Ranking The Best 1:1 Display Handheld Emulators [All Tested]

The rise of 1:1 retro handhelds is here. These are niche gaming devices that target those who prefer emulating games that use a 1:1 or even a 4:3 display, for example: Neo Geo Pocket, PICO-8, Game Boy Color and more, all in the perfect aspect ratio.

I have personally tested a wide range of these consoles, all varying in prices, power and comfortability, but these here are my favourite. There’s no doubt there’s more of these types of devices to come too, so I will update this article regulary when we have more to review.

In this list I will compare power, comfortability, user experience, operating system and build quality, showing you a multitude of 1:1 devices that may fit your needs.

1. ANBERNIC RG Cube

• Release Date: July 2024
• Pricing: $169.99
• Operating Sytem: Android
• Our Review: Written Article & Video Review
• Where To Buy: ANBERNIC.com

The ANBERNIC RG Cube is ANBERNIC‘s first shot at creating a 1:1 handheld, which isn’t surprising as they have a habit of releasing a new handheld every couple of months, so it was only a matter of time before they jumped on this trend.

It’s a hard handheld to hate, even if it does have some flaws. This is a premium device, being priced at over $150, featuring great build quality, LED hall-joysticks, hall-triggers, and some very impressive specifications, alongside a 3.95″ 720×720 IPS Display.

It’s one of ANBERNIC’s most comfortable handhelds yet and is one I found myself playing on for hours on end without any hand cramps. It runs on Android 13 and will install the best Android emulators for your with a single press of a button, which is something ANBERNIC rarely does, so it’s nice to see they are adding this to their future Android handhelds.

However, I did notice that this screen has a small amount of light bleed, which was visible on one out of two of my review units and is a known issue with a handful of devices given to customers. It’s not the end of the world, but handheld enthusiasts will notice it in certain menus and games.

The analogue sticks also don’t have much travel to them which make it feel like the stick are a little cramped when playing fast paced games. In terms of emulation this can play most games incredibly well up to and including N64, PSP, Nintendo DS (thanks to showing both screens in a beautiful layout) and Dreamcast, with a sprinkle of Gamecube and PS2.

Larger Gamecube and PS2 games do struggled on here, which is disappointing as other $150+ retro gaming devices can emulate this, but again, as mentioned earlier this is a device aimed specifically at 1:1 aspect ratio games. 16:9 games look terrible on here because of the large black borders and tiny 3″ display because of the cropping.

If you can ignore those two flaws and the lack of larger PS2 emulation it’s a superb 1:1 device that’s built well (apart from the screen), is super easy to setup and looks visually pleasing.

2. Funkey S

• Release Date: 2021
• Pricing: $73/£54
• Operating System: FunkeyOS (Custom)
• Our Review: Written Review & Video Review
• Where To Buy: Funkey-Project.com

If you have followed Retro Dodo for sometime you will know that I have a soft spot for the Funkey S, an adorable mini handheld inspired by the infamous Game Boy Advance SP. It’s been around for a long while now but still finds its way into all of my trips away thanks to the iddy biddy nature of the console.

This device has been created by a small team of passionate builders starting the business out of their own money to give retro gamers a unique device that can be added to your keychain (hence the name).

It’s built with care and features a very satisfying click every-time you shut the screen and although it’s small it does pack a punch, being able to emulate retro games up to Playstation 1. Albeit, PS1 on a 1.5″ screen is a little ibt cumbersome, but 1:1 consoles work a charm, especially Game Boy games!

It comes in a wide variation of colours to choose from and even features it’s own custom OS that is incredibly fluid and easy to use, showing box art with every game and you can easily open up emulator settings in game with the press of a button.

It’s a small but mighty device that I adore and was one of the early handhelds to start the 1:1 trend in a mini form factor.

3. Powkiddy RGB30

• Release Date: Late 2023
• Pricing: $79.99
• Operating System: Linux
• Our Review: Written Review
• Where To Buy: Powkiddy.com & Amazon

I have reviewed many Powkiddy handhelds in my time, many not satisfying my needs, but the Powkiddy RGB30 is one that did surprise me and was one of the first companies to take the risk making a “normal sized” 1:1 retro handheld, and the risk paid off.

It targetted those that want an affordable 1:1 retro handheld with a 4″ display. The screen is bright, saturated and features big bezels. The analogue sticks and buttons are well located, even if they feel low quality, with small “mech-like” detailing around the face to give us some jazz.

The shoulder buttons are not the best but do the job, and keeps to the square nature of the device, and screen for that matter. It has enough power to emulate Game Boy games, PICO-8 games, NES, SNES and even Playstation 1 games, and is a reason why Powkiddy can price it so competitively because it doesn’t host a lot of power compared to the ANBERNIC RG Cube.

