Mainline Linux kernel support coming to cheap retro gaming handhelds like Powkiddy X55

Phoronix has noticed that more Linux distributions could soon be available to a recent Powkiddy retro gaming handheld. By default, the Powkiddy X55 utilises a customised Linux distribution, as do many of its contemporaries. However, mainline Linux kernel support is actively being developed for the device, which currently sells for $114.99 on Amazon with a $20 coupon or for US$89 via Powkiddy directly.

For reference, Powkiddy bases the X55 around the Rockchip RK3566, an SoC that integrates four ARM Cortex-A55 CPU cores clocked at 1.8 GHz and a Mali-G52 GPU. Incidentally, the same chipset can be found in other Powkiddy devices, including the RGB30 and RK2023. Arguably, the X55 is the most capable of the three, thanks to its 2 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 4,000 mAh battery and 5.5-inch IPS display. Please see our Powkiddy X55 launch article for more details.

Theoretically, this should bring bug fixes and improvements to the X55 more quickly than Powkiddy would otherwise provide. As Tom's Hardware notes, adding bringing the X55 onto Linux's mainline kernel implies that the same could happen for other retro gaming handhelds. For context, the Anbernic RGxx3 series already supports mainline Linux, including the RG353P and RG353M.