Just when you thought you were going to get through the day without seeing something you want and didn't know existed, here I am with a 2-in-1 gadget that can charge your phone via cable or magnetic charging while you play Pokémon Gold and hundreds of other games. Meet the 'Multimedia Wireless Charging Game Palm', which is undoubtedly the most boring name of all time. It could have been called the 'The Game & Charge' or 'The Power Play' and sounded 10 times cooler.
I picked this up off AliExpress because it looked like a bit of fun - any handheld console that claims to be a wireless charger and can also play music and videos on is worth a look, especially when we managed to pick it up for under £30. And you know what, it's nowhere near as terrible as I thought it was going to be (how about that for a review?).
What Does It Feel Like?
- Price: £32 (available worldwide in different currencies)
- Size: 112 mm x 68.8 mm x 13.6mm
- Weight: 380g
- Screen Size: 1:1 Ips 3" display
- Charging: USB-C
- Colours: Black, Grey, Blue, Purple
- Available From: AliExpress
For starters, this thing feels pretty rugged. It's made from one piece of metal and has a premium feel about it which I wasn't expecting for such a cheap console. The makers of the console remain a mystery with no branding on the box as to who has created this odd mash-up (probably because of the copyright issues surrounding all of the games that come with it, but I'll come onto that in a second), and they've clearly taken inspiration from Powkiddy's handhelds like the RGB20SX when it comes to the smiley face button placement.
Speaking of the buttons, they're not bad either. The rubber select, start, volume, and other function buttons are small but feel sturdy under my thumb, and the D-pad and Action buttons have a nice click to them that doesn't feel like I'm pushing my thumb into a piece of overcooked pasta. There are no shoulder buttons, however, which limits the number of consoles you can emulate on it.
On the back of the handheld is where you'll find its dual-purpose function - the Magsafe Power Bank. While the rest of the handheld is aluminium, this part is made with clear plastic. I'm not going to lie, I'm a sucker for being able to see the inner workings of a device, and even though there's a cheesy message that says 'enjoy your life' on the circuit board (which is essentially one step away from 'live laugh love'), and the wire coil with the big lightning bolt on it makes me feel like I'm holding a Power Ranger's Morpher in my hands.
If I dropped this on the ground, however, I'm not holding out much hope for that plastic casing. It would definitely handle being thrown in and out of my pocket or my backpack, but one altercation with a pavement and I think it would be game over instantly.
Show Me Some Stats & Features
The 'Game Palm' (it doesn't get any cooler, does it), measures in at 112 mm wide x 68.8 mm high x 13.6mm deep. For context, it's around 2/3rds the height of my iPhone 15 when I hold it vertically and is the same width. On the console side, there's a 3" 1:1 IPS screen that is great for Game Boy games but ends up making titles for some other consoles look a little squashed.
In terms of battery size, the unit is built around a 5,000 mAh battery and offers 20W wired charging or 15w wireless charging. You'll be able to charge an iPhone 15 Pro around 1 and a half times from this bank, though that'll change depending on whether you're playing games on it at the same time. If you're simply playing games, you'll get a couple of days play of pick-up and play action out of it before you have to stick it on charge.
The operating system is very simple to use; there are six different functions on the handheld: Game, Ebook, Video, Settings, Music, and Pictures. Weirdly, this thing comes preloaded with tonnes of copyrighted content which definitely shouldn't be on there. There are strange pictures of Anime girls on the Pictures channel as well as some scenic shots of fields, and the Music Player comes pre-loaded with Hotel California by the Eagles. I would say that's the oddest thing about this handheld, but I would be lying.
Weirdly, there are four videos on here too to show off the screen on the handheld. I'll give it this; it's a clear screen, though I have no idea who the music videos belong to and why there are doorbell and clown sounds over the top of them. It all feels a little like a fever dream. I expected the speakers to sound like a dog barking through a pringles tube ten miles away, but they're actually pretty good for a handheld of this size too. The bass won't exactly wake up the next door neighbours, but the chiptune soundtracks of my favourite Game Boy games sounded great.
If you do pick one of these handhelds up, it's worth noting that it's automatically set to turn the screen off after 30 seconds which is insanely annoying, especially when you're trying to take pictures of it for an article. You can change this easily in the settings however and turn it to 'never' to not have to constantly wake it up all the time.
What Games Come With It?
The Game Palm can emulate everything from the NES through to the GBA.
- NES,
- Super Famicom
- Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
- GB
- GBC
- GBA
- MAME
- Capcom Play System
Some of the games lists have over 400 titles in them with a reported 1,600 available to play in total... but don't get too excited. I clicked on Crash Bandicoot for the Sega Mega Drive and instantly felt my suspicions rise. It turned out to be Taz Mania which, while not a bad thing, made me realise that there's a lot of repetition in these lists, and some things that are filed under the wrong name completely.
Still, there are lots of amazing games like Pokémon Gold & Silver, Pokémon Yellow, Oracle of Ages & Seasons, Mortal Kombat, Streets of Rage, and many other retro classics that you could play to stave away boredom on a long journey.
I've come across some weird ROM hacks and bootleg games too like a GBC version of Pokémon Diamond and a Sega Pokémon Game called Pocket Monsters featuring Pikachu in a side-scrolling Castle of Illusion-style platformer. It really is a 'potluck' kind of handheld when it comes to picking games, but as a pocket-sized handheld that I can play Darkwing Duck on that costs under £30, I'm not really complaining.
The Power Bank
The Magnetic Wireless Charging function is super simple to use and connects easily with a satisfying snap. As you can see in the picture above, there's only a small portion of the charger that sticks out from underneath my phone, leaving the USB-C slots for charging and data transfer free if you need to access them. The charger apparently has temperature controls according to the box and an intelligent trickle charging mode, and touch wood my phone or the charger hasn't actually got hot while using it yet, so I'm inclined to think that said controls are doing their job.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I don't hate this thing. For £30, it's actually a pretty fun and useful little handheld that just manages to pass out of the 'novelty' bracket by having some good uses. Don't get me wrong, it's never going to make it into a top spot in our retro handhelds lists and it won't revolutionise your life in any way, but as a handheld that you can keep in your back that will also help you out of a tight spot if you're on low battery when trying to get home, it's well worth the money.
Sure, you'll spend a while searching through the games to find something to play and some of them will look like they've been through a hedge backwards when they do load, but that's the price you pay for a cheap handheld like this. It won't be going on display in the office, but when it's raining and I'm on a long train journey back home from a meeting somewhere in the middle of nowhere, I'll be glad I've got it kicking around in the bottom of my backpack with the mints and receipts.
