The New $50 Budget King // R35S Review

R36S Review: • The New $50 Budget Kin...
The budget handheld segment just got a lot more interesting. In this video, we review the new R35S gaming handheld.
Updated Model: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeA...
Cheaper for new AE users: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDE...
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[@TakiUdon]

R36S Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6rIhKiIatKBecU Creating a sleeper hit by cloning a TikTok handheld was not on my 2023 bingo card.

[@thecryingsoul]

Didn't know Powkiddy devices were gaining so much traction on Tiktok, I guess the overlap in the handheld enthusiast community and Tiktoker addicts isn't that big

[@grey.7828]

Would this be a good first portable emulator for someone?

[@thecryingsoul]

@@grey.7828 Yes this should be a pretty solid starting point it's a really decent chip, and the software available is really solid

[@DroidLocks6971]

Does it have 15.000games as it says on aliexpress

[@DroidLocks6971]

Yes Or No Does this have 15.000 game on it

[@uncaringbear]

I'm glad Taki reviews these clone and lower-priced units rather than just focus only the bigger names.

[@GreatistheWorld]

100%

[@serphvarna4154]

Much more content that way

[@fairyboy444]

agreed! part of the reason i’ll watch all of his videos and not “ETA Prime”. like i’m a console gamer, right? i have a ps5 and switch like many others. i have no interest in a like $2k handheld. these retro emulation handhelds are more appealing since they can scratch that passing need to play nostalgia, ykyk

[@fairyboy444]

agreed! part of the reason i’ll watch all of his videos and not “ETA Prime”. like i’m a console gamer, right? i have a ps5 and switch like many others. i have no interest in a like $2k handheld. these retro emulation handhelds are more appealing since they can scratch that passing need to play nostalgia, ykyk

[@Ty-sm9cv]

​@@fairyboy444it's worth saving up and getting something like a steamdeck IMHO, especially as a console gamer.

[@autumn_breeze616]

this handheld looks like the kind of thing I used to look up on KZbin as a kid who just wanted to take her favourite n64 games with her. At 50 bucks?? Omg this could become a really cool Christmas gift if it becomes a little easier to find

[@Napsteraspx]

Woah. It feels like within only a year or so we have gone from 150 to 200 dollar devices just to run dreamcast, n 64, and psp and such to a 50 dollar device that has a decent chipset for that. I'm excited for next year!

[@HuntaKiller91]

Expect helio G99 handhelds to rock $80-100 segment by then

[@archive8080]

Pi4 has played Dreamcast for a while now.

[@tommy12345nguyen]

Nice game selections to display for each console, kept the video captivating going through the memory of playing some of them

[@ratmdex]

This is insane performance for $50! I did NOT expect Dreamcast to run that smoothly

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

I don’t know to me none of the games look like they ran very well on Dreamcast

[@aynrandom3004]

@@turnbasedtoddy7664 they always love to oversell dreamcast and n64 emulation just so they can sell this e-waste junk

[@VinnyUnion]

Don't scream like that you're blowing my eardrums out

[@hairpunut]

I just ordered one for 42 bucks on temu. I mean I wanted something small and portable to run N64 and dS games. So Dreamcast ones and PS1 is a plus. I can run ps2 on my phone if I really want more from a handheld lol.

[@hairpunut]

@@VinnyUnion Well I hope it helps yeah, that's kinda why I'm getting it as well. I haven't been into gaming a such as I use it. It uses to be my gets away distraction. I have a nice gaming desktop I barley anymore. And I even have a switch. But for whatever reason these new games aren't doing it for me like they use to. And I have downtime at work. So if I don't have something to do I get stir crazy alot lol.

[@tehpyrotechnic]

I feel like I was just browsing Ali express and saw this little handheld yesterday. Super glad to see this video!

[@sampson4886]

Thank you for the thorough review bro I was contemplating buying one but I wanted more information

[@Pridetoons]

This is what the RK3326 should be used for. It should be used for the bottom floor of Emulation Devices.

[@Bearbytez]

It is. For $5-$9 Wish/Temu devices.

[@MarkRichardson-yb3zp]

great review, I went with the r35s based off your video pretty much, and the price as well. keep making informative videos.

[@justingalea4027]

Ive been waiting for someone to make a review on this device for ages! Yesterday I pulled the trigger on the black one!

[@godwinfrance2156]

How has the experience been ?

[@Opebin]

Armored Core 1 is so sick and I don't usually see it tested, nice showcase

[@MarioGoatse]

Okay, you’ve got my attention Taki! This looks really cool. I NEED IT! Edit: This isn’t always the case, but these are really easy to buy in Australia. Found many listings at $91 AUD for the 128GB model which is $58 USD. Shipping is free, and comes within a week. Just bought one lol.

