Welcome to our comprehensive retro gaming handhelds Black Friday 2025 Buying Guide. The holiday season is the perfect time to upgrade your gaming setup, and this year’s DROIX Black Friday sales (starting November 28th) promise incredible discounts. You can expect massive savings not just on retro gaming handhelds, but across the store on accessories, mini PCs, and more. Whether you are looking for a powerful portable retro gaming console or a budget-friendly gift, our guide will help you navigate the best deals available.
The AYANEO Pocket Range in our Retro Gaming Handhelds Black Friday 2025 Buying Guide
The AYANEO Pocket range represents the cutting edge of Android gaming, combining premium aesthetics with raw power. Leading the charge is the AYANEO Pocket S, a device that redefines slimness. It features the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 chipset, providing flagship performance in a sleek, smartphone-thin chassis. For gamers who crave immersion, the AYANEO Pocket Evo is a standout choice. It boasts a massive 7-inch OLED display and an 8600mAh battery, ensuring your marathon gaming sessions look vibrant and last longer.
On the more compact side, the AYANEO Pocket Micro pays homage to classic designs. This vintage gaming handheld is crafted with a premium aluminium frame and sports a 3.5-inch 960×640 screen, perfect for playing Game Boy Advance titles at 4x integer scaling. Similarly, the AYANEO Pocket DMG offers a unique vertical orientation equipped with a high-quality OLED screen. It blends nostalgic form factors with modern performance, capable of handling demanding emulation tasks with ease.
Completing the lineup is the AYANEO Pocket Ace, a device designed for those who want high performance in a pocketable form factor. With a 4.5-inch screen and a powerful Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 processor, it strikes a great balance between size and speed. Across the entire range, you will find premium features such as Hall Effect joysticks to prevent drift and sophisticated active cooling systems. These elements ensure that the AYANEO Pocket devices remain cool and responsive, even during intense gameplay.
If you are looking for premium build quality and diverse form factors, the AYANEO range is hard to beat. From the retro-inspired Micro to the powerhouse Evo, there is a device for every type of user. This variety makes the AYANEO series a top contender in our retro gaming handhelds Black Friday 2025 Buying Guide.
AYN Odin Range: The Powerhouse Mobile Gaming Handheld
The AYN Odin series has firmly established itself as the gold standard for performance-focused Android handhelds. The AYN Odin 2 family, which includes the Base, Pro, and Max models, is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. This chipset allows for flawless emulation of notoriously difficult systems like the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, often at upscaled resolutions. The device also features a large 8000mAh battery and active cooling, making it a reliable workhorse for any library.
For those who prioritize display technology, the AYN Odin 2 Portal is a game-changer. It features a stunning 7-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering incredibly fluid visuals and deep blacks. This makes it an exceptional choice for game streaming and modern Android titles. Alternatively, if portability is your main concern, the AYN Odin 2 Mini Pro packs the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 power into a smaller shell. It utilizes a brilliant Mini LED display, offering high brightness and contrast in a compact package that fits easily in a bag.
The original AYN Odin Pro remains a viable option for budget-conscious buyers. While it uses an older Snapdragon 845 chipset, it still handles a vast array of retro systems competently and features the widely praised ergonomic design that the series is known for. It serves as an excellent entry point into high-end emulation without the premium price tag of the newer models.
Ultimately, the AYN range is synonymous with power and reliability. Whether you choose the cutting-edge Portal or the compact Mini Pro, you are getting a mobile gaming handheld designed to handle anything you throw at it. These devices are sure to be a highlight of the Black Friday 2025 sales.
Retroid Pocket 3 Plus
The Retroid Pocket 3 Plus remains a fan favourite due to its excellent balance of price and performance. Under the hood, it sports a Unisoc Tiger T618 octa-core processor paired with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM. This configuration allows it to power through PlayStation 1, PSP, and Dreamcast titles with ease. In benchmarks, it significantly outperforms older budget chipsets, offering a playable experience for a large portion of the GameCube and PlayStation 2 libraries, although some heavier titles may require tweaking. The device features a vibrant 4.7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 750×1334, ensuring your games look crisp.
