I guess I'm going to make that super long post about where I'm at with these things compared to back in September and to list out some current thoughts now that I'm more familiar with these devices. I don't own every device, but I have my own handful. The ones I don't own that I'll mention using I've had the experience of messing with a friend's and going through set up and troubleshooting with them together. Trying out a bunch of these and just physically holding them with many to choose from kinda brings me to the main point I've hit, which boils down to this hobby and market is kinda stupid and silly. It's stupid and silly in a way that I find fun, but at the end of the day these are cheap gadgets full of jank and compromise. Seeing how far you can push cheap hardware to try and make a serious game time machine out of a budget techtoy kinda rules, but at the end of the day I'm trying to just play games man which is hit and miss. Let me just list off the main ones I talk about at this point:
Miyoo Mini Plus / RG35XX: This is where my opinion has stayed pretty consistent, because I still really adore these kinds of handhelds. If anything my opinion of them has only gotten stronger as they get cheaper and more people get their hands on them. These two models are so crazy good specifically because of Onion/Garlic OS making it so fast and easy to actually get in game time across a bunch of different stuff. The form factor stays winning as a pocketable device, and the performance for the price is exactly what I ask.
I do run into the limitations of that form factor pretty often though. This thing can run PS1 games, but several of the games I want to play out of that catalog (read: RPGs) just are not as comfy as they should be. The screen is just straight up too small, and the device is not comfortable for long enough to really get good enough sessions out of. That's okay, and the perf headroom isn't wasted since there are some PS1 games I like well enough on it. I would just be weary about it if that's something that matters to you; the device isn't built for it. Looking at them this way, the RG35XX Plus feels actually way overkill. I just don't think the more systems and high powered chip it brings to the table are worth, cause the majority of those things I'd have no interest in even attempting on it. The price and form factor are still right though so I'd rec it assuming everything goes well post launch. This is still in the sweet spot of where I think people should try these things out for the asking price and see how they feel. Great return on investment IMO.
Retroid Pocket 3+ and Other T618 Devices: This is where I have fallen kind of off the boat in regards to handhelds. The RP3+ was in theory my go to device for most things, and I've slowly used it less because it just isn't good enough at what I need it do. The first thing that gets me is actually that I think the pocketability hurts things more than it helps. The conclusion I've come to is, "If it fits in my pocket, the screen is probably going to limit what I play on it." Yes, it's cool that it fits in my pocket and can play so much stuff. Unfortunately, most of the stuff I'm comfy playing on a screen that size is already covered by the Miyoo Mini+. The upside is this thing is 10x more comfy to play on than the MM+, but that only goes so far in a device that is over twice the price. It's also just big enough to be a bit of an annoyance to actually carry around in a pocket, further pushing the MM+ as my out and about device. Finally, I don't have as many hangups with Android as others do, but it is slower and more cumbersome to get around different games than Onion/Garlic/Linux. That's not a deal breaker to me at all, but it further pushes things out of favor for it.
Then the next big problem is that I don't feel like the power and emulation capabilities are strong enough to warrant paying for one of these if that is your primary concern. Saturn is my number one complaint, where despite several reviewers saying it's fine, it is not really up to my standard of playability. Dreamcast fairs okay I guess, but it's still not quite there. Then there's the PS2/GCN elephant in the room every time somebody brings a T618 device into discussion. I actually...don't think it's that bad if you know what you are signing up for. That being said, knowing what you are signing up for is a big ask. The community spreadsheet is a bunch of half truths, and people have varying standards of what they want to put up with which can't be accurately assessed until you test your own library on it. Fair enough, but then I personally ran back into issue of screen size and now controls. Once you check off the PS2/GCN games that aren't playable, then go back and check off the ones that aren't comfortable on that size screen or using the smaller controls on the device., there isn't a whole lot left. At that point it really becomes a "make the best of it you can" type of situation.
So like, I'm pretty disappointed in this device and ones like it, not even because I think they are that bad. In fact, if you want a catch all device (and specifically wanna fiddle with PSP) and want the extra luxury it's fine. I just wouldn't own one while also owning a MM+ or RG35XX, and I'd heavily consider those first because of the price. The main benefit is comfort and the added luxury of a few additional games and better controls. If you do wanna spend this much on a device that is pocketable, I actually would even rec the RG405m over it since you're already overspending. Might as well keep it 4:3 and smaller, and the metal case feels nice for what you pay for it. GammaOS is also a really nice benefit if you wanna go that route. Only go for the RP3+ if that 16:9 screen matters to you or you prefer the style/pricing. None of the other devices in this range are worth looking at IMO, they all have these exact same problems and then some. The Retroid Pocket Flip is just a 3+ in a clamshell I guess so keep that in mind if the RP3+ is still your jam.