[@No_True_Scotsman]

Is yours still working? Mine lasted 1 day.

[@youtubearsivi9223]

please tell more about it@@No_True_Scotsman

[@ijfisjjf1916]

@@No_True_Scotsmanwhat happened?

[@dadou193]

How is your experience with it? Give us an update

[@friendlyenemy2314]

Is it great or is it a total piece of 💩?

[@meranglemtur9578]

Finally I was waiting for this to be reviewed by You . Thank you and by far i have one And for the price point it is amazing i got it at 49$ mines Orange

[@LauroAbreu]

i bought one cuz of you, and im super happy with it! Doing the scraping for the games rn!

[@nave9909]

Hopefully this pushes the bigger players in the space to offer similar budget handheld solultions.

[@theinnerdreamer7043]

Unlikely, just buy this.

[@nerdloftgaming]

Incredible value at $50 😳 Definitely an easy purchase for those who don’t already have something like a t618.

[@alessandromazzini7026]

3 days later, now Is 70€

[@creativeearthian1702]

Phenomenal value! And perfectly done video, thank you sir

[@AndyThePinoy]

Headhunter was sick, thanks for showing.

[@Wizardboz]

Got mine in the mail today. $53 after tax/shipping for the 128gb version. Never owned one of these but it’s working great! The preloaded stuff is gonna be enough for most people

[@kevj.3575]

you bought from TakiUdon's link? mine turned out broken screen and some other reviews on that same seller's product have the same product

[@ijfisjjf1916]

Any update on gameplay and durability? Still working for u?

[@AjCxOfficial]

11 days later , How is it? Do you recommend it?

[@XPimKossibleX]

Considering it randomly appeared at your door from no-one, I do wonder if the reviewer copy has a different processor to the real one...

[@BadHarmonics]

Not being up to date on mobile GPU tech, ( since 2016 lol) i was absolutely floored by the specs on this device.

[@janas19]

This was a great review. Thanks for the incredible work.

[@TakiUdon]

Thank you so much!

[@eyeball226]

Both sticks at the top! I love that layout and thought I'd never seen it again after the Wii U.

[@jasonoyola590]

steam deck was the closest we've had to it since.

[@Bearbytez]

Wii was legit a sleeper beast. One day people will look back on that console and weep for what was missed.

[@bland9876]

Normally I would say you do you but in this case the system is mostly going to be running d-pad games so having the sticks at the top is bad.

[@eyeball226]

@@bland9876 Yeah, that is unfortunate.

[@eyeball226]

@@jasonoyola590 Oh no, the Steam Deck's in line controls are the worst layout I've tried. Having to actively reach into the middle of the console is awful for me.

[@AlteredCarbons]

great little device, i think im going to get 3 for my little brothers and sister so they can have a taste of old school gaming

[@jimbotron70]

Right way of raising them.

[@raulvito6246]

You had me at Soulcalibur… looks like it runs fine and to have a portable option for $50 is insane

[@MarSTACKs78]

Thanks for this, I've been looking for something to entertain myself while I wait while working lol

[@RedFlameFox]

Second analog stick is there just for Ape Escape, Apocalypse, Klonoa Beach Volley and PS1 FPS games basically, which is nice.

[@user-ns4rr8sg6r]

Does it save game progress?

[@tegrityfarms4975]

Just ordered one for $41. Cant wait to get my hands on it!

[@godwinfrance2156]

Any update how this went ?

[@imspunchdakoopa]

thanks for giving me something to put on my christmas list, Taki

[@apolloarts687]

thanks for this, im interested in my first new handheld so its great seeing this!!

[@RJ-gg5lt]

It's a scam,

[@ProjectGenesisMusic]

Better than I thought it would be, but as expected some games lists are setup horribly and there were a few games that didn't run. I scrapped the sd cards and got good ones and then put my own library of roms and now its exactly what I wanted. Was worried about the buttons, but so far they haven't been a problem and surprisingly don't feel awkward.

[@youtubearsivi9223]

the comments on aliexpress worries me man, I don't know if I should buy or not. I am a noob in this field.

[@cr0ssm]

@@youtubearsivi9223it’s literally fine I’ve been playing spyro and it’s 60fps. Not great for gta vcs though but that’s probably the highest end game on the device

[@youtubearsivi9223]

@@cr0ssm I just bought it, its amazing xD

[@dadou193]

@@cr0ssm are you happy with yours now 1 month later? It plays well for you?

