Top 5 Best Retro Handhelds Under $100 2024

[@Diggy22]

The TrimUI Smart Pro is worth an honorable mention. In spite of a few minor drawbacks, it's a powerhouse. Great display, handles arcade games smoothly (especially fighting games), and the battery life is amazing, even in sleep mode. There are times where I've forgotten to turn my device off, but when I get to it after a few days (sometimes a week), it still has so much power. It's a dark horse for handhelds under $100, and a worthwhile buy.

[@JayThePancake]

im thinking about buying one, it seems better on PSP games. How do you like it?

[@themadcoachman]

Why you actually saying anbernic Sp clamshell but actually showing a Gameboy Advance sp ?????

[@Diggy22]

@@JayThePancake Some PSP games run better than others. Tekken 5 and 6 run better than GTA Vice City Stories, Burnout Dominator runs pretty good, but avoid playing Capcom Classics Collection games on it.

[@Pingieking]

@@JayThePancake I've had the TSP for about 3 weeks now. I haven't run into a PSP game that doesn't play (some will require settings tinkering) and they all look and feel great. Probably the best PSP device under $100.

[@aieonnam]

@@themadcoachman its anbernic the gameboy advance sp logo is just a border

[@azenyr]

The Miyoo A30 deserved a mention. It can be found as low as $30 on aliexpress, which is insane for its price. Just like MM+ would not be what it is without onionOS, the A30 is also just now getting better custom firmware. With OnionOS or similar in the future, for $30 you cannot fault the A30, and has PERFECT sleep mode (lasts weeks)

[@陈锦峰-g1f]

I have got a Miyoo A30 from Amazon store,too.The performance is really good.Especially when you play some old games.😀

[@haydenlovett6296]

Im new to the emulator kind of world. So which one works best as a preloaded system? Im only looking because i broke my leg, and im outta work, so im bored. I just want a good "outta the box" experience for my money.

[@brandsmp]

@@haydenlovett6296 Miyo Mini plus is always the easiest out of the box as the software is the best and has a lot of community support

[@PapitoZzzz]

@haydenlovett6296 how's your leg? I had a similar issue. I got hit by a car, so I'm also outta work for the time being.

[@tomjones6347]

Anbernic preloaded game library is decent but it will be missing the big 1st party Nintendo and sega games. Easy to fix though. Retroarch will always require fiddling with

[@rizogamers4915]

Wish they made new design like nds/3ds next. Great video. Keep it up👍🏻

[@jasonshiers5771]

Prefer the look of the SP but the H is just all around the better handheld due to the thumb sticks that is necessary when playing Dreamcast and N64 without having to reconfigure the controls . I heard Anbernic is remaking the H with a bigger screen.

[@asmusicasmaisdaoraejogos7746]

Anbernic rg40xx

[@jakesmith5278]

In the $100 or lower range, I agree the RP 2s really has no competition. I just wish the screen is 4' instead.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@@jakesmith5278 I completely agree it should have a 4" screen they had the space for it

[@Rickaiser5]

In my case, the SP is the perfect complement for my Steam Deck. SP on the Go (and Nostalgia) and the Deck in my Home... Personally I loved the Anbernic SP. GBA SP was my very First Console and it's the main reason I bought it, even my Phone is a Flip 5 for that reason, clamshell pocket ability rules hehehe

[@陈锦峰-g1f]

The flip type Nintendo game console once get the most amazing game performance during 90s to 2000. Guess you have collected a few in your home now.😃

[@Pal_TheMemeBoi012]

I like handhelds like that...

[@vicplaza6485]

What os you used for your sp?

[@TheHolyenforcer]

which one is pick up and play for the Pokémon games? specifically black and white etc. I don't want to have to install anything or download, if possible just pick up and play

[@vikkieebennett8403]

@@TheHolyenforcer this is what I'm desperately trying to find out too! I've watched a million reviews of them all & none of them mention whether all pokemon games are on them or not! Wanting to get my bf one for Xmas so he can just turn it on & play (I wouldn't have a clue how to get games on there myself!)