On a more positive note to end off on these devices, I do actually quite like the Retroid Pocket 2S and will rec it heavily over the RP3+ any day. It uses a 4:3 screen and keeps itself pocketable, it has a much more comfortable form factor than a vertical, and it has enough power for the luxury "bonus games" over the MM+/RG35XX class of devices. The price of $99 is just right for those changes , and makes it really compelling for people who want something that is more heavily used. Hell, even at $120 for the upgraded version I'm still okay with it, but honestly most people aren't going to need that. I just feel like that's a price I can justify for a catch all PS1 and under device with the "bonus systems" where the others all feel like overpaying for a nicer toy. Again, I don't think the RP3+ or RG405m are bad devices, just they aren't adding a lot of functionality for the price from my experience.
Powkiddy, AYN, and Steam Deck: Powkiddy this year seems to have taken some notes on where the market is at, and have also aggressively targeted the $100 price point to undercut the T618 range of devices in a similar vein to the Retroid Pocket 2S. The X55 and RGB30 are the winners out of their line up. Those hit the spec(RK3566) and price point that make sense upgrading to over the MM+ entry level, but I can't speak much on them because I barely messed with them. I just have never been a huge fan of Powkiddy device, they always feel kinda cheap and undercooked. I will say that the RGB30 is a really compelling case of a Linux based system that can value match the RP2S, so it's something worth keeping an eye on or checking out. In general finding the right device at this price point is the real place to look, and I'd ignore pushing for PS2/GCN/Saturn in favor of comfort and features you'd want.
AYN devices are also in a weird spot for me. The Odin is actually around the right size and comfort level for me to actually find it enjoyable to play PS2 and GCN on. Yes, they are outside the realm of being able to fit in a pocket, but the moment those systems are introduced I think it's actually a good thing to aim for that size. My preferred size is somewhere around a Switch Lite, maybe between that and regular Switch. Add some grip, and then you have an Odin. They are cool, but they aren't without faults. Mostly they still lack in power for the price you are paying for, and they also have some catching up to do in the latency department. Everything else about these things is pretty good, but crossing $200 and not getting full Saturn/PS2/GCN compatibility is a non starter. The Odin 2 checks that box supposedly, so I am going to get my hands on that. I just hope the latency is reduced enough to be tolerable at this point. I think the pricing is a little high, especially locking the cool colors behind the $80 upgrade, but it's Christmas fuck it we ball. My expectations are honestly pretty low and I have the option to sell it, but I crave good form factor, screen, and battery out of an Android emulator.
Then there's the Steam Deck, which has wormed it's way back into my life. It's still too big, the battery is a bit of a bummer, and it's always annoying to keep set up and up to date. However, now that I have a cloud save system between that and my PC it's crazy how convenient is to drop from a game on my PC, then immediately go to it in bed with the exact same savestate. It also just has the juice to work with everything so I never really have to worry. "Just get a Steam Deck" really is an easy answer now, especially since the pricing on the LCD models has gotten pretty great for a whole ass handheld PC. That being said, it's still a lot of money and opens you up to the handheld PC sector rather than emulation. That is a can of worms I don't want to get into, and it feels like there's a decision to be made there past whatever the definition of a retro handheld is. I also avoid using it sometimes for a reason. It's loud, hot, heavy, and yeah I forget to keep it charged and end up tethered to a wall more often than I'd like. It's why I'm still looking for the goldilocks PS2 device to put an end to things for now.
The Cool Toy Factor: So like, if you bothered to read all that it's probably nothing you haven't heard before, but I did feel like typing out how I feel about them after deep diving in for a little bit. I know I kinda spent a lot of time shitting on the RP3+ and those things, but I do want to clarify that I actually like that thing still and devices like it. It's just, the pricing for the actual gaming capabilities in this hobby is all out of whack and needs to come way down. The MM+ and RG35xx baseline that's been set is so good that it makes spending upwards of $100 on the other devices feel really silly, especially after how hyped up they've been by the Youtube sphere. I say this as I don my clown make up over paying exorbitant prices for the Odin 2, they got my ass. Still, I do really like the cool tech toy factor and just think they're neat. I do think that has some kind of value that's worth appreciating, but I'm gonna be weary and try to keep in line of things I actually play with and don't get into too much ewaste. Maybe a FunkeyS is acceptable ewaste, I want the cute keychain accessory that actually has Pokemon Crystal on it. I'm just going to be a lot more skeptical going into things and keep expectations in check, and rec things more on how much people want a fun tech toy and warn them about the gaming experience being so hit and miss from now on outside of the "solved" systems of PS1 and earlier (excluding Saturn).