My Favorite Retro Handhelds of 2024 (So Far)
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Ruster Metro reviews the top five retro handheld gaming devices of 2024, highlighting their unique features and performance capabilities. The devices range from Game Boy-style to powerful Android-based machines, offering a variety of gaming experiences. The standout picks include the FP GBC for classic Game Boy nostalgia, the Amernick RG35 XXH and XXSP for budget emulation, the Miu A30 for micro handheld gaming, the Amernick RG Cube for its compact design, and the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro for its exceptional performance and value. The summary also mentions runner-up devices like the Amernick RG556 and the Odin 2 Mini, providing viewers with a comprehensive guide to the best retro handhelds available.
Takeaways
- 🕹️ The video is a roundup of Ruster Metro's top 5 favorite retro handhelds released in 2024.
- 📐 The handhelds are categorized based on their features and targeted gaming experiences.
- 🧩 The 'favorite Game Boy' is a self-assembling device that mimics the original Game Boy Color with modern upgrades like a rechargeable battery and backlit LCD.
- 🎮 The 'budget pick' features a tie between the amernick RG35 xxh and the RG35 xxsp, both capable of emulating PS1 and some Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 games.
- 🕹️ The RG35 xxh is preferred for its horizontal form factor and additional features like analog sticks and stereo speakers.
- 📺 The RG35 xxsp is favored for its nostalgic Game Boy Advance SP-like design and clamshell durability.
- 🔥 The 'favorite micro device' category highlights the gkd pixel, the amernick RG 28xx, and the Miu a30, with the latter gaining favor due to software and control improvements.
- 🎳 The 'favorite retro machine' is the amernick RG Cube, praised for its compact size, unique screen aspect ratio, and ability to emulate GameCube and PS2 games.
- 💰 The 'overall favorite' is the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro due to its excellent price-to-performance ratio, compatibility with modern systems, and high-resolution upscaling.
- 📲 The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro also supports widescreen gaming and streaming, making it versatile for various gaming needs.
- 🔄 The script mentions runner-up devices like the amernick RG 556 and the Odin 2 mini, which offer larger screens and different advantages but at a higher price point.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video by Ruster Metro?
-The main topic of the video is a roundup of Ruster Metro's five favorite retro handhelds released in 2024.
What are the ground rules set by Ruster Metro for selecting the handhelds?
-The ground rules are that each handheld must have been released in 2024 and they are all retro-based handhelds focused on emulation, with broad categories used to narrow down the selection.
What is the unique feature of the Game Boy-like handheld mentioned in the video?
-The unique feature of the Game Boy-like handheld is that it is assembled by the user, similar to a Lego set, and it offers modern upgrades like a rechargeable battery with a USB-C connection and a backlit LCD display.
How does the FPGA technology used in the Game Boy-like handheld affect its performance?
-The FPGA technology allows the handheld to behave like an original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, providing an authentic gaming experience.
What is the price of the Game Boy-like handheld after shipping?
-The price of the Game Boy-like handheld is $83 after shipping.
What are the two devices that tied for Ruster Metro's favorite budget pick?
-The two devices that tied for the favorite budget pick are the Amernick RG35 XXH and the RG35 XSSP.
What are the main differences between the RG35 XXH and the RG35 XSSP?
-The RG35 XXH is a horizontal handheld with analog sticks and stereo speakers, while the RG35 XSSP has a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP and is more nostalgic and durable.
What is the price range for the Amernick RG35 XXH and RG35 XSSP devices?
-The devices can usually be found between $50 and $75 depending on the retailer.
What are the key features of the Mio A30 that made it Ruster Metro's favorite micro device?
-The key features of the Mio A30 include its compact size, improved controls, and software updates that have enhanced the user experience.
What are the shortcomings of the GDK Pixel mentioned in the video?
-The shortcomings of the GDK Pixel include its small size and cramped feel, making it less comfortable to use compared to other micro devices.
What makes the Amernick RG Cube unique among the handhelds discussed?
-The Amernick RG Cube is unique due to its compact size, 720x720 square aspect ratio screen, and its ability to run Android while playing most GameCube and PS2 games.
What are the main advantages of the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro according to Ruster Metro?
-The main advantages of the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro are its excellent price-to-performance ratio, compatibility with a wide range of systems including modern ones, and its ability to upscale older games for a remastered experience.
What are the runner-up devices to the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro mentioned in the video?
-The runner-up devices are the Amernick RG556, which has a larger AMOLED screen and better ergonomics, and the Odin 2 Mini, which has a mini LED display and is more powerful but more expensive.
