Let’s talk handheld emulation for a bit. I recently purchasing a Miyoo Mini+ after watching a bunch of Youtube videos, so I am, of course, now an authority on the subject. If you want to be one too, let’s go.

TL;DR?

If you’re new to the hobby, just buy one of the cheap models and live with it for a few weeks. It’s very easy to get lost in the sauce when there are like 50+ models across an entire spectrum of price-points, form-factors, and capabilities. If you find yourself not using it, great, you’re only down the cost of one AAA game or whatever. If you find yourself using it a bunch, or wishing you had a different model because you want to play X game on Y console, then congrats on the certainty.

For myself, I bought the following (prices as of today):

• Miyoo Mini+ w/ case ($55 Amazon; $40+$3 AliExpress)
• Anbernic RG35XXSP Flip ($80 Amazon; $60 AliExpress)

Why did I get another one? Although the case is nice with the Miyoo Mini+, turns out that portability takes a hit if you try to bring both. Having something with a clamshell design (RG35XXSP) seems much more intuitive and portable to me. Plus, the RG35XXSP is supposedly able to play some N64 games, and that is intriguing even though it doesn’t have analog sticks.

I haven’t received it yet, so the verdict is still out if it was a good idea.

Keep the Ceilings in Mind, Though

Unless you just like collecting gadgets, there are a few logical “ceilings” to consider. For example, I’ve bought two handhelds that cost a combined $135. That’s creeping up on the following alternatives:

• Switch Lite – $199 + $50/year sub
• Steam Deck – $399 (or $549)
• Odin 2 Portal Pro – $399
• (future) Switch 2 – $449 + $50/year sub

The Switch Lite is up there not because you can easily hack it to play ROMs – I don’t consider micro-soldering “easy” – but because the Nintendo subscription thing will grant you a Game Pass-esque access to a bunch of games up to N64. Does it have everything? Nope. But if your nostalgia is focused on Nintendo, well, it has most everything (non-Pokemon, non-Squaresoft) you could want.

Beyond that, you’re looking at $400+ and needing to decide how easily to play Steam games.

Final Thoughts

If you want to do your own research, I recommend the Retro Game Corps channel. All of his videos are very detailed, down to how the buttons feel to push, and he has covered pretty much every device.

Not to encourage any FOMO – and it’s probably being priced in already – but this particular hobby might end up collapsing soon due to the removal of the de minimis exemption:

Shipments under $800 that are sent through the international postal network will be “subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025).”

I did a lot of Googling to try and figure out if “whichever is lower” (or higher, possibly) was accidentally left off, if both apply, or what. Assuming it’s just the 30% though, well, all of these devices are getting 30% more expensive extremely soon. Along with everything else too, of course.

Anyway. Back to the escapism.