- 40handhelds tracked
- 8brands
- 33with a dated price
- Nov 5, 2026data last checked
Handheld finder
Tell it your budget, the systems you want and the shape you like. It filters the database, ranks the rest and explains each pick. Handhelds with no emulation rating for a system you chose are never claimed to run it: they show "no rating yet" instead. Full specs are in the handheld table.
Start here
A retro handheld is a pocket computer with a screen and buttons that runs emulators. The price you pay mostly decides which consoles it can emulate: cheap Linux handhelds handle 8-bit to PS1 and often N64 and Dreamcast, while PS2 and GameCube need an Android handheld with a faster chip. New to this? Read in this order:
- Which chip do I need for the consoles I want
- Linux or Android handhelds
- How to set up a new handheld: SD card, frontends, scraping
- BIOS files and ROMs: what is legal
- Buying from AliExpress in 2026: tariffs and the end of de minimis
Browse the data
- All 40 handhelds in one sortable table, with cards, pros, cons and sources.
- Emulation chart: which handheld runs which system, with unknown kept separate from "no".
- Compare tool: put two or three handhelds side by side, differences marked.
Popular comparisons and lists
- Best retro handheld in 2026
- Best retro handheld under $100 and under $200
- Best retro handheld for PS2
- Retroid Pocket 6 vs AYN Odin 3
- Anbernic vs Miyoo
- Which chip you need for the consoles you wantAllwinner H700, RK3566, Unisoc T820, Snapdragon 865 and 8 Gen 2 explained by console: what each chip runs well, what it struggles with, and which handhelds use it.
- Linux or Android retro handheld: what actually changesLinux handhelds boot fast and suit 8-bit to PS1 on a small budget. Android handhelds cost more but cover PS2 and GameCube. Here is how to choose.