Retro

SNK has confirmed that its “MISSION REBOOT” initiative will revive Metal Slug for the series’ 30th anniversary, with developers signaling a long-term effort to return the franchise to a major role after years without a numbered entry.

Rockstar Games’ $99.99 Grand Theft Auto VI Ultimate Edition reportedly locks key single-player content behind a $20 premium over the $79.99 Standard Edition, including exclusive stores, vehicle mod shops, cosmetics, weapons, vehicles, and side quests.

Retroid has finally announced the Pocket Nova as its latest handheld. Available in colorful options, the new handheld packs 4:3 aspect ratio, a 120Hz AMOLED screen, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-level performance for under $250.

Ayaneo has revealed more details about its new gaming handheld. Positioned as a smaller alternative to its Windows options, the Pocket Micro 2 sports a premium design with recessed TMR joysticks, a “full-featured” USB Type-C port and a full glass front.

Retroid has revealed the color options, its upcoming handheld, the Pocket Nova will be available in. All of the colors should be familiar to Retroid fans as they have been borrowed from existing handhelds.

Retroid has shared a new image that reveals what its next handheld, the Pocket Nova looks like. It has also provided the specifications of the device's display.

LEGO has not confirmed the set; reports from established community leakers point to an October–December launch window, positioning it as the next major retro-gaming model after LEGO’s NES, Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy sets.

The Acemagic Retro X3 mini PC, powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 225H CPU is officially discounted by 30% on Amazon until June 30. The mini PC is a great fit as a mid-range HTPC, with its retro NES styling, small form factor, and a high-performance Radeon 780M iGPU.

Ayaneo has revealed three new features of the Pocket Micro 2 handheld. It has also disclosed a launch date for the upcoming Android handheld.

ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs offers a hands-on, low-pressure repair sim set in mid-2000s Akihabara, letting players restore PSPs, Nintendo DS-style handhelds, flip phones, music players, and classic Atari hardware.

The figure will be displayed at Sega Store Tokyo in Shibuya PARCO from June 23, 2026, as part of a broader anniversary campaign including merchandise, concerts, and brand collaborations.

Anbernic has unveiled a new handheld called the RG 55G1. While it is still keeping the technical details under wraps, the device which looks like a Nintendo Switch Lite has symmetrical thumbsticks, RGB lights, and a cooling fan.

After announcing that the Pocket Micro 2 will be getting a battery life improvement, Ayaneo has revealed the battery capacity. The bigger battery alongside the new Snapdragon processor should translate to longer playtime for users.

Lenovo’s disputed G02 retro handheld has resurfaced on AliExpress as the SUNYAO G02, marketed as “invested by Lenovo” and offered with up to 30,000 preloaded games. The relisting renews scrutiny over Lenovo’s links to a China-only white-label device previously criticized for shipping internationally with allegedly illegal ROMs.

Anbernic has launched a dedicated replacement parts program for nearly all of its retro handhelds, allowing users to buy shells, screens, batteries, buttons, rubber pads, and motherboards directly, rather than relying on support requests or third-party sellers.

Sega’s newly titled Virtua Fighter Crossroads marks the franchise’s first original mainline entry in nearly two decades, with producer-director Riichiro Yamada saying the team avoided the Virtua Fighter 6 name to signal a broader creative reset.

A new Neo Geo AES DOOM effort has emerged after Modern Vintage Gamer demonstrated a basic raycasting engine on SNK’s famously 2D-focused hardware. The DoomGeo project has since expanded the concept with DOOM-style gameplay elements, including a HUD, weapons, enemies, and visual features that bring the console closer than ever to running the classic shooter.

Retroid has announced the return of a 12GB RAM version of the Pocket 6 Android handheld. The new variant arrives with less storage, fewer colors, but the same price as the discontinued version.

TrimUI has revealed that it has two new handhelds on the way. The two devices, which will arrive as the Brick Hammer Pro U and Brick Pro, are the successors to the Brick and Brick Hammer vertical handhelds released in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

A new rumor suggests Sega or a licensing partner may be exploring a low-cost retro handheld built around physical cartridges, a 5-inch OLED display, and hardware optimized for modern 2D pixel-art games.

