If you've been eyeing up a retro gaming handheld but haven't taken the plunge yet, there are a lot of reasons you might consider using one. While a lot of the games you can play on them are playable on your smartphone, there are a few reasons why you might want to get a dedicated retro gaming handheld like the Miyoo Mini+ or the Anbernic RG35XXSP instead.

5 Dedicated hardware

Reusing the designs of the classics, because the classics got it right

To use an example of the Anbernic RG35XXSP, the dedicated hardware of a retro gaming handheld alone can make it worth investing in one of these devices. For $80, just a little over double the price of a good controller like the GameSir X2s, you can have an entire device built around a controller for your retro games, rather than just a controller that you attach to your phone. Not only will the RG35XXSP take up less space than the additional controller, but surely it's better value to get a dedicated device for all of those games rather than just getting a controller?

Of course, there are games from the likes of the GameCube, Nintendo Wii, and even the Switch that you won't be able to play on a retro gaming handheld, so things are a little bit different if that's what you want to play. Everything up until the PlayStation 1 is typically playable on these handhelds though. Even better, these handhelds are made for retro gaming, rather than being designed as a catch-all product. Most of these handhelds take inspiration from the Game Boy, making them the perfect form factor for those kinds of systems in particular.

4 Save the battery life on your phone

Keep your phone for more important things

If you're using your phone to play retro games, you're gonna end up draining your phone's battery. While your phone will run the games perfectly, you don't need the kind of power your smartphone has to play titles like Super Mario on the go. You'll get much better battery life out of a gaming handheld while also keeping your phone's battery charged.

While retro gaming handhelds range in battery life, you can get anywhere from three to five hours of game time on most of them. That's more than enough time for gaming, and most retro gaming handhelds nowadays will charge with USB-C, just like your phone does.

3 Helping you stay focused

No phone calls, no notifications, no distractions

If you want to focus on your game, then a gaming handheld can be a great investment. It lets you put your phone down and not worry about notifications or other apps trying to give you information. I've found that it can be immensely freeing to be able to put my phone down and just play a game for a few minutes, without needing to worry about notifications popping up on the screen. Sometimes a bit of downtime is needed, and the separation of my phone from my games can be very helpful.

Of course, you can just mute your smartphone, but it's not the same. You'll still be cognisant of receiving messages, whereas this way, you can just put your phone down and not even look at it.

2 Modding and customization

Custom firmware and other applications

With most retro gaming handhelds nowadays, there's a huge amount of interest in custom firmware (CFW) and modding. You can install OnionOS on the Miyoo Mini, muOS on the RG35XXSP, and countless other CFWs on those devices and others. It's a great way to get into the world of modding without being too worried about breaking something more expensive, and it may even awaken an interest in developing things yourself.

As well, there are physical hardware mods, too. You can solder additional RAM to some of these devices, or change input methods like the D-Pad or the clicky buttons if you don't like them. There's a lot you can do to make your device truly yours. While you can certainly mod your phone, it's more economical to make potentially-destructive changes to a significantly cheaper device.

1 Physical media support

Rarer, but still exists

If you want a truly authentic experience, there are some retro gaming handhelds that will even be able to read real cartridges. The Analogue Pocket is probably the most famous of these, as it supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. While this is rarer for sure, you definitely can't use physical media like this at all with your smartphone.

While I'd argue that digital access to games is easier, there's no question of legality when you're running an authentic copy of the game you purchased. Plus, it just looks cool.

If you're still on the fence, then your smartphone probably still does the job

If none of these reasons convinced you, then you might be better off still using your smartphone. Phones are powerful pieces of hardware, and there's no doubt that you can play way more intensive games on your smartphone than onh one of these devices. However, I love the idea of a dedicated gaming device that looks the part, and you might as well.