Hey everyone, things might look a little different with this issue (and those going forward); I’ve switched newsletter providers and they use different formatting. But this is all good news — this new platform provides me with a lot more flexibility on the backend, and I now have an RSS feed if you’d rather read this newsletter in that format instead of email. You can also now leave comments in each newsletter archive!

Lots of exciting stuff this week: two new handhelds to review, a new Anbernic controller, and the next installment of my music playlists.

🎥 Now Playing

Here are the videos I released this week:

Mangmi Pocket Max

The Mangmi Pocket Max is a streaming-focused handheld with great components: 7" 1080p AMOLED 144Hz display, Snapdragon 865, and some roomy controls. At $200 (early bird) it has the potential to be an excellent large-screen experience. Its main drawback is that AYN sneakily undercut it last week by placing their Odin 2 Portal (Base model) on sale for $250, making that one a much better bang for your buck.

Anbernic RG-G01 Controller Review

Anbernic’s second controller has a 2.5” screen that allows you to configure the settings directly on the controller. It’s more PC-focused, with tactile clicky controls and a variety of connectivity options. Not bad for $40 (+ shipping), but it also doesn’t feel very “Anbernic”.

MSI Claw A8 Review

MSI has finally released their Claw A8 in North America, and it features the AMD Ryzen Z2E chipset. It’s also blocky as heck.

Retro Game Corps Winter 2025 Playlist

Did you know I have a second channel, where I share a new music playlist every few months? I just dropped my Winter 2025 playlist, smack dab in the second month of 2026. The theme of this playlist is “mid-tempo classics”, focusing on catchy and energetic songs to liven up your day during the winter cold. I also made a video breaking down each song and why they made the list.

Listen to the playlist: Apple Music / Spotify / YouTube

📰 Power-Up(dates)

The biggest news of the week:

• Anbernic announced their next handheld, the RG Vita. The name might be a little brazen, and it’s certainly an attractive device, but it is unlikely to be a proper replacement for the real thing. You can read more about it on Retro Handhelds, and here is my full breakdown based on their trailer.

• AYANEO, professional foot-shooters, have confirmed that their upcoming Pocket S Mini is going to ship with a 4700mAh battery, reduced from the 6000mAh they previously advertised. They claim it was a mixup between the factory and their marketing materials. To make up for it, they’re sending a free Pocket Air Mini to everyone who buys the handheld.

• MagicX is teasing a new “Two Dream” lineup of handhelds, that do sound like a dream for retro fans: 4.5” 1440×1080 screens with Hall triggers and sticks. Gosh I hope they are 120Hz panels too, but part of me thinks they would say that if they were. There will be two options (Light and Pro), with different CPUs: the Light model will be under $100, the Pro will be under $200. More info and commentary on Reddit, of course.

• GammaOS is here for the Anbernic RG DS and it brings with it a new immersive mode, system-wide EQ and shader support, and stability improvements across the whole device. It’s a Patreon exclusive release, or you can wait two months for the (free) public release.

• Speaking of DS: Shaun Inman, of MinUI fame, has released a bespoke launcher for the MagicX Zero40, called DEDICATED OS. It is solely focused on turning the handheld into a viable Nintendo DS replacement — it doesn’t do anything else. I’d love to see this ported to the Anbernic RG DS!

• AYN announced that they are temporarily suspending DHL shipments due to random returns happening with the company. They are switching unfulfilled orders to YunExpress instead; to compensate existing orders, they will provide a free AYN crossbody bag ($20 value) to all customers after Chinese New Year, or you can exchange it for a grip from their website — or you can email them to be refunded the price difference. The company has been scrambling to fulfill orders before their holiday period starts tomorrow, and expect delays with just about anything you order from China over the next few weeks.

• I created an ES-DE “Pre-Builder” for Android handhelds. It contains all the blank folders that the ES-DE frontend creates as part of the installation/setup process, without having to install ES-DE first. If you want to set up a microSD card before your Android handheld arrives, or you want to use the ES-DE directory structure with other frontends, this will be handy.