[@cr0ssm]

@@dadou193 I haven’t played with it as much as I thought I would but yes most games are perfect on there but not gta vcs

[@j.p.9522]

Dual USB-C Ports?? Amazing how they can offer this on a $50 handheld but not a $1000 iPhone 15.

[@snowolf494]

What are you using two usb on a phone for?

[@ernestorodriguez9617]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@j.p.9522]

@@snowolf494 One for powering the device and the other for a headphone jack.

[@Incognito-gh5qi]

​@@j.p.9522the other could also be used for display out, usb-c is quite capable and it would be nice to see more devices use dual-usb c ports going forward.

[@ComeNNHot]

@@j.p.9522but there have been death reports of people doing both of these at the same time, so use caution.

[@reprinted3D]

Got one, Taki; thanks for the review!

[@iamnotyourbuddyGUY]

Love that you added different games

[@mattkidroske]

I just got one of these yesterday and I'm super impressed! Having an issue with L3 (joystick button) which I'll probably repair myself. I wouldn't recommend this if you'll primarily play psp or N64 because the triggers are not comfortable to use. But otherwise, it runs great and came with tons of games pre-installed.

[@isaiahscheel]

Where did you purchase?

[@leblanc5452]

Does it have 3ds emulator? And does it run well?

[@mattkidroske]

@@leblanc5452 it does have a 3ds emulator but I can't say if it runs well or not because I haven't really used it. It does struggle with 3D games sometimes so I think it would be pretty hit or miss unfortunately. If it's a mostly 2D game I would assume it would run ok, because that's how it is for the psp games.

[@leblanc5452]

@@mattkidroske Thanks for your response now I'm starting to like it and thinking of buying it, maybe. I'll probably play nds, psp and gba games mostly but there's one 3ds game that I like.

[@joharakiri]

On paper it looks quite good, possibly even great. But I feel like at the end of the day this is likely a "buy cheap, buy twice" type of deal. Sure it can do some stuff devices like the RG35XX cannot but none of it seems to be at a level where you would genuinely be willing to put up with it. Things like wonky buttons and stuttering are just a deal breaker when it comes to daily use. I feel like if I bought this I'd end up getting a more powerful device just because the idea of playing systems like N64 on the go would then already be in my head. At the rate these machines are being pumped out it's probably worth the wait until we get a decent device that emulates everything up to PS2 for $100 - $120. Once something like that is available that's kind of the limit for retro emulation anyway.

[@emerald_grenade3788]

ps2 for a hundred ?!? nah that's never gunna happen

[@joharakiri]

@@emerald_grenade3788 Look at the RGB10MAX3 Pro. We're almost there already...

[@ligametis]

@@emerald_grenade3788 we already have ps2 for under 300$

[@Eduard0Nordestino]

​@@emerald_grenade3788it will but in 2040

[@JesusWillSaveYou]

@@emerald_grenade3788 Check out the Retropocket 2S. Can play SOME PS2, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U and Switch on the go for around $100-$120 depending on specs you get. Everything below these consoles play pretty flawless with a few exceptions like Sega Saturn (emulatore at fault),

[@mccardz208]

Thank you for this review!

[@ilpastor]

Thanks for the review on this cheap machine!

[@pianof1]

Hey, great review by Taki as usual that pushed me into purchase one for myself! I received it a couple days ago, it's my first retro handheld of any sort... And there's something puzzling me. When I put it to sleep mode (short press of power button), the LED stays on indefinitely. Is that expected?

[@dadou193]

Have you figured it out? Are you happy with yours? It works well?

[@zeldafreak247]

My wallet has decided getting into retro handhelds was a horrible mistake. Already know imma cave and buy this

[@stephanielove2847]

Bought one! Waiting for it now!

[@sorehary9851]

Thank you taki .. i need this❤

[@piodelgado2890]

I have the theory that a small team from Anbernic and PowKiddy want to do their own thing, and this is their first one.

[@jimbotron70]

They're doing their own moves, like Tony Montana...

[@markrichardson1657]

data frog is who makes it

[@piodelgado2890]

@@markrichardson1657 They sell it, but I don't think they make them. I could be wrong though.

[@markrichardson1657]

@@piodelgado2890 they make the sf2000 very well also

[@markrichardson1657]

@@piodelgado2890 do your research, not a store, but a computer company in China.

[@markrichardson1657]

got it today, works fine, only a couple games wouldn't load, but most did and played excellent, but have to train yourself to play shooters as right analog stick doesn't work, but overall worth every penny.

[@lucasLSD]

Please cover more of these budget ones, it's the only ones I can afford where I live.

