Guides

System Emulation

Platform-by-platform emulation breakdowns — what runs well, on which devices, and how to tune it.

32 guides

Snapdragon 865 Emulation: What the Adreno 650 Can Actually Run — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Snapdragon 865 Emulation: What the Adreno 650 Can Actually Run
The Snapdragon 865 is a 2020 flagship that keeps showing up in 2026 handhelds. Here is why its driver support matters, what it can emulate, and where it sits against newer chips.
2026-06-26
How Bloodborne and Gravity Rush 2 Reached PC: The shadPS4 Fork Era (2026) — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How Bloodborne and Gravity Rush 2 Reached PC: The shadPS4 Fork Era (2026)
Neglected PS4 exclusives like Bloodborne and Gravity Rush 2 are reaching PC at 4K and 60fps, not through official ports but through game-specific forks of the shadPS4 emulator. Here is how that works.
2026-06-24
Xbox 360 Emulation on Android Handhelds in 2026 (X360 Mobile & aX360e) — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Xbox 360 Emulation on Android Handhelds in 2026 (X360 Mobile & aX360e)
Xbox 360 emulation arrived on Android with X360 Mobile and aX360e. Here is the honest state of it, the Snapdragon hardware you need, and which to pick.
2026-06-15
Xbox 360 Emulation on Handhelds in 2026: Xenia Setup & What Actually Runs — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Xbox 360 Emulation on Handhelds in 2026: Xenia Setup & What Actually Runs
Xbox 360 emulation finally works on a handheld in 2026, but only on the right hardware. Here is the honest state of Xenia and a step-by-step setup.
2026-06-15
Original Xbox Emulation on Handhelds in 2026 (Xemu) — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Original Xbox Emulation on Handhelds in 2026 (Xemu)
The original Xbox is the quiet corner of console emulation. Here is the honest state of Xemu on handhelds, what runs, and why it is still niche.
2026-06-15
How to Emulate Retro Games on Android (2026 Guide) — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Emulate Retro Games on Android (2026 Guide)
Android is the most flexible phone for retro emulation. Here are the best Android emulators in 2026, what each plays, and how to set up your first game.
2026-06-09
How to Emulate Retro Games on iPhone (2026 Guide) — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Emulate Retro Games on iPhone (2026 Guide)
Apple now allows real emulators on the App Store. Here is how to play retro games on iPhone in 2026 with Delta, RetroArch, and PPSSPP. No jailbreak.
2026-06-09
How to Play DS and 3DS Games on Steam Deck — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Play DS and 3DS Games on Steam Deck
Dual-screen Nintendo systems run great on the Steam Deck. Here is how to set up DS and 3DS emulation with EmuDeck and pick the best screen layouts.
2026-06-09
How to Play GameCube Games on Steam Deck — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Play GameCube Games on Steam Deck
The Steam Deck runs GameCube beautifully through Dolphin. Here is how to set it up with EmuDeck, add games to Steam, and tune it for sharp performance.
2026-06-09
How to Play Game Boy Advance Games on Steam Deck — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Play Game Boy Advance Games on Steam Deck
Game Boy Advance runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck. Here is how to set it up with EmuDeck, add games to your library, and get crisp mGBA visuals.
2026-06-09
How to Play N64 Games on Steam Deck — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Play N64 Games on Steam Deck
N64 runs well on the Steam Deck with the right core. Here is how to set it up with EmuDeck, add games to Steam, pick the best core per game, and tune the visuals.
2026-06-09
How to Play PS2 Games on Steam Deck — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Play PS2 Games on Steam Deck
PS2 runs great on the Steam Deck through PCSX2. Here is how to set it up with EmuDeck, add your BIOS and games, and tune it for smooth performance.
2026-06-09
How to Play PSP Games on Steam Deck — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Play PSP Games on Steam Deck
PSP games look stunning on the Steam Deck thanks to PPSSPP upscaling. Here is how to set it up with EmuDeck and tune it for sharp, smooth play.
2026-06-09
How to Back Up Your Saves Before a Firmware Update — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Back Up Your Saves Before a Firmware Update
A simple routine for backing up game saves before flashing new firmware. Locate them, copy them off the card, flash, restore, and verify nothing is lost.
2026-05-30
How to Organize ROMs and BIOS Files on a Retro Handheld — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Organize ROMs and BIOS Files on a Retro Handheld
A clear system for organizing your game library and BIOS files on any handheld. Folder structures by firmware, BIOS placement, and tidy saves.
2026-05-30
PS3 Emulation on Handhelds in 2026: How Good Has RPCS3 Gotten? — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
PS3 Emulation on Handhelds in 2026: How Good Has RPCS3 Gotten?
RPCS3 had a major 2026 breakthrough, but can a handheld run PS3 games yet? Here is the honest state of PS3 emulation on portable hardware.