Harbour Masters, known for polished Nintendo 64 PC ports, is expanding its Libultraship tools to GameCube titles, with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess leading the effort through the native PC port Twilight Princess: Courage Reborn.

ModRetro’s M64 is a new FPGA-based Nintendo 64 console built around AMD’s Artix UltraScale+ FPGA, aiming to reproduce original cartridge hardware behavior with tighter timing, input response, and accuracy than conventional emulation. Launching July 28, 2026, the system will start at $199 for early backers, alongside a $90 Bluetooth Pro Controller and a lineup of new N64-compatible titles.

The M64 is essentially a modern retro console that also supports original hardware for exceptionally accurate emulation. The manufacturer, ModRetro, has now commented on the console's release.

D.C. startup dumb.co has launched the Dumbphone 2, a $20 companion phone that syncs with your smartphone but strips it to essentials — Uber, maps, calls, texts. Plans run $15.99-$25.99/mo, with a standalone tier for kids and smartphone quitters.

Colin Porch, 81, has released Return to Blacktooth: A Head Over Heels Adventure, a long-abandoned sequel begun 37 years ago, now available for Atari ST and Commodore Amiga via itch.io.

A rare New Nintendo 3DS XL signed by Shigeru Miyamoto and awarded to John “Numbers” Goldberg, winner of the 2015 Nintendo World Championships, has surpassed $21,000 in an eBay auction. The mint-condition handheld, featuring Miyamoto’s signature and a Mario sketch, is drawing strong collector interest due to its provenance and the rarity of Miyamoto-signed Nintendo memorabilia.

YouTuber James Channel transformed a broken PS2 Slim into the “JamesStation 2,” a duct-taped portable handheld with salvaged controller parts, a GPS screen, rewired ports, and an exposed spinning disc drive. Despite its crude and hazardous construction, the DIY console reportedly runs demanding PS2 games for up to five hours on a 10,000 mAh battery, outlasting the Steam Deck.

OmniDrive, an open-source custom firmware for select Blu-ray drives, gives PC users a legal way to dump and preserve their own GameCube, Wii, Xbox, PlayStation, and other disc-based games.

Panic has added Crankboy to the Playdate Catalogue, bringing full-speed Game Boy emulation to the crank-equipped handheld for $10, with four bundled homebrew titles and support for legally imported ROMs.

The Linux on PS5 hack makes the console a tempting platform for the RPCS3 PS3 emulator. Digital Foundry discovered that more GPU-dependent games thrived on the newer hardware. Unfortunately, performance suffered with titles designed to maximize the PlayStation 3’s cell processor.

Anbernic has released cheaper versions of one of its popular retro handhelds. Now available with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, the Anbernic RG557 is significantly cheaper than it was previously, despite retaining an AMOLED display and a powerful chipset.

After Google declined to repair a Pixel 8 with a persistent pink display line, its owner repurposed the otherwise functional phone into a compact retro gaming console connected to a TV. Using a USB-C hub, wired controllers, active PC-fan cooling, HDMI output, and EmulationStation Desktop Edition, the project turns damaged hardware into a practical emulation setup rather than e-waste.

Modder Throaty Mumbo has successfully ported Windows CE 2.11 to the Nintendo 64, using custom-built drivers, Microsoft’s old Platform Builder tools, and an EverDrive 64 cartridge to boot the system on original hardware. The project turns the retro console into a functional Windows CE desktop with controller-based mouse input, audio and graphics support, SD card app loading, and demos including Cube3D and Tetris.

Powkiddy has released a new retro handheld globally. Available in a choice of three colours, the Powkiddy P36S is comparatively small despite featuring two joysticks, two USB Type-C ports and a pair of microSD card slots.

Ayaneo is preparing to announce new products on May 21. In the meantime, a second budget handheld has appeared bearing Ayaneo Bitwave branding. A horizontal model, the new device may feature a 120 Hz display but lacks any joysticks to speak of.

Update Edited on Monday, May 18th with more detailed optimization info and a few corrections. The first installment of [Tuesday Tweaks] covers Lossless Scaling, its vendor-neutral Frame Generation, and how it can be used to achieve higher framerates in games locked to 30 or 60 FPS, including emulators, fighting games, and etc. The actual Scaling functionality will also be briefly discussed.

