The best retro handhelds, straight from source.
No scalper markup.

Yes. We read live prices straight from AliExpress and verify each listing before showing it, then refresh automatically. We never invent a price or a fake discount.

They are made and sold direct on AliExpress. eBay flippers and reseller shops buy the same units and add a big markup. We just link you to the original seller, so you pay the source price.

For under £30 it is one of the best starter handhelds: it comfortably plays everything up to PS1 and DS, plus some PSP. If you want smoother PSP and N64 or Android apps, step up to an Anbernic RG35XX/RG40XX or a Retroid.

They share the same Rockchip RK3326 chip and similar performance. The R36S is the classic 3.5-inch 4:3 model, the R36H uses a horizontal layout, and the R36 Max has a 4-inch 1:1 square screen. Pick by the shape and screen you prefer.

Compare the R36 family →

Many sellers ship a card ready to play. We list the cheapest preloaded cards for each handheld on the SD cards page. The exact game selection varies by seller, we link existing listings and don't provide games ourselves.

Yes, and do it before you start playing. The bundled card holds the console's operating system as well as the games, and these cheap cards can corrupt or fail without warning. Pop it into a PC and copy the entire card to a folder, that way, if it dies you can restore everything, or clone it onto a better-quality card, instead of losing the lot.

We prioritise UK-deliverable listings. The price we show is the item price with UK VAT included, and many listings ship free to the UK. Postage and delivery time are confirmed at the AliExpress checkout before you pay. One thing to know: if your order comes to more than £135, AliExpress may take the VAT off at checkout and you pay it on delivery instead, usually to the courier along with a handling fee and any import duty. So the checkout total looks lower than our price, but what you pay overall works out about the same, plus that fee.

Sometimes, yes. Many AliExpress stores offer their own coupons, shown on the product page near the price, and some only unlock once you follow the store. Tap the coupon to claim it before you check out. A store coupon only works in the store that gave it, and the seller sets the minimum spend and how long it lasts, so check it covers a single handheld. AliExpress also runs site-wide UK codes now and then, which we list on our price drops page while they're live, and when we tried it a store coupon and a site-wide code both came off the same order. We can't see store coupons, so the prices on this site are before any coupon.

See price drops and UK codes →

Automatically, every few hours, so the cheapest verified listing for each device stays current.