Best & Worst Handhelds of 2024!

[@danandtab7463]

and that's why I follow. I see hundreds of channels say "this is the best handheld ever, it plays flawless GameCube, Dreamcast, Xbox Series X, PS7", and Joey is like "this is a waste of time and money, don't even bother".

[@MA-xb2yz]

Same, highlighted battery issues for SP. Only time I’ve heard it had battery issues.

[@jurjcluners8490]

Lol no you don't.

[@Angultra]

More like eta prime saying everything is a beast or best ever

[@chingoedw88]

@@Angultra The best Ultimate comment in the world EVER!

[@angelsilveren8782]

@@Angultra😂 yeah im tired of his TITLES 😅

[@MisterDrumsNoob]

Joey is one of the few people that call out the aya neo bullshit. Thank you, Joey

[@jurjcluners8490]

Because it's obvious.

[@Zafirn64]

and Anbernic

[@MrFlabbergasted]

As someone who actually bought a ayaneo flip DS and has had a horrendous time trying to return it, thanks for calling them out, that thing was AWFUL

[@velvetvideo]

Not to new users.... for people like me, new to this, the warning is appreciated.

[@jurjcluners8490]

@velvetvideo its also common sense to do your research before making purchases like this unless you got the money to blow

[@fightnight14]

I just got the Ally X and is not just my handheld of the year, probably the best handheld I have ever own in history. It's all-in-one retro, modern, and current-gen gaming handheld.

[@linglee8688]

Yeah I love mine as well sometimes it cramps ur hands tho let's be honest.

[@ericsmith3936]

I've been eyeballing a Rog Ally for so long and had to pick up the X with a Black Fri sale. 100% worth the purchase, it's so good.

[@tbatrics]

Happy to see the rg406v crack the top 10. My current winning handheld in my small collection. A fine list overall.

[@jimtepedino9295]

Yea it’s pretty dope, love the sticks and form factor

[@jeffthibodeaux6137]

I'm super excited to open up my RP5 this Christmas. My wife asked me what I wanted and she was so incredibly sweet to not see it as an obscene ask despite the way I felt saying so. I'm so excited to just enjoy it along side my RG40XX H.

[@glazedbelmont]

Great tierlist, love how you continually keep it real and don't hesitate to say that a device sucks or just doesn't work out for you! Looking forward to what e-waste 2025 is going to give us.

[@M_CFV]

Dont a lot of these use secondhand e waste to be made anyways? Leftover blackberry screens, old chipsets salvaged, etc etc. You dont really add to the pile when you were built with the pile to begin with

[@SocialBandit]

Glad I stumbled on this channel. Been a seeing a lot of videos about how every anbernic and powkiddy system is the best thing ever made, but I had so many questions that you actually address

[@bigmoneyfungus]

that intro was amazing

[@MrMovees87]

I’ve been steadily growing my collection of handhelds over the last couple years, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying having a lot to choose from, to be perfectly honest. My main ones I use are the Odin 2 Pro, the Ally X, and probably the Retroid Pocket 5 whenever it eventually arrives, haha. I also have the RG35XXSP which has been my go to for a lot of older retro games, as I absolutely love the clamshell form factor

[@pinchofdoom]

Thanks for sharing that information about Ayaneo and Anbernic. Honestly pretty disappointed with Ayaneo myself, had a Flip DS that got MASSIVELY delayed due to a shortage of 8840U chips. Finally get it, it arrived defective. Support promised up and down that they would dispatch a unit once they received the defective one. Lo and behold, once the tracking showed they had it and I reached out to them for tracking, they were suddenly out, and I could wait even more weeks for them to repair the defective unit, or wait for a new one. I demanded a refund and to their credit they did give me one, but it really feels like their only interest is saying whatever will make you pay and keep your money as long as possible.

[@Mirvin4597]

This video is great. Creator is very knowledgeable.. seem very real with his reason for each decision

[@roberthunter7247]

@7:17, Joey does not call himself an "influencer". 👏👏👏👏 This Man will stay on my subscribed channel list.

