If I had to choose just one retro gaming handheld, this is the one I’d pick

When AYANEO first announced the Pocket ACE earlier this year, I was pretty lukewarm about it. It was billed as a “retro” focused handheld, but much like the Pocket DMG, it had specs to compete with the heavyweights.

Everything was at odds: the 3:2 screen is between retro and modern consoles, the design was D-pad-centric but had two small sticks, and the massive 6,000mAh battery is nearly as big as the Steam Deck OLED. Aside from the Retro Power colorway I tested, nothing about this screamed “retro.”