A retro handheld puts thousands of classic games in your pocket. The choice comes down to what you want to play and how much you want to spend. Here is how the main options compare, and the builds we have for each.
Budget Anbernic handhelds (RG35XX family, RG40XXV)
Best for: 8-bit and 16-bit consoles, arcade classics, Game Boy, PlayStation 1.
Small, cheap and great fun. They run on Linux-based firmware like Knulli, and our builds replace the card with a fully loaded one.
- RG35XX SP: BooBooMan’s 512GB Knulli, his 64GB V2 for a smaller card, and 2dai4 1TB.
- RG40XXV: Knulli Gladiator II Reloaded (512GB) and the 128GB version.
See every Anbernic build in our Anbernic handhelds section.
Steam Deck
Best for: everything up to PS2, GameCube and Wii, on a big screen with proper controls.
The easiest high-end option. Our Steam Deck builds run Batocera from a microSD card or USB drive, so SteamOS is left untouched.
- Retro Lunatics 1TB Batocera v42 for Steam Deck and PC.
- All Guns Blazing if you have a light gun setup.
- BooBooMan’s BooBoo for OLED and non-OLED Decks.
Windows handhelds (ROG Ally, Xbox Ally and others)
Best for: the heaviest systems, plus Windows-only arcade games.
These are full Windows PCs, so RetroBat builds run on them like on a desktop. Try Wolfanoz 1TB RetroBat, made for the Xbox Ally X and PC. Not sure whether to use RetroBat or Batocera? Read RetroBat vs Batocera.
Quick comparison
| Handheld | Plays up to | Builds use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anbernic RG35XX / RG40XXV | PS1, some N64 and PSP | Knulli on microSD | £ |
| Steam Deck | PS2, GameCube, Wii | Batocera on microSD or USB | ££ |
| Windows handhelds | PS2, GameCube, Wii and more | RetroBat on the internal drive | £££ |
Card size
Buy a card one size up from the build: a 512GB build wants a 1TB card. Our card size guide explains why.
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Still stuck?
Press the Need help? button in the bottom-right corner of any page to ask NEWBIE, our 8-Bit Buddy. It has step-by-step help for downloading, writing and booting, and it can walk you through building your first setup from scratch. You can also leave a comment on the build you are using and the community will help.
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