What are the main concerns about the analog sticks on the Amernick RG Cube and RG556?
-The main concerns are that the analog sticks do not provide full analog input and behave more like traditional joysticks with eight-way control.
What is the starting price of the Odin 2 Mini?
-The starting price of the Odin 2 Mini is $340.
What is the main reason Ruster Metro prefers the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro over the Odin 2 Mini despite the price difference?
-Ruster Metro prefers the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro due to its better value for money and overall performance, despite the price difference.
Outlines
🕹️ Retro Handhelds of 2024 Mid-Year Review
Ruster Metro introduces a mid-year 2024 roundup of his top five favorite retro handheld gaming devices. This overview sets the stage for a detailed look at each device, highlighting their unique features and the criteria for selection, which includes their release in 2024 and a focus on emulation-based handhelds. The video promises a deep dive into each favorite, with mentions of caveats and runners-up throughout the discussion.
🧩 Favorite Game Boy & Budget Picks
The script discusses the top picks for Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulation, emphasizing a device that replicates the classic experience with modern upgrades like a rechargeable battery and backlit LCD. The unique aspect of this device is its self-assembly feature, allowing for customization. Additionally, the budget category is highlighted with two devices from Amernick, the RG35 XXH and the RG35 XSSP, which offer versatility in form factor and performance, capable of emulating up to PS1 and some Dreamcast and N64 games.
📱 Micro Handhelds and the RG Cube
The focus shifts to micro handhelds, starting with the gkd pixel, a vertical metal handheld with a growing popularity despite its small size. The comparison then narrows down to the Amernick RG 28xx and the Miu a30, with the latter gaining favor due to software updates and improved controls. The script also introduces the Amernick RG Cube, a compact Android handheld with a unique square aspect ratio screen, suitable for certain types of games and capable of running more powerful systems like GameCube and PS2.
🏆 The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro: Ultimate Favorite
The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is crowned as the ultimate favorite for its excellent price-to-performance ratio, capable of emulating a wide range of systems including PS2 and GameCube with upscaling. It also supports widescreen gaming and modern systems like PSP and PS Vita. Despite a smaller screen size, the device offers a comprehensive emulation experience and is praised for its compatibility and performance, making it the top recommendation for all-around handheld gaming.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Retro Handhelds
💡Game Boy
💡Emulation
💡FPGA
💡Backlit LCD Display
💡Budget Pick
💡Micro Device
💡Retro Machine
💡Android
💡Retrode Pocket 4 Pro
💡Price-to-Performance Ratio
Highlights
Ruster Metro presents a roundup of the top 5 retro handhelds released in 2024.
The handhelds are evaluated based on their performance, features, and value for money.
Ground rules for selection include release in 2024 and broad categorization based on emulation focus.
The FP GBC is highlighted for its authentic Game Boy experience with modern upgrades like a rechargeable battery and backlit LCD.
The amernick RG35 XXH and RG35 XXSP are praised for their performance, playing games up to PS1 and some Dreamcast and N64 titles.
The RG 35xx H is recommended for its functionality and comfort with analog sticks and stereo speakers.
The RG 35xx SP is favored for its nostalgic Game Boy Advance SP-like design and durability.
The gkd pixel is noted for its unique vertical metal design but criticized for its small size and cramped feel.
The amernick RG 28xx and Miu a30 are compared, with the latter gaining preference due to software and hardware improvements.
The Miu a30 is favored for its tactile controls and software updates that enhance the user experience.
The amberik RG Cube is lauded for its compact size, unique screen aspect ratio, and ability to play most GameCube and PS2 games.
The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is chosen as the overall favorite for its price-to-performance ratio and compatibility with modern systems.
The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro's 16x9 aspect ratio is praised for enhancing the visual experience of retro games.
The amernick RG556 and Odin 2 mini are mentioned as runner-ups, offering larger displays and powerful performance.
The Odin 2 mini is noted for its high price and powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their favorite handhelds of 2024 and anticipation for upcoming releases.
