Old handheld games consoles

The Retro Game Plus Console is surprisingly powerful given the mid-range price. For the mid-range cost, and for fans of the 8-andbit eras, the Retro Game Plus is one hell of a tempting prospect. Got a load of Super Nintendo games around the house? Why not put them to use with the Hyperkin SupaBoy? This pocket-size handheld plays all your physical SNES games.

Just grab a game, insert it into the handheld and play. There are also two ports for SNES controllers, meaning you can have a truly old-school experience with modern hardware. Most games will work without issues, but when FX-chip enabled games enter the mix, results vary from title to title.

That said, the appeal of being able to play physical games and play them on the TV should the need take you, is too hard to pass up. After an affordable way to play NES games? The 8-Bit Old Arcade is for you. That said, when keeping the price in mind, the Old Arcade is perfect for those on a budget. It plays the majority of NES games at full speed, and the coloring on the console is a nostalgic delight. Some of the best emulator consoles out there are knock-offs.

First off, this console can smoothly handle 8-Bit and Bit games. Where this thing rocks is in the design. But given the plethora cheaper handhelds can run NES games much better, the Pixel Player is easy to pass on.

Still, it does look nice, though. Super Mario Bros. As with the Sony consoles, platform holders know how to emulate the older systems better than third party programs, resulting in a near percent recreation. Plus, you know, there are all the brilliant 3DS games to play on it as well as the retro treasures.

The PS Vita has the single best screen in gaming. When it comes to retro, the PS Vita removes the need for ripping your own games thanks to the PlayStation store. Because the PS Vita is a Sony console, that means its emulation of older Sony titles is the best out there. The PSP , even today, is a delight. Not only does it have an absolutely killer selection of games available for it, the PS1 emulator is lush. As with the more powerful PS Vita, all the retro games are downloaded via the PlayStation Store, which, sadly, means you need to pay for them.

Unlike the 3DS…. With thousands upon thousands of games, I can't test everything on my RG But what I have played runs exactly how I remember it. Even the PS1 titles work without any major issues, which, given the lower price of the console, is astounding. I have no idea how Anbernic managed to juggle the cost with power, but they did, and the result is currently the hottest handheld on the market.

The UI may be ugly and a little cumbersome, but as soon as you load a ROM, and the screen's quality takes center stage, you'll fall in love with this little device. In short, no. It's not. And whatever that guy on some message board told you, it's still very much illegal.

That said, it's a little more complex than most would make out. What that means in laymen's terms is it is considered illegal to modify software. In the case of emulation, that'd be the console's operating system. So, we can all agree it's illegal. However, when platform holders do prosecute, it's rarely the person downloading a hack to modify the console's software. It's normally the person who created the hacking software or those freely distributing it.

Does that mean you won't get in trouble? You could. And as a responsible person, it's my job to make you aware of the facts. Conversely, it's your choice as to whether you completely ignore my advice. Free thinking and all that. Nintendo has actually answered whether it's illegal to directly download a Nintendo ROM from a website. Here's what the house of Mario said:. It is not a 'second copy' rule and is often mistakenly cited for the proposition that if you have one lawful copy of a copyrighted work, you are entitled to have a second copy of the copyrighted work even if that second copy is an infringing copy.

Therefore, whether you have an authentic game or not, or whether you have possession of a Nintendo ROM for a limited amount of time, i. I know. Legalese is the worst. At that time, the legal team informed me making a back up of a game I own is legal , but downloading a game from the Internet, even if you own it, is illegal. Basically, I can back up my games, but I can't download a back up of someone else's copy of the same game, because that person's copy isn't my game.

Again, it's always best to play it safe when it comes to copyright law. If in doubt, don't do it. However, historically, as with hacking, it's the sites distributing the ROMs that companies go after. This isn't to say a company won't come after you, and the risk isn't worth it, but those are the facts.

Make of them what you will. This may seem obvious, but if you're buying for anyone other than yourself, you really need to factor in shipping this year. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.

Bottom Line. Best of the Best. Check Price. Most Popular Bottom Line. Best Bang for the Buck. Best for Retro Gaming Bottom Line. For Handheld Only Bottom Line. Customer Favorite Bottom Line. Click here for testing insights. Models Considered. Consumers Consulted. Hours Researched. Updated December Table of Contents Buying guide for best handheld video game consoles Your first decision: retro arcade or cutting-edge gaming?

