Gaming handhelds have been around for decades now, but with the Steam Deck breaking the market open a few years ago, it feels like we’re having a renaissance of emulation-focused handhelds. And while expensive handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go often get the lion’s share of the attention, Android-based gaming handhelds are absolutely perfect for retro gaming. Here are a few key advantages:
- Access to Android apps and games (including retro game ports and Android emulators).
- Improved portability over more powerful handhelds.
- Better battery life and connectivity options.
- More touch-friendly than Windows-based handhelds.
- Much cheaper than gaming phones.
With all that in mind, we’ve selected the best Android retro gaming handhelds to help you hop back in time and get your nostalgia gaming fix.