[@MyersUchiha-nt2zy]

What device has all Pokemon games

[@3daces69]

Excellent video! I have all 3 and I think they all have their use cases. Would you be able to share or point out where you get your gba overlays? I think the size of the overlay is perfect and more accurate than the ones I have

[@jonathanleonard9507]

with vibration motors in these handhelds, does it work for pokemon?

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@jonathanleonard9507 pokemon pinball yes

[@FINNIUSORION]

Good stuff. You know what sucks about 'retro' gaming? When you're old enough to remember the games coming out lol.

[@JonathanAnimates17329]

Been looking into retro emulated handhelds, thank you for this video because at first I was undecided on what to get 😅

[@joycekoh3416]

RG35XXSP will be voted as one of the best budget handheld in 2024 because alot of retro game collectors love their old GBA SP and this will be their replacement for their GBA sp and still can play more games. RG35XXH will be better as the 2 joystick and L3 and R3 are needed to play n64, saturn and psp games.

[@neliel11]

What dragon ball game is on 8:08 ?

[@bignobit905]

Dragon ball Advanced Adventure

[@neliel11]

@@bignobit905thank u

[@Srhyle]

9:24 how to fast forward in Plus? Also, anything else the menu button + another button combo that the Plus can do? Say, like adjusting brightness or access to other features. I'm using stock os. Thanks!

[@blankblank4064]

just decided to get the rg35xx plus and would love some tips on what i should set up as a beginner.

[@bernhardsteinnagel9792]

With your RG35xx+ you should change the SD card otherwise it will fail because they are bad. Buy a quality SD card and load a better firmware. My rg35xx+ died on me yesterday. Should have listen to my own advise😢

[@Jmateomurillo]

Which is best for Nintendo ds games?

[@vikkieebennett8403]

I love that last one but not a clue how to get all the games :'(

[@jg2722]

With any of the emulator handhelds here can you trade in Pokémon games?

[@NeilNTR]

Didn't realize the other 2 RG35xx are only mono sound. Wondering if the 3.5 headphone jack is stereo.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Yes, the headphone jack is stereo.

[@Carcosahead]

Yes! I own the SP and playing with headphones are always a change

[@firecrusades3397]

personally, i dont like the devices that cross the line into just being a smart device because like i dont need apps i have an iphone on my at all times

[@w4td0uw4nt2]

What’s the shmup game you played on the rg28xx? 2:07

[@joewi100]

does anyone know what the dragon ball he was playing at 7:35 was?

[@ELITE-CHIEF-DRILL-MAN-ko3yp]

My first consol was a Wii and it was just wonderful

[@mikegonzalez4004]

Which one would you recommend the best to buy to play pokemon? Thank you

[@divers369]

I just bought a miyou mini plus, i like it so much but i feel like H handhelds are better for me and more comfortable

[@pancky1862]

forgive me to summarise is it better the (Onion OS) MIYOO Mini Plus or RG35XX Plus, I am a beginner and also how much does the budget change between the two, where can I find them at a good price without scam

[@lorenzozuniga8729]

Does the sp have all the old og Pokémon games or is it just sapphire

[@garzavictor-ph9nv]

any comments on durability? looking to purchase this for a child.

[@asmusicasmaisdaoraejogos7746]

For a child the best is gb300

[@ricwhite612]

you missed out the gameboy pocket, was in balck and white before the colour.

[@SkarM_x]

Can someone tell me the name of the dragonball game being played at 8:20. Thank you

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure for GBA

[@SkarM_x]

@@JaviPlayRetro thanks 👍👍

[@mzondi1970]

Sorry for the question I'm new to all this which one of these can actually come with games already installed and use a SD card to add more games to them? Please explain

[@xAravilo]

Been subscribed for some time now, but always happy to see more of your content! Keep it up 💪🏼

[@adrian_veidt]

Retroid pocket 2s is the best for me. Got decent power, face and shoulder buttons and it's priced at $99 now.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Yeah man I been playing a lot of minecraft on it lately. The extra cost over the other handhelds is well worth it

[@adrian_veidt]

@@JaviPlayRetro I would've gotten one but I already have the 3+. Which I still refuse to replace. Eversince development for Aethersx2 and yuzu were shut down. I love playing ps2, snes and stream game on it. I would've really enjoyed the pocketability of the 2s.

