Powkiddy has just mysteriously launched yet another vertical rk3326 handheld in 2023 with a 3.5 inch screen called the Powkiddy MagicX XU10.
If you asked me what kind of handheld device we need in 2023, a vertical rk3326 with a 3.5 inch screen would be at the bottom of the list. We certainly do not need yet another SKU with this setup if there is nothing super unique about it.
The Powkiddy RGB30 was not incredibly innovative either, but the inclusion of the very unique 4 inch square screen was enough of a gimmick to get even somebody like me excited.
I was quite surprised to see today’s announcement of the new XU10, especially since I am in contact with Powkiddy’s owner about upcoming devices.
But after a quick confirmation from him, we learned that the XU10 is not a device made by Powkiddy at all. In fact, it is a new handheld made by friends of the company, and Powkiddy are simply selling it on their website.
So that seems to clear up a lot of the confusion about this new handheld. Now that we have a better understanding about how this device came to us, let’s dig into what it actually is.
POWKIDDY MagicX XU10
Though the POWKIDDY MagicX XU10 Handheld offers very little innovation, it does still have some interesting ideas to present in 2023.
At a glance, the device is not unlike the Powkiddy RGB20S or the Anbernic RG353V. But a closer inspection reveals some divergent choices.
Most notably would be the four button directional “dpad”. False diagonal input plagues the handheld market, and this is one easy way to address it. So maybe this was a conscious choice by MagicX.
It was also an interesting design choice to give the XU10 a butt on the bottom and on its head. Not sure what purpose those notches serve, but it’s certainly unique.
Thankfully, the new XU10 device has some decent looking triggers, they placed the power LED on the side of the device (out of our eyes), and the screen has a minimal bezel.
One thing that I am extremely interested in are those two small buttons behind the screen. With the lack of a menu button on the face of the device, that offers at least one answer. So what about the other one? A mystery indeed.
If you look very closely, it also looks like the device has eye brows above the screen (check the side views). This is yet another strange detail.
Overall, the design is not horrible. But it also isn’t anything too unique. And there is basically zero innovation here. In 2023, innovation, niche products, and risky design choices are what we need.
Impressions
As I have made very clear, we do not need this device in 2023. I can name 5 devices that have been available for a year or more that are better than the XU10 in every way.
Knowing that this was not made by Powkiddy themselves relieves some of the frustration on them. But it is also not a smart move on their part to include this on their product listings. Because Powkiddy intends to introduce the successor to the RGB20s before the end of the year.
The handheld community has an obvious problem with repeating itself and introducing waste that nobody needs. And I don’t think anything I have said over the past year has helped improve that.
MagicX is offering us yet another budget vertical device that is intended for those with no experience with handheld devices, and want to dip their toes in the pool.
The XU10 is not singular in the scene, but it offers another affordable option for retro video game emulation.
