If you've been keeping track of all the Switch 2 excitement, then you might be aware that the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is getting some new features, including the ability to rewind gameplay and apply a CRT-style filter.

Now, it's understandable that Nintendo might make some of these features exclusive to its latest console—it did a similar thing with SNES games on the New Nintendo 3DS—but some people have quite rightly pointed out that things like screen filters are not something you'd usually expect to be locked beyond a hardware upgrade, as it's not like they require the power of Switch 2 in order to work.

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While it wasn't as successful as Sony (then known as Sony Ericsson) hoped, the Xperia Play made one heck of a splash when it was first announced.

Combining the promise of smartphone technology with the company's PlayStation brand, the Android-based handset boasted slide-out physical controls and support for a range of PS1 classics and was also a popular choice with emulation fans.

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We've seen quite a few retro games get the decompilation treatment recently, but there's a new work-in-progress project that is attempting to do something a little different.

The process of decompilation basically turns 'executable' code back into human-readable source code, and zeldaret is doing just that with the N64 emulator used in the GameCube release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

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Emulating systems like the Game Boy Advance, SNES and Mega Drive / Genesis is pretty straightforward these days, but the Nintendo DS is a slightly trickier proposition, thanks to its dual display format and touchscreen capabilities.

We have the AYANEO Flip DS, but that powerful handheld PC is so expensive that most people won't be willing to fork out the cash just to play DS titles. Thankfully, a more wallet-friendly alternative is on the horizon via MagicX and its Zero 40 handheld (thanks, Retro Handhelds).

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The Wii U GamePad is surely one of Nintendo's most contentious innovations. On one hand, it offered asymmetric gameplay possibilities that had never been witnessed before, and also allowed you to play games on the controller when the main TV was being used for something else—a feature which, you could argue, directly inspired its successor, the Switch.

On the downside, the Wii U GamePad was criminally underused and, beyond a handful of titles, never really justified itself. It was also hamstrung by the fact that only one player could use it (Nintendo never did follow through on its claim that multiple GamePads could be connected to a single console), and its battery life was disappointing.

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A new PC-based Sega Saturn emulator is doing the rounds called Ymir, and it's already showing plenty of promise despite only being at v0.1.2.

As you can see from the footage below, the emulator is already capable of running SEGA Rally very accurately.

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After announcing back in March of this year that funding had been pulled for his Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2 arcade emulator BigInstinct, Rich Whitehouse has now revealed that the project has gathered enough support to allow him to continue working on it and that it will be released in beta this week to his Patreon supporters.

While it is already possible to emulate the Killer Instinct arcade games in MAME (as we noted back when we first covered the project earlier this year), Whitehouse's emulator is interesting as it hopes to offer players a faster, more accurate, and more feature-rich alternative to those that are already available online.

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When Miyoo announced its GBA SP-style 'Flip' handheld a while back, it caused plenty of interest online—until the device actually arrived in the hands of customers, at least.

The most pressing problem related to the Flip's hinge mechanism, leading the company to retool the device to create the Flip V2—complete with an improved design which promised to make such hinge-based headaches a thing of the past.

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Boutique publisher Limited Run Games was recently accused of a GPL (general public license) violation in relation to Tomba! Special Edition, which, it was discovered, uses the PSXC-Rearmed emulator.

The issue was flagged on January 27th and has recently resurfaced and brought to our attention by several readers of the site.

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Update : According to a new YouTube video, the Anbernic RG 557 will go on sale tomorrow on April 25th, 2025 at 6:00 PM Beijing Time (11am BST/6am EDT).

The emulation device will be available to buy from Anbernic's website, with the price starting at $234.99, as part of a $15 off deal lasting until April 28th, before eventually rising to $249.99. Judging from the comments below the video, this is a bit more than many were expecting, with several commenters expressing disappointment with the current price point.

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Anbernic, one of the leading makers of emulation handhelds, has said it will be suspending all orders to the United States following President Donald Trump's introduction of tariffs on Chinese-made goods (thanks, Gizmodo).

"Due to changes in U.S. tariff policies, we will be suspending all orders shipping from China to the United States starting today," says Anbernic, which has produced a long line of portable devices focused on retro emulation. "We strongly recommend prioritizing products shipped from our U.S. warehouse, which are currently not affected by import duties and can be purchased with confidence."

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In a world where analogue control is now seen as more important than digital, we've recently seen some emulation handhelds (AYANEO Pocket S, we're looking at you) get their input layout completely wrong, placing the all-important D-pad below the left-hand analogue stick—which might be the accepted practice on the Nintendo Switch, but makes far less sense on a device where you'll be focusing on digital control first and foremost.

