The best retro handheld for GBA

GBA needs little power, so choose by shape

Game Boy, GBA, NES and SNES emulation is rated great on every Linux handheld in our data with a rating, including the cheapest. The chip tier does not separate these models for GBA. The choices that matter are:

• Shape: clamshell (like a GBA SP), vertical (like a Game Boy), horizontal (like a GBA), or square.
• Screen ratio: our data notes that a 3:2 screen suits GBA. The RG34XX, RG34XX SP, RG SP (2026) and AYANEO Pocket Micro 2 have 3:2 screens. The 4:3 models show GBA with borders or scaling.
• Sticks: the RG SP, RG34XX, RG34XX SP and Miyoo Mini Flip list no analog sticks, which is normal for GBA but a limit for later systems.
• Price: all but one of the picks below are under $100.

Handhelds tagged for GBA

Aspect ratios in our data: 3:2 for the RG34XX, RG34XX SP, RG SP (2026) and Pocket Micro 2; 4:3 for the RG35XX and RG40XX families; 1:1 for the Cube XX, RG Rotate and RGB30.

Picks

Clamshell: Anbernic RG SP (2026)

$64.99 (third-party aggregator (heldgames.com street price), Nov 5, 2026). It is slim at 168 g, with a laminated 3:2 screen, sleep on close, TV out and about 6 hours of battery per Held Games. Ratings are great for GB to SNES and playable for PS1. Support for muOS and Knulli was only expected at launch, so check before you plan around them.

Clamshell with more power: RG34XX SP

$70 (third-party aggregator (heldgames.com street price), Nov 5, 2026). It has a 3:2 screen, passive cooling and the full H700 ratings, including N64, Dreamcast and DS. The RAM cut from 2 GB to 1 GB in January 2026 (some units with 512 MB) makes the listing important: ask the seller. See the RAM downgrade report.

Pocket clamshell: Miyoo Mini Flip

$52.99 (retail price as reported (not seen on store page), Nov 5, 2026). A 2.8 inch screen, 2500 mAh battery and Onion and MinUI support. Rated great for GB to SNES and PS1. It has no Bluetooth and no internal storage, and 480p content scales poorly per the review cited. The Miyoo Flip is the larger, more powerful clamshell without a price in our data.

Vertical: RG40XX V and TrimUI Brick Pro

The RG40XX V is $75 (third-party aggregator (heldgames.com street price), Nov 5, 2026) with a 4 inch 4:3 screen, HDMI out and Held Games praising GBA, SNES and PS1. Its sources conflict on RAM, weight and stick count. The Brick Pro is $99.99 (retail list price as reported (not seen on store page), Nov 5, 2026) with a 3.95 inch 4:3 screen, Hall sticks and a 5000 mAh battery, but performance drops sharply past PS1 per one reviewer. For more see the vertical list. The TrimUI Brick Hammer (3.2 inch, metal body) has no price in our data.

Premium: AYANEO Pocket Micro 2

$438.41 (AliExpress listing as reported (6GB, with code), Nov 5, 2026) as an AliExpress listing. It is the only 3:2 handheld in our data that is rated for PSP and PS2 as well as GBA. It has metal frame, active cooling and a 3950 mAh battery. Reviewers criticised the launcher and shipping delays. It is a large step up in price from the others.

What about the Game Boy Color, DS and PSP?

On H700 handhelds DS is rated great and PSP good, so the RG34XX SP and RG40XX V cover more than GBA. The RG SP (2026) is narrower: N64 and Dreamcast are rated no. See best for beginners for the all-round Linux picks.

Shipping to the US

Anbernic suspended US shipments in 2025 (Gizmodo), and the import rules for small parcels from China changed in 2025 and 2026. The notes with sources are in the tariffs guide; the short version is that delivered prices can be higher than the list prices on this page, which are third-party figures with dates.