[@tedstahl3794]

Thanks for keeping it real, Joey! Wishing you and yours some fun and relaxation for the Holidays this year! Peace.

[@erickschusterdeoliveira2662]

he did the thing! he said these are his retro handhelds!

[@DutchEmblem]

Companies don't want honest reviews they just want free marketing. i prefer watching a reviewer that isn't afraid to get blacklisted and actually shares their real opinions. Glad to see you're calling out bullshit when you see it.

[@CellPhish]

Great work on this. I agree with you on more than I thought I would.

[@seadome13]

Very insightful. Thank you.

[@mortizauge]

He said the thing!!! 0:13

[@wilhelmscream6834]

Great list! It makes me want to research more of the top tier offerings. I'm just happy that my very first retro handheld device is an RG556. I didn't want to spend a lot, but still relish in some superior quality that the modern handheld market has to offer. I'm grateful to be in the top 10 right of out of gate! My next one will likely be as what you say, a cry once buy once device. I think my kid is getting more playtime out of the RG556 than even I am. She steals it every chance she can haha.

[@Ap616]

Thanks for the video/list man! I gotta set my RP5 up still, to join the ranks along my RP2S & MM+. I'm happy with these devices 👍

[@TxCowboy713]

I’ve never watched this guys videos and I love how brutally honesty he is. Integrity! I love it. Gained a sub brother

[@skippyb.coyote895]

The RG556 is still my favorite handheld of 2024 for it's ergonomic comfort and screen quality, so no need to apologize for liking it! 👍

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

I was already planning to get the cube xx, but this has confirmed it for me.

[@geoffhall3012]

No rambling, precise info. A bit of honesty and a great selection . Ok .. what have u done with the old unprepped joey 😅. This one gets a thumbs up . 👍

[@ArtistCameron]

I like this news format that no one else does. I keep up with some things but in your videos I get more info on what's going on. It's great.

[@EnbyFish]

Been watching for about a year. Thanks for the amazing content

[@Protraband]

I always thought something was off with the ayaneo reviews. Thanks, Joey for confirming my suspicions!

[@theinvisibleman-e8v]

been waiting for this!

[@dustyr112]

Literally one second in and you made me crack a smile with your little jingle. 😆

[@sahabatgamerID]

Thanks for sharing your coffee table handheld. I've also been trimming my collections.

[@savagealpha]

Joey taking the gloves off... The best kinda Joey. 😎

[@krayozmines]

I wish i could afford the gpd win 4. It looks awesome!! Its my dream pc handheld. Hopefully once i have money there'll be an updated version

[@Senorgrav]

its so hard to play on it

[@krayozmines]

I have small hands so i dont think it'll be a problem for me. Or is there another reason why it'd be hard to play?

[@urielr6285]

Your honesty is appreciated! I get hyped by other reviewers and I was about to make many unnecessary purchases this year. One I actually tried and the aliexpress app had an error and the purchase didn’t go thru, lucky me. Had time to reconsider and didn’t do it in the end. I’m happy with my Odin 2, it’s all I need and my rg40xxv for smaller size and form factor.

[@famarchion]

I believe this is the right video to thank for another year of great reviews!

[@Axoy1810]

I appreciate your honesty brother. Thanks!

[@johnasomers448]

Brutal ... love it. My bro is going to appreciate the odin, appreciate it.

[@EliasPfaiffer]

for me personally, you are and remain the very best when it comes to the ‘handhelds’ genre!!! for me you remain the most likeable and above all the most HONEST youtuber out there!!! and honestly: when it comes to honesty, some people can learn something from you!!! keep it up in 2025 my friend!!!

[@Melchiahdim]

For a majority of my gaming, my steamdeck still does just fine. I did decide I want a nice vertical handheld for some of the older stuff. Gave my wife a list of options, so we will see in two weeks what I will end up with!

[@MithosDagon]

Ally X was #1 for me, followed by Odin 2 Mini.

[@sudoo6987]

That opening was pretty hype I was bobbing my head

[@knightofmordor]

Love the no nonsense say it as you mean it of this channel.