Buying guide for best handheld video game consoles Although it seems like everyone is gaming on their smartphones these days, the real action is happening on handheld gaming consoles — which have come a long way since the Nintendo Game Boy. Both consoles work with the same cartridge games.

Other Products We Considered. The BestReviews editorial team researches hundreds of products based on consumer reviews, brand quality, and value. We then choose a shorter list for in-depth research and testing before finalizing our top picks.

These are the products we considered that ultimately didn't make our top 5. This combined with a 1. It houses a MAH battery which can last up to 5 hours of gameplay, and it has flared trigger buttons which are a bit different compared to others on the list, but nonetheless great.

The menus are ready, games are preloaded, and the buttons are already mapped for you, meaning you can play with it as soon as you unbox it. The 3. You can save games, load games, add your own ROMs, you name it. The Powkiddy RGB20 is the latest handheld on the list, being launched towards the tail end of November On paper it is powerful, with a 1. The large 3. This is one of the first vertical handhelds to feature an analogue stick too!

It might not be able to play your best Nintendo DS games well, but it can do everything older than that. The build quality is a little sub par, it lacks volume buttons and the shoulder buttons are pretty cramped, but the power, and display somewhat makes up for that. We really like it.

The Powkiddy X18S is a newer upgrade to the X18, which is an Android based clamshell handheld on a budget. Yes, you can modify this yourself and load up a different version of Android but for an average consumer this thing is still a little clunky and needs some TLC.

You can either buy the DIY kit to make it yourself if you have a spare Pi3 or Pi4 lying around, or you can go fully assembled like we did that comes pre-built and pre-installed with retropie. PSP, N64, Dreamcast; no problem. This is a handheld for those of you with no budget and for those of you that like tinkering around with RetroPie. The Gameforce handheld was released towards the middle of May , and has a couple of unique features compared to many products on this best retro handhelds list.

Unfortunately for him he ran into some chip supply issues which led to the handheld coming out late and being yet another RK handheld. That problem in itself has made the Gameforce a little late to the party.

The best feature is the fact that it has RGB lighting behind the buttons allowing you to change what colour they are in the Emuelec settings. It comes with a crispy 2.

This pocket rocket can power everything up to PS1, and because of its x display, Gameboy Advance games scale perfectly. Because it has the same internals as the RG including the battery, this thing lasts up to 6 hours on one charge because it only has to power the small screen. But nonetheless, a perfectly crafted metal handheld, that sits high on our list. We struggled on where to place the Powkiddy V The clamshell design is neat too. That makes it an affordable handheld for your best retro handhelds collection.

This is in no way a perfect handheld as it struggles to emulate PS1 games. The Bittboy Pocket Go V2 is their latest handheld, and without a doubt is worth being in our best retro handhelds list. It features a 3. It comes with a mah battery, SD card slot, four shoulder buttons and a headphone jack bonus points. The Bittboy Pocket Go V2 is one of our best retro handhelds for quite simply being one of the best built handhelds in this price range.

It feels like an official product, made by Nintendo themselves. The great handheld now feels even better. Like most on the list this is using the RK chip which means its capable of emulating up to N The screen is superb, and the large formfactor makes it incredibly comfortable, but the build quality and the analogue sticks really let it down.

Our first one actually bricked itself, but the second unit is going strong. It comes with a 3. When we opened it up and turned it on, we were amazed by the beautiful UI, easy instructions and impressive gameplay. This is one of the first handhelds to be able to power Dreamcast out of the box…. The build quality is disappointing, the analogue stick sucks, and the shoulder buttons are loose, so they move around slightly when playing.

We also believe that this firmware problem will be sorted within the next few months, so hopefully, it works out of the box. But you guessed it, the lack of face buttons and just two shoulder buttons makes playing these newer games quite awkward. Still, because it has a beautiful big 3. We were VERY lucky to get a unit from their first batch. The Gameboy 1UP makes it as one of our best retro handhelds for a number of reasons.

It comes with 6 ABXY buttons, four shoulder triggers, a big 3. Up to four USB controls can be plugged in too, turning the handheld into an actual retro console. The shell is made to look like an original Gameboy. The screen is incredibly good too.