PowKiddy is not just the most ‘unique’ brand name of a company when it comes to the retro handheld space, but it also carries a certain level of mystery with it. When a PK device comes out, it’s easy to wonder: will it have Wi-Fi? Will it ACTUALLY have Wi-Fi? Will it be built well? Things like that. Well, they are again stepping foot onto the playing field with a new horizontal handheld and a tried-and-true chip. They are calling their new toy the X55, and it looks to be a successor of the RGB10 Max 2 (not to be confused with the upcoming RGB10 Max 3 and Max 3 Pro). If you are a PowKiddy fan, especially if you like the RGB10 line of products, this may be one to pay attention to.
What do we know about it, you ask? We know it has an RK3566 chipset (same as Anbernic RG353M & PowKiddy RK2023), a Mali-G52 GPU, and 2 GB of RAM. The face sports a 5.5” (thus the 55 name) 720p IPS screen and a solid smattering of buttons. The face buttons sit in the classic Nintendo ABXY layout, while the analog stick placements are more akin to an Xbox controller. On-board storage is only 16 GB unfortunately, but it does have a micro-SD card slot…wait…TWO slots! A mini-HDMI port sits atop the shell between two USB-C ports, the headphone jack, and a couple of misc buttons. The trigger/shoulders are…oh thank my STARS, they’re stacked! Put that down in the win column.
Looks like a soft, dark blue color will be the main offering for the shell on this wide, curvy sided handheld, accompanied by black buttons. The ergonomics looks surprisingly nice and comfy, very similar to the RGB10 Max 2. The whole package is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery that we would estimate around 4-5 hours of battery life.
As for the software, the X55 is shipping with a Linux based OS. This may be a big draw for some people, as it is a fan-favorite when it comes to keeping retro gaming simple. We no doubt will have our thoughts about the OS and the device as a whole when we are able to get our hands on one.
We have a preview video up on our YouTube page where we talk a bit about the X55 and a few other things that PowKiddy has up their sleeves or check out this gameplay footage from MechDIY. If you want to pick our brains about the X55 or any other handhelds you can think of, head on over to our Discord and hop into the fray. There you will find up-to-date information on PowKiddy stuff alongside other useful things to know when it comes to the world of retro gaming, such as: information on older devices, up-to-date handheld news, and plenty of opinions.
PowKiddy does not always push the boundaries of power and possibilities with their devices. A device with this chipset is maybe a bit behind the times when it comes to viable, cost-effective handhelds that are available right now, certainly while all these T618s are running around. Please accept its shortcomings. At around the $130-$150 price point, the shape and ergonomics may be enough to sway some folks toward the blue baby Powkiddy is bringing into the world soon. Pre-orders should start shipping on May 10th, so if you are looking forward to this upcoming entry into the PK catalog, you do not have long to wait.
Head over to MechDIY to get an order in early or check the PowKiddy official site for more details.
This preview has been graciously provided by RocketMan824
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