The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2001, and in mainland China as iQue Game Boy Advance on June 8, 2004.
The Game.com is a fifth-generation handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics on September 12, 1997. A smaller version, the Game.com Pocket Pro, was released in mid-1999. The first version of the Game.com can be connected to a 14.4 kbit/s modem for Internet connectivity, hence its name referencing the top level domain .com. It was the first video game console to include a touchscreen and the first handheld console to include Internet connectivity.
A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the console, screen, speakers, and controls in one unit, allowing players to carry them and play them at any time or place.
The Game Gear is an 8-bit fourth-generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, the Atari Lynx, and NEC's TurboExpress. It shares much of its hardware with the Master System, and can play Master System games through the use of an adapter.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC) is a 16-bit handheld game console developed and manufactured by SNK, released on March 19, 1999 in Japan with international markets following in August that year. It is the successor to the Neo Geo Pocket, which was released in 1998 only in Japan and Hong Kong; the Color features a color display instead of a monochrome one, and is fully backward compatible.
The Pandora is a handheld gaming computer developed and produced by OpenPandora, which is made up of former distributors and community members of the GP32 and GP2X handhelds. Originally released in 2010, it was designed to take advantage of existing free and open-source software and to be a target for homebrew development. The Pandora runs Linux and is on an ARM processor. Until 2013, multiple batches of slightly updated Pandora variants were produced. In 2014 the development of a redesigned and upgraded successor, called DragonBox Pyra, was started.
The Wii U GamePad is the standard game controller for Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Incorporating features from tablet computers, the GamePad has traditional input methods, touchscreen controls, and motion controls. The touchscreen can be used to supplement a game by providing alternate, second screen functionality or an asymmetric view of a scenario in a game. The screen can also be used to play a game strictly on the GamePad screen without the use of a television display. Conversely, non-gaming functions can be assigned to it as well, such as using it as a television remote.
The Neo Geo X (NGX) is a hybrid video game console manufactured by Tommo, licensed by SNK Playmore and released on December 18, 2012. It features games that were on the popular on the original Neo Geo hardware and comes built-in with 20 original Neo Geo games, with additional titles available on game cards.
Hyperkin is an American video game peripheral manufacturer and distributor, founded in 2006, based in Los Angeles, California. They distribute accessories for major gaming consoles, in addition to creating clone consoles that play retro games with modern resolutions and on modern devices, most notably the RetroN series of clone consoles. As with most other NES clones, Hyperkin's NES clones suffer from imperfect sound due to a design flaw in the sound hardware.
The Analogue Pocket is a handheld game console designed and manufactured by Analogue. Announced in October 2019 and released on December 13, 2021, it uses field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips to play games from various handheld consoles up to the sixth generation.
The Evercade is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by British company Blaze Entertainment. It focuses on retrogaming with ROM cartridges that each contain a number of emulated games. Evercade was released in May 2020 and upon its launch offered 10 game cartridges with a combined total of 122 games.
Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is a limited-edition Game & Watch system developed and published by Nintendo, released on November 13, 2020. The system features three Nintendo games: Super Mario Bros. (1985), Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986), and a Mario-themed version of Ball (1980). The system was released for the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario series and the 40th anniversary of the Game & Watch line.
Evercade VS is a video game console developed by British company Blaze Entertainment. It is an upgraded home console version of the original Evercade handheld that introduces multiplayer functionality. It was released in December 2021 in Europe, and on 25 February 2022 in the United States.
The Steam Deck is a handheld gaming computer produced by Valve, designed to run the large library of games available on the Steam storefront client. Built upon the experiences gained from Valve's earlier ventures with Steam Machine and the Steam Controller, the Steam Deck integrates a custom AMD APU and SteamOS 3.0, a Linux-based operating system. The Steam Deck represents Valve's pivot towards a fully internal hardware development approach, following the challenges faced with Steam Machines' reliance on external manufacturers and the requirement for native Linux game support.
The Anbernic RG351 is a Linux-based handheld game console created in China by Anbernic. The console uses a microSD card for storage and is a digital ROM-only console. It is the successor to the RG350, and has emerged as a prominent handheld console for retrogaming alongside the Retroid Pocket 2, with the screen aspect ratio of some models particularly optimized for Game Boy Advance titles. It is sold in several models with different shells and screen resolutions, but similar internal specifications. Critics have praised its quality and functionality, but criticized certain aspects of its design.
The Retroid Pocket 2 is an Android-based handheld video game console created in China by GoRetroid and released in September 2020. An emulation console, it is capable of playing games from various handheld and non-handheld systems, including all consoles up to the Dreamcast. As the device does not accept game cartridges or discs, the user must supply a ROM image of the games they wish to play. It is the successor to the Retroid Pocket, and has emerged as a prominent handheld console for retrogaming alongside the Anbernic RG351. It is priced at US$84.99, however, a second version, the Retroid Pocket 2+, was released in early 2022, featuring a touchscreen, stronger CPU and RAM, and higher-quality buttons, at a slightly higher price point of US$99. A third version, the Retroid Pocket 2S, was released in mid 2023, featuring even stronger CPU and RAM. Critics praised its low price and build quality, but its outdated Android version, front end interface, low battery life, and offset analog sticks were noted as points of contention.
Polymega is a home video game console developed by American company Playmaji, Inc. It is a retro gaming console offering backwards compatibility with several CD-based and cartridge-based platforms: PlayStation, TurboGrafx-CD, Neo Geo CD, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Sega Genesis, Sega 32X, Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and Nintendo 64. It includes a built-in CD drive, while separate add-ons known as Element Modules provide support for cartridge-based games.
The Ayn Odin is an Android-based handheld video game console created in China by the company Ayn. A retrogaming emulation and mobile gaming console, it is slightly smaller than the Nintendo Switch. It was released in three models of increasing price, the Lite, Base, and Pro. The product of a successful Indiegogo campaign, it was critically praised at the time of release as one of the most powerful handheld consoles for the price, able to reliably play games from the sixth generation of home consoles. A successor, named the Ayn Odin 2 was released in fall 2023.
Anbernic is a Chinese handheld gaming console company founded in 2017 in Shenzhen by Shenzhen YangLiMing Electronic Technology Co.
The Anbernic RG35XXSP is a Linux-based handheld game console created by the Chinese company Anbernic and released in 2024. Design-wise, it is considered a clone of Nintendo's 2003 console, the Game Boy Advance SP. However, unlike its inspiration, it is a digital-only console and plays ROMs stored on MicroSD card through the use of emulation. It also has a standard-definition IPS screen and supports games up to the Dreamcast era, with additional buttons to support this capability. It is sold in several different colors, some of them utilizing transparent plastic. The RG35XXSP was positively received by critics, who praised its design, powerful processor, high-quality screen and price point, but noted that its emulation abilities were hit-or-miss, with performance suffering without the use of RetroArch, and the lack of an analog stick rendered certain games unplayable.
