Do you have a Handheld Retro Gaming Device?

[ShawnFuzz]

Just to be clear, I am talking about the emulator handheld that resembles a Gameboy and holds thousands of old games. There are multiple versions of these devices. I'm not referring to the actual authentic handheld consoles from the past.

A guy at work got one, and I couldn't resist getting one as well. I am having a blast playing through games from my life growing up, from Atari to the original Playststion.

I'm probably late to these things, but wow... so nostalgic and fun!

If you have one, what do you play? So far I have been playing Lemmings, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Kart 64, and I have several JRPG's lined up like Chrono Trigger, Soul Blazer and Golden Sun.

My friend at work has been playing old Pokémon games on it (I dont know anything about Pokémon, but thought I would mention it since a lot of you here seem to love it!)

 

[Neb]

I was looking at one of those devices earlier today. I'm somewhat split on whether to ask for one for my birthday. While my Steam Deck can run many of those games with emulators, actually setting everything up on it is very tedious and awkward to do. I've done it before and don't really feel like doing it again. The Steam Deck is also a bit too big for longer game sessions and many of those games I'd rather play on a smaller device. On the other hand, smartphones can do the same thing as those retro devices and I could easily just get a backbone controller to accomplish the same thing. But then again, those devices also seem to have a retro charm to them smartphones lack.

 

[ShawnFuzz]

I was looking at one of those devices earlier today. I'm somewhat split on whether to ask for one for my birthday. While my Steam Deck can run many of those games with emulators, actually setting everything up on it is very tedious and awkward to do. I've done it before and don't really feel like doing it again. The Steam Deck is also a bit too big for longer game sessions and many of those games I'd rather play on a smaller device. On the other hand, smartphones can do the same thing as those retro devices and I could easily just get a backbone controller to accomplish the same thing. But then again, those devices also seem to have a retro charm to them smartphones lack.

I think the "charm" as you said may be the biggest factor for me!

I don't know how the emulators work on the Steam Deck or smartphones. It's all over my head I just know this thing I got can play lots of retro games! Although it isnt perfect... N64 games werent working for me, and then I discovered you can change the emulator for certain consoles (there are a few to choose from). So there IS a little bit of work possibly. But it seems to just be a setting thing, and maybe googling which has helped me.

Post automatically merged: Jan 18, 2026

P.S. @Neb, if you ask for one for your birthday, do your research first on where you buy it from. I think I spent twice as much as I should have, thanks to another company buying and reselling them in bulk for a profit.

 

[Twonny Cakes]

I've got a Analogue Pocket, but its usage has dwindled over time now that I'm actually trying to play my other games.

I love the thing though, it's great to bring when I'm traveling for work and I don't feel like lugging around my Switch 2.

 

[ShawnFuzz]

I've got a Analogue Pocket, but its usage has dwindled over time now that I'm actually trying to play my other games.

I love the thing though, it's great to bring when I'm traveling for work and I don't feel like lugging around my Switch 2.

I dont travel for work, but I sure do love playing SNES games on my breaks at work! Its super handy to have in my backpack.

 

[*~ Croissant ~*]

I have one of those retro gameboy emulators! I carry it literally everywhere with me, it’s so easy to whip out and play something on the subway. The only think I don’t like is the battery gets drained super easily if a button gets pressed while it’s in my bag.

I downloaded a few Pokémon mods onto it, my favorite being Perfect Crystal. It makes every Pokémon game so much easier to play because you can fast forward through battles and walk faster, etc. I haven’t played any other game series on it yet besides Pokémon. Maybe I’ll try MarioKart as you say.

 

[ShawnFuzz]

The screen on mine went wonky. I over paid for the console and warranty, but I am hoping the company comes through and replaces it! I love this sill thing!

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I have a DS Lite, Wii, DSi, and a couple of different 3DS models. I also have a few GBA games. Other than that, most of the retro games I play are on the Switch Online console service. I also have a OS Vita which I don’t play very often and a PS3 that currently won’t read any discs.

 

[Curry]

I've got a Retroid Pocket 5 that my friend recommended to me, I love it. I really wanted to play through the Fire Emblem backlog since I really enjoyed Three Houses and Engage, so since the Retroid can run pretty much anything PS2 and back, I have begun playing all of the ones I missed. I can't recommend one of these enough, especially if you decide to pick up RetroAchievements.