❤️ Currently Grinding

Retro Game: Final Fantasy IX

Back in 2000, I was attending the Defense Language Institute, learning Russian at the start of my new career in the Navy; going to language class eight hours a day was exciting at first, but eventually became mundane. So I bought a PSone and decided to play through all the classics. Final Fantasy IX (which I lovingly refer to as “Final Fantasy Icks”) was one of my favorite games of that time, second only to Metal Gear Solid. It has excellent pacing, graphics, and battle system, all wrapped together in an endearing story. I’ve played through it a couple times since then, and I just started replaying the PC remake on my Odin 3 via GameHub with the Moguri mod.

Modern Game: Control

I initially had a love/hate relationship with Control. I first bought it on the PS4 in 2019, and only made it a couple hours before giving up due to its difficulty. In 2024 I picked it up again in earnest (this time with the PC version on my ROG Ally X), and discovered that the game has a ton of difficulty and accessibility sliders. How had I not seen them before? I was able to tweak the game to my skill level and spent the next 14-ish hours of game time enjoying every minute. It starts out a bit slow, but this third-person action shooter gets way more involved once you develop telepathic skills; by the end, I felt like I was controlling Jean Gray and wreaking havoc on the bad guys. To prepare for the sequel coming later this year, I’ve been going through the endgame material on my Legion Go S, via GeForce Now (1200p high settings and 120fps).

Music: Jimmy Eat World - Static Prevails

Jimmy Eat World’s major label debut is unique in many ways: it is grittier and more explosive than their later material, and vocal duties are split between Jim (who is now their main singer) and rhythm guitarist Tom. I find the switch between singing styles jarring, so I often split the tracks into two different mini albums featuring each vocalist. You can hear hints of the catchier and more anthemic sound you’ll find in their later and more popular albums, and this one is still a very solid listen. A b-side from this recording session is featured in my Winter 2025 playlist!

💰 Bargain Bin

I dug up quite a few deals this time around:

• With memory and storage prices on the rise, any deal counts right now. Samsung’s Switch 2-compatible P9 MicroSD Express (512GB) card is on sale, for “only” $80 (retails at $120):

  • Samsung P9 MicroSD Express: Affiliate / Non-Affiliate

• The Manba One, also known as the controller that clearly inspired the Anbernic RG-G01, is on sale for a similar price to the Anbernic (after shipping); in my opinion it’s the better of the two. The Manba comes with a charging dock, something sorely missed with Anbernic’s offering.

  • Manba One ($55): Affiliate / Non-Affiliate

• Anker has discounted a number of their items, including battery packs and peripherals.

  • USB-C microSD reader ($9): Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • USB-A microSD reader ($9): Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • USB-C to HDMI adapter ($12): Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • 65W GaN charger ($30): Affiliate / Non-Affiliate

  • 8-in-1 USB-C hub ($36): Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• The ASUS ROG Strix 27” 4K 160Hz monitor I use for all of my PC and video-out testing (you’ve probably seen it in several videos) is on sale for $338. I bought mine for over $500, less than two years ago 😬

  • ASUS ROG Strix monitor: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• There will be another big AliExpress sale starting tomorrow (Monday), so be sure to check my YouTube Community Tab for that announcement when it goes live.

⏪ Previously on Retro Game Corps

Anbernic Win600 Improvement Guide

Anbernic has always made questionable decisions, but some were more questionable than others. Case in point is their sole entry into the handheld PC landscape: the undercooked and overpriced Win600. This guy came with single-channel RAM (a big blunder with this AMD 3050e Athlon Silver APU) and a lot of Windows bloat. If you happen to have one, this old guide above will help streamline the experience of this handheld PC, by installing a clean Windows 11 and overclocking the RAM for better performance.

🎬 Behind The Scenes

I pre-ordered the “Grey” 8BitDo 64 controller color directly from their website a couple months ago and they are finally shipping. Mine arrived yesterday and it looks awesome, a much more authentic play experience than their standard white and black color options. I wish they had offered this color from the very beginning! It’s now up on Amazon: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

My “orange” (yellow?) retail Retroid Pocket 6 also arrived, and it is GORGEOUS. It has a slight metallic look to it, almost golden to the eye. I'll be sure to feature it in my Retroid Pocket 6 starter guide, which will be my next video release.

That’s it for now, see you next week. Go Seahawks!
Russ