For years, the handheld gaming market has been dominated by one name: the Nintendo Switch. But just beyond the mainstream, a vibrant and rapidly growing sub-culture has exploded, centered on a new class of powerful, affordable, and endlessly customizable devices: retro gaming handhelds.

Fueled by nostalgia and powered by sophisticated emulation software, this niche has grown into a multi-billion dollar segment of the nearly $5 billion handheld market. For gamers of a certain age, or for newcomers curious about the classics, these pocket-sized time machines offer a gateway to decades of gaming history. But diving in can be intimidating. This guide will break down everything you need to know.

What Exactly is a Retro Gaming Handheld?

At its core, a retro handheld is a dedicated, portable device designed primarily to play classic video games from older consoles using software called emulators. Unlike a Switch, which plays modern, officially licensed games, these devices from companies like Anbernic, Miyoo, and Retroid are built to run games from systems like the original PlayStation, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and countless arcade classics. They are a love letter to gaming’s past, packaged in modern, high-quality hardware.

The Key Players: Anbernic vs. Miyoo vs. Retroid

While the market is flooded with options, three brands have risen to the top, each with a different philosophy:

  • Anbernic: Often considered the “gold standard” for budget-friendly quality, Anbernic is known for its durable build, excellent controls, and a wide variety of form factors. Models like the Anbernic RG35XX Plus are praised for being the perfect entry point into the hobby.
  • Miyoo: This company captured the hearts of the community with the viral sensation, the Miyoo Mini, and its successor, the Miyoo Mini Plus. Miyoo focuses on creating incredibly compact, pocketable devices with beautiful screens and a fantastic user experience.
  • Retroid: For those who want more power, Retroid is the answer. Devices like the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro run on the Android operating system, giving them the power to emulate more demanding consoles and double as excellent devices for cloud gaming.

The Software: Understanding Emulation and ROMs

These handhelds work their magic through emulation. An emulator is a piece of software that mimics the hardware of an old console, allowing a modern device to play its games. The games themselves are known as ROMs, which are digital copies of the game data from the original cartridges or discs. Most retro handhelds come with open-source operating systems like Linux, with emulation software like RetroArch pre-installed, making it easy for users to add their own game files.

The Elephant in the Room: Is This Legal?

This is the most important and most confusing question in the retro gaming world. The legal landscape is nuanced:

  • Emulators: The software that mimics the old consoles is, in most jurisdictions including Canada, perfectly legal to create and use.
  • ROMs: The game files are where it gets tricky. It is legal to create a backup copy (a ROM) of a game that you physically own. However, downloading a ROM for a game that you do not own constitutes copyright infringement. A great explainer on ROM legality can be found here.

While many devices ship with pre-loaded games, the legal and ethical consensus in the community is clear: you should only play games that you have personally purchased and backed up.

Conclusion: A Golden Age for Classic Gaming

The retro handheld market is providing a new golden age for classic games. It offers an accessible, affordable, and highly personalized way to experience the entire history of the medium in the palm of your hand. For anyone with fond memories of 8-bit, 16-bit, or 32-bit classics, these devices are more than just gadgets; they are a powerful and tangible connection to the past, powered by the technology of the future.