LETS PLAY A GAME

pick your fighter

The Options

The Metrics

We score all three on:

  • 🔋 Battery Life
  • 🎒 Portability / Durability
  • 🚀 Performance / Games it can play
  • 📁 Clamshell

EVERY ONE

Every single one can do basic emulation, at least:

GBA · SNES · Genesis · PS1 · N64 · Dreamcast · PSP · DS, and more.
All run Android, so Minecraft + Android games are easy.

🔋 Battery

Vertical bars = average hours. Targets: Retro · PS1/N64 · PSP/Dreamcast · GameCube/PS2 · Wii
12.5
Retro
9.5
PS1
8.5
PSP
5.5
GC
4.5
Wii
12
Retro
9
PS1
8
PSP
5.5
GC
4.5
Wii
Second screen can be switched off
10
Retro
8
PS1
7
PSP
5
GC
4
Wii

🎒 Size & Durability

Smallest / most pocketable biggest:

300 g · folds shut ·
screen protected ✅
slab · biggest body ·
screen exposed ⚠️
380 g · folds shut ·
but chunky
Best for a backpack: left card. Worst: middle card.

📁 Clamshell

Clamshell? Second screen?
❌ ❌
✅ ✅
✅ ❌

Hide-in-bag, screen-safe: and .

✋ Comfort & Grip

Roomiest
screen lives in the lid, so the whole lower half is controls
Pinched
lower half shares space with the second screen
Pinched
screen takes the middle, controls crowd the edges
Single-screen clamshell = most room for your hands.

🚀 Performance

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
PS2 · GameCube · Wii
some Switch
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
PS2 · GameCube · Wii
some Switch
Snapdragon 865
PS2 · GameCube · Wii
light Switch only

🎛️ Controls, Your Way

Choose your layout
D-pad on top or stick on top
Fixed
one layout only
Fixed
one layout only
Only the left card lets you pick where the D-pad and stick sit.

🎮 The Edge: Switch

The "secret console" litmus test:

  • ✅ some Switch
  • ✅ some Switch
  • ❌ no (2D/light only)

Only the top two touch the Switch library.

My Personal Choices 🎁

1 · Retroid Pocket Flip 2
the clamshell pick
2 · Retroid Pocket 6
my own pick
3 · AYN Thor
only if you want the second screen
For me it's the Pocket 6. If you want the clamshell, take the Flip 2 first.