I spend most of my days testing a wide range of handhelds, writing about my thoughts, covering news and putting them to the test for our in-depth reviews.
Now and then one surprises me in a way that's different to all of the rest. The TRIMUI Brick Hammer is that one and it costs under $100. It's the one that follows me around the house, and comes with me when I'm out for the day, but only for one very specific reason.
To explore Pokémon ROM hacks.
The TRIMUI Brick originally released in late 2024 and it was one of our highest rated devices that featured in our best retro handhelds list.
Then just a few months ago they released a couple of metal versions which added a premium feel using an incredibly high quality CNC- machined case instead of plastic. It felt remarkable and added that extra wow-factor which the plastic version didn't have.
Though at that time they only released the handheld in a couple of... i'll admit, fugly colour-ways. Dark-grey, pink and green.
The green which was sent to me was too much for my taste and I wish they had something a little more... subtle. Well, my wish came true, and recently TRIMUI released two new colours for the Brick Hammer, one in silver and one in black.
I got the Silver variant in, and since then it has become my go-to Pokémon ROM hacks focused device, which I absolutely love. The metal silver shell shines in way that reminds me of my first silver Macbook from when I was a teenager and the black buttons make it look stealthy in way that won't grab attention, and then the modern LEDs add that Tron-like touch thats very in fashion these days.
The perfect Pocket-companion
The biggest reason I love this device is that its the perfect size for playing the ROM hacks that focus on the GB/GBC/GBA games.
It fits perfectly in one-hand meaning I can play entire Pokémon games with one thumb, which is perfect for me who has just become a new dad.
Milk one in hand with the baby nice and cosey and Pokémon Unbound in the other. Perfecto. The buttons are very sensitive too so your thumb isn't forcing them down, instead just a light touch will do the job, making it comfortable for longer.
TRIMUI even throw in two additional sets of shoulder buttons to customise the sizings to your taste, which is a nice touch and not something many other competitors do.
It's also small enough to fit in your pocket unlike many retro handhelds that release these days. Portable to me, means pocketable, which this is.
If your pockets are full, it won't take up too much space in a sling either, making it a great EDC-sling companion. It's the handheld that features most in my daily sling.
Oh, and I like that it has a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. Allowing you to play this thing in bed without annoying your partner, and pairs well with the somewhat silent buttons too (apart from the shoulder buttons, they are a little rattly).
A Stunning Display
TRIMUI have paired that portable form-factor with a beautiful 3.2" IPS display, with a resolution of 1024 x 768 (4:3) and protected by scratch resistant glass.
The screen is incredibly bright, very crispy and makes GAME BOY games look stunning. It's not a 3:2 display which would have paired more organically with GBA games but the borders are very minimal when emulating.
Any bigger and it would compromise the form-factor of this device, and any smaller, well, you're then making the screen smaller than Nintendo's 2.9" display that was used on the original GBA, and nobody wants that! It's the perfect display for this device.
Easy UI
One of the main reasons I love TRIMUI's products is because they ship with a very easy to use custom front-end. This organises your games nicely, allows you to explore your library with ease and tweaking settings is an absolute breeze.
It's a minimal UI, but that's exactly what you want on a Linux handheld, a front end launcher that lets you focus on the games.
You can favourite the best Pokémon ROM hacks so that they're just a couple of presses from the homepage, you can add/change themes and change the LED lights around the function buttons and shoulder buttons too.
They've not overcomplicated it. It gets the job done, and ain't too flashy. How it should be!
Good Battery Life
The battery life on the TRIMUI Brick Hammer will get you through most of the day on a single charge, pushing between 4 - 7 hours, depending on what you are emulating on here.
If its GAME BOY and GAME BOY Advance you'll get around 5 hours, which is reasonable considering it's powering a bright display like this.
If you want to push it further, lower the brightness and turn off the LED lights. There's also a nice feature where the lights will flash red when below 10% battery, alongside a small pop-up on screen that keeps you informed.
Because as we all know, there's nothing worse than losing a save state in Pokémon!
Final Thoughts
- Durable CNC-Machined Metal Shell
- Stunning 3.2" IPS Display
- Super Simple UI
- Great Emulation Up To PS1
- Under $100
- Gets A Little Warm After An Hour
- Shoulder Buttons Do Rattle & Make Noise
The TRIMUI has been an absolute pleasure to use since its arrival. The new silver metal shell is the final change that was needed in order for me to fall in love with this aesthetically.
The size, the weight, the metal touch and the gorgeous display takes full advantage of my long Pokémon ROM hacks to-do list. Pokémon Unbound and Pokémon Lazarus (a new rom hack I reccommend checking out) is what I am exploring at the moment and it's just so enjoyable on this premium device.
If you are after one of the best, portable, metal retro handhelds on the block that focuses on Playstation 1 emulation and down, with a focus on GAME BOY emulation, this is one of the best, and for under $100, it's an absolute steal.
