How to Get a Handheld Console with 100s of Games for ONLY £12

Gaming can be a very expensive pastime for a number of different reasons. This is especially true if you own a new console and are always buying the latest games on launch. There are also extra accessories to think about that many gamers choose to purchase.

I love playing computer games but even I struggle to pay the price (nevermind find the time). For this reason, I have been looking into ways that I can entertain myself with the best handheld console without breaking the bank.

photo by photim from pixabay

My Current Owned Consoles

The first point of contention for me is figuring out what type of games console I am going to purchase. I currently own several game consoles in different degrees of disrepair. These include:

a miraculously playable PS1 from my childhood
a Nintendo Wii stored in the attic
a broken Xbox 360 stuffed into a box
a dusty old Xbox One that sits in my bedroom at the moment

Why is my Sony PSP inadequate?

Does PlayStation have a handheld console? Interestingly, I still own my old Sony handheld console that I have had for many years at this point.

It’s not been tested for a long time so who knows what’s going to happen functionality-wise. Although, this did make me consider if I could mod my PlayStation handheld console and make it operational again.

Having thought about this, I eventually decided against the idea. I am no way near tech savvy enough to get a modded PSP emulator to work by myself. The process seems quite time-consuming and too much effort anyway.

It’s unfortunate that most of my PSP games and the PSP charger are missing. Of course, these are replaceable but (like I said) I’m not even sure if this old handheld console still works after all these years.

I didn’t want to buy another Sony PSP handheld console as I had already played most of the best PSP games on my PlayStation Portable anyway. As most gamers know, game consoles have their own exclusive releases. For a change, I wanted to go for something completely different this time.

Why is my Microsoft Xbox One Console not good enough?

The Xbox One was actually a Christmas present that my brother generously gifted to me several years ago. However, I’ve never really had many opportunities to play it as often as I’d like. For one, I don’t have as much time for gaming as I did when I was a teenager.

This is also partly because the console itself is very much restricted to one dingey little room in my home. On top of this, it can be a bit of a hassle starting it up. This is true given the fact that you have to power up the console and then wait a while for everything to load.

As I mentioned, I only play this very occasionally. I usually find that I have to do a big update as soon as it starts up given the lengthy intervals between gaming sessions. Obviously, this takes time that could be used for having fun playing video games.

I also have to sift through my collection of games and find the right disc I want to play. Don’t get me wrong, I do understand that there are digital versions of games available but I’m not a huge fan of this concept. I’m pretty old school for physical media in that regard.

All of this combined makes gaming after a long day feel like a chore when it should be anything but that. However, there are still some good deals out there for second hand game consoles like the Xbox One if one looks hard enough.

What are the benefits of a handheld computer console?

What is a handheld console? Taking everything into account, I primarily decided to research handheld electronic consoles only. There are a few different reasons for this (I’m sure you can guess one or two).

The stand-out feature of handheld consoles for me is their pick up and play nature. They are great for casual gamers who just want a short break from the norm in that sense. Typically, you can fire up these types of devices fairly quickly without much trouble.

It’s easy to play a quick level when you have a spare minute. You can’t really do this as simply with a standard games console that is hooked up to a television.

The next thing that crossed my mind was the level of portability on offer. I can carry a handheld console around with me in my pocket just like a smartphone. In addition, I can also play it in any room in the house which adds to the convenience.

If it is a nice day, I can even play a video game handheld console outside in my backyard. It’s great for when one is away from home and on the go as well.

Is the Valve Steam Deck the best handheld console of all time?

What is the current best handheld console? Being one of the most powerful contenders, I briefly took a non-serious look at the Valve Steam handheld console which is just a super impressive achievement in my eyes.

This is basically a high end handheld gaming PC that can even play the most recent AAA releases with relative ease like:

Looking at the 512GB Valve Steam Deck specs, some believe that it is the fastest handheld console available right now. The 64GB Steam Deck isn’t bad either.

How much is a Steam Deck? The price tag for this next gen handheld console is pretty ridiculous making it one of the most expensive handheld consoles on the market. Although, I would absolutely love to own such a good quality handheld gaming console one day.

Should I get a Steam Deck? Is Steam Deck worth it? There is certainly a strong argument for this being the best handheld console ever. Thinking of alternatives, I’m sure there is another handheld game console like Steam Deck if you look hard enough.

Nintendo Handheld Console Devices

What are the best handheld consoles? When it came time to begin properly researching handheld consoles, my mind immediately leaped to Nintendo. Nintendo has a pretty infallible reputation for producing top quality handheld consoles of the:

1990s
2000s
2010s

You just have to look back to the original Game Boy and then flash forward to the Nintendo Switch Lite and every single Nintendo handheld console that has been released in between. Can you remember your first Nintendo handheld console?

Speaking of the Nintendo Switch Lite, I strongly considered getting one of these. I think it’s pretty safe to say that this might be the most popular handheld console at the moment.

In fact, my brother has one and tells me how much fun he has playing The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Odyssey.

How much is a Nintendo Switch Lite? Purchasing a brand new Nintendo Switch Lite can be pricey to say the least. How much is a used Nintendo Switch Lite? The price of a second hand or pre owned Nintendo Switch Lite for sale isn’t much of an improvement either. The same with a refurbished Nintendo Switch Lite.