[@clydefrosch]

The right stick on weak Software at least makes for 4 very convenient functionbuttons

[@Teremei]

why did the screen look so damn good on the opening with sonic dreamcast? Is it just a pixel density thing or is the screen just damn good?

[@johne0824]

It's great that they are doing handhelds with these types of games still. But I can't go back to playing those old Nintendo games anymore lol

[@TheMissingxtension]

Mono speaker at $50 is actually fortunate. Hopefully they leave pads for the other speaker. I love how older look so modern in low resolution screens!

[@thefrankiepalmeri]

At this point, I'm actually convinced that JSR was never meant to be emulated at all. I've just never seen any piece of hardware run the game properly outside of it's native Dreamcast hardware. Still, I'm actually impressed by this device overall and I kind of wish I had held out over the years as this thing really seems to deliver on all fronts.

[@TheThirdEnergy]

no game was meant to be emulated they are all made for their original hardware lol

[@thefrankiepalmeri]

@@TheThirdEnergy Some games work perfectly fine when emulated. JSR does not.

[@A2Adam]

Do you feel the same about the HD port?

[@Teapose]

I never tried it on RPi4, but with an OC RPi4 was playing a LOT of the games I threw at it (MvC2, CvSNK, Gauntlet Legends) pretty much 100% close to launch on Redream.

[@Incognito-gh5qi]

​@@thefrankiepalmeri Now im curious and must ask: How do you feel about the pc port?

[@King_Cantona7]

Almost an Anbernic RG405V with cheaper internals & a slightly different frame. Look decent imo

[@adamkane7513]

Not really. This is more like the old Anbernic *RG351V* as they use the same chip. The *RG405* *M* & *V* devices have a bigger screen and more power.

[@SanGraphic]

Clean and beautiful device for what it is, I recently got a xiaomi mi 9t phone for $52 and I believe it’s way to overkill but I use it for game emulation and it rocks! I even got Post Void (Nintendo Switch game!!) running on it at full speed! The fact that it even has an amoled display is incredible, I would definitely recommend second hand phones like it for emulation

[@AkiraWisnu]

Directly order it after watching your video Taki! I guess this one will be another Data Frog groundbreaking sales again after its popular (and still popular) SF2000

[@Some_Cat_]

The stiff conductive rubber helps with hadoukens etc. because it makes for a smoother transition between pressing down to forward. It's hard to miss the diagonals.

[@zozzinator]

I am very impressed with the PSP performance actually, basically all games you showed ran flawlessly (except for the racing one - which is playable with stutter, and ofc toy story which im not interested in at all)

[@dorbei]

Fun fact: you will get the same performance on ANY other RK3326 device, including those 3+ years old Anbernics and Powkiddys which until recently were deemed "outdated".

[@zozzinator]

@@dorbei Well I haven't seen them playing these games with this performance yet, also the R35S seems to be a considerable amount cheaper than other RK3326 devices, correct me if I'm wrong

[@dorbei]

@@zozzinator Actually the R35S is not much cheaper than other RK3326 devices. For example you can currently get an RG351P with the same performance for around 60 USD. That device not only has better build quality, stereo speakers and a volume wheel, but it also has stronger community support with dedicated firmware from respected devs like Batocera or Amberelec. That means that down the line the RG351P will actually be the superior device because it will continue to receive dedicated software support with updated emulators etc.

[@radovan_mladic]

@@dorbei But 351P has lower screen resolution.

[@zozzinator]

@@dorbei Honestly the difference between 42 and 60 bucks is not that small

[@truthconsequence]

Was thinking about a miyoo mini plus but now seeing the performance on this, I'm sold. Thank you Taki!

[@Leo-pd4fc]

The new $50 budget retro handheld sounds like a music in my ears, this R35S looks so nice it's like a gameboy color but black and with joysticks and im glad there is over 15000 games inside and emulators like Nintendo Ds, Ps2 and much more. I will thinking buying and playing this R35S and that video's thumbnail with Sonic is awesome! 🔥🔥

[@thenonexistinghero]

Well, this has a few other trade-offs. For me personally, I don't think there's any handheld for a form factor I'd like that is also capable of doing a good job playing Dreamcast, PS2 and GC games. All the ones that are capable of it are a bit larger than I'd like and still don't have great performance for the heavier titles or you get something far more powerful more in line with the Steam Deck and then you're also stuck with a chunky boy. So until something does come out that fits my needs, then I'll just stick with my Miyoo Mini Plus and forego DC, PS2 and GC altogether.

