Today GKD, the company behind the GKD Mini that we reviewed last year has officially revealed their GKD Mini Plus.
In a time when handhelds are being packed with power, large screens and incredible battery life, it’s good to see more affordable handhelds come into the scene.
The GKD Mini Plus is an upgraded and updated version of the GKD Mini, except this time, it has a number of different versions, but still keeps the square, adorable design.
They’ve also released a handful of new colours two, one includes different colours actions buttons and shoulder buttons.
Table of Contents
GKD Mini Plus Specifications
- 3.5″ Display (640 x 480)
- 1.8Ghz RK3566 CPU
- 1GB RAM
- 3000MAH Battery
- WiFi/Bluetooth
What’s new?
To be honest, now that I think of it, I am happy that they have kept the original design. It’s a great pocket sized handheld with a good sized screen and okay ergonomics. The shoulder buttons could have done with some work, but re-creating all of that would have likely cost them a fortune.
The new GKD Mini Plus comes with upgraded specs as they move to the newer (but still old) RK3566 chipset, the same chip that the RG353P uses.
This is powerful enough to run most of your retro games, including the best PSP games, PS1, Gameboy, and a handful of Dreamcast games too.
Many was hoping for an analogue stick, but adding that would have made the handheld a bit bigger and less portable.
it’s like the GKD Mini Plus is trying to compete with the Miyoo Mini, and is using the more powerful chip as its advantage.
It also comes with WiFi and Bluetooth for when you want to sync up your controllers on the go. It will also use the GMenu OS, similar to their older version.
It’s an okay OS that may need some tinkering to get use to it, it’s not as easy as Android or some Linux operating systems however.
GKD Mini Plus Dock
They also teased a detachable accessory that features two analogue sticks, this is one of the first official accessories we have seen for affordable retro handhelds, and a great way to increase sales while giving the customers what they want (analogue sticks).
It slots into the USB-C port of the GKD Mini Plus, and have also added a spare USB-C slot and a headphone jack to the bottom of the dock.
It also looks like it could add some extra comfortability to the back of the device too, but we won’t know until we review it.
The dock may also pack some additional battery capacity too, extending the longevity of the device! We’re impressed with this accessory, what a good idea. ANBERNIC, are you keeping an eye on this?
There are also a number of colors to choose from to match your GKD Mini Plus.
GKD Mini Plus Pricing & Release Date
The GKD MINI Plus is likely to be priced at around $75, making it a likely contender as one of the best handhelds under $100 in 2022, if it performs as it should on paper.
Seeing that the GKD Mini Plus is already in the developers hands, and looks close to finalised, it’s highly likely that the GKD Mini Plus launches within the next couple of months.
The pricing difference between the two units in the image above is the upgrade for UV coating on the shell.
There is no information regarding the regarding release date as of yet, but they have announced their new GKD Mini Plus Classic handheld which is bigger, and maybe better.