2026-05-30
PS4 Emulation on Handhelds in 2026: Can shadPS4 Run on a Portable Yet? — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
PS4 Emulation on Handhelds in 2026: Can shadPS4 Run on a Portable Yet?
PS4 emulation got genuinely impressive in 2026, but can a handheld run shadPS4? Here is the honest state of it on portable hardware.
2026-05-30
Eden vs Kenji NX vs Citron: Best Switch Emulator for Android in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Eden vs Kenji NX vs Citron: Best Switch Emulator for Android in 2026
Three Switch emulators dominate Android handhelds in 2026. Eden, Kenji NX, and Citron each have strengths. Here is how to pick the right one.
2026-05-29
ROCKNIX Steam Guide: Run Steam Games on the Retroid Pocket 6 and AYN Thor — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
ROCKNIX Steam Guide: Run Steam Games on the Retroid Pocket 6 and AYN Thor
ROCKNIX is the first custom firmware to bring native Steam and Proton to Android handhelds. Here is how to install it and what to expect from Steam on ARM.
2026-05-01
Best Handhelds for PSP Emulation in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Handhelds for PSP Emulation in 2026
The best retro handhelds for PSP games at every budget. We test PPSSPP across 12 devices to find the ones that deliver full-speed, upscaled play.
2026-04-13
Save State Management: The Complete Guide for Retro Handhelds — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Save State Management: The Complete Guide for Retro Handhelds
How to organize, back up, and transfer save states across devices and firmwares. Covers RetroArch, standalone emulators, and cloud sync strategies.
2026-04-13
Best Handhelds for 3DS Emulation in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Handhelds for 3DS Emulation in 2026
The best retro handhelds for Nintendo 3DS emulation in 2026. Which devices run Citra and Lime3DS well, what specs you need, and how 3DS differs from DS emulation.
2026-04-11
Best Handhelds for GameCube Emulation in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Handhelds for GameCube Emulation in 2026
The best retro handhelds for GameCube emulation in 2026. Which devices run Dolphin well, the specs you need, and how to get smooth performance.
2026-04-11
How to Back Up Your Own Game Cartridges for Retro Handhelds — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
How to Back Up Your Own Game Cartridges for Retro Handhelds
How to legally back up cartridges you own with devices like the GB Operator and Open Source Cart Reader. Make personal backups for your handheld.
2026-04-11
Best Handhelds for DS and 3DS Emulation in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Handhelds for DS and 3DS Emulation in 2026
The definitive guide to dual-screen and single-screen handhelds that actually do Nintendo DS and 3DS emulation justice. Tested and ranked.
2026-04-10
Best Handhelds for Wii Emulation in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Handhelds for Wii Emulation in 2026
Which portable devices can actually handle Wii games through Dolphin? We test the top contenders and rank them for performance, controls, and value.
2026-04-10
GameCube & Wii Emulation on Handhelds: What Actually Works in 2026 — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
GameCube & Wii Emulation on Handhelds: What Actually Works in 2026
A practical guide to GameCube and Wii emulation on Android retro handhelds — which devices can handle it, which games run well, and how to optimize Dolphin.
2026-04-09
N64 Emulation on Retro Handhelds: The Complete Optimization Guide — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
N64 Emulation on Retro Handhelds: The Complete Optimization Guide
How to get the best N64 emulation on budget and mid-range handhelds. Core selection, per-game settings, and tweaks for every popular title.
2026-04-09
PSP Emulation on Retro Handhelds: Settings, Performance, and Best Games — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
PSP Emulation on Retro Handhelds: Settings, Performance, and Best Games
How to get the best PSP emulation on retro handhelds with PPSSPP. Resolution scaling, frameskip settings, and a compatibility list for popular titles.
2026-04-09
Best Handhelds for PS2 Emulation (2026 Buyer's Guide) — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best Handhelds for PS2 Emulation (2026 Buyer's Guide)
The best handhelds for PS2 emulation in 2026 — which devices can actually run God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, and your PS2 library at full speed.
2026-04-04
Best PS2 Emulators for Retro Handhelds — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
Best PS2 Emulators for Retro Handhelds
AetherSX2 vs NetherSX2 vs PCSX2, plus which handhelds actually run PS2 well and how to set them up.
2024-03-18
RetroArch Shaders: A Complete Visual Upgrade Guide — System Emulation guide for retro handhelds | Held Games
Guide
RetroArch Shaders: A Complete Visual Upgrade Guide
Make your retro games look stunning on any handheld with CRT, LCD grid, and pixel-art shader presets, plus which to use on weak versus strong hardware.
2024-03-17