[@Oddoad6001]

Have you looked at the new RG405v? That chip at least can play them with some tweaking, I got my RP3+ to play the majority of the PS2 and GC games I cared about. Not all, but mostly. Cheapest option currently thats in a pocketable size. Been seriously considering the RG405M due to it being slightly smaller than the RP3+, plus that metal frame is nice.@@thenonexistinghero

[@Vulpas]

It's amazing for the price, admittedly, but Dreamcast is my favorite so it needs to run perfectly. I still might get one anyway, why not.

[@thepokekid01]

Jokes aside, this makes me feel good as in maybe 5 years from now or so, we might be able to get an emulator console like this that can play GCN and maybe even WiiU well, as well as the Switch. I like that a lot of these systems are still doing analog triggers (not this one obviously) but for whatever reason, I see all these sub $200 systems as the same even though there are huge jumps in what you can get, the thing that I appreciate the most is that they are small.) (Mostly switch because right now I want to play Pokemon BDSP mods on a small factor portable... while also getting to play all my other old retro favorites from Dreamcast and below... I guess for transparency, there are probably only around 10-12 GCN, WiiU, and N64 games that I'd really want to play on the console... (Custom Robo, Smash, and Quest64 on the N64, F-Zero GX, 1080 avalanche, Gatcha Force, Gundam, Melee, and maybe PSO on the GCN, and X on the WiiU... although thinking about it more, I'd probably also want Mario Kart 8 and Animal Crossing on the Switch as well ) All probably are on the more complicated spectrum, but it's why I have myself paying attention)

[@mattsephton]

For a CPU to be cheap enough for these devices in 5 years, it will exist now. What CPU do you think?

[@Queldonus]

I have a steam deck. Bought the $400 model, upgraded the storage. It plays everything I want to emulate wonderfully, and I can bring PC games along with me as well. (Games like Hollow Knight or Hades are perfect for this). Currently you end up in the $500 range for what I have, but it’s also a much larger screen and excellent layout and feel in all the controls. It’s worth considering if you would benefit from the extra versatility.

[@mattsephton]

@@Queldonus sounds like you're trying to justify your expensive purchase

[@RealziesCuts]

Steam Deck 🏆🦍

[@resmarted]

Steam Deck already exists brah

[@charlesgriffiths4901]

Mine arrived today and I'm loving it. Everything I want Pre installed with a great looking front end. Think it's called front end anyway (I don't use emulators often or own a pc). For £51 with postage and a 2 week wait it was worth it. Thanks for the review 👍 I did notice some audio and skip issues with the dreamcast I am guessing that toggling the settings sorts these issues too 😊

[@RJ-gg5lt]

Gonna warn you, I felt the same way the first day I got it. It stopped working completely the next day. Be forewarned.

[@QuartzTech]

@@RJ-gg5lt lol yeah this happened to me to. Apparently u can't charge it with a fast charger, there are fixes but u gotta flash a new sd card apparently to make it work again

[@charlesgriffiths4901]

I did notice I had some light breaking through in the corners but I wasn't expecting great build quality. Clickiest buttons I had ever dealt with too! It's now been sold on at a small loss. Thanks for the info both 🙂

[@boreddoggo1116]

I was literally in the process of buying an rg35xx xD Getting my refund right now, absoluuuutely buying this! I already got the SF2000, so its gonna be nice having the two together- guess you should say im a Data Frog fan :D

[@EmblemParade]

$50 and even some DreamCast games. What a time to be alive. :)

[@johnsducks9816]

Dang I hate that the right stick is on top so much I'd buy it in a heartbeat otherwise

[@johnsducks9816]

@@googleisgreedy 2 analog sticks together on top is not normal for playstation. It makes it super uncomfortable to use the face buttons on a vertical handheld like this.

[@xPandamon]

@@johnsducks9816 That is the same issue I have with this. That layout is straight up unusable, so even if it's cheap, it is e-waste from day one

[@zain7510]

just grabbed one for $40 thanks to a new customer coupon. really can't go wrong at the price point. the value is wild.

[@user-ns4rr8sg6r]

Does it save the games progress?

[@Amin2k]

I love the transparent case

[@friendofpelicantown]

I ordered mine for $41 shipped with coupons. Perhaps this can replace my RG350M as the OTG device considering the better specs. ❤

[@TakiUdon]

You had a platform coupon? That's a crazy price for this...

[@friendofpelicantown]

@@TakiUdon yeah I pounced on it. I believe it was an AliExpress spend and save type coupon. Took $6 off the $46 price tag. Shipping from China to where I live is free, and the extra $1 was a card processing fees. (Not sure if YT is bugged I sent in a reply earlier and it disappeared on my end)

[@jolejolevv]

yo can u link it i only found it for 70

[@TakiUdon]

If the price shows up as 70, that's with VAT included.

