulation
Great list dude! Odin 2 is king for me
Mine too!
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!
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.
very informative video, Im going for that RP 2s
Good choice!
I ordered it from your link and I haven't heard from them since 😢. it's been a week. has anyone else experienced this??
Me watching this video to validate dropping over $200 on a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro
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 :-)
RG556 is better than the RP4 Pro overall, the AMOLED screen is significantly more noticeable than the minor processor difference.
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...
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
Do you still recommend the Mini Plus now that the Brick is out?
Great video!!! You just turned me into a retro player! You did It!
Glad to hear it!
This convinced me. I'll be picking up a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro asap.
looking for a new handheld midtier is the new Pocket 5 better then the 4 Pro ? chipwise etc? the price point is almost the same.
What Will you choose:
Retroid pocket 4
Ayn Odin
No pro version each side...thanks and have a good day 😊
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!
Thanks for the information! Just a question, RP4pro its good enough to play cloud gaming? Gamepass and GeForce now, thanks
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!
What would you recommend for nintendo snes and n64 including goldeneye? Considering a jailbroke switch?
YES! WoW with the Console Port Addon has been the best experience I've had on my Steam Deck to date.
What about the lenovo legion go 🥺🥺?
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
Can the steam deck still play retro games like SNES, PS1/2/3, etc?
Can any of these play Pokémon Emerald and Black 2 just fine?
Thanks for getting right to the point and narrowing it down for us!
im waiting for a ps vita slim model size handheld that can do most ps2/gamecube games
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.
Good emulator that will play nds and GameCube ? 😊
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!
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 $25 more than that, but the 4/4pro seems like overkill since I’ll mainly be playing PS1 and below. I’d rather have something bigger like the Odin 2 for anything above that.
As for the R36S I like mine much more after getting some custom buttons from SakuraRetroModding. It makes it feel way more premium. I just wish someone made a better dpad.
Honestly, I 100% agree with your top devices.
Thanks as always. One of the channels I got into miyoo mini plus.
Would love to see your starters and setup guide for steam deck emulation 😊
In the pocket 2S the games are included or do you have to buy them separately?
No games included and they don't sell them.
nice video, thanks. Question: which one is the best for Neo Geo games? budget is under 150$ and display should be bigger than 3.5 inches.
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!
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!
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?
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
i just ordered the m17 handheld as a starter console what is your opinion on it
Just get the Odin 2, Steam Deck OLED and Switch ( wait for the switch 2 )
Hi Joey! I'm new to your channel and am just getting into the retro handhelds. Is the Anbernic RG405m worth it?
Does the Retroid Pocket 2S play Mortal Kombat: Deception, GTA San Andreas, or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?
Solid video my man.
9:08 is that Emulation Station DE? What is the theme/frontend? It looks great. Also at 10:22. A Steam OS theme?
9:08 is Playnite, can't recall the theme, J Hero? 10:22 is SteamOS.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds thanks. Playnite looks great but sadly it’s Windows software, right? And 10:22 I don’t recall that view mode (carousel style?) in Steam OS.
Yep, Playnite is Windows! And shoot, you're right, Uhh I forget which css loader plugin it is, it's one of the top ones.
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.
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 :)
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 video Joey 😊
do these consoles play atari, nes, snes and other old gaming systems?
Yes. Anything you can emulate and can be emulated with the computing power of the device you buy. The platforms you mentioned are very lightweight and don't require an expensive console, any one of these listed will run any of those games no problem.
really curious about retroid pocket 5 vs 4 pro..
The Retroid 4 Pro comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 1100 processor whereas the Retroid Pocket 5 comes with a Snapdragon 865 processor. There's not much to think about. If I were you I'd go for the Retroid Pocket 5.
What about all the build quality with the RP4 and pro?
I don’t know anything about emulation thanks for making it easy lol
I bought the R36S. And can confirm that there are a fair bit of issues. Especially with the N64 emulator and definitely ps1 as well. On the psp, most games run seamlessly. Buttons aren't the greatest but not the worst either. However, I did switch to the retroid pocket 2s. Had I known about the retroid beforehand, I would have just got that instead. If you don't mind issues then go for the r36s. But Tbh for the extra 50 bucks you're getting alot more.
what is the best device if i want to emulate mostly game cube and nintendo switch game ?
Odin 2, Odin 2 Mini.
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'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.
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" 😮😮😮
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.
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
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.
very informative vid...ty!!
Hey bro, What about the Anbernc Rgxx H ??
Great video thanks
Added sub👉🏾👍
Another solid option under $50 is the Powkiddy V10
Does the retroid 4 pro come with games installed on it
Nope.
Joey, do you see it making sense to own Odin 2 and Steam Deck OLED? If so, why?
I have both and maybe? Sometimes? It's tough, both compete with each other in so many different ways.
I think for having something very lightweight and on the go, the Odin 2 wins out, but for a full fledged PC, the Deck OLED comes out ahead of course.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds I could imagine your voice as you were saying this 😂 I also own both, I just keep thinking, should I?
We're both crazy!
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.
Wait how are you playing world of warcraft on the handheld? Does this work on the RP4 Pro as well? I assume you stream it from your computer? You do mention Moonlight.
It was a Steam Deck, you can play it on the Deck.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds oh I wasn't aware that WoW runs on Linux nowadays. Was kind of a hassle if not impossible to get it to work a few years ago. Thanks for the answer. Love your videos I just recently found your channel and I'm enjoying your content quite a lot :-)
I recentky got the Odin 2, awesome device. However, I found myself trying to emulate switch all the time, so I thought, why don’t I just get a switch? So I just ordered an unpatched switch from eBay for super cheap lol. If it’s good enough for game streaming, it might take the place of the Odin 2 all together.
Don't forget to add in the cost of a hori split pad pro, nitro deck or retroflag controller as the joycons by themselves are very frustrating to play. I have the Retroflag controller and pretty happy with it but my Odin 2 max has better battery life than my 2017 Switch does.
@@glennshoemake4200 I have a bsp d9 that I’m planning to use, it’s a super comfortable controller. But yeah, I’m guessing battery life will be meh, around 3 hours.
@@maxiynachoOk looks interesting, have fun.
@@glennshoemake4200 thanks :)
please buy the miyoo mini the rg35xx sd card slot broke on me and the system stopped charging literally got so pissed
didn't even last a month