[@atrain1]

Since it’s running on android could you also play games from GamePass?

[@suhtangwong]

​@@adrian_veidt I have both rp3+ and rp4 pro, the rp4 blows it outta the water! In terms of power and most importantly, button placement. I'm still keeping rp3+ for nostalgia for now lol

[@PuppetMaster8707]

So.... What is the smallest one I can play Pokemon Fire Red

[@josiebreasbois2246]

Can you download Candy crush saga, and toy blast and if so, how do you do it?

[@esko23q]

R36s currently still budget king under $100 its hard to beat for the price point.

[@EZ_BLOODSTRIKE]

Can any other these play 3ds games? Specifically pokemon games I want to be able to play omega red as well as emerald and HeartGold

[@joydivider42]

The retroid is £175+ in the UK so its not really part of this group. Im new to this market so started with the H and the rgb30. When I figure out what I really get out of emulation I may go upmarket

[@DaisyIsMyFavoriteDog]

I just wanna know which one has the most Pokémon games

[@vaneIla]

@@DaisyIsMyFavoriteDog what do you mean? Lol. All these devices technically contain the same amount of games

[@user-fi6yk4si3y]

@@DaisyIsMyFavoriteDog you put the roms in the devices yourself so they all have the same rom library

[@k0sha]

@@user-fi6yk4si3y cool, so guessing they don't come pre-loaded? Is it difficult to load the games on yourself?

[@vikkieebennett8403]

What do you mean by 'flash the firmware'?

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@vikkieebennett8403 Flashing the firmware refers to installing Software toa new SD card. There are a lot of really good ones that are made by the community. So you kind of choose which one you like most and install it to your device. Flashing is another word for writing. Because you need to write the software to the sd card and then the device reads it. I have a dedicated tutorial on my channel

[@vikkieebennett8403]

@JaviPlayRetro Ohh thats amazing, thankyou!

[@mjbooner]

Does the Anbernic RG35XX H or any of the others come pre loaded with games? Or do you have to have a PC to load games on to them. Thank you.

[@bernhardsteinnagel9792]

It depends....bought mine preloaded with a lot of games.

[@nicoliciousxx]

do any of them have link cable capability?

[@berkefekeskin9172]

am i goin to buy all of the games or do they just come with the handheld?

[@davidpaz7859]

where did you get the game boy sp , or where’s is the best site to find them !.

[@athredswordshield7825]

Hey how many of these have a touch screen (DS games in mind)

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@@athredswordshield7825 Only the Retoid Pocket 2s

[@MekhetM]

What dragon ball game were you playing on the SP?

[@kyledupont7711]

I am completley fascinated with these devices, yet i do my handheld gaming on a 11" oled tablet with a turtle beach atom controller. I would say its the best handheld gaming experience available yet i still want somehting with a smaller screen for no logical reason

[@Gary-li7ib]

What are the last 2 games shown in the intro please?

[@jacobclements1582]

When I saw that new anbernic clamshell sp emulator i was about to freak I it had a cartrage slot for gba games with the 369 in 1 gba cartrage that would beast

[@EleinaWarikia]

How to play stardew valley in r36s?

[@stevo271]

Do any of these allow you to speed up the roms like you can on your phone? It really helps when playing games like Pokemon. Saves a lot of time.

[@bernhardsteinnagel9792]

Rg35xxplus does I think. Played zelda and you can fast forward

[@marcosdalton8241]

Whats the game you're playing when you show the R36S?

[@juiceygamer2980]

The rg35xx H broke on me black screen and only orange light when charging wont turn on idk if it's a comman thing be careful though

[@Germany460]

@@juiceygamer2980 did you replace the sd card? They go bad and stop working.

[@Germany460]

Did you replace the stock sd card? They go bad and stop working fast

[@rorynolan1114]

Good video, how does the Anbernic Sp stack up against an ordinary GBA SP with a flash cartridge?

[@johnnygober6044]

Do they come with games preloaded?

