The Best Retro Handhelds Under $200
Updated February 2026
The gaming handheld market has been going strong over the last couple of years, with more and more releases across all price brackets. Budget handhelds are a great entry point to the retro gaming hobby, and may even be the ideal choice if all you want to play are the classics (SNES, GBA, PS1,..). On the other hand, there are definitely some outstanding bigger handhelds that can put a dent in your wallet, with certain premium options costing up to thousands of dollars.
The $150 to $200 price point is the sweet spot for a large majority of use cases when it comes to handheld gaming and retro emulation. At this range, all systems up to PSP will run smoothly even when upscaled to multiples of their original resolution in some instances, and you'll get enough power to dabble in some harder-to-emulate platforms like the PS2 and GameCube. You'll also most likely get active cooling components to help with heat and throttling. The displays are generally high-resolution and of good quality, and the controls are polished, well-thought-out, and comfortable to use.
These mid-range handhelds are the best option if you want to upgrade from a budget model and gain access to more games and features. While they're less powerful than pricier hardware, they're still very capable, offer a gigantic library of games to choose from, and are sure to provide many hours of fun and unique experiences.
Quick List:
- Best for Retro Emulation:
- Best Widescreen:
- Best Under $100:
- Best Vertical:
- Best Premium Compact:
- Best Vertical with Analog Sticks:
- Best for Arcade:
- Best 1:1 Aspect Ratio:
1. The Best Mid-Range Handheld for Retro Emulation: Anbernic RG-476H
Released
Sep. 2025
OS
Android 13
Screen
4.7”, 4:3
Up To
PS2
Best For
PS2, 3DS
Price
~$160
Pros
- Great budget option for PS2 emulation
- Powerful enough for high-end emulation
- Very smooth gameplay thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate
Cons
2. The Best Widescreen Retro Handheld Under $200: Retroid Pocket 5
Released
Nov. 2024
OS
Android 13, Linux
Screen
5.5”, 16:9
Up To
Switch
Best For
PS2, GameCube
Price
~$200
Pros
- Powerful enough for high-end emulation
- Great AMOLED screen with vibrant colors and perfect blacks
- Good community support, multiple CFWs available
Cons
- Joystick placement is not ideal for comfort
- Black bars when playing older retro systems
3. The Best Retro Handheld Under $100: Mangmi Air X
Released
Oct. 2025
OS
Android 14
Screen
5.5”, 16:9
Up To
3DS
Best For
PSP, Dreamcast
Price
~$100
Pros
- Nice screen, much better than other offerings at this price point
- Great-feeling buttons and D-Pad
- High resolution display
Cons
- Speakers are good but not great
- Black bars when playing older retro systems
- No video out, can't be connected to an external display
Good alternative:
AYANEO Pocket Air Mini
4. The Best Vertical Retro Handheld: Retroid Pocket Classic
Released
Apr. 2025
OS
Android 14
Screen
3.92”, 31:27
Up To
PS2
Best For
3DS, NDS
Price
~$110
Pros
- Powerful enough for high-end emulation
- Great AMOLED screen with vibrant colors and perfect blacks
- High resolution display
Cons
- Can run systems that would benefit from analog sticks
- Powerful device, but the screen dimensions aren't ideal for widescreen games
- Device can feel bulky
Good alternative:
TRIMUI Smart Brick
5. The Best Premium Compact Retro Handheld: TRIMUI Brick Hammer
Released
Aug. 2025
OS
Linux
Screen
3.2”, 4:3
Up To
Saturn
Best For
PS1, SNES
Price
~$110
Pros
- Well-supported by the community, multiple CFWs available
- High-resolution screen
- Premium-feeling metal body
Cons
- 3.2” screen might be too small for some
- Can't be connected to external monitors
6. The Best Vertical Handheld with Analog Sticks: Anbernic RG-406V
Released
Sep. 2024
OS
Android 13
Screen
4.0”, 4:3
Up To
PS2
Best For
PS2, 3DS
Price
~$150
Pros
- Strong performance even for more demanding systems
- Ease of access to Android games and apps
- Good price for this level of performance
Cons
- Great emulation performance, but the screen size isn't ideal for widescreen games
- Bulky form factor
Good alternative:
Anbernic RG-477V
7. The Best Retro Handheld for Arcade Games: MagicX One 35
Released
Dec. 2025
OS
Android 12
Screen
3.5”, 3:2
Up To
PS2
Best For
GBA, Game Gear
Price
~$80
Pros
- Designed to be flipped for a great experience with vertical Arcade games
- Access to mobile games and apps
- Perfect 3:2 aspect ratio for GBA
Cons
- Powerful device, but the screen dimensions aren't ideal for widescreen games
- No video out, can't be connected to an external display
8. The Best 1:1 Aspect Ratio Retro Handheld: Anbernic RG Cube
Released
Jun. 2024
OS
Android 13
Screen
3.95”, 1:1
Up To
PS2
Best For
3DS, NDS
Price
~$170
Pros
- Strong performance even for more demanding systems
- Ease of access to Android games and apps
- 1:1 aspect ratio is ideal for many classic systems (Game Boy, NES, SNES, Pico-8,...)
Cons
- Users report light bleeding on some devices
- Great emulation performance, but the screen size isn't ideal for widescreen games
Good alternative:
Anbernic RG Cube XX