[@nocandre]

Just ordered one for $43, including vat

[@550stanley]

Hey, I got this thing based on your video as my first retro handheld. I instantly ran into some issues with it though. After a day or so it bricked itself with what I'm assuming a bad SD card. After a bit of googling it seems it is a common occurrence with a lot of these Chinese handhelds where they use garbage SD cards that fail on regular basis. I've managed to flash ArkOS onto a new (better) SD card and it is now working again. However the second SD card that has all the ROMS is of the same quality and I worry that it will go belly up just like the OS one did. For whatever reason I cannot figure out how to make the second SD Card work. I've enabled 2nd SD slot in the Options-Advanced. However even after formatting a new Sandisk card to ExFat as well as FAT32, the handheld refuses to see that there is a second SD card present to create the ROMs folder structure. I even tried copy/pasting the folder structure from its OS card onto this new one, but it still refuses to see it. Have you had a chance to replace the second ROMS card and if you did, could you post a quick video on what your experience was and how you managed to do that.

[@samenyasar9153]

😢

[@Renvaar1989]

Just a thought... Don't use shitty SD cards?

[@ProjectGenesisMusic]

Had that happen. After hours of frustration and more hours of my smarter neighbor messing with it, turns out the sd card was corrupted. Got a new one and problem solved.

[@shonebre]

Same problem here, if someone have solution...

[@ikunaruLIVE]

Hey! I'm glad you reviewed this. I've been eyeing this for a while but still hesitant to buy since it doesn't look like an ergonomic design and might be kinda annoying to play on for long periods of time and that's why; Please review the M17 Handheld game console. It's almost the same as the R35S having no actual brand name but in landscape. It looks like a mini switch so I'm guessing the ergonomics is better. At least compared to the R35S. Aside from that, I don't really know much about the performance. So I would be really happy if you were to review it. Thanks!

[@rustkitty]

Thanks, I ordered one! I was curious to try out a DMG type handheld to see if they are a better fit for my relatively small hands, and for this price point I can without much remorse. *UPDATE* Gotta say the assembly quality is not very good. For a time I thought the D-pad is busted, but I finally bit the bullet and fully took it apart. Turns out the holes on the membrane weren't fully punched out and it got slightly misaligned. Was easy enough to fix it, though reassembly was miserable. Not a fan of having to align internal flex cables while the power and volume buttons keep falling into the body under the board. Also one of the two PCB screws left an impression on the battery! I don't want to explode, so didn't put that that screw back. Just the other one and friction fit should be more than enough to keep the board in place. Definitely not a plug-and-play experience. After putting everything back together, now the D-pad controls are snappy and I had plenty of fun playing so far. The DMG form factor is also a very good fit for me. Worth it if you can put up with the quirks.

[@user-yv6nn1oo9u]

Do u have a rusty kitty?

[@samh5886]

Not sure if there are variances between units, but the controls seems better from what some other people tested with theirs. Maybe the rumored rk3562 orangepi handheld can match/beat this as the next budget handheld as it seems to slot in between a rk3326 and a rk3566. Do you have any news on the 2-3 orangepi upcoming handhelds??

[@postplays]

Same here. I'm still waiting for better vertical clamshell device. The v90 is a special device.

[@jimbotron70]

Expect high prices from orangepi...

[@theflavourist1985]

This Device is no surprise along with the pricepoint, cause, following the link in your description, its made by Datafrog, who also created the "famous" 20$-Handheld in the shape of a snes controller with a display. so, a very good performance along with a very cheap crafting with the result of a very low price, is kind of their signature-move... its like powkiddy was a few years ago, but even cheaper...I'm curious what kind of handhelds they will do in the future....

[@TakiUdon]

AFAIK, Datafrog is just reselling. There is a mystery factory behind this clone that I have not been able to identify. I picked Datafrog because they are the biggest company selling this.

[@theflavourist1985]

@@TakiUdon ah, okay, didnt know that... But anyway. It fits to their style of handhelds, as I said. Imagine a device by that Company for about 70-100 bucks... I guess, Performancewise, it would be head to head with an Ayo neo or steam Deck 🤣

[@theflavourist1985]

@@TakiUdon another guess, since they even almost copied the board: maybe this mystical Company is a sister-/ daughter-company from powkiddy itself. If you got friends over at powkiddy, you could show them the device and ask them. Maybe they can tell you.