[@MrNchunter10]

I'm loving the rog ally x plays everything on 900p setting with medium and some older games can handle high to ultra. If they come out with a new one next year I'll be upgrading.

[@indigocurse5281]

Sad about the Brick, but great job as always man!

[@Griffnix]

For me, I really love my RP mini. It's my go-to for 2d games. Until we get a 4 inch 4:3 OLED device, I don't need anything else. I also love my cube, the android one. After using the 40xxv, I found I much prefer Android to Linux and trying out CFW. Also since I want to use it for ds, the touch screen lends to it more. I just got into this hobby this year with the Odin 2 and I haven't bought much. I'm only looking to see what gaps or needs and get that. Having a few devices to do what you want is definitely the way to go.

[@datascify]

Personally I like the win mini more than Ally mainly due to its perfect form factor for travel and keyboard/touchpad for navigation through windows

[@pch5010]

Not sure how people can get mad about you giving your own personal ranking. Whether or not I agree, I appreciate when people give lists and reviews with the reasons why they like and dislike products. I find it extremely helpful, especially in this case when there are SO many of these things out there that it's genuinely overwhelming. With regard to the ASUS, I don't consider that or the Steam Deck in the same category with the "retro" handhelds, BUT I have been wanting one since I saw the announcement about their release. I already have a Steam Deck, though, and when I mentioned the ROG handheld to my husband, he gave me laser eyes, so we'll see what happens with that. 😅

[@vitorharalambus6537]

Great vid Joey 👍

[@thomasbryans6547]

Man crazy how different the list is from some of the other reviews

[@cho-v4n]

Great list and even better coffee table devices

[@ThecrazycakeEATAH]

At last. Joey finally did the intro

[@XxPARTYBEARxX]

9:24 Steam Deck comment is just perfect. 🤣

[@megaloth1955]

Highly subjective. Well - obviously, but still. The worst of it all is we're getting to a ridiculous point where last year's vaunted handheld is now "trash" because the new one is SO much better. Which we obviously should have known at the time, right? That is, until next year's makes the current year's "trash", because it's SO much better. And you have the nerve to tell us "Just get 1 handheld and play it". But not this one. Or that one. Hey, we don't get every new handheld in the market to review for a living. Screw this.

[@victoryeung2844]

Red and purple color Trimui brick seems very attractive.

[@vhsretrogamer1664]

0:01 me when my wife found out I ordered another handheld again

[@emilianomontanari283]

great content overall ❤

[@MatEsp23]

Thank you. What about an OLED Steam DECK?

[@pilcrow182]

I just have a Steam Deck and a Trimui Smart Pro (plus some old Nintendo and Sony handhelds I don't really use much anymore). Honestly I haven't felt the need for much more than that. The Ally X would be cool, but the upgrade in performance doesn't seem worth the downgrade in *controls* to me (the deck's trackpads are a killer feature), and I've been having some money problems anyway (those things are expensive!). I may eventually replace the Trimui with something like a Retroid Pocket 5, but I'm not sure about that. The thing I like about the Trimui is that it's juuust pocketable enough for me without sacrificing too much on screen size and build quality, and I love playing GBA, Dreamcast, and PortMaster games on it especially. I feel like the RP5's ergonomics would make it less pocketable. But I'd love to have PS2 and Gamecube in my pocket, especially with a system that isn't locked to Android (yay, ROCKNIX!).

[@reniervandermerwe]

Extremely happy still with my Anbernic RG405M

[@NunChukka]

The new 3ds is an excellent device I still love mine. Had great games and plays all my old DS games too. Gonna get a Trimui Brick to have as my new Gameboy, one of my biggest regrets in life is giving away my old DMG and games to my cousin when I got my GameGear as a kid.

[@wyatt606]

Thanks Joey, appreciate you and yer balls

[@dtape]

I’m happy for you that your GameCube RP5 finally arrived.

[@degrengolada2360]

Im waiting for miyoo flip, its perfect for me, clam gaming device that have analog sticks and can fit in my pocket.

