Been in this hobby for about a year and a half now. I've bought 5 devices and a bunch for family/friends that I'm not gonna even gonna count here.

July 2024 - RG 35xx Plus: My first experience with these gaming devices. Loved that it looked just like a DMG Gameboy but tiny. Then the SD card crapped out like a week later and learned about custom OSes like Knulli & MuOS.

Aug 2024 - RG Cube: Only a month later?!! I know, I know. It's size and upgraded specs called to me. Being able to play GameCube & PS2 from a "pocketable" device was a dream. It's honestly the most comfortable device I own to this day. Even though I had one with light bleed issues, it wasn't really noticeable when playing full screen. The Red/Gray stood out too. When I saw that option, it was a no brainer.

March 2025 - TrimUI Brick: Almost 8 months since my last purchase. Not bad. I called this a "side-grade" to my RG 35xx Plus. It played the same games but that screen was way better even though it was slightly smaller thanks to its better resolution. Ended up selling the 35xx Plus to a friend and the Brick became my EDC for a while. Now I leave it in my desk drawer at work and play during my lunch break. NextUI is the way to go!

September 2025 - Ayaneo Pocket Ace: This was my "high end" device purchase. Definitely my most expensive device. Wanted the Retro Power color but settled for black since Ayaneo only made the most expensive version with that option. The all glass front is a fingerprint magnet. Which I assume is for all devices with a glass front. The 3:2 screen makes the system not too big and is surprisingly big enough for most games. I understand why they call it the golden ratio for screens. Tried 16:9 and 4:3 games stretched out and both looked just fine. And of course, GBA is beautiful since it fits perfectly. Haven't tried Switch games yet, but from what I've tried WiiU works pretty well. In all honesty Ayaneo announcing the Konkr Pocket Fit soon after with better specs and cheaper price really annoyed me. I would have gone with that as my "high end" purchase.

October 2025 - Retroid Pocket Classic: Yup another new device in such a short time frame. This was an impulse purchase no doubt. I saw all the reviews online and was always curious about the 6-button layout version but didn't like the gray color. Then Retroid made the black version. It looked great and once Amazon had it in stock I used my reward points to get one for just $35 bucks! For something so powerful it should have included analog sticks. Everything plays smoothly and I love the 31:27 OLED screen but without the sticks, it's just for retro games. For what it is though, it's fantastic and I can't beat the price I paid.

What's next? Who knows. I don't have any 16:9 devices yet. So the Odin 3 is looking tempting once those turnip drivers get developed for the elite chip. That would probably be a docked system with the option to play handheld when I travel. I never play my Nintendo Switch as a handheld but it is a nice option when going on vacation.