I’ve been trying to get into playing some old games I’ve either missed out on or have completely forgot I’ve even played. I now find myself wanting to play games from SNES and the Gameboy line and can’t settle down on which handheld to play all these games on.
I have my old 3DS handhelds, and XL and non-XL version (proprietary charging), Analogue Pocket (no SNES save states), Miyoo Mini + (currently shipping), a Switch, and a Steam Deck (too heavy for long playthroughs). I find myself constantly switching between them all and can’t settle down to actually play a game.
Anyone have any opinions on what’s the best handheld experience?
I love my Anbernic handhelds. Pretty much any of them, but I draw the line at the Android ones. Might as well just get a controller for a phone at that point. The Linux ones are neat though - currently my daily driver is the 351V. Debated getting a 351P, partially because I mostly play GBA and the screen is made for that but also because I collect them.
This - I have an RG351P and I honestly love it for playing GBA and even SNES games.
I have a Steam Deck as well and I feel like the two devices complement each other nicely.
IMO Steam Deck is the best overall option, as it’s beefy enough to run PS3 or even Switch games.
If it’s too heavy, the Retroid Pocket 3+ is a decent emulation competitor with a lighter, smaller form factor.
I find myself constantly switching between them all and can’t settle down to actually play a game.
This sounds like one of those problems where buying more hardware doesn’t help. Ruminating about the “best” handheld choice is an easy way to forget about playing the games themselves. I’ve been there. The solution is to just pick a device at random, and go outside to play it. There will be pros and cons, but if you’re not even getting to the point where you can actually play the game, then the pros and cons don’t matter either.
Yep, steamdeck here, and once it’s fully set up it’s a great machine for emulation. I honestly don’t notice that it’s too heavy. Just re-adjust how you’re sitting or laying down or whatever I guess? Maybe put a pillow on your lap to give your arms some support? Not sure what the answer is there, but steamdeck is a great route to go.
PlayStation Vita is fantastic for handheld retro gaming, it has Retro Arch and can handle pretty much anything up to GBA. It also runs PS1 and PSP games almost perfectly.
Plus the slim model has Micro USB charging
I’ve heard vita has slowdown on some GBA, SNES games, do you experience that?
