Best retro gaming handhelds

Portable gaming machines are more popular than ever, like with Valve's Steam Deck and all the best Steam Deck alternatives. Then, of course, you've got the best gaming laptops that are excellent portable gaming machines, while even the best cheap gaming laptops can handle more than a few games on the go. However, if you're looking for something that fits in your hands and excels at retro gaming, which machine is the best buy for your purposes?

There are tons of choices of retro gaming handhelds, and below we've collected all the best options we could find. Decide on the best retro gaming handheld for you in minutes!

The Retroid Pocket 3+ might be small, but it definitely packs a punch. This handheld features an Unisoc Tiger T618 processor, a Mali G52 MC2 GPU, 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 128GB of eMMC memory. The Pocket runs Android, so you'll get access to a huge selection of apps and games for download, including an impressive host of emulators for all your favorite retro games.

Android is a surprisingly versatile platform when it comes to emulation, and you can find apps for tons of different systems. Although, there is some configuring you'll have to do on a per-emulator basis, and the hardware here is much better for older 2D games than it is for more power-hungry modern 3D games. However, if you're just looking to play some arcade classics, don't worry.

If you don't really need the hardware of a ROG Ally and don't want to spend much cash, the Retroid Pocket 3+ packs a lot of value without breaking the bank. Android may be clunky in some respects, but there is a bunch it can do without problems, making this little device an overall excellent choice for retro gamers looking for their next handheld to play all their favorite 2D classics.

Similar to the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally is a very premium machine. With AMD Ryzen Z1 processors, Windows 11, a 120Hz refresh rate, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and as much storage as you could hope to use, this handheld brings some top-of-the-line hardware to the table that's set to give you some of the best performance possible on the go.

Compared to the Steam Deck, since the Ally runs Windows, you're getting a massively expanded library of games to play. Just about any game console that's ever existed has a working Windows emulator, and you'll also be free to play any game that you can get working on Windows 11, regardless of whether it's a Steam game, from another catalog, or simply an older game.

In our review, we thought the Ally was worth buying if you wanted more power than a Steam Deck, which is less relevant when it comes to retro games, but this can be meaningful depending on the console you're emulating. Originally, there were some quality control issues with Ally hardware, like with the microSD slot overheating, but since we received a new unit with an updated BIOS, it seems these issues are much less common now. It's also worth noting that while Windows has a huge library of games, running Windows on a portable is often clunky and requires tweaking.

However, with a 120Hz display, retro games will feel smoother than ever before on the Ally, and you won't have to worry about emulating more modern consoles that require more horsepower to get running. If you've got cash to burn and want one of the best gaming experiences you can have on a handheld, the Ally is an excellent option that puts Windows in your hands.

Lots of handheld gaming machines fit in the hands, but not necessarily in the pocket. Enter Miyoo's Mini Plus. This compact portable is about the size of a deck of cards, but it can still handle playing a ton of different retro games. The Mini Plus features a 3.5-inch IPS display, an ARM Cortex-A7 CPU, comes preloaded with games, and supports up to 128GB of storage. Put simply, imagine a modern version of a Game Boy focused on retro emulation.

As you might expect, the Mini Plus is built around emulating older retro games like NES classics, Game Boy games, Mega Drive hits, that kind of thing. You can run up to PlayStation games on it, but don't expect this handheld to get away with anything like PS2 emulation. However, if you're an old school retro gamer, the Mini Plus might just be a great fit.

As you may guess from the size and price, there is certainly a lot the Mini Plus can't do, but if you don't want to spend the cash necessary for something like the Retroid Pocket 3+ and only really care about Super Mario and such on the go, there isn't much reason to waste the extra money on something more powerful. Plus, not many other handhelds can fit into a pocket as easily as the Mini Plus.

