So she sends me this clip for something called Retro Snap, I do a little reading up on it and discover that it’s overpriced, cheap hardware, made by a “business” that ghosts you when you need support, takes down negative reviews and even tries to bribe mods to take down critical posts. For starters. So fuck them.
Looking for alternatives, I learn about Anbernic, and as I’m reading up on them I very quickly feel overwhelmed by the huge variety of consoles on the market and vague info on what games you’ll get or how to get the ones you might want (yes I understand why but still).
So you, smart people, can you help a brother out?
Depends on what you want to spend and what retro games you want to play. You could emulate a lot of things on a cell phone, or steamdeck. A company like analogue 3d has handhelds that can do a lot as well.
Seconding this. Use case is a big part of the decision. Is dual screen DS/3DS important? Do you want to play past PSX and into GameCube, PSP games, etc? Are you going to be playing more widescreen or 4:3, or even some of the weirder ones like portables with non-standard aspect ratios? Are analog sticks important? How important is pocketability? Do you want HDMI out and the ability to connect a second controller to “consolize” the device? What kind of headphones will you want to use, if any, Bluetooth or wired?
The Steam Deck works really well for retro gaming, with the added benefit that your friend can also play modern games easily enough as well.
I love my steam deck for old games. Especially ps1 games
Phone with a Bluetooth controller (PS3 with an aftermarket phone cradle in my case). Hard to beat the handheld you already own
Ayn, Anbernic, retroid, those are three reputable companies. Ayn is top of the line with Thor, retroid is midrange, and Anbernic has a bit of everything, but they have the most affordable units i would trust.
Miyo Mini Plus with Onion OS way to go.
My phone and a cheap AliExpress telescoping controller.
I have the Anbernic rg351v and really love it for SNES, GBA and NES games. I can play N64 games but without the C buttons it’s harder. Great for arcade and rpg style games like Zelda and Secret of Mana, etc. I haven’t used it in awhile since I got a steam deck, but is a solid device in my opinion. Should be able to find around $100.
There are better ones that are landscape, larger screen, dual sticks, but for retro stuff I wanted as close to Gameboy form factor as possible
Another vote for the anbernic.
I had to ditch the memory card that came with it though. I use GarlicOS and use it for gba games
I like the “Anbernic RG35XX SP” because it feels like an upgraded GBA SP. It has a foldable screen so the screen doesn’t get scratched while carrying it in my purse. And it has 2 micro SD card slots. One for the OS and one for games. Meaning you can customize it any way you want to.
I installed muOS on mine which even supports some “ports” of PC games. I love playing Stardew Valley on it for example. Though it does take some tech knowledge and research to figure out how to setup.
The buttons are nice and clicky. And granted, the 35XX SP doesn’t have analog sticks… But IMO, analog sticks always end up in weird spots on smaller clamshell handhelds. And I have other devices where I can play those kinds of games. So it works for me.
Its also nice and light. Larger handhelds like the steam deck are too heavy in my opinion. Heck I even have trobule with the switch sometimes and the 3DS XL haha. Maybe it’s just cause I’m getting old but those kinds of handhelds hurt my hands and wrists when I play them for more than an hour or so. But I can play on my RG35XX SP all day without any issues.
It does come with default software and a bunch of games. Which could be nice if you’re less tech savvy. But I personally like to remove all that stuff because I want MY games loaded on to the device and not a bunch of extra stuff I might not play.
Anbernic makes a lot of good devices so I guess it’s more of your personal preference. Maybe checkout some comparison videos on YouTube and see what you like ;-)
Someone close to me has recommended the AYN Thor. I’ve seen some really impressive set ups on that hardware, though I don’t know about the support or anything like that
You might also consider checking https://retrocatalog.com/ if you don’t have the time or desire to watch YouTube videos (Although Russ from retro games corp is cool.)
I have friends with various Miyoo and Anbernic form factors and they are basically all decent for emulating everything up to 16bits. 32/64bits are more hit and miss. Something like the Retroid Pocket 5 is much more powerful, but costs like 5 times as much as most Miyoo/Anbernic models.
I have an Anbernic RGCubeXX which is great for vertical shooters and square screens (think OG Game Boy).
If you want to emulate up to PS3 or PSVita, the Steam Deck is unbeatable.
Honestly, my phone does a great job playing most retro games, and for a controller I have a razor Kishi 2 and it’s perfect for that application
I have an Anbernic, it’s solid for what it is.
The miyoo mini plus is my goto. Its very fun.
Same, really enjoy my miyoo mini. Not expensive and hours of old school fun. After a while I did start looking at more powerful handhelds to try and play n64 and early PlayStation games, but they all seemed too pricey. But it really depends what you want to play.
Awesome glad to hear someone else likes theirs too!
I like to play old gameboy titles with pokemon, RPGs, ect…etc… Itch.io also has some fun games from people still making gameboy games to this day. That and genisis. Got eartheon recently and itvpkays beautifully on the MMP.
If you have a decent phone, I’d try that first. What era of “retro” are you thinking?
