When Kazuhiko Nishi introduced the MSX computer line in 1983, he aimed to offer something different to other 8-bit micros on the market.

His vision of a standardised computer system allowed any licensed manufacturer to launch an MSX-compatible computer while also adding their own variations. Some offered optional disk drives, some boasted additional cartridge slots, while others were even more specialized, with unique features like LaserDisc compatibility.

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If you've heard of the Flipper Zero before – a device described by its manufacturer as a "multi-tool for geeks” – then there's a good chance that's due to the various negative news stories which have risen up around this pocket-sized hacking system.

There have been various videos published online which show the Flipper Zero – a tiny white candybar device with a monochrome display – doing things like spamming people's phones with Bluetooth requests or opening electronically secured doors without a key fob. Add this footage to reports that the Flipper Zero can perform other devious acts – such as cloning car keys and credit cards – and it's easy to understand why this diminutive device has gotten a bad rap.

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The Sega Dreamcast is a memorable console for many reasons, but its Visual Memory Unit memory card feels like one of the most significant innovations, certainly for the time period in which it was released.

While Sony had popularised the idea of a portable means of saving game data with its PlayStation console (and would come up with its own VMU-style device in the shape of the PocketStation), Sega's approach sought to bridge the gap between a memory card and a fully-fledged handheld gaming system, offering players the ability to indulge in mini-games while they were away from their main system. Furthermore, when connected to the console, the VMU offered each player their own "personal" screen, on which unique information could be displayed.

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AYANEO clearly knows its audience when it comes to its 'Remake' range of hardware. A selection of products that take inspiration from past classics, it includes a Nintendo DS-style dual-screen gaming PC, a power bank shaped like a Super Nintendo and even a Game Boy-style handheld.

Today, however, we're taking a look at the Android-based AYANEO Pocket Micro, a member of the Remake line which aims to stir up nostalgic feelings about the Game Boy Micro, Nintendo's abortive attempt to create the most pocket-friendly handheld imaginable.

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While names such as Anbernic, PowKiddy and Retroid are pretty famous in the world of handheld emulation these days, there are other companies on the fringe of the market who are starting to make themselves known, one of which is MagicX.

The company's latest handheld, the XU Mini M, is a significant release because it was promoted as showcasing the Rockchip RK3562, a chipset which hasn't been seen in one of these devices so far. However, as we've since discovered, this isn't the case.

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The trusty Rockchip RK3326 has powered a wide range of emulation handhelds over the past few years, and generally offers decent performance if you're sticking to systems like the Game Boy Advance, SNES, PC Engine and Neo Geo.

It's slowly but surely being replaced by more capable chipsets, but PowKiddy has revived it for one more ride around the track in the V10, a curious little handheld which costs just $45.

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Anyone who has dabbled in the world of emulation will know that it's something of a double-edged sword.

Yes, you can have entire libraries of games at your fingertips, but sometimes, too much choice can be a headache; how many times have you fired up an emulator only to spend more time scrolling through lists of ROMs than actually playing something?

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There's really never been a better time to be a retro gamer. Thanks to digital stores, micro consoles and DIY emulation boxes, we now have access to decades of gaming content – most of which can be played on our modern-day HD televisions without having to invest in expensive custom AV cables or dust off original hardware. The appetite for vintage gaming has arguably played a huge part in this deluge of content, which means that, should you feel the urge to sample the classics of yesteryear, then it's not hyperbole to say you're practically spoilt for choice.

Of course, not all of these options are created equal. The NES Classic, for example, is the perfect entry point for casual players – it offers excellent emulation and comes with an authentic controller; another big plus is that it's created by Nintendo itself so is legally watertight and buying it allows you to reward the copyright owner of the original games (before reading on, yes this piece will indeed be talking about the shady practice of using ROMs, so if that kind of discussion brings you out in hives, we'd advise you navigate away from this page immediately). However, critics will point out that, although the emulation is superb, it's still software-based and therefore cannot be considered totally accurate – you're also limited by the fact that the NES Classic cannot be (officially) updated with new games.

