Retro Handhelds
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Welcome to Retro Handhelds

We’re glad you made it! Retro Handhelds is a community of sites, projects, and servers dedicated to the celebration of classic gaming on the go. Whether you’re replaying old favorites or digging for hidden gems, Retro Handhelds is here to offer camaraderie, support, and news on the latest portable gaming developments.

What is a Retro Handheld Anyways?

Retroid Pocket 2
There’s been over three decades of portable gaming history at this point, so naturally handhelds like Nintendo’s Game Boy or Sega’s Game Gear are considered “Retro”. However, in the past few years, we’ve seen the release of numerous new devices designed solely for emulating classic handheld and console games. These devices often bring along modern niceties such as backlit LED screens and WiFi connectivity, while still celebrating the classics of yesteryear.
RG351m
Our community celebrates all of these handhelds. Whether it’s a buzz-worthy device like the Retroid Pocket Flip, a custom built Raspberry Pi handheld, or someone’s modded Game Boy, everyone’s got a seat at the table. If it can play retro video games on the go, odds are there’s someone in the Retro Handhelds community who’s eager to talk about it.

Join Our Discord

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Retro Handhelds
23,000 Members and Counting

Discord is the beating heart of Retro Handhelds. It’s a central meeting place where enthusiasts can relax, trade tips, discuss their latest gaming passion, and get help with their newest device. Our server is designed to be a welcoming and inviting place, with a staff of friendly moderators from around the world helping to keep things running smoothly.

In addition to the general community hub channels, the Retro Handhelds Discord also offers several device-specific categories. Have you taken a hard pass on the Retroid Pocket 2, but want to know everything there is about Anbernic's RG351V? No problem! Just subscribe to the channels that interest you. Or if you're the daring type, go ahead and enable every category! Enjoy the firehose of portable gaming goodness.

Are you working on a custom firmware for a retro handheld? Our developer channels can help give your team a central place to discuss new ideas and features. When you're ready to launch, our user-base is always full of eager testers to help kick the ties on your latest beta code.

Find a Subreddit

In addition to running a centralized Discord server, Retro Handhelds also manages several handheld-specific Discord servers. These communities offer a slower and more asynchronous place to chat, and are limited to the devices you care about the most.

/r/Retroid
25,000+ Members
Get the latest news on the Retroid Pocket, and the upcoming RP Flip.
Join
/r/Anbernic
12,000+ Members
A home for all things RG350, RG351, RG552, and beyond!
Join
/r/Powkiddy
3,000+ Members
Silly name, great handhelds! RGB10, RGB10 Max, 18s, & more!
Join
/r/SteamDeckHandheld
3,500+ Members
Your one stop shop for Steam Deck retro gaming discussions.
Join
/r/Miyoo
1500+ Members
A home for fans of the Miyoo's handhelds!
Join
/r/ResetCollection
700+ Members
Our affiliate pals putting out a great Android frontend!
Join

Our Projects

As if hosting some of the web’s best retro gaming communities weren’t enough, the Retro Handhelds team also have a number of projects keeping it busy.

Game of the Month Club
Join Retro Handhelds every month as we tackle a suite of retro games. This book club-style event highlights titles from Pre-’96, ‘96-’00, and the post-2000 modern era.
Learn More
Game of the Month Teaser
Retro Handhelds Podcast
Join Stubbs, and a rotating cast of hosts as we discuss the latest retro handhelds, chat about what games we've been playing lately, and interview community members about their latest projects.
Learn More
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351Droid
The 351Droid project seeks to bring the LineageOS Android distribution to devices running on the RK3326 processor. Devices such as the RG351P/M, RG351V, and RGB10 Max now have a new world of apps and emulators to explore!
Learn More
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Wikis & More
Feel free to peruse & contribute to our wikis and Google Sheets compatability guides!
Retroid Pocket 2 Wiki Retroid Pocket 2+ Game Settings Anbernic RG552 Game Settings
Retroid Pocket 2+ Game Settings

Around The Web

As the kids (probably don't) say, we're on all the social. You probably found us through one of these properties, but it turns out there's a lot of places on the web to talk about retro handhelds! Feel free to like, follow, subscribe, smash that bell, and any other verbs we may be leaving out.

Discord Twitter YouTube TikTok Instagram Facebook

Patreon

If you like what we do here, our Patreon is a great way to help keep the lights on. Our $1, $3, $5 & $10 support tiers go directly to paying our infrastructure costs and Game of the Month giveaway prizes. Supporters get access to an exclusive #patrons_only channel, shout outs on the Retro Handhelds podcast, and additional entries in the monthly Game of the Month raffles.

Partners & Pals

There's a ton of great work going on in the classic portable gaming market right now! While there are far too many sites to name, here's a few resources we recommend taking a further look at if you'd like to learn more about this space.

Retro Game Corps Retro Game Corps Link Icon

Looking for a guide on your latest device? Trying to figure out which handheld to buy? Swing by Retro Game Corps' website and YouTube channel! Russ does a mixture of device reviews, in-depth how-tos, and software highlights.

Cyberphile Cyberphile Link Icon

This YouTube channel has a bit of everything! From an excellent Retroid Pocket 2 getting started guide, to a love letter to Jet Set Radio, you never know what you'll get when you tune in, beyond high quality gaming videos!

Silverdusk Silverdusk Link Icon

Our in-house artist! Victoria's been producing synthwave beats and glitch art for a few years now, and breathes life into any project she's a part of. Go check out her most recent Digital Horizons EP!