The retro handheld scene seems to be picking up again, which is great to see. We just finished reviewing the RG Rotate, which is launching soon, ANBERNIC recently announced a new RG34XXSP colourway, and now a new handheld has been teased by Lao Zhang, a popular retro handheld maker in China who has worked with the likes of GKD on the Pixel II.
The Pixel series was a remarkable line of devices that we still love to this day, mixing miniature handheld tech with a metal body in a way no other brand ahs managed to duplicate. Zhang was also renowned for creating the unique LG Wing handheld back in 2022, which launched in limited batches. This device was simply a vertical handheld with a comfortable form factor, using the screen and internals of an LG Wing smartphone.
Now it seems like he's working on something else to rival the likes of GKD, which is working on a 350H handheld that is launching soon, and to also compete with the big dogs, such as ANBERNIC and AYANEO.
Spotted first by RetroDeadFred on X, it seems Lao Zhang was holding a livestream, showcasing his latest work on a popular Chinese social platform on Baidu. The device revealed was a larger, horizontal Android device, with a minimal glass front, dual analogue sticks, stacked shoulder buttons and a metal middle frame.
This certainly follows Zhang's previous handheld designs in a minor way. The device almost looks finished, yet there was no announcement regarding price or release date.
However, there was a handful of specifications revealed according to RetroDeadFred, such as:
- 4.5" 3:2 1620 x 1080 Display
- Metal Middle Frame
- Hall Effect Triggers & TMR Joysticks
- 6000MAH
It looks like a fairly mid-sized horizontal handheld, likely directly competing with the Retroid Pocket 6, depending on specifications. It has a 4.5" display, indicating that it's packing enough power for retro emulation on consoles that require the space, such as PSP, PS2 and GameCube, so perhaps this the first time that Lao Zhang is creating a high-end, premium device?
At the moment in time, these images are all we have, alongside the name Yoo1, which could change upon release, as this has happened in the past with device product names.
Overall, it looks like a sleek, modern device, but if I had to get personal, it looks the same as any other mid-high tier retro handheld on the block, and i think it's going to be a hard sale to anyone that already has a device like this. That said, I am all for new handheld releases, especially ones designed with experience. We now just to have to sit tight and see if it actually comes to fruition.