Transcripts
[Music]
hey everybody this is Ruster Metro
gamecore Believe It or Not 2024 is now
halfway over and so I think it's a good
time to just pause and reflect on all
the different retro handhelds that have
released so far this year so we're going
to do a Roundup of my five favorites
altogether and there have been a ton of
different handhelds releasing so far
this year and so it was very hard to
narrow it down to five I spent a lot of
time hemming and haing and I will have
some caveats and Runners up that I'll
mention throughout the video as well and
when you put them all together it's
pretty exciting how many good quality
handhelds have released so far this year
and it does make me excited to see what
we'll see throughout 2024 and so without
any further delay let's go ahead and
Dive Right
[Music]
In now before we jump into my favorites
let's set a couple ground rules the
first is that every handheld shown here
today was released in 2024 there have
been a bunch that came out in 2023 and
are still awesome but I rounded all
those up in my favorite handhelds of
2023 video I'll leave that one link down
below if you haven't seen it already in
addition in order to narrow it down to
just five different handhelds I did have
to keep the categories pretty Broad and
so these are all going to be retr based
handhelds that are focused on emulation
but we're not going to do a deep dive
into each of these categories in fact
just a couple months ago I did a video
about my favorite handhelds under $100
and that I would say is a a lot deeper
into the whole budget category than what
we're going to talk about here so I'll
also leave that video link down below
because I think it's one of my favorite
categories all together I love the idea
of being able to play as many games as
possible for the least amount of money
as possible as well and so that's really
it when it comes to the ground rules has
to be released in 2024 and we are going
to use somewhat broad categories but I
think other than that we're ready to go
so let's start with what I'm calling my
favorite game boy and this is going to
be the funny playing Game Boy Color like
with all the devices we'll talk about
today I have in-depth reviews about them
and in this review I found that I really
enjoyed this for just a very typical
game boy style experience for example if
you just grew up playing the game boy or
Game Boy Color and you want to relive
that experience then I think this is
going to be your best bet it really does
have that same level of Simplicity you
can throw in your cartridge flip on the
switch and Away you go now this one's
unique in that you actually put it
together yourself think about it like a
Lego set so it takes about 20 minutes to
put together and that's part of the
satisfaction as well is that you can
choose all the different color options
that you want and then put it together
into something of your own and
thankfully the shell that they have is a
Game Boy Color clone and so it feels
almost exactly like the original so I
really enjoy that as well now besides
just feeling like an original console it
does have some Modern upgrades including
a rechargeable battery with a USBC
connection and then also a backlit LCD
display which looks night and day better
compared to the original now this device
is actually using an fpga which is a
sort of Hardware emulation and so it
really will behave like an original Game
Boy and Game Boy Color and it comes with
both of those cores so you can boot it
up and it'll think that it's a Game Boy
or you can switch it over to Game Boy
Color and it'll think that it's a Game
Boy Color now in addition to the old
Game Boy and Game Boy Color carts you
can put in the back it also is
compatible with a flash cartridge so
you'd be able to put a bunch of games
onto an SD card and then boot them from
that and so really it is very much so
like a Game Boy or Game Boy Color but
upgraded for 2024 and the best thing
about it is that it is relatively cheap
it's only $83 after shipping and all
that and I think that a great deal
especially if you tried to update an old
game boy or Game Boy Color it's going to
cost you a lot more than that and I
don't think that a modded game boy is
going to be as good as an FP GBC anyway
and so this is definitely a top pick for
me and my favorite way to play game boy
right now now let's say you don't have a
hankering for just Game Boy and Game Boy
Color you want to try out some other
systems so let's move into the next
category which I'm calling my favorite
budget pick and this one is actually a
two-way tie and I know it's totally
cheating but hear me out here to start
let's talk about my choices so we have
the amernick rg35 xxh and then the rg35
xxsp and both these devices use the same
chip and they have the exact level of
performance and they can even share
software in terms of performance you can
expect it to play all the way up through
PS1 perfectly and you can play a good
amount of Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 as
well now because these devices are so
similar in terms of the software and
even the hardware underneath it really
comes down to the form factor and what's
a better fit for you let's start with
the RG 35xx this this is a horizontal
handheld and has a couple perks over the
other one including analog sticks as
well as stereo speakers so I think this
one's a better pick if you're going to
be focusing on whether or not it's going
to be functional and comfortable because
I think the rg35 xxh is better in that
regard now the RG 35xx SP excels in
different ways I think number one is the
fact that it is just so nostalgic it
looks so much like a Game Boy Advance SP
but a little bit upgraded as well and I
know there are a lot of people who are
driven by a love for this form factor
and so I totally get it and I think this
is an excellent match right there on top
of that because it's a clamshell I think
it's more durable you can just kind of