The 4100MAH battery will help you play these games for up to 7 hours on a single charge, depending on what consoles you emulate which is a good amount of time to take with you for the day.

It does the job… and that’s about it, but is one of the more affordable 1:1 devices of the bunch and is a good one to “test the waters” to see if this layout is what you are after.

4. ZPG A1 Unicorn

• Release Date: Mid 2024
• Pricing: $130
• Operating System: Android
• Where To Buy: Z-PocketGame.com & AliExpress

The ZP1 A1 Unicorn is a handheld that has been in the works for some time now, well over a year in fact. ANBERNIC got there before them, and have indeed made a slightly superios product, because of their scale and access to cheap parts.

This device is made by a small team of innovators and handheld enthusiasts, it’s not being made in bulk and is a device that’s targeting specific handheld enthusiasts who have been following their journey for some time.

They should be proud because they have made a great 1:1 retro handheld. First of all, the most unique aspect of this device is the buttons used, they are incredibly bouncy and feel similar to arcade machine buttons, with little travel, lots of noise and big bounce. The same goes for the trigger buttons.

Inside is a Helio G99 CPU and 6GB’s of RAM giving it enough power to emulate a wide range of consoles, should you want to explore other 4:3 and even 16:9 games (which I don’t recommend on this device).

The screen is similar to that of the RG Cube with no noticeable light bleed, alongside the same Android operating system allowing you to install your favourite Android apps. When setting up, it did ask if I wanted it to install the apps for me, which I selected yes, but it immediately bugged out and installing none of them for me, which was surprising to see.

So I did have to install them myself, which I am use to but competitors do it for you, just a note. In the hand it’s a comfortable device with subtle grips, modern speaker cutouts and menu buttons on the chin and the top.

It’s a fun device, don’t get me wrong and one I know many will enjoy playing, and if you want to support creators in the space this is the one to go for, but annoyingly the big beast that is ANBERNIC has create a far superior product, even if they did copy the ZPG A1 Unicorn.

5. ANBERNIC RG Nano

• Release Date: Mid 2023
• Pricing: $49.99
• Operating System: FunkeyOS (Custom)
• Our Review: Written Review & Video Review
• Where To Buy: ANBERNIC.com & Amazon

More mini handhelds Brandon? Heck yeah, I love them! This is the ANBERNIC RG Nano a miniature Game Boy DMG jam-packed with emulators and wrapped in a super high quality metal shell making it incredibly durable and resistant to bumps and scratches.

The screen is only 1.5″ small and uses the much loved FunkeyOS which was originally made for the Funkey S and with only 64MB of RAM this a small and not so powerful device… and that’s okay.

This can emualte up to and including Playstation 1 games, which again as mentioned before isn’t the best way to play those games, as the text and overall gameplay is just too small to handle. I found myself playing lots of Game Boy games on here alongside Neo Geo games, that’s where I had the most fun with it.

In terms of build quality, there really is no complaints, the screen is bright enough to play outside, the buttons are hard plastic, it even has shoulder buttons and a USB-C port for charging, alongside a tiny fake speaker grill that’s taken from the original Game Boy DMG.

It’s easy to use, super affordable and comes in two bright colours, making it a perfect gift for those that love Game Boy games, even if it only lasts 3 hours on a single charge, but hey it’s adorable!

6. Powkiddy RGB20SX

• Release Date: May 2024
• Pricing: $89.99
• Operating System: Linux
• Our Review: Written Review & Video Review
• Where To Buy: Powkiddy & MechDIY

Powkiddy was one of the first companies to take the jump at the 1:1 trend, and still one of the first to create a vertical 1:1 handheld, which some will say looks odd, but I kinda dig it!

Powkiddy nailed the RGB30, but unfortunately that has no continued into the RGB20SX, as I experience bugs and issues straight out of the box, which is common with Powkiddy products. The main issue being the lack of attention to the OS, it’s buggy, areas of it just doesn’t work and it’s just an unpleasant experience.

The materials used for the shell, buttons and display is obviously low quality too, making the device feel like it belongs in a cereal box so to speak. The shoulder buttons being my main physical issue, they’re just poorly designed.

But that said, it does have dual analogue sticks and a vertical format which many have asked for over the years, and Powkiddy has given you that even if many corners have been cut. It’s not cheap too coming in at around $80 which is a price range that’s most competitive.

Once you get the device working it can emulate up to PS1 games with a sprinkling of Nintendo DS and Nintendo 64 which do look good on a screen of this size, but again, there’s just so much better competition on the market which makes this a device I don’t recommend picking it up, other than those who REALLY want a vertical format with a 4″ screen.