[@sandplasma]

Awesome video! I'm selling most of my handhelds and just keeping 3 tops. Thanks for the rankings!

[@jimtepedino9295]

I wanted to like the X, I have a steam deck oled, then I got the legion go because I never like the ally screen size, well, more the bezels. Made the screen size look awful. I find the Legion go just too big for handheld use. It’s good as table top and it’s a good little laptop PC but the holding in your hands it gets tiring real fast. I ended up buying Alex on a sale and there was something wrong with the sticks and I returned it and I ended up just pre-ordering one X player, F1 pro and I’m waiting for that in the mail. Even though it’s the same size screen as the LIX without those basil, it makes it look so much better. Sorry for using auto dictation 😅

[@cs9927]

Ayaneo didn’t send any of their products to you for review? I saw other KZbinrs got it

[@Kevin-Schmevin]

Great video, really appreciate all the honesty. I personally would put the RG40xxh higher though. To me theres nothing better than a 4", 4x3 device running Linux. Nobody else has found that sweet spot, which has it in my top 3 this year.

[@gregorykaschula5878]

Good video thanks, I think you still need a pocket retro handheld though.

[@seanms35]

I can’t wait for the SUPER5 OLED + HDMI Kit!

[@Tacquito]

Rambling man doing what only Joey can..... Good video buddy guy 👌

[@Ag45727]

While I agree w Joey’s take on minimalism, let’s all agree that everyone needs the new Anbernic gba clone.

[@pechismaxis1082]

In love with my odin 2 mini, for me is the one. If you dont mind to play switch then go for rp5

[@angdel509]

Thank you for existing dude

[@ibelieveinjesusinmyspareti2861]

I wanted to let you know that the gpd win mini hx370 has the same screen and is substentially more expensive. Doa imo.

[@jesusbarrera6916]

Chip makers are raising up prices unfortunately

[@iamnotyourbuddyGUY]

37 mins of Joey. We are eating good.

[@TheDeadlyTikka]

If the Odin 2 mini got a OLED version I would buy that in a heart beat. Waiting for Retroid Pocket 5 to be readily available in the UK as ordering from Retroid takes forever and is a nightmare if things go wrong

[@wizzel22]

My Handheld of the year is the Retroid Pocket 5 (black). A nearly flawless design but a bit un-ergonimic (Analog Rockers). The OLED screen is fantastic, even at 33% Brightness. It's my only Android Handheld and i sold my G Cloud for it.

[@MrKniferton]

you made me love the rp5 and my ally x a bit more haha. rp5 more specifically. the mini fits better in my hands but ya the rp5 definetely is amazing :] GC color is the best haha

[@davelaion]

Your best video of 2024!

[@CornyPuddle]

Oh boy I just made popcorn too 🙏

[@ben-tendo]

The Pocket 5 does look amazing and if it wasn't for my Odin 2 Pro I would have bought it by now, but the Odin 2 Pro of course is still more powerful for the time being.

[@Jaweatherford86]

Great list Joey. I came in half expecting to disagree with some of your choices, but the list was about what I would rank most of these devices (the ones I've used anyway). I'd probably throw the RG406H somewhere near the top, but maybe that's just recency bias. 🤷🏼‍♂

[@crestofhonor2349]

Ally X has become my favorite handheld of all time. It's so good. My only complaint is that it's a bit heavy but never too much where I can't hold it, that it's not as slim as the regular Ally, and that the bezels could be shrunk a bit to make the screen larger. If all they do for the next model is improve the QC and make the screen a bit larger with smaller bezels it would be almost perfect. It's also just better than the Legion Go since that handheld borders on too big as a handheld and I don't find the detachable controllers all that useful just like on the Switch. They're neat but not that essential. Still the Legion is great even if it's my least favorite of the PC handhelds I've used

[@Choadis]

I have a gpd win mini 2023 and it blows the 2024 one out of the water, simply on the oculink connectivity. If oculink was hot swap, I wouldn't even need a second device, I use the damn thing as my primary computer by hooking it up to a 3080

[@alguem5996]

I'd definitely have gotten the RG CubeXX instead of the RG40XXH if it had just released a few months earlier.

