I have been reviewing handhelds for over 6 years; many have come through our doors here at Retro Dodo, both good and bad, but there's a new trend recently, and I don't see it slowing down.
That's dual-screen Android handhelds. First was AYANEO to bring it to fruition, then AYN followed, and now the floodgates have opened.
This is all thanks to displays becoming more affordable, processors being powerful enough to push emulation to its limits and Android OS offering a wide range of reliable emulators on the app store, usually for free.
So, I've put together a list showcasing my favourites, from $99 affordable starter handhelds to $500+ beasts that will blow your socks off. Let's jump in.
AYN Thor

- Two Beautiful AMOLED Displays
- Incredible Emulation Performance
- Superb Build Quality & Buttons
- 3DS Emulation Still In Development
- Squeaky Action Button
- Speaker Quality
- Release Date: Late 2025
- Pricing: $299+
- Where To Buy: ayntec.com or eBay
- Read our dedicated review: Written or Video
The AYN Thor is not only the best dual-screen Android handheld on the market, but it's also one of the best retro handhelds in general, thanks to the combination of two AMOLED displays and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU.
The top display is 6" and the bottom 3.92", allowing you to use this for 3DS emulation on both screens, or Android gaming on the top and watching a YouTube video on the bottom. It's a truly magical moment when you experience two AMOLED displays like this.
The build quality is also top-tier, featuring high-grade buttons, two LED hall-joysticks, analogue triggers, and 6000MAHs of battery that should get you 4 - 6 hours of gameplay (depending on what you are using this for).

This is a fairly compact device too, one of the smaller devices on this list, but it's insane to think that it's also one of the most powerful.
AYN has jam-packed this with incredibly high-end specifications, allowing you to play all of your beefy Android games and even PS2 emulation up to 4x... yes, 4X native resolution, making your favourite retro games look almost modern in a way.
I had a blast playing Diablo Immortals on here, then switching to Midnight Club Edition, all while listening to a YouTube playlist on the bottom screen with my headphones on and a hot coffee keeping me going through the night.

AYN have perfected power, with beauty. The buttons are durable, yet tactile enough to handle all genres of gaming, alongside a compact form factor that pairs well with a sling.
The hinge is a little loose and one of my action buttons is a little squeaky but that's the only flaws I have with this device. It's remarkable and is the best dual-screen Android handheld on the market, hands down.
It's the last dual-screen handheld you will have to buy, if you're willing to pay the premium price tag and shipping fees from China.
ANBERNIC RG DS

- Slim Nintendo-like Form Factor
- Affordable $99 Price Tag
- Nintendo DS Emulation
- A Great Starter DS Retro Handheld
- Stiff Hinge
- Battery Life
- Slippery Analogue Sticks
- Release Date: Late 2025
- Pricing: $99
- Where To Buy: ANBERNIC.com
If you don't have a big budget, then the ANBERNIC RG DS makes a great starter dual-screen Android device thanks to its $99 price tag and fast shipping.
ANBERNIC have been making affordable retro handhelds for many years, and has crafted some of the best, but also some of the worst I have had the pleasure of reviewing. They're very hit and miss.

However, the RG DS is a respectable sub $100 device that offers dual-screen gaming to the masses, with good build quality, two 4" IPS displays (640 x 480), and enough power to emulate Nintendo DS games (not 3DS).
It's the handheld you buy if you really want DS emulation on new, modern hardware with a sprinkling of Android gaming. It's not got a boatload of power, but enough to scratch most of your retro gaming needs.
It runs on Android 13, features 3GB RAM, 4000MAHs of battery, an RK3568 CPU, comes in 3 different colours and has some of the best emulators already pre-installed for you (not ROMs).

It's a very slim device, which surprised me; it comes with dual analogue sticks and feels similar to a 3DS XL, which is typical of ANBERNIC. They want to get as close to the original hardware as possible without infringing any trademarks or IPs, and they've just about done it for this one.
This device won't blow your socks off, but for $99 it's a fun, affordable way to explore this nice, and who knows, it may surprise you, and you'll want to upgrade to something that can handle 3DS/PS2 and even large Android games in the future?
AYANEO Pocket DS

- An incredibly fun gaming handheld, a first of its kind.
- Superb emulation and Android gaming performance.
- Comfortable for something of this weight/design.
- Two screens open up multitasking and enjoyable DS/3DS emulation.
- Main 7" Display is beautiful and big enough for AAA cloud gaming.
- Light bleed on the bottom screen.
- A sticky right shoulder bumper button.
- Two screens mean less battery life.
- Needs a box art downloading feature.
- Thunderous fan noise at Max settings.
- Release Date: Mid 2025
- Pricing: $399+
- Where To Buy: AYANEO.com
- Our dedicated review: Written or Video
If you're after the biggest, baddest dual-screen Android handheld on the block, then there's no better than the first ever, from AYANEO.
This was the one that paved the way for Android handhelds to go dual-screen, it innovated in a way that others were too scared to and comes jam-packed with more power than you probably need.
The AYANEO Pocket DS features a 7" OLED top screen, bigger than the rest on this list and a 5" 4:3 LCD bottom display that can show your performance metrics, or be used to multi-task.
It has great ergonomics, too, with rounded grips at the back to help with long gaming sessions, making it the most comfortable device on this list, with subtle premium touches such as the CNC-machined metal lid on top.
It comes with hall-joysticks, minimal, slim-lined buttons across the face, and thick, analogue triggers for those who enjoy playing shoot-em-ups.
Because it features a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 processor, a load of RAM and 8000MAHs of battery, it can pretty much play any game you want, including PS2 emulation. It'll last all day too, if you manage the screens nicely, because of the massive battery capacity.

That said, it's one of the louder, heavier devices of this list and will need a sling to transport, or be placed in a backpack, it's on the cusp of not being "portable" in my opinion, but if you're travelling with this and using it as a "inside" handheld then you won't have a problem with people looking at you wierdly because it sounds like a small helicopter when in gaming mode.
If you can get past that, this is one of the greatest for those who want a big screen, great ergonomics and long battery life.
AYANEO started something great and kicked off a new trend that will undoubtedly continue for years to come, and for that, I thank them because these are some of the craziest, most fun devices I have reviewed in a long time!