Valve's Steam Deck handheld is an extremely impressive gaming handheld, especially for retro games. With a powerful custom AMD APU, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, as much storage as you need, and a full-featured controller built right onto the device, as well as support for external controllers and a mouse and keyboard, this machine is capable of playing just about anything. Plus, you can opt for the OLED model of the Deck that ups this handheld's display quality significantly over the IPS panel of the original version and over many other handhelds, too.

Not only does Steam's catalog have lots of classic and retro games you can play directly on Steam Deck, it's also a powerful way to emulate your favorite retro games on the go. On the Deck, you can emulate the NES, SNES, Game Boy, DS, 3DS, PSP, Nintendo 64, Wii, GameCube, Wii U, Switch, and many, many more. Of course, you'll get the best performance out of older 2D titles, but the Deck is powerful enough to handle emulating more modern systems, too.

When we reviewed the Deck, we loved it. Our reviewer called it "one of the best tech investments [he] made in years" and noted that the OLED model was an even better version of an already exceptional device. It's also worth mentioning that compared to Windows handhelds like the Ally, the game library on Deck may be smaller since you're limited to Steam unless you dual-boot, but the user experience is a lot smoother and requires less tweaking.

Put simply, the Steam Deck is an extremely versatile device. With just a couple of clicks, you can get a modern AAA game up and running, while you've also got a nearly infinite list of retro games you can load up, too. Plus, at $400 for the base LCD model, it won't cost an arm and a leg.

Chances are you've heard of Nintendo's Switch console, and that's for good reason: the Switch features an impressive library of games, with many titles you can't find anywhere else, and it's got tons of versatility from its hybrid home console/handheld design. What you may not know, though, is that the Switch can be a great choice for a retro gaming handheld, too.

First off, there's a variety of classic retro games you can play directly on the Switch. Plus, Nintendo drops remakes and remasters of classic retro games on the Switch you can check out, too. However, where the Switch really starts to shine with retro games is if you mod your console. Nintendo isn't much of a fan of this, but homebrewing your Switch to get access to a wide variety of emulators and third-party apps is easier to do than ever.

Even if you don't want to spend the time modding your console, the Switch is an extremely easy-to-use portable gaming handheld that comes with a solid library of classic games spread across the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo 64 via a Nintendo Online membership. Plus, there's nothing stopping you from checking out new Nintendo games on the Switch, either.

A big part of the retro game experience was actually owning your games, especially cartridges, instead of downloading a file off some faceless server, and that's what the Evercade EXP looks to bring back. This handheld actually relies on cartridges that you can buy, insert, and play classic, old-school retro games with. The Evercade is about as close as you can get to an authentic Game Boy-style experience on the go when it comes to retro classics.

While there are cartridges, the Evercade is an emulation machine under the hood, so this means you can buy cartridges of games from a smattering of different platforms, like the Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, PlayStation, and even arcade games and old home computer games. These are all officially licensed and totally legal, and you can find games from big names like Atari, Interplay Entertainment, Bandai Namco, and more.

Physical cartridges are definitely awesome, and while the Evercade does have hundreds of games in its library, keep in mind that there are very real limitations on what games can reasonably be licensed for the Evercade, so don't expect to see a bunch of Mario cartridges for sale anytime soon. As long as you aren't expecting all your favorite retro games, though, the Evercade is a love letter to old-school video games worth picking up.

Best retro gaming handhelds: The bottom line

If you're looking to play retro games without having to sit at your computer, you've got a lot of great options across many different price points.

The Steam Deck is a value-packed, versatile machine that won't have any trouble playing a plethora of retro games as well as any number of new, modern games, too. If you've got even more to spend, the ROG Ally can run an ever wider swath of games. For those looking for something a little different, picking up an Evercade could be some good fun if you miss buying physical games.

However, the Retroid Pocket 3+ offers an excellent combination of portability and emulation support for an excellent price, making it our favorite all-around choice of retro handheld. Regardless of what you end up deciding on, though, playing retro games has never been easier and more affordable to do when you're away from home.