Ayaneo has put a pause on new product announcements for a few months now, but it appears it might have a new product on the horizon. Thanks to a new report, we have a first look at images and the user manual of a new handheld that is expected to launch as the Ayaneo Pocket Block.

A new Game Maker’s Toolkit video examines how Rockstar made Grand Theft Auto III’s Liberty City work within the PlayStation 2’s 32MB memory limit by using a dynamic asset-streaming system. Through source-code analysis and a modded executable, Mark Brown shows how the game continuously loaded nearby city sectors while unloading areas behind the player, creating the illusion of a seamless open world.

Alejandro Martin, creator of the troubled SuperSega FPGA console, has returned with “SuperSega V3,” a handmade wooden PC-style system promising support for original Sega cartridges and discs alongside user-installed high-end hardware. Given the project’s vague pricing, limited production claims, past refund controversies, and apparent reliance on standard emulation, the new pitch is likely to face deep skepticism from retro gaming consumers.

In 2024, a modern version of the ZX Spectrum was released, however, it was available in the same black version as the original. Now, buyers can purchase The Spectrum in white, which is based on the one-millionth white version of the original that was specially made for Clive Sinclair.

The Yoo Y1, a new Android-based retro handheld from Chinese designer Zhang, is drawing early attention for its premium build, minimalist glass front, 3:2 1620 x 1080 display, TMR joysticks, Hall-Effect triggers, metal frame, and 6,000mAh battery. While its processor remains unconfirmed, the device’s final performance and connectivity features could determine whether it becomes a serious rival to established premium handhelds from Retroid and Ayn.

Anbernic has refreshed its RG34XX SP handheld with a new model. Apparently more than just a visual refresh, the new Metallic Blue variant also brings a metallic finish to the RG34XX SP that was missing from its existing four colour options.

The Lenovo G02 is a new handheld designed to emulate retro games. Featuring a 4.5-inch IPS display, the Lenovo G02 comes in multiple colours with more than a passing resemblance to the Anbernic RG40XX V.

Macho Nacho Productions’ Tito spotlights the “Kawaii,” a keychain-sized, heavily trimmed Nintendo Wii built by YveltalGriffin and WeskMods that plays full GameCube titles on original hardware, not emulation, inside a CNC-machined aluminum shell that doubles as a heatsink. The project relies on an undervolted Omega-trim motherboard with Thundervolt hardware and a magnetic pogo-pin connector, with an optional dock for full-size controller ports and AV output, though heat buildup can trigger shutdowns without added cooling.

8BitMods has showcased its BitLink DC Kit, an aftermarket upgrade that converts a Sega Dreamcast controller into a motion-control racing wheel, adding 2.4 GHz wireless play, rumble, RGB lighting, VMU virtual support, and USB-C charging.

Nearly 30 years after Core Design’s planned Nintendo 64 version of Tomb Raider was canceled, a homebrew developer known as Snake has demonstrated a work-in-progress port running on N64 hardware via the Analogue 3D. Built from scratch using the TRX decompilation approach alongside libdragon and Tiny3D, the project reportedly implements most of the full game but still faces major bugs and performance constraints, with no release date or ROM distribution confirmed.

Lego and Sega’s newly revealed Sega Genesis set (40926) launches June 1, 2026, for $39.99 with 479 pieces, detachable controllers, and a plug-in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cartridge, but its compact size and sticker-heavy build have drawn immediate criticism. Fans online say it lacks the detail and premium feel of Lego’s larger retro console kits, particularly the 2,646-piece NES set, and some argue even the earlier Genesis Controller gift-with-purchase model looks more faithful.

Preorders for Plaion Replai and SNK’s 1:1 Neo Geo AES+ reproduction have hit a snag in the U.S. and Canada, where buyers currently can’t order directly from Plaion’s site due to state-by-state tax registration requirements triggered by unexpectedly high demand. Plaion is directing customers to Amazon for the $249.99 standard and $349.99 Anniversary editions with a listed November 12, 2026 delivery, while the $1,000 REPLAI-exclusive Ultimate Edition remains unavailable until compliance is completed around late May.

Blaze Entertainment has unveiled two retro-inspired handhelds based on the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, each packed with 25 classic games. The devices blend nostalgic design with modern features — but come at a noticeably higher price than typical emulation handhelds.