It's a day of GKD news, thanks to owner Lao Zhang holding a livestream on the Chinese social network QQ yesterday.
He announced and showed off the upcoming GKD 350H Ultra, a metal horizontal 3.5" handheld launching this year, and keen eyed RetroDeadFred on X noticed a unique-looking device in the background of Lao's video.
This looks like a thicker, slightly altered version of the popular GKD Pixel II. It's a handheld I have seen before on Instagram, showcased by user retro_gordan, and after messaging them, I heard no response for many weeks.
I believe this Instagram account has connections to Chinese handheld manufacturers, as they have leaked and shown off handhelds in the past that eventually came to fruition.
This handheld being seen again in the flesh makes me believe it's actually a real device that has been made, which I didn't beleive was true when I first saw it many weeks ago, because we all know AI slop can make these images in a heartbeat.
Could GKD be working on a new Pixel handheld that features extra action buttons on the side to potentially accomadate a vertical video games?
Though that would be incredibly niche, and I can't imagine many would "upgrade" to it if they already have a Pixel or Pixel 2. If you look closely at the iamges the vertical buttons actually say "X, B and A".
So this is likely what the new design is for: to entice gamers to explore vertical games via emulation. Shoulder buttons, SD card slot, and other ports all look identical to the original Pixel 2.
It's just the longer metal shell, added butons and likely increased battery life that will be different in this version if it ever makes it into reality.
It's a neat, new creation by GKD, and I'm sure a very small ammount of gamers will be interested in it, but for me, it's likely going to be a hard pass only because of the small screen not accompanying vertical games well, alongside the added cost of purchasing this when I already have a GKD Pixel II.
I'll keep you updated if I hear more. The best way to stay informed is by joining our free weekly newsletter here.
