It's not often the retro handheld emulation scene gets a new brand entering the fray, and so aggressively too. Typically, they start as a passion project built by one or two individuals that grow in popularity over the years, and then become somewhat "mainstream", but that's not the case for this new-ish company known as Yoniq, which just emailed me about a new dual-screen handheld for retro gamers that's coming soon.
At first, I honestly thought it was spam as I get a lot of these "new handheld" types of emails, but after doing a deeper dive, this company is actually attending this year's Gamecom, Europe's biggest gaming event held in Germany, Cologne, which gives it some credibility and proof that they're wanting to get this thing into real gamers hands, alongside having some financial backing behind them unlike many newcomers to the handheld emulation scene.
Very little was shared with me about the specifications and what's on offer; all they shared was "The Yoniq Duo Dual-Screen Handheld is a high-definition dual-screen design with 4× pixel-perfect scaling and a built-in physical stylus, recreating the interaction of classic dual-screen handhelds. It combines retro charm with modern technology, allowing players to rediscover the authentic dual-screen experience in a contemporary form."
A few things I noticed here in this segment. The fact it boasts "4x pixel perfect scaling" makes me believe they're talking about GAME BOY Advance upscaling here, as that's been seen in the recent KONKR Pocket Advance and is somewhat common in the space, making it possible this will have a 960 × 640 display. Secondly, a stylus? Heck yeah, that's what I'm talking about!
This means they're likely wanting gamers to accurately emulate Nintendo DS games on here while taking advantage of stylus-based games with this unique feature that hasn't been done in the space yet. Unfortunately, Yoniq has only sent me one image of the device as of now, which is the featured image, but I have asked for more information, so do follow our free newsletter to keep informed about this thing.
At the heart of all of their devices is Pantas, an open platform comprising an operating system, a game launcher, and the underlying "Pantas Bridge", whatever that means. It can connect to smartphones, computers, set-top boxes, handheld gaming devices, and other types of hardware within a unified "gaming ecosystem". Users can manage their game libraries across platforms, synchronise save data, and enjoy a consistent, seamless experience across different devices.
Yoniq seems to have made some gaming accessories in the past of their own, but what's more interesting is their history in manufacturing, which explains why they have a bit of cash behind them. The employee who emailed me also shared the fact that they have a huge business in China, valued at over $50,000,000 USD, that has worked with "over 500 gaming brands" and is supported by one of China's leading gaming-accessory manufacturers. So it's clear that they have an established supply chain and development teams that can make something like this a reality, for an affordable price, without it feeling like another TEMU handheld that plasters our timelines.
This is one to keep an eye on. It looks like an RG DS, but slightly more sleek, with colour buttons and sticks, a USB-C port, a hidden stylus, front-facing speakers and small bezels. Though look at the image closely, and you'll see it says "PS9" on the screen, making me believe this is a very early mockup. That said, they have invited me and other retro gamers to view their products at Gamescom this year; they'll be at Hall 10.1, Booth C-052G, for those attending! I'm keen to see this one come to reality.