[@TakiUdon]

I asked, they wouldn't tell me. They don't like this device. 🤣🤣

[@theflavourist1985]

@@TakiUdon ah okay :-)

[@jaredf6205]

Oooo. Been looking for something for a kid get into classic games without being too expensive.

[@GiuseppeGaetanoSabatelli]

Waiting patiently for one of these manufacturers to release a 6-button Saturn/N64 style layout (that can double as an extra set for L2-3/R2-3 on PlayStation) with at least one analog and a D-paid on the left.

[@phoenixvance6642]

I thought - and still do - getting my powkiddy v90 for a little over $30 was a good deal. Slower and lower build quality, but still costs 40% less & looks like a gba sp. Then again, I spent about 20 more on 128GB microSD and spare batteries, so it evens out after that

[@user-ty1it5gz4v]

V90 is cheap, and cute, and fine for what it is. It won't fall apart in your hands, it works well with most games it's supposed to (with CFW, of course), and it's honestly just nice to have. Maybe not a perfect choice, but a good one.

[@johnmadison3472]

The Powkiddy v90 is still the all-time budget king imho. Love the clamshell form factor.

[@TriangleWaveRecords]

I'll give it a shot! I have the RG35XX with GarlicOS and this thing is a blast, but I do yearn for some N64/Dreamcast games for sure. Also I got it for 57.53 including shipping and California tax. I did use a Los Angeles Times coupon for $6 off.

[@Bornofisais]

Link?

[@user-ty1it5gz4v]

Check out Koriki firmware (former Batocera), it's WIP, but should increase the N64 performance drastically. Hell, with RG35XX, you can keep your games on one SD card, have another with GarlicOS for general use, and a Koriki one - for N64.

[@TriangleWaveRecords]

@@Bornofisais it’s in the video’s description

[@MrSoundChaos]

Temu had a sale the other day for $35 for these free shipping. Can't wait till it arrives and see if it holds up in stability and feel to my RG35xx

[@itsdeonlol]

I'm picking this up now!

[@RealGameThumps]

This looks great but my hand is cramping just looking at those face buttons.

[@ungratefulmango]

I just can't imagine why they would consistently underrepresent the specs of this thing

[@jimbotron70]

Amateurism, sort of.

[@artzbeltras5379]

This is amazing for the price specially in today's economy were everything keeps getting more expensive I might get one for myself👍

[@banderal-ali5066]

Your video pumped me to think about getting a retro handheld. Is there a recommend device that can be the best under 150$ as I think its the sweet spot.

[@Curryking32000]

Taki, are you sure they didn't just place a faster chipset in it for review and everyone else would get the Cortex 7 chip?

[@grey.7828]

That's what I am wondering too

[@TakiUdon]

It's a typo. If it really had an A7, that would be a bigger mystery than the current device.

[@NTripleOne]

The sticks up top with the dpad/face buttons below is a big deal breaker imo

[@paulcarmi8130]

Similar to an Xbox controller. Looks awesome to me

[@TheThirdEnergy]

@@paulcarmi8130 no on xbox only the left stick is up top the right one is where it should be at the bottom

[@adamkane7513]

Very awkward to use, this layout. Difficult to reach rear triggers and just fiddly.

[@eyeball226]

I can live with left at top and right at bottom, but I prefer both at top.

[@eyeball226]

​@@paulcarmi8130 Xbox (and Nintendo) generally do left at top and right at bottom. Both at the top like this is super rare.

[@colinmartin9797]

man if I didn't just pick up a 405m from the recent anbernic sale to go with my 35xx, I might have gotten this instead. Only downside is those clicky shoulder buttons would make it a no-go for gaming in bed, my wife would kill me. I did get the datafrog sf2000 with the two wireless controllers as a gift for my neighbor's little girl, have that waiting for me at home when I get back from my road trip. I'm always very interested in the cheap side of these handhelds, because the 35xx was my first one since I wasn't sure I was going to be into retro emulation handhelds (turns out I very much was) and I'm always looking for the best one to recommend to someone who also might be interested. The only downside to the 35xx is the occasional desire for a single analog stick, but that would also hurt its amazing pocket-ability. a psp style slider stick would be such a nice addition to that handheld (along with bluetooth for native wireless controller support)

[@AnonyDave]

On the PCBs being similar, they could both be based on the same reference design from the manufacturer. Then integrated their own changes which are probably going to result in a similar outcome

[@wheelotime2581]

Simply undersell your specs so the original doesn't notice, genius

[@srvuk]

This goes to further show that if they can obviously make a profit from such a device, what we have been seeing has been overpriced, with large mark-ups. Continual propping up of prices based on false premises needs to come under focus. I don't normally pay too much attention to these size machines because they just don't quite reach the performance that I would want and the screen being just too small. But (and maybe it's the lighting) but this screen looks so vibrant and crystal clear. I also like the partially transparent black that doesn't look as tacky as many other previous offerings. The illegal piracy make it a no no for me. They should partner up with a mass worldwide manufacturer with a barebones option to allow people to add their own legal content. It would likely sell in the millions. The one thing missing for me hardware wise, is HDMI out, which would have given is the versatility to make it almost irresistible to many. If the demonstration of the capabilities in this video are anything to go by, it won't be sleeping for long.