Nintendo Switch Lite accessories add to your total bill too. Is Nintendo Switch Lite worth it? What is the cheapest Nintendo handheld console? Going back, I chose to explore the earlier generations such as the:

A portable handheld console developed by Nintendo as listed above is slightly easier on the wallet but still a lot of money when you think about having to buy games too. There is no real sign of the handheld console dying out.

On platforms like Etsy, you can actually buy a modded handheld console like the 2DS XL with hundreds of pre-installed games. Certain modders view it as the best handheld console to hack along with the Nintendo 3DS emulator.

Although, I would still be paying roughly £200 which is still expensive for something that is so old and used. To demonstrate my point, you have to bear in mind that the original Nintendo 3DS came out all the way back in 2011.

What’s wrong with Nintendo Switch Lite games?

One of the biggest problems with video games for Nintendo Switch Lite and previous generations is how expensive they are in comparison with other systems.

Unlike other video games which mostly come in disc format, Nintendo produces cartridges instead. This can make production costly because of the necessary materials required. This then leads to the high price of each video game for the consumer.

Sadly, the best Nintendo Switch Lite games don’t really depreciate in price all that much either. This kind of throws the redundant idea of waiting over time to buy a bargain pre-owned game out of the window.

Why are new games so expensive?

The brunt of the cost of any gaming experience seems to be the number of games available to buy rather than just the price of the console itself.

I think console manufacturers hope to make their main profit from the number of video games you will buy for that particular system over its lifetime. This seems to be the case rather than placing all their faith in console sales alone.

Budget Retro Handheld Emulators

I was beginning to get a bit frustrated having almost run out of options. Nevertheless, I was enticed by something called a retro handheld emulator. For the rest of us, this is simply a handheld console that plays roms (old games). It is ultimately a retro game console that you can hold in your hands.

These devices are very affordable Chinese made games consoles. As a bonus, a handheld console for emulators often comes pre-loaded with thousands of free retro games. There are almost too many models to choose from when it comes to retro emulators.

As a matter of fact, there is a pretty cool brand called Anbernic that is famous for this. If you look at their website alone, you will find dozens of new handheld consoles of varying prices. You will find some of the best Chinese handheld consoles and also maybe the best handheld game console under $100.

Additionally, they sell Game Boy style vertical handheld consoles too. You should watch out for upcoming retro game consoles as well.

I even went down a YouTube wormhole of people unboxing and playing retro handheld emulators. There are plenty of video reviews of 64 bit handheld game consoles to watch on there too.

What is the cheapest handheld console emulator?

The cheapest emulator console I found was on eBay and it was unbranded being listed for less than £12 brand new. This made me justifiably suspicious and it almost seemed too good to be true.

It likely won’t be the highest quality handheld gaming console out there. Nonetheless, it may indeed be the best knock off handheld game console for the price.

It strongly felt like I would be getting exactly what I paid for if I followed through with this purchase. The reviews for it were decent but I didn’t expect it to be a quality build so I moved one.

Conversely, I was willing to pay more than £12 anyway (even I’m not that much of a penny pincher). I thought it would ultimately be worth shelling out more for a step up in quality or two in my retro games emulator device.

Is the Retroid Pocket 3+ the best retro handheld console emulator?

Which handheld console is the best? One handheld console that particularly impressed me is the Retroid Pocket 3+. The Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is capable of running any game from the original NES all the way up to the GameCube level. It is an excellent handheld console for PS2 especially.

This is pretty extraordinary sounding when you consider the Retroid Pocket 3+ specs and generally the limited hardware of a handheld device. The value for money alone is superb. It has got a stellar reputation from those who have played and owned it too.

The price was set at around £150 which was just a tad bit more than I was willing to spend. I’ve recently seen a more up-market metal version of the Retroid Pocket 3+ handheld retro gaming system as well.

Is the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus worth it? If you want a handheld console with built in games that can achieve PS2 emulation then this is probably your best bet. The ability to play Resident Evil 4 on a relatively cheap handheld device is really cool in my book.

What’s Old is New Again

The nice thing about buying an all in one retro game console is the fact that I never got the opportunity to play the majority of these old games in the past. For example, it will give me a chance to experience 99% of NES games for the first time.

I was a child during the PS1 era so it will be as if they are new (which they essentially were to me). It feels way more cost effective to go this route rather than buying the latest launches on new consoles.

photo by DizzyRoseblade from pixabay

As you can see, there is an overwhelming amount of choice when it comes to purchasing game consoles and video games. Although, once you dig deep enough, it’s pretty clear that some options are far more costly than others.

From what I have seen so far, I have compiled a shortlist in my mind. I will now have to assess my options and come to a final decision. One can gather up more information about affordable handheld gaming through channels like retrododo and techaeris.

Websites like eBay, AliExpress, and Etsy are three of the most affordable places to look for budget handheld consoles. If you are interested, I would suggest browsing through these three platforms. You will be able to get some ideas to get you started.

Your smartphone is a pretty decent little gaming device in its own right. Believe it or not, you can even get paid to play mobile games on your phone. Rewards apps like mistplay will let you make money to do exactly this so maybe give it a try.

Is it an overstatement to call the Steam Deck the best game handheld console in the world? How much money are you willing to pay for a handheld games console and explain why? What are your honest thoughts on retro emulators overall?

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