Guides

Explainers

Background on the concepts behind retro handheld gaming — emulation, FPGA, legality, decompilation, OS choices.

18 guides

RPCS3 PS3 Trophies Explained: They Already Work, But They Will Never Sync to PSN — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
RPCS3 PS3 Trophies Explained: They Already Work, But They Will Never Sync to PSN
RPCS3 has had trophy support since 2017 and people still ask for it. Here is where to find your trophies, why they cannot reach your PSN profile, and what RPCN actually covers.
2026-08-25
PS1 Recompilation Explained: PSXRecomp and What Pepsiman Proved — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
PS1 Recompilation Explained: PSXRecomp and What Pepsiman Proved
Static recompilation reached the PlayStation 1. PSXRecomp turns a PS1 game into a native binary or a WebAssembly build, and Pepsiman Recompiled is the proof. Here is how it works and why it matters for handhelds.
2026-08-20
How to Download Emulators Safely: Avoiding Fake Repos and Malware — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Download Emulators Safely: Avoiding Fake Repos and Malware
Fake emulator repos and a real supply chain attack on Cemu made 2026 a bad year for careless downloads. Here is how to verify what you install.
2026-07-27
N64 Recompiled Games List: Every Native Port So Far (2026) — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
N64 Recompiled Games List: Every Native Port So Far (2026)
Every N64 game with a native recompiled or decompiled PC port, what state each is in, and which handhelds run them. Plus the new browser playable recomps.
2026-07-27
SteamOS vs Bazzite vs Windows: Which OS for Your Gaming Handheld? — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
SteamOS vs Bazzite vs Windows: Which OS for Your Gaming Handheld?
SteamOS 3.8 opened up to third-party handhelds in June 2026. Here is an honest comparison of SteamOS, Bazzite, and Windows for emulation and PC gaming.
2026-07-27
Can You Emulate Retro Games on the Steam Frame? — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Can You Emulate Retro Games on the Steam Frame?
Valve's Steam Frame is a VR headset, but it runs SteamOS with Proton, FEX-Emu, and an Android layer. Here is what that means for playing the retro games you already own.
2026-07-20
Best Emulation Frontends in 2026: ES-DE vs Daijishō vs iiSU and More — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Emulation Frontends in 2026: ES-DE vs Daijishō vs iiSU and More
ES-DE, Daijishō, iiSU, Beacon, or the frontend built into your firmware? How to pick the right emulation frontend for your handheld in 2026.
2026-07-18
Cloud Gaming on Retro Handhelds: When Streaming Beats Emulating — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Cloud Gaming on Retro Handhelds: When Streaming Beats Emulating
Your Android handheld can play modern AAA games today, by streaming them. Game Pass, GeForce Now, and Moonlight on retro handhelds, and when streaming beats emulating.
2026-07-18
Xbox 360 Recompiled Games List: Every Native Port So Far (2026) — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Xbox 360 Recompiled Games List: Every Native Port So Far (2026)
Every Xbox 360 game with a native recompiled PC port so far, what state each project is in, and which handhelds run them well. Updated for mid 2026.
2026-07-18
Intel Arc G-Series Handhelds: The 2026 Windows Wave Explained — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Intel Arc G-Series Handhelds: The 2026 Windows Wave Explained
Intel’s Arc G-Series chips are its real push into Windows handhelds. Here is what the G3 changes for emulation and how it stacks up against AMD.
2026-06-17
Xbox 360 Recompilation and ReXGlue Explained (2026) — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Xbox 360 Recompilation and ReXGlue Explained (2026)
ReXGlue turns Xbox 360 games into native PC ports through static recompilation. Here is what that means, why it can beat emulation, and what it means for handhelds.
2026-06-15
Xbox 360 vs PS3 Emulation on Handhelds: Which Is Harder? — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Xbox 360 vs PS3 Emulation on Handhelds: Which Is Harder?
Xbox 360 and PS3 emulation are the two hardest mainstream targets on a handheld. Here is which one is actually harder, why, and what hardware you need for each.
2026-06-15
Evercade vs an Emulation Handheld: Which Should You Buy? — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Evercade vs an Emulation Handheld: Which Should You Buy?
Evercade sells legal cartridges with zero setup. Firmware handhelds play your own files. Here is how they compare on legality, library, and value.
2026-06-09
What Is Evercade? A Beginner's Guide to Cartridge Retro Gaming — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
What Is Evercade? A Beginner's Guide to Cartridge Retro Gaming
Evercade is a modern retro console built around real cartridges of licensed classics. Here is how it works, what makes it different, and who it is for.
2026-06-09
Retro Game Decompilation and Recompilation, Explained — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Retro Game Decompilation and Recompilation, Explained
Decomp and recomp projects are turning classic Nintendo games into native ports. Here is what the terms mean and what changes for retro handhelds.
2026-05-11
FPGA vs Emulation: What Retro Handheld Buyers Need to Know — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
FPGA vs Emulation: What Retro Handheld Buyers Need to Know
The difference between FPGA and software emulation for retro gaming. How they work, when each matters, and which is right for your buying decision.
2026-04-11
Linux vs Android Retro Handhelds: Which OS Is Right for You? — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Linux vs Android Retro Handhelds: Which OS Is Right for You?
Linux vs Android retro gaming handhelds explained. Setup complexity, emulation performance, custom firmware options, and which OS fits your needs.
2026-04-11
ROMs, BIOSes, and Legality: The Full Breakdown — Explainers guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
ROMs, BIOSes, and Legality: The Full Breakdown
Everything you need to know about the legal landscape of ROM emulation — written clearly, without fearmongering.
2024-03-11