[@mickd1368]

very good but long vid, so i skipped around a bit, and so, did i miss something, or did you not talk about the trimui smart pro?

[@Pentaghast]

Amazing work! Its great to have different types of reviewers and you're so picky that I usually wait for your opinions to lower my expectations on some devices haha. Cheers from Brazil! Some thoughts (and some highlights): 1 - 25:52 the shade ☠ 2 - 27:00 Cant wait to receive my CubeXX 🔳 3 - 28:08 What an amazing color! (beside the colored buttons 👻) 4 - 30:26 That screen looks so good it seems to be edited! (And the gamecube color, a must!) 5 - 32:08 I cant handle the truth. 🥸

[@Opebin]

These ratings are super fair honestly the Pixel is cool aesthetically but the sound and framerate issues are embarrassing when the even smaller micro handhelds like Funkey or Nano can run the games better

[@emilianomontanari283]

so retro game corps ? he was also banned by ayaneo but not now and never by anbernic…

[@HollywoodShono]

For using the same SN30 Pro clear green that I do, you get my respect.

[@rickygomez7352]

Hmmm the lenovo lg didn’t make it to your table

[@DanBanan69]

Getting a few handhelds and enjoying them might be the best advice here. I now own 2 handhelds, and I can feel how my mind is pulled towards the void. But no, I just need the Anbernic RG35XXSP, then I'll have my retro game situation under control. Once that thing is in my hands, I'll be happy....

[@nightzelmods]

I wanted that one really bad too, but was very underwhelmed when i got it. I loved the sp as a kid, but as an adult, my old hands hurt playing it. D-pad was too clicky, meaning it was difficult to press. Same with the buttons. I sold it shortly after getting it. Just a heads up from someone who HAD to have it and then sold it. If you are at all concerned with ergonomics, skip it.

[@Lisa313shoe]

I actually like your choices 😊

[@zainxd16]

The rog ally x is amazing but... I want something that is powerful and pocketable too, that is imo an actual easy to carry and use outside of my house

[@skyza108]

Got a pro version of the Odin 2 Mini on ebay recently, was torn between getting a pc handheld or one of these but those aren't really pocketable plus I already have a gaming set up. Love this little thing, I throw it in my jacket pocket and play it on the train and on break at work

[@zainxd16]

@skyza108 that's amazing but i done something better imo, im gonna buy the s25u when it launches and i bought the gamesir g8+ all i would need is to set up the applications and i will be good to go, i will have a great emulation station that can easily be pocketable, altho i would recommend buying a better small form factor controller cus the g8+ is NOT pocketable 😅

[@zainxd16]

@skyza108 plus btw i searched alot about the odin 2 max and mini but they are just android based, u will have lots of amazing games to play and it's great but i was looking for a pocketable windows device, but it's just not possible cus windows require such huge amount of power and the games are quite beefy so yeah ig we gotta wait till 2030-2040 lol

[@joelgrebinsilvestri]

I just bought an Odin 2!! What is the best set up and best apps? Please do u have a new guide? Thank you lord

[@honeybee7197]

lol I needed this 2 days ago.

[@codylester9081]

I think the RP5 is the better value between it and the Mini at MSRP. However I got my Mini $65 off through AliExpress coupons earlier during their 11.11 sale. At that discount it is a no brainer. And for me it is a steam deck companion anyway. I couldn’t be happier with it

[@benpregent]

That intro was epic 😂

[@retroCubeGG]

ou yeah, the video i have been waiting for a month

[@Belemrys]

I bought a 35XX a year or two ago…then decided I needed a horizontal handheld and bought the 40XXH (4:3 gaming) and 556 (16:9 native or hacks and android)…been pretty happy but my daughter has been begging since she saw the 35XXSP and I am losing the will to hold off on the 34XX as a dedicated 3:2 handheld…

[@Drakkon-c9r]

He said the thing!