You should consider buying this classic gaming handheld from Retroid if you want a reliable all-rounder that fits comfortably in your pocket. Its stacked shoulder buttons and clickable analogue sticks provide a modern control experience suitable for streaming games from your PC or console. Furthermore, the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus supports HDMI output, transforming it into a home console when connected to a TV. It is best suited for gamers who want access to a vast library of retro systems without breaking the bank.
Anbernic RG300X
For those who cherish the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, the Anbernic RG300X is a delightful throwback. It is powered by the Ingenic JZ4770 dual-core processor clocked at 1.0GHz, supported by 512MB of RAM. While these specs might seem modest, they are perfectly tuned for the device’s target audience. The 3.0-inch IPS display with a 640×480 resolution delivers pixel-perfect scaling for classic consoles like the SNES and Genesis. Performance is flawless for PlayStation 1 and older systems, providing an authentic experience without the need for complex configuration.
This portable gaming handheld is an excellent purchase for anyone who appreciates premium build quality and nostalgia. Its design is heavily inspired by the Game Boy Micro, featuring a high-gloss finish and a gold-and-red colour scheme that screams retro charm. The RG300X is ultra-portable, making it ideal for quick gaming sessions during a commute. It is best suited for players who focus primarily on 2D gaming and want a device that looks as good as it plays.
Anbernic RG Cube
The Anbernic RG Cube stands out immediately with its unique square form factor and powerful internals. It is driven by the Unisoc T820 octa-core processor, paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. This hardware setup is surprisingly capable, delivering smooth performance for demanding platforms like the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo Wii. The centerpiece of the device is its 3.95-inch IPS touchscreen with a 1:1 aspect ratio and 720×720 resolution. This distinct screen shape is complemented by Android 13, Hall Effect joysticks with customisable RGB lighting, and an active cooling fan to maintain peak speeds.
Buying the Anbernic RG Cube is highly recommended if you love systems that benefit from vertical space or square ratios. It offers a pixel-perfect experience for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Pico-8 titles, filling the screen completely without unsightly black bars. Additionally, the screen real estate is perfect for emulating dual-screen handhelds like the DS and 3DS. With its comfortable ergonomic grips and eclectic design, it is best suited for enthusiasts who want a powerful, quirky device that handles specific retro libraries better than any standard widescreen portable retro gaming console.
R46S Handheld Gaming Console
The R46S enters the market as a budget-friendly contender with some unique characteristics. It utilizes the Rockchip RK3566 quad-core processor running at 1.8GHz, backed by 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM. A standout feature is its 4.0-inch IPS display with a 1:1 aspect ratio and a 720×720 resolution. This square screen is particularly beneficial for vertical arcade games and systems like the Game Boy Color or Pico-8. In terms of performance, the R46S handles N64, Dreamcast, and PSP emulation admirably, providing smooth frame rates for most titles in these libraries.
Buying the R46S is a smart move if you are looking for a versatile device at a low entry price. The unique aspect ratio maximizes screen real estate for specific retro systems, eliminating black bars often seen on wider displays. Additionally, the device includes dual analogue sticks and a comfortable grip, enhancing the experience for 3D platformers. It is best suited for gamers who love arcade classics and want a distinctive handheld that stands out from the crowd.
Don’t Miss Out on Black Friday Savings
Now that you have read our retro gaming handhelds Black Friday 2025 Buying Guide, it is time to grab a bargain. These deals will not last forever, so make sure to check out the sale pages early to secure your preferred device. Whether you want the raw power of an AYN Odin 2 or the pocketability of the Anbernic RG300X, there is something for everyone. If you have still not decided, do check out our Best Android gaming handheld guide here for in-depth comparisons, benchmarks, price considerations and more.
Visit the store today and take advantage of the massive DROIX Black Friday discounts before stock runs out!
