Best retro handheld game consoles of 2024

Blaze Entertainment has created a brand-new cartridge-based handheld console that runs a rapidly growing library of classic retro games. Just look at the list of supported systems: Atari 2600 and 7800, Atari Lynx, Intellivision, NES and SNES, Sega Mega Drive and the PlayStation. Plus, the Commodore 64 and Amiga for computer gaming. There are even games you played in arcade cabinets back in the day. You'll find classics like 1942, Commando, Street Fighter II, Strider, and Mega Man and more.

The Evercade EXP is a sizable easy-to-hold console with a generous 4.3-inch 800x480 pixel screen. The display is bang up to date too - as it's an IPS panel. So, you'll be gaming with great viewing angles, plus bright and vibrant colours. The Evercade EXP even takes a leaf out of the Nintendo Switch's book - it will plug into your TV via HDMI for a big-screen handheld experience. It's a brilliant system for retro gamers.

If it's budget retro-fun you want, this is it. Everyone remembers Pac-Man - the pill-munching ghost-chasing maze game that took over the world. Here it is with an interesting case design that evokes the original arcade cabinet. Yes, you do only get one game - but as a low-cost yet faithfully retro gamer gift, this is hard to beat.

We particularly like the size and spacing of the controls - meaning this can be enjoyed by adults and kids without getting cramped thumbs. The screen is a good size too, and the three AAA batteries should last a while thanks to the simplicity of the console on the inside. Colourful, addictive retro goodness in a small(ish) package.

As a follow-up to the super-popular Nintendo Switch, here's the slightly cheaper and trimmed-down Switch Lite. What you get here is a slightly smaller (but still 1280x720) LCD screen (5.5 inches compared to 6.2), and no detachable Joy-Con controllers. It does, though, have a more traditional D-pad over the four buttons of other Switch models - which will appeal to any retro console fan. Also, while the standard Switch can be connected to a TV for big-screen play, the Lite can only be used handheld.

But what about that retro-gaming goodness you've been looking for? Well, this model also happens to come with a 12-month pass to Switch Online - and that means multiplayer for most users, but for us retro-heads it means access to classic retro games. You'll find titles that used to run on NES, SNES and Game Boy. There's probably no better way to play classic Nintendo titles - and of course, it's a slightly more affordable way of playing modern Switch games too.

Back in 2022, renowned game developed Valve moved into the handheld console market with a bang. The Steam Deck has since proven itself as one of the most capable, powerful PC-like handhelds ever. If you're already a gamer who has a (free) Steam account, you'll already know that Steam has become the defacto dashboard and store for PC gamers. This Steam Deck integrates with this service, creating a single device for all of the games you'd normally need a full-sized PC for.

The screen is huge, at 7" from corner to corner. It's an IPS display too, much like the original Switch. This one runs at 1280x800 pixels so more than enough for typical PC game resolutions. Under the hood we're looking at the sort of spec you'd find in a PC: 256GB SSD, 16GB of RAM and even Bluetooth 5.0. So, what about those retro games? Well, with thousands of titles available - plus the option to run legal copies of your own PC games - with the Steam Deck you could find yourself playing a ton of emulated systems. Even point-and-click adventures like The Secret Of Monkey Island and more. It's a retro PC gamer's dream and more besides.

My Arcade has been around for a while now, carving out a reputation for chunky, solid and tactile retro handhelds. It does produce larger arcade-cabinet style games too - often based on a theme or single game. This one is our favourite - with a case emblazoned with suitably retro stripes and the Atari logo. Inside, you can play 75 Atari 2600 games. That's phenomenal value and even more fun.

Fancy some old-school Asteroids? How about Missile Command, Pong, Breakout, or Yar's Revenge? This thing is fully loaded with licenced games for Atari's 50th anniversary, but it's also very well-designed and built. The 2.75” full-colour screen is easily large and bright enough for Atari titles too. Excellent retro gaming at an impressive price.

Don't be fooled by the brand name - Hyper Mega Tech may sound like a schoolboy's idea of a great console brand, but it's been around for a while now, licencing some truly classic retro games. The hardware is up to the job, too. Inside there's a rechargeable battery, and a 2.8” IPS screen running at 320×240 - perfect for those games you used to see on a 4:3 ratio CRT TV back in the day.

Although there are other themed versions, this one is a Capcom one - with 12 utterly classic and well-curated games from the legendary game publisher. So, you can expect to re-live 1942, Final Fight, Ghouls N' Ghosts, Street Fighter II and more. Even better, if you loved them in the arcade back in the 80s, these are the arcade versions. Lastly, but perhaps the killer feature of the Super Pocket is that it can take Evercade carts. That means that, when you're all Capcommed-out, you can plug over 500 retro titles into this thanks to full Evercade compatibility. Wow.

Any retro gamer will probably remember the original Nintendo Game & Watch. The little early 80s LCD handheld was the perfect size for sneaking into school. If anyone asked you why you have it on the desk, you could simply say it was because it was the only watch you have (and no, that excuse never worked.) But now, the Game & Watch is back - right down to the brushed metal facia and packaging art. Now it's sporting a full-colour screen, accurately reproducing those beeps and boops from the internal speaker.

Although there's a Super Mario Bros. version, this one contains three classic games in the Legend of Zelda series – The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. And, if you're longing for that classic LCD gaming buzz, it includes a special version of Game & Watch classic Vermin starring Link as a playable character. They've even made the timer and clock functions a little playable. Retro nostalgia at its best.