This $59 handheld is perfect for retro gaming and comes with dual memory card slots
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The past few weeks have brought big news for handheld gamers, with Lenovo’s Legion Go S set to be the first non-Valve gaming handheld to come with SteamOS and the launch trailer of the Nintendo Switch 2 being just a few highlights. And now, we’ve come across a retro device for retro games – via the medium of emulation.
Emulating 20+ consoles, NES games to Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation One, and PlayStation Portable titles, this handheld runs it all. Thanks to support for up to two memory cards, you won't have to worry about running out of storage. On top of that, the console comes preloaded with over 15,000 retro titles, meaning you can start gaming as soon as you take it out of the box.
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A closer look at the R36H handheld console
The R36H’s target audience is fans of retro gaming. Much like other portable retro consoles, it runs a highly modified version of Linux, powered by a Rockchip RK3566 SoC with four Cortex-A53 cores running at up to 1.8 GHz. As mentioned before, it allows you to add up to two memory cards, with the option to choose from two different storage configurations.
The overall design of the console truly gives it a retro look, featuring a transparent body with all the essential input options, including two analog sticks, a D-pad, face buttons, and a total of four shoulder buttons. As for the display, it comes with a 3.5-inch IPS screen with a 640×480 resolution, which does the job for retro gaming. It also offers a decent battery life – its 3,000 mAh battery promises up to five hours of use and is rechargeable via a USB-C port. There is also a second USB-C port, which supports OTG for a larger-screen gaming experience.
Retro gaming on a budget
For those on the hunt for a budget handheld to play their favorite retro games like Super Mario 64 or Space Invaders, the R36H is an affordable option that won't break the bank. You can get the R36H handheld console from the official R36H website for $59 for the 64GB version and $79 for the 128GB model. It also comes in four colors; Purple, Black, White, and Orange. While there aren't many reviews on the website yet, the two available are both 5-star, with one calling it “value for money.”