close it up throw it in your pocket or
your bag and you don't really have to
worry about using a case with it and so
both of these devices are very good and
are my top pick it really is going to
come down to what fits you the best and
like I mentioned there are a ton of
different software options for these
devices and they're compatible between
the two you can even swap micro SD cards
to try them out between one and the
other I just recently made an entire
starter guide about this series where I
talk about to your custom firmware
options and even show you how to get
some of them up and running and these
devices are relatively affordable you
can usually find them somewhere between
50 and $75 depending on where you shop
and so I think that's well worth it
considering the amount of performance
that you're going to get here and even
for me I'm just torn about which one I
like the best there are times when I'm
playing the SP and I'm like oh yeah this
one's definitely the best of the bunch
but then other times I grab the H and
I'm like oh no this one's the best and
so I'll let you decide which one you
think is the best fit for you but either
way you just can't go wrong with picking
up either of them okay next we're going
to scale things down a little bit and
talk about my favorite micro device
right now and this is a pretty hot topic
because there have been three that have
released so far this year that I think
are really great the first is the gkd
pixel this one is actually a vertical
metal handheld it's a really unique
device and this one's been slowly
winning over the hearts of people who
have been buying it but I still think
that it has quite a few shortcomings
including the fact that it just feels
pretty small and cramp to use when it
comes to this category of Micro Devices
which are smaller handhelds that you can
kind of just throw in your pocket and
take around town then I've always found
that horizontal versions work the best
for me just because they're a lot more
comfortable to use and so the two that
I've been weighing back and forth over
the past 6 months or so have been the
amernick RG 28xx which is just a smaller
version of the other budget ones we were
just talking about and then the new Miu
a30 and both these devices released
around the same time and initially I
really preferred the RG 28xx it has a
little bit more performance and I think
that the screen is better as well
however since then the Miu a30 has
slowly but surely been upgrading itself
in fact I ordered a new model maybe
about a month ago and that came in the
mail and this one actually has better
controls than the review unit that I had
it's a little bit less mushy and more
tactile it's not quite to the point of
passing the Contra test but it is a lot
closer than it was previously in
addition there have been some software
updates that have fixed the overall
experience including a firmware update
but then also custom software as well it
all started with ra30 which is an SD
card overhaul made by one of these same
develop Vel opers for the original onion
OS and so this has basically improved a
lot of the preconfiguration for the
device to streamline the user experience
after that another OS solution came out
called Spruce which builds upon ra30 but
then gives it a nice streamline skin as
well so this allows you to navigate
through your games much like the
original operating system but then when
you boot it up it has all those
preconfiguration and so this is a really
good mixture between the two and has
definitely tipped me over in favor of
the a30 over the ambern RG 28xx another
thing that doesn't help with the amberik
model is that I've never gotten used to
these really small face buttons I think
these could have been a lot bigger and
that would have made the whole
experience a lot better for me now among
all the micro handhelds that have
released so far this year none are
perfect even the a30 still has some
other issues including the fact that it
gets a little bit more warm than I would
like however among all of them I
surprise myself in finding that it's the
Mio a30 that I like playing the most and
I think as long as we keep seeing
software updates for it over the rest of
this year it'll continue to be one of
the Front Runners among this category
okay next we have a category which I'm
calling my favorite retro machine and
this one is going to be the amberik RG
Cube which just recently released I'll
leave the whole review video link down
below but in a nutshell this one is a
compact and smaller handheld that runs
Android and has a unique 720 X 720
Square aspect ratio screen and even
though that might seem like a weird
aspect ratio it actually works out
really well for certain use cases and so
when it shines it really does shine some
of my favorite types of games to play on
this include vertical shooter games as
well as Square aspect ratio systems
including p8 Game Boy Game Boy Color
neoo Pocket color and so on I've also
found it to be surprisingly good when it
comes to standard 4x3 content you're
going to get some black bars at the top
and bottom but they are very easy to
ignore When You're In the Heat of the
Moment playing a game and the device has
quite a bit of power it's able to play
most GameCube in PS2 games and I found
that to be one of my favorite things
about it is that it's so Compact and
small and comfortable to use but it also
packs enough power to be able to play
some Gen 6 systems and so I've been
playing through games like Paper Mario
and really enjoying that experience now
like with all these devices this one is
not perfect for example it's quite
expensive it's about $170 or $180 but
then also the analog sticks on this are
just not the best they don't have much
of an analog style input to them instead
they behave more like a traditional
joystick with an eight-way control
additionally there have been issues with
light bleed with this screen especially
with these early units and so I talk
about this a lot in that review video