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When it comes to flash carts and ODEs, the Sega Saturn has had more than its fair share of options. In the past few years, we've seen the Fenir, MODE and Satiator all come to Sega's 32-bit console, offering fans the chance to give the console's ageing CD drive a rest and load up an entire library of games without having to invest thousands in original copies on the secondary market.

There's a new kid on the block which aims to shake up this sector of the market, however. While the aforementioned options can cost a pretty penny, the open-source SAROO cartridge (which, like the Satiator, blurs the line between a flash cart and an ODE, as it's technically both) is available for around $60 (that's roughly what we paid, but you'll find prices can vary quite wildly, depending on where you order it from). Despite the fact that it has come to market behind all of its rivals, it's actually a project which has a decade of development behind it – so is it the best ODE option for your Saturn?

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Epilogue is a Romanian company which has been in the headlines recently thanks to the fact that it's currently working on a device which will allow you to play your original SNES and Super Famicom carts directly from your computer – as well as preserve your save data and check if a cartridge is legitimate or not.

There's a lot of interest in this new product, which should be out soon, but we thought it would be the perfect time to check out Epilogue's previous release, the $50 GB Operator. This device has been available for a couple of years now, but the software behind it has been evolving at quite a steady rate, making now the ideal opportunity to give it a spin.

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We don't want to labour this point too much, but any games console with an optical drive inside it is effectively a ticking time bomb. Sure, the same could be said of all consumer hardware, but systems which use optical discs – CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays or even GD-ROMs – are likely to fail much faster than those that use cartridges or game cards.

As a result of this, we've seen a sharp rise in the number of Optical Drive Emulators (ODEs) on the market. These replace the optical drive with a clever piece of hardware which (as the name suggests) mimics the actions of the drive, usually loading ISO files from solid-state media, like a MicroSD card or USB thumb drive.

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Android-based gaming handhelds are becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason; Google's OS benefits from years of development, has a vast array of games and emulators available for it and is backed by some seriously impressive hardware, such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon G3X series of chips.

We've already been impressed with the likes of the AYN Odin 2 and AYANEO Pocket S, but we're circling back somewhat with the Razer Edge ($399.99), which launched at the start of last year.

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It's always interesting to see how design trends play out in the world of emulation-based handhelds, and it seems that the super-compact landscape format is in vogue at present; we've only just reviewed the Miyoo A30, and now we have the very similar Anbernic RG28XX.

Both of these devices are aiming for a high level of portability combined with a Game Boy Micro-style form factor – something that could be seen as both a blessing and a curse.

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Editor's note: We don't normally revisit reviews, but in the case of the Anbernic RG ARC, we felt compelled to. This is one of the best products Anbernic has ever produced, in our eyes – but after six months of use, we've run into an annoying issue with the D-pad and felt compelled to update this review (which was originally published back in November of 2023) to warn potential buyers.

The Sega Saturn may have sold less than ten million units worldwide compared to the PlayStation's 102.49 million, but if you were a fan of 2D gaming – especially one-on-one fighters – then it was the platform of choice back in the '90s.

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While it hasn't been quite as prolific as its rival Anbernic when it comes to releasing new emulation handhelds, Miyoo has nonetheless become one of the more popular companies working in this space, largely down to the Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini Plus – two devices which found a lot of favour with retro gaming fans.

While those products tried to emulate the Game Boy form factor, the new Miyoo A30 takes aim at the Game Boy Micro, offering a pocket-friendly design which packs in a surprising range of control options.

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AYANEO has previously made a name for itself in the realm of gaming PC hardware, from portable powerhouses like the Flip DS and Flip KB to tiny desktop devices, such as the AM01 and AM02 'retro' mini computers.

It has also dipped a toe into the world of Android-based gaming with the Pocket Air, a portable gaming system which uses the same case design as the company's Windows-powered 'Air' line.

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When we reviewed the AYANEO Flip KB not so long ago, we found it to be an interesting device with some unique strengths and weaknesses, but we also commented that the more intriguing of the Flip pair was the Flip DS, which has a second screen, just like the DS and 3DS.