Thankfully, PowKiddy is more sensible with its new X35H handheld; the D-pad is exactly where it belongs, sitting above the analogue stick, precisely where your thumb naturally rests.

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Last year, I reviewed the Anbernic RG35XX SP, an emulation handheld which was modelled after Nintendo's legendary GBA SP device. As is so often the case in this sector of the market, the RG35XX SP isn't the only option available if you like a clamshell portable, and Anbernic rival Miyoo has released its own take on the concept, the Miyoo Flip. What I've actually got here is the second version of the device, with the company swiftly taking on early feedback and altering a few things in its second production run.

Like the RG35XX SP, it's clearly inspired by Nintendo's machine, but copies the SP's design even more closely; in terms of overall size, it's almost exactly the same as the GBA SP, whereas Anbernic's offering was a little larger.

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Thu 13th Mar 2025

AYANEO has already released some impressive retro-focused handheld devices recently, including the Game Boy-style Pocket DMG and the candy bar-like Pocket Micro—but the Chinese firm isn't done with this sector of the market, it seems.

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Tue 15th Oct 2024

Polymega's much-delayed GC01 Gun Controller is shipping soon, we can confirm.

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Update : Online multiplayer has arrived for iPhone's Delta Emulator, as part of update 1.7 (h/t: The Verge).

The feature was launched last year in Beta but is now available for all users, via AltStore PAL and the App Store. This means you can now take advantage of the online functionality of games like Mario Kart and Animal Crossing, while using the emulator.

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Update : Bleem is being relaunched as "the largest retro gaming project" via a crowdfunding campaign, according to rights holder Piko Interactive.

"This project is the culmination of 11 years in the making for our company," says the Kickstarter page. "We have been collecting the rights of video game IP and pop culture IP like Cartoons, Toys, and comic books. And we are working on this incredibly weird and awesome project that we call Bleem.net."

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In 2025, there will be plenty of options available to people who want legal access to retro games, including Evercade, Antstream, Nintendo Switch Online, and PS Plus. However, the team behind Recade is hoping there will be room for one more and is building "a platform dedicated to the arcade community and providing the space to reconnect those passionate players to the games and community they love."

Recade is an emulation box that goes under your TV and is powered by an as-yet-unnamed quad-core processor. It boasts dual-band WiFi and connects to your TV via HDMI, like any other modern-day console. It will ship with its own wireless controller, which features a six-button setup, eight-way D-pad, and a Hall effect analogue stick.

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If you've tried to play Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot in the past using the PS3 Emulator RPCS3, you'll know that the experience is still far from perfect, requiring a bunch of patches to mitigate some of the issues you're bound to encounter upon running the game.

Nevertheless, there has been some promising news over the past week who are willing to put up with some of these challenges, with RPCS3 making the exciting announcement that one of its developers, elad335, had managed to identify the root cause of a long-running issue that has been plaguing the game for a while now.

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While Nintendo did a good job of convincing people that the arcade version of Rare's original Killer Instinct was running on the exact same hardware that would power the N64, the reality is that the arcade fighter was actually powered by custom hardware created in collaboration between Rare and Midway which uses a 64-bit MIPS CPU.

While Killer Instinct is playable in MAME, programmer Rich Whitehouse recently revealed that he has been working on something far more accurate and impressive: a custom emulator designed to run Killer Instinct and its coin-op sequel as faithfully as possible, but with some cool bonus features.

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Released back in 2023, the Miyoo Mini Plus remains a solid favourite in handheld emulation circles thanks to its low price, pocket-friendly design and relatively powerful internals.

It has since been overtaken by some other portable devices, but thanks to a new collaboration with Skull Gaming, reseller MechDIY is offering a souped-up variant which boasts a metal shell, improved buttons and an upgraded speaker.

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AYANEO may be famous for its gaming-focused handhelds, but the company has also produced other products, including the AM01 and AM02 mini PCs.

The AM02 was notable for offering a secondary display on the body of the PC itself, showing elements such as running temperature and power output.

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Update : The pre-order pages are now live for the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 and Retroid Pocket Classic.

If you want to pick up either device, you should head over to the Retroid Pocket store, where you will find both devices currently for sale. Shipments are expected to start in mid-April

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BitmoLab's GameBaby iPhone gaming case was one of 2024's more interesting accessories, offering physical controls along with an impressive level of protection for your smartphone.

The company is back with a new and improved design that mixes "metal and silicone materials" — an upgrade on the plastic and silicone construction of the original GameBaby.

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AYANEO is about to lift the lid on its next Android gaming handheld, the Pocket S2.

The successor to one of the best Android portables money can buy, the S2 will be powered by "the latest Qualcomm flagship gaming platform" and is due to be shown off during GDC 2025, which kicks off this week.

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