About Held Games

Held Games is an independent resource for the retro handheld gaming community. We cover device reviews, head-to-head comparisons, firmware setup guides, and emulation tutorials — everything you need to get the most out of your handheld.

What We Cover

We focus on the devices and software that make retro handheld gaming great:

• Device reviews — Honest, hands-on takes on handhelds from Anbernic, Retroid, Miyoo, and others.
• Comparison guides — Side-by-side breakdowns so you can pick the right device for your budget and use case.
• Setup & firmware guides — Step-by-step walkthroughs for custom firmware like muOS, KNULLI, OnionOS, ArkOS, and more.
• Emulation tutorials — How to configure RetroArch, PPSSPP, MelonDS, and other emulators for the best experience.

Our Approach

We buy or borrow every device we review. No spec-sheet regurgitation, no "based on what we've seen online." If we haven't used it, we don't write about it.

All of our emulation content is written with the assumption that you're playing games you legally own. We don't link to ROM download sites or facilitate piracy in any way.

Every device we review gets at least two weeks of daily use before we publish. For a full breakdown of how we test, what we measure, and what our scores mean, see our Review Methodology page.

Affiliate Disclosure

Held Games is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. When you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is one of the ways we keep the site running. For full details, see our Disclosure page.

Get in Touch

Have a question, suggestion, or correction? Head over to our Contact page — we'd love to hear from you.