Sony’s next console is on the horizon, but a growing number of gamers are looking backward instead. The PS6 will almost certainly launch north of $500, and for that price, entire libraries of PlayStation classics remain locked behind aging hardware, digital storefronts, or subscription tiers that rotate titles in and out on a whim. Meanwhile, a parallel market of pocket-sized emulation handhelds has quietly exploded over the past two years, putting decades of retro gaming into devices that cost less than a single DualSense controller.
These handhelds won’t run God of War Ragnarök, and nobody is pretending they will. What they can do is play through Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Crash Bandicoot, and thousands of other PS1 titles at full speed, often with save states, fast-forward, and display filters that the original hardware never offered. Search interest in retro gaming handhelds has grown 173% year over year, and the devices fueling that demand sit at a price under $130. Five of them stand out from the flood.
Miyoo Mini Plus
The device that started the modern budget handheld craze still holds its own, even two years after launch. The Miyoo Mini Plus runs on a Sigmastar SSD202D processor with just 128MB of RAM, specs that sound laughable on paper but prove more than sufficient for everything up to and including PS1. Its 3.5-inch IPS display at 640×480 fills a vertical body small enough to disappear into a jacket pocket, and the 3000mAh battery stretches to seven hours with the right custom firmware installed.
Designer: Miyoo
That firmware, OnionOS, is the real reason this device remains so widely recommended. Built and maintained by a dedicated community of developers, OnionOS transforms the Miyoo Mini Plus from a competent emulator into one of the most polished retro gaming experiences available at any price. Features like automatic save-on-shutdown, RetroAchievements integration, and a game switcher that lets you hop between titles without returning to the menu give it a level of software refinement that devices costing three times as much still struggle to match.
What we like
OnionOS custom firmware with a polished, intuitive interface
Genuinely pocketable
Strong PS1 performance despite modest hardware
What we dislike
Extended sessions can cause hand cramps
No Bluetooth audio, no HDMI output
Anbernic RG35XX Plus
Anbernic’s answer to the Miyoo Mini Plus arrived with a meaningful hardware advantage and a familiar form factor. The RG35XX Plus swaps in an Allwinner H700 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor with 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a substantial leap over the Miyoo. That additional horsepower translates directly into smoother PS1 emulation and opens the door to Dreamcast and Nintendo DS titles that the Miyoo simply cannot handle, all wrapped in a horizontal Game Boy-inspired shell.
Designer: ANBERNIC
Connectivity is where the RG35XX Plus pulls further ahead. Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, and a mini HDMI port come standard, which means this handheld can double as a TV-connected retro console when paired with a wireless controller. Dual microSD card slots support up to 512GB each, and the 3300mAh battery delivers around eight hours of play. The trade-off is software: the stock firmware is rough enough that most owners immediately replace it with GarlicOS, a community-built alternative that requires sideloading via SD card.
What we like
Best price-to-performance, handling PS1, Dreamcast, and DS titles
Mini HDMI output and Bluetooth
What we dislike
Stock firmware can be a bit clunky
Powkiddy RGB30
Most handhelds in this price bracket borrow their proportions from the Game Boy or the PS Vita, but the Powkiddy RGB30 charts its own course with a 4.0-inch square IPS display running at 720×720. That 1:1 aspect ratio is a deliberate choice, not a gimmick. Retro games from the NES through the PS1 era were designed for 4:3 screens, and a square panel accommodates that ratio with minimal letterboxing while giving Game Boy titles a perfect native fit. The taller body this requires also gives the D-pad and dual analog sticks room to breathe.
Designer: POWKIDDY
Under the hood, a Rockchip RK3566 quad-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz, and 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM keep things moving. PS1 games run without issue, and the device extends into Dreamcast, some N64, and limited PSP territory. The 4100mAh battery is the largest on this list, rated for eight hours. Stereo speakers and Wi-Fi round out a feature set that punches above its $70 price point. Build quality, though, remains a step behind Anbernic’s hardware, with a plastic shell that feels lighter and less refined than the competition.
What we like
The 1:1 square screen is a thoughtful design decision for retro titles
Large battery at 4100mAh
What we dislike
Unremarkable build quality
Trimui Smart Pro S
The Trimui Smart Pro S occupies the top of the sub-$100 bracket and makes a strong case for spending the extra money. It packs an Allwinner A133P processor and a Mali-G57 GPU that Trimui claims delivers 2.5 times the graphics performance of the original Smart Pro. In practice, this means PS1 runs flawlessly, Dreamcast and N64 titles play at full speed, and most PSP games are smooth enough to enjoy without constant tweaking. A 4.96-inch IPS display at 1280×720 presents all of it on the largest screen in this roundup.
Designer: Trimui
The hardware refinements extend beyond the processor. TMR hall-effect analog sticks eliminate drift concerns and support L3/R3 clicks, larger trigger buttons improve ergonomics over the predecessor, and an active cooling fan prevents thermal throttling during extended sessions. A 5000mAh battery provides around five hours of play, and stereo speakers with a vibration motor round out a surprisingly complete package. The PS Vita-inspired form factor is comfortable for long stretches but makes the device less pocketable than smaller alternatives, and the 16:9 widescreen wastes real estate when displaying 4:3 retro content.
What we like
Powerful hardware
Hall-effect analog sticks and active cooling
Large 4.96-inch screen
What we dislike
The 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio isn’t good for retro gaming
Bulky and heavy
Retroid Pocket Classic
The Retroid Pocket Classic pushes past the $100 mark at $129 for the current available model, but it earns its place on this list by being the only device here running Android and the only one with an AMOLED screen. That 3.92-inch panel at 1240×1080 delivers deeper blacks and more saturated colors than any IPS display in this bracket, and the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 processor paired with up to 6GB of RAM puts it in a different performance class entirely. PS1 is effortless here. GameCube, PS2, and Saturn emulation become viable options.
Designer: Retroid
Running Android 14 with Google Play Store access means the Retroid Pocket Classic can function as more than a dedicated emulator. Streaming apps, cloud gaming services, and native Android titles all run alongside the retro emulation suite. A 5000mAh battery with 27W fast charging, active cooling, and Bluetooth 5.1 complete the picture. The vertical Game Boy-inspired body lacks analog sticks, which limits comfort with 3D-heavy titles from later console generations. Unlike the Linux devices on this list, the Retroid Pocket Classic ships without any pre-loaded games, requiring users to supply their own ROMs from the start.
What we like
3.92-inch AMOLED display
Android 14 with Google Play Store access
Powerful Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 processor
What we dislike
A bit costly for a retro gaming handheld
No analog sticks
The post 5 Best Retro Handhelds That Play PS1 Classics for Under $130 first appeared on Yanko Design.