which I'll have linked down below but
yeah it's not a perfect device but when
it comes to just playing retro games I
found that I've really enjoyed that
experience now I get it this device kind
of looks like a toy but that's part of
the appeal for me because it reminds me
of a GameCube which if you look at it it
kind of does look like a little bit of a
toy as well and when you combine that
with the fact that this can play
GameCube games I found it to be an
excellent match so in terms of just
playing older retro games this has been
my top pick and finally we're going to
go into my last category which is going
to be my favorite device all around and
this one is actually one that came out
right at the beginning of the year and
it's called the retroid pocket 4 Pro now
the reason why this handheld gets My
overall pick in terms of just favorite
handheld device is because of that price
to Performance it cost $199 before
shipping but the performance on this is
quite a bit better than anything else
we've talked about so far here today
this is a device that can reliably play
just about every PS2 in GameCube game
but then also upscaled to increase the
resolution and of course every system
below it including things like Sega
Saturn which is pretty hard to run also
plays really well now in addition to all
that Retro Game emulation it also has a
widescreen 16x9 aspect ratio which is
going to be really good in many contexts
to start there are many games up through
like Dreamcast Nintendo 64 GameCube and
PS2 that work with widescreen sheets or
hacks and so you can blow up the image
to the entire screen and it's going to
look great it almost feels like a
remastered version of these older games
in addition if you wanted to play more
widescreen systems like PS P or even try
your hand at Nintendo switch or PS Vita
emulation those are all going to play
pretty well on the screen too and then
finally if you wanted to use it for game
streaming either from like a PlayStation
or an Xbox or maybe using some game pass
on the cloud or even streaming it from
your home PC you can do all that here
and it's going to scale really nicely on
that 16x9 display and so that's the
reason why the retroid pocket 4 Pro is
my favorite allaround because for the
price you get some really excellent
performance and it's compatible with
more systems especially the more modern
ones now my my only complaint about the
retroid pocket devices is that the
screen just feels a little bit small
when you're playing more modern games
it's only 4.7 in I think that if it was
actually a full 5 in it would be much
better and that actually leads to my two
runnerup devices within this category
and I want to give them a quick shout
out because these both have 5 in or
larger displays and so they might be
worth your consideration as well the
first will be the ambern RG 556 this one
has a better screen it is 5 1/2 in and
AMOLED and it looks amazing I also think
it has better ergonomics it's just a lot
comfier of a grip even though it is a
larger device as a result and this one
has the same processor as the RG Cube
and so same performance here it can
basically play most PS2 and GameCubes
not all of them like the retroid pocket
4 Pro but very close and I think this
one is priced right as well it's about
$175 which I think is a good price to
Performance ratio as well just bear in
mind this one like all the others is not
perfect and this one has those same
analog sticks as the RG Cube which just
don't give you that full analog inp that
you might expect and then finally my
last runner up in this category is going
to be the Odin 2 mini now this one is
excellent in many ways it has a 5-in
display which is actually mini LED and
super bright and it's also a very
Compact and comfortable handheld and it
looks like a PS v which is kind of
amazing in addition this one is quite a
bit more powerful than all the others
we've talked about this has a Snapdragon
8 Gen 2 which means that anything that
can play on Android this will be able to
play however I do have two Hang-Ups with
this device the first is that it's
relatively expensive it starts at
$340 and I don't think that there's a
$140 price difference between this one
and the retroid pocket 4 Pro and so if
you are looking for the best bank for
your buck again the retroid is going to
win that $140 price difference between
the two is pretty large and also the way
that I see it if you are going to buy a
high-end Android device this one is not
my top pick I prefer the original Odin 2
which came out last year which again was
on my list of top devices of 2023 and of
course I'm not saying Odin 2 is a bad
device obviously it's a runner up in
this category but if I had to choose
between the two and with that price
difference in mind I think that the
retroid pocket 4 Pro is my overall
favorite in this category and so really
that just about wraps it up I wanted to
categorize each of my favorites so far
in 20124 and just show you which ones I
like the best now I'm really curious to
hear which ones you like the best that
have come out so far this year like I
mentioned there have been so many good
handhelds that have come out and I'm
really excited to see what's going to
happen throughout the rest of 2024 so
let me know what you think in the
comments down below and if you want to
learn more about any of these devices I
will have links to their full reviews
down below as well as always thank you
for watching and be sure to like And
subscribe if you found this helpful and
we will see you next time happy gaming
[Music]
Weitere ähnliche Videos ansehen
이번에도 믿어 봅니다..프로로 돌아온 극강의 안드로이드 휴대용 게임기
The TRUTH About The Retroid Pocket 4 Base
I think I’m over these…
Rog Ally X vs OLED Steam Deck Which Should You Buy
Top 5 Best Phone Under 50000 in May 2024 | Best Flagship Smartphone Under 50000 in INDIA | SALE 2024
realme Narzo 70 Turbo is here - Crazy Gaming Phone @14,999*
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)