[@rimzo2006]

games such as street fighter do require you to press 2 direction buttons at the same time if not a few times in a row to perform moves, so that might be a feature.

[@peppaz]

To get into the Bootloader / OS boot config, hold B while you start it up

[@Diabl0pl]

It costs $70 now. :/

[@Peratohtori]

You can still find sellers that sell it for less, but buyer beware as ali is ripe with scammers. Read up on reviews before buying anything from an alternate seller

[@mikec4694]

I just got mine for $39 on aliexpress

[@romansetaffy9842]

For everyone who owns this R35S. Check inside of this device the screw under the battery if does not touch the battery. I had this issue. I had to modify the screw and put a few layers of the capton tape on it. In the future the screw can punch the battery! I have a screwprint on the battery.

[@venoshockk]

Honestly I feel like the slowdown on Toy Story 3 for PSP made that train sequence more dramatic lmao

[@abdullahkuzhan7247]

The controls are an absolute deal breaker. Despite it being a clone, I'm sure the company that made this invested a lot of time into creating it, but how on earth didn't they realise that adopting those horrible controls is a bad idea. These are educated people with degrees and stuff, how can they make such stupid decisions, it truly boggles my mind.

[@otroflores91]

It's about making some quick cash.

[@abdullahkuzhan7247]

@@otroflores91 I'm sure they would have doubled their cash by just switching the placement of the buttons and getting rid of the right stick entirely and slightly improving the quality of the buttons. The front case was different from the original anyway. This could’ve been a real hit, the best bang for you buck device out there. I think it's because they just lack the inside knowledge, no understanding of the handheld market and what the community wants.

[@otroflores91]

@@abdullahkuzhan7247 you probably are right. However I wonder if they are also limited by what the CEO/owners or investors in the company say.

[@54356776]

Having a degree or an education doesn't make someone smart or intelligent.

[@abdullahkuzhan7247]

@@googleisgreedy What is gaybox or crapbox? Do you mean Xbox? You do realise that Xbox has the left stick above the d-pad, which is exactly what I'm criticising on this device. So what do you disagree on? Your comment makes absolutely no sense. Get a life dude…

[@goodasdead4303]

Some dude in china was like fuck this shit I can build at part cost, make 10 bucks, have distributors sell for 50 or 60, and we literally up the standard. Applause.

[@bibaboba2d]

Button placement is ... unholy.

[@StormBurnX]

that uh, 'cinematic' framerate experience for the toystory PSP game was hilarious, haha. my roommate's in the market for something like this so I'll see about sending them the link when they get their next paycheck, I'm hoping/assuming you get a kickback from that link?

[@KiddDaPhoenix]

Big fighting game fan here, just chiming in on why you're doing better on the clone device. Look at how your thumb is moving on its dpad in the footage itself. In fighters, it's a classic that people screw up the diagonals. With how much you're moving your thumb due to the need to press the button less hard, the inputs become cleaner. On the original handheld with a better dpad, you're likely tilting your thumb more rather than moving it. So essentially, because the hardware requires you to be clearer with your inputs, your clearer inputs show in the game. Anybody who does the switch from controller to arcade stick (or the hitbox style) will realise the same thing.

[@conyo985]

I was about to buy the Anbernic RG35XX but you've change my mind into getting this one. I need those analog sticks in some games. If only the RG35XX would have included one at that price it would have been great. The R35S it is! It's readily available where I live and I can put coupons and vouchers to lower the price even further. I just got the R35S and it seems there are different batches with this device. My unit doesn't have the issue with the face buttons. I pressed one face button and the other buttons don't move. I got the white unit with that comes in with the black box art. It also doesn't have the sticker on the back. So far no issues in using it. I just changed the sd card to a branded one. Another update: I opened my unit and the PCB shows a different version. It's now V12 and the year below it is 2023. I was trying to look if the battery is 3500 mAh but it's unlabeled.

[@pessimistkai5569]

How is it working still?

[@conyo985]

@@pessimistkai5569 It still works.