[@xavierrivera9130]

Not in my experience

[@intenseretrogaming]

The Miyoo A30 is certainly in my top 5. It's so underrated. They nailed the ergonomics for the size, and the controllers are better than anything in the XX line. It feels so much like a horizontal MM, and I'm surprised that I love the tiny screen and can play games very accurately. With the latest firmware + Spruce, I can't put it down.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

I have to spend more time time with it. I did alot of playing on it when I first got it and I agree I live the size and form factor but I had to put it down to give time to other stuff on this never ending list. Im gonna update the firmware again and give it another go. Thanks so much for watching!

[@Rayu25Demon]

This device has 40nm 10 years prosser the SNES games are lagging It's better to get a 22nm Ambernic device

[@jamesdavies686]

There's a reason it's already been on sale flirting with $30

[@rodrigocoronado5248]

The battery is not good

[@intenseretrogaming]

@@Rayu25Demon SNES issues are a software problem that no longer applies. The A30 is more powerful than the Miyoo Mini and can obviously play that stuff very well 😀

[@xSamways]

can the SP play PS2 games?

[@mobius3339]

Hey man, anyway you would be able to look into the Pokemon GBC RTC save file crashes, and a better fix than just deleting the rtc save file?

[@demonelf87]

What about the Trimui smart pro

[@josway08]

What DBZ game was shown at 8:11

[@grahamk7571]

Its a Dragon Ball game, not DBZ. It's called Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure

[@josway08]

@@grahamk7571 thank you!

[@jeonsan8586]

Can someone explain how he can play stardew valley on that cause it's released on mobile and consoles

[@CapOlimar]

It's a port.

[@cpt.moutarde5583]

What is the game at 1:12 ?

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Stardew Valley

[@jeraffeandzebruh7062]

Stardew valley

[@HemantaRajkonwar85]

Hey man do Rg35xx sp have a inbuilt clock? For games like Pokemon?

[@kunaljoshi4891]

Yes! However the HW clock is a bit wonky so Modified Stock OS has realtime clock update over wifi feature.

[@HemantaRajkonwar85]

@@kunaljoshi4891 how to enable the real time clock ?

[@agamaz5650]

please what handheld can play f-zero gx, has oled and can fit into my pocket?

[@matttheamazing5312]

Nothing like that exists yet. The Odin 2 Mini would be the closest but it has miniLED not OLED

[@lingdatang669]

yellow huge one is powkiddy RGB10max3

[@norosss6715]

Can play stardew valley on SP?

[@somehowgaming]

@@norosss6715 yes u can

[@yohslayer6883]

Are These allowed in germany?

[@elyesabdelkefi3309]

I am going with the anbernic RG353V, is it a good choice? i also am looking for a device that could run 3DS, do you know any?

[@SoullessEmperor2483]

I was thinking of getting one of those retroid pocket models to take it with me wherever I go. I really want a retroid pocket so badly, but they're expensive af though!

[@ffn4s08]

I'm new to this but couldn't understand why you guy could pick the rg35xx over rg353??

[@dudemeister2752]

Price. And the analog sticks aren't that useful in its form-factor.

[@NoName-zm1ks]

Just how you play a six button fighter in a 4 button Handheld?

[@TheFirehands150]

Same as a regular console controller -> Shoulder buttons.

[@gabrielluz8997]

Its there any handheld that plays PS2? I really wanna play some OG ps2 games.

[@RainbowFluffy77]

The one that hit the world a lot and still is cuz now they are hard to find, is the Miyoo Mini, with has also Onion too, so is the same as the plus, but smaller and don't have wifi, with I like no wifi, cuz then I can play in a lot of places, without problems, to turn it off or put it away.

[@FearLuhv]

Im trying to buy my first handheld ive come to realize i mostly want to play psp games Which device would be best im thinking of getting the trimui but taking other suggestions

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@@FearLuhv TrimUI Smart Pro under $100 Over $100 get Retroid Pocket 4 or 4 Pro

[@FearLuhv]

@@JaviPlayRetro would you happen to know if it supports retro achievements (trimui)

[@kyithamaung533]

the important issue for all those new retro handhelds is that they are too small for my hand

[@jeremyschwarz9399]

i love you videos keep up I have RG35 XX H and i love it,when I start pokemon via ra it says game boy advance sp below, idk how i can change it please help

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Hey Jeremy, thanks for the kind words. All you have to do to remove the gameboy sp overlay is press the function button to get to the quick menu and go into overlays and turn off the overlay, and that should solve your problem. Be sure to save core overrides to keep the changes.

