A $75 pocket emulator can play everything from Game Boy to PS1 beautifully. Dreamcast and PSP need more horsepower. Here's how to match the handheld to the games you actually want, and what else to buy.
If you only buy 3 things to start:
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The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category. Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.
| Category | Top pick | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handhelds | AnbernicAnbernic RG35XX H | $$ | See on Amazon → |
| Memory cards | SanDiskSanDisk Extreme 256GB microSD | $$ | See on Amazon → |
| Controllers and cases | 8BitDo8BitDo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller | $$ | See on Amazon → |
Decide which consoles you want to play before you buy. Game Boy through PS1 runs on a $75 Linux handheld without trouble. Dreamcast, PSP, Saturn and GameCube need a faster Android device, which costs at least twice as much.
Skip the cheapest no-name unit. The $25-35 clones sold on marketplaces use weak chips, short battery life and unreliable cards. Spending about $75 on an established brand like Anbernic or Miyoo buys working firmware and a community that can help.
Plan on owning your games. Emulators are legal; downloaded ROMs are not. The clean route is dumping cartridges and discs you already own, or buying legit re-releases. A handheld is a way to play your own library on the couch.
The handheld sets your ceiling. Linux pocket devices at around $75-80 play everything through PS1 and some N64 with long battery life and simple menus. Android devices like the Retroid line cost about $160 and up but handle Dreamcast, PSP and a lot of GameCube, and run Android apps. Screen shape matters too: 4:3 suits NES, SNES and PS1 best, while widescreen needs borders for older games. Buy for the oldest console you care about, then add one tier of headroom.
A few common shapes, each making a different trade.
Cheap, long battery, simple menus. Best for 8-bit to PS1.
Best for Beginners, kids, Game Boy through PS1 fans
Tradeoff Struggles with PSP, Dreamcast and GameCube
↓ See our pickMore power, bigger screen, more setup.
Best for Players wanting Dreamcast, PSP and GameCube
Tradeoff At least twice the price and a steeper setup
↓ See our pickA 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen, dual analog sticks and an H700 chip that handles Game Boy through PS1 and a good chunk of N64. The listing we picked includes a 64GB card, so you can start the same day. Expect to spend about $75.
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The pocket-sized pick. A 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen and a 3000mAh battery in a Game Boy-like body, with excellent community firmware (OnionOS). The listing includes a portable case. About $80.
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The device to buy if you want Dreamcast, PSP and some GameCube. A 4.7-inch screen, Dimensity 1100 chip, 8GB of RAM and Android 13. It costs several times the Linux pocket picks, so buy it only if you know you want those systems.
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Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash
The card holds your whole library, saves and BIOS files. Cheap or fake cards cause corrupt saves, slow loads and crashes that look like handheld faults. Buy a recognized brand, 256GB for most people, from a reputable seller. A 256GB card holds a huge amount of cartridge-era games; 512GB only matters if you collect PSP and Dreamcast libraries. Always copy your saves somewhere safe.
The default for handhelds. 256GB is enough for tens of thousands of cartridge-era games, and the Extreme line is fast enough that loads and save states don't stall. The listing includes an SD adapter so you can load files from a laptop.
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The room-to-grow option. 512GB handles big PSP, Dreamcast and PS1 disc libraries without deleting anything. Same A2-rated Extreme line as our 256GB pick, so loading is quick, and it ships with an adapter. Card prices have climbed, so expect to pay around $100.
What we like
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Two small purchases make a handheld fit your life. A Bluetooth controller lets you play on the TV from the couch when your handheld has HDMI-out or Bluetooth. A hard case keeps the sticks and screen from getting scratched in a bag. Neither is required on day one, but both are worth buying in the first month.
The classic pick for TV play. A comfortable SNES-meets-PlayStation layout, programmable back paddles and Hall effect sticks in the update version. It pairs over Bluetooth with most handhelds, plus Switch, PC and Steam Deck. About $38.
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A hard EVA shell with an elastic band that protects a small handheld and holds a cable and spare card. About $14.
What we like
What to know
Your first weekend is mostly setup: a better card, community firmware and your first few games. Here's the order that works, and the mistakes to dodge.
A retro handheld works out of the box, but it works much better after an hour of setup. Do the setup once and you’re done.
Charge it fully, then power it on and look around the stock menu. Before you change anything, copy the stock card to your computer. If you break something, that copy is your reset button.
Bundled cards are often slow. If yours is, buy a name-brand 256GB card and copy everything across. Then install community firmware: OnionOS for Miyoo devices, muOS or ROCKNIX for most Anbernic units. Follow the firmware’s own install guide; it takes about 20 minutes.
Load games you own. Dump your own cartridges or discs, or buy official re-releases. Start with three games you actually want to play, not a library of thousands.
Find the menu button and learn three things: save states, fast-forward and the controls remap. Save states let you pause anywhere, which makes hard old games fair. Turn on screen filters last, and only if the picture looks too sharp for you.
Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.
A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.
About $75 for a Linux pocket handheld that plays Game Boy through PS1, or around $195 with a good card, case and controller. Android devices for Dreamcast and PSP start near $160.
Emulators are legal. Downloading copyrighted ROMs generally isn't. Dump games you own or buy official re-releases. This site doesn't link to ROMs.
The Anbernic RG35XX H for most people: cheap, 4:3 screen, dual sticks and about 8 hours of battery. Buy a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro only if you know you want PSP or Dreamcast.
256GB for nearly everyone. 8-bit through PS1 games are small. A 512GB card is only useful if you plan to store big PSP, Dreamcast or PS1 disc libraries.
Usually the microSD card. Cheap or counterfeit cards corrupt saves. Replace the bundled card with a name-brand one and back up your saves.