Now that we've had the chance to spend a bit of time with this device, we can confirm this idle suspicion to be accurate; this is one of the most interesting handheld gaming PCs we've had the pleasure of using, and a lot of it is predictably down to that second display.

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After a flood of big-name micro-consoles that includes the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PC Engine and Amiga, we now have what must rank as the deepest cut so far: the Atari 400 Mini. Based on Atari's range of 8-bit home computers, which first hit the market in 1979, this latest collaboration between Atari, Plaion and Retro Games Ltd comes pre-loaded with 25 games and costs $120 / £99.

Atari is on something of a retro drive at present, having released a collection of its games on modern consoles and the Atari 2600+, an (almost) full-sized replica of the console which dominated North American living rooms at the start of the '80s.

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When the Analogue Pocket launched in 2021, it promised many things – one of which was the ability to play original cartridges for a wide range of classic systems.

The handheld can run Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance titles out of the box, but optional adapters are required to run Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, Atari Lynx and PC Engine titles – and the catch is that, at the time of release, only the Game Gear adapter was available.

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Clamshell portables have a long history; Nintendo kicked things off with its dual-screen Game & Watch range and continued the trend with the popular GBA SP, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS – a selection of systems which sold hundreds of millions of units worldwide.

There's certainly something pleasing about a device you can close after use, and Chinese manufacturer AYANEO is tapping into this with two new products: the Flip KB and Flip DS.

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AYANEO's 'Remake' line of products includes the AM01 Retro Mini PC and Slide handheld so far, but the company has just added to the range with the Retro Mini PC AM02 – another dinky personal computer which takes its design inspiration from the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Like other devices in the series, the Retro Mini PC AM02 is intended to mix old and new in a fetching fusion – and the headline story is its built-in 4-inch touchscreen display. Does this make it worth a look over the cheaper (and less powerful) AM01, though? Let's find out...

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We reviewed the Anbernic RG35XX Plus a short time ago, and found it to be a solid emulation handheld capable of playing all the way up to the PS1 and Dreamcast era.

Now, the Chinese company returns with yet another member of the same family (the 'Plus' was an interaction on the bog-standard RG35XX), this time with a landscape orientation which calls to mind the glory days of the RG350 and RG351, the company's breakout hardware hits.

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The handheld gaming PC market is becoming pretty saturated at the moment, with devices like the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, OneXPlayer and more all fighting for the same sector of the market. To stand out, some manufacturers are starting to add unique features to their products, and AYANEO – perhaps one of the most prolific companies operating in this space – has its eye firmly set on innovating in order to make an impact.

The AYANEO Slide is one of the devices the firm has released to inject a little variety into the handheld PC market; while it retains the same basic design as the AYANEO Air line of handhelds, it boasts a slide-out screen with a full keyboard underneath – giving it a USP that sets it apart from competing products.

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While the majority of handheld emulation systems have been pocket-friendly without being too tiny, there's been a growing trend in recent years to make these devices as small as possible.

The FunKey S, for example, is small enough to be attached to your keys, as is the Anbernic RG Nano, a diminutive console with a premium-style metal casing. Now, it's the turn of Game Kiddy (also known as GKD), which has just launched its $90 Pixel handheld.

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Back in 1995, Sega released the Nomad, a portable Genesis / Mega Drive which, for many fans, felt like the stuff of a madman's dreams. It offered the ability to play your 16-bit library on the move, as well as connect up to your TV for more traditional play. It was like the Nintendo Switch 20 years ahead of its time – and it was also something of a commercial dud, sadly.

Fast forward to the present day, and it seems that the world of gaming still has a soft spot for the notion of playing Mega Drive titles on the move. We've just had the announcement that Hyperkin is launching the Mega 95 soon, a handheld Mega Drive clone which comes with its own Switch-style dock, but this is far from the first product of its kind; back in 2019, Japanese company Columbus Circle released the 16Bit Pocket MD, a highly portable Mega Drive clone that accepts original carts and offers TV-out capability. We thought it was worth a look for its low price point, and the company iterated upon the concept with the 16Bit Pocket MD Plus, which was released a few years later.

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