[@jeremyschwarz9399]

@@JaviPlayRetro ty for the help you know why he show me game boy advance sp and not advance only

[@aitor3079]

wich game is it?? 8:20

[@dirksenekal5491]

@@aitor3079 Dragon Ball Z Advanced Adventure

[@jeppy7505]

Do these devices also have good battery life

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@@jeppy7505 They all do. 8 hours +

[@rauldeanda7196]

New to this. Do these devices come with preloaded games?

[@user-fi6yk4si3y]

Some do but it’s super easy to add games if you watch a guide so I wouldn’t stress if the games you want aren’t preloaded

[@Axel-dc1xp]

For ds I'd want an actual touch screen for me it's a must have

[@japangamejunk]

Looking at value, since you can get a Vita 2000 for about 60 bucks here and then jailbreak it to make it an emulation machine, would it be an option to consider above one of these?

[@CapOlimar]

There's too many handhelds being released...should I buy now or wait four days for a new one to come out?!

[@janX9]

They released a few since your comment 30 minutes ago. There is always going to be a new or better model. Which is fine. Just more to add to the collection.

[@SeanDefty]

Pick one for me! I want a handheld with a good display and easier to use! :)

[@yannikdrieen8818]

Alternative for the Retroid Pocket: get a razor kishi for your phone. eBay, around 30 bucks

[@guava8158]

Th RG35XX H is easy the best.

[@josephk5523]

Anyone tried inlighte keyboy?

[@STR82DVD]

It's the RP 2s over $100 lad? Pretty sure it is especially after shipping and local taxes. Great review kid. I completely agree with your list as I own all of your list. Fun times.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Technically yes after shipping but you can also get them second hand $75. I bought mine new like $115.90 so yes its alittle over $100

[@STR82DVD]

@@JaviPlayRetro I just pulled the trigger on the 2s Metal edition.

[@Jonny312.]

Do you like it?

[@STR82DVD]

@@Jonny312. Oh hell yes. It's a bit heavy but it's so so nice to hold. I'm not really going to play it, I'm just going to display it.

[@ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣΣΚΟΥΤΑΡΑΣ]

Well 4 out of 5 top..😊 i have 2 mm+, 1 rg35xx sp, 1 rg35xx h and 1 rg35xx plus..plus 1 rg36s (from the honorable mentions)..

[@jaedo71]

Which one of the honorable mentions play the most games??

[@testchannelnamechange]

SP is a blessing 😄

[@DB-vl9ob]

Where R36s?

[@ZyrenV]

and number 1, a nintendo ds lite with an r4 card that has all the emulators, i know not technically a retro handheld but it serves the purpose

[@wekufeh]

@@ZyrenV i think the prices of the nds are increased recently

[@tobi-y7862]

Ordered a 35xxh. Any advice updating the best way? Great review of the devices ..keep em up.

[@salazarRE4]

After trying a bit the stock OS I'd say installing MuOS is the way. Lean interface, turning on the console takes something like 10 seconds so you don't need to lose battery life on sleep mode and has some standalone emulators like for the N64 that run N64 games really good, better than the retroarch cores for sure

[@STR82DVD]

It is hard to choose so I just bought them all instead. 😉👍

[@millyawns]

Nah, the SP definitely has the best DPad and great shoulder buttons. They're just so nice and precise. The Mini is too light and gives accidental diagonals. Anbernic's other DPads are far worse, though.

[@HemantaRajkonwar85]

Finally, I was waiting for this video

[@Michael-sn1vv]

A Nintendo DS lite with an R4 card is perhaps the cheapest and best way to play DS games.

[@benjamintorres9415]

Which one can play psp emulators

[@ihabebeng6145]

@@benjamintorres9415 r36s I guess