I made it safely to Shenzhen, China! I’m still getting acclimated to this fascinating country, but I’ve already had some really productive and insightful meetings, and I’m looking forward to sharing those experiences soon.

For those wondering: yes, you can walk into specialty stores here and buy handhelds like the AYN Thor right off the shelf (but they’re a little more expensive than ordering direct and having them shipped to you).

🎥 Now Playing

Finally OLED! Xbox Ally X20 Impressions

ASUS is releasing an updated ROG Xbox Ally X20 with a bigger OLED screen, updated controls, and a transparent color. The face buttons are FANTASTIC on it. Here are my first impressions, ahead of its Holiday 2026 launch.

Designing My Dream Retro Handheld

There are plenty of handhelds out there, but I still haven't found my personal "perfect" retro device. So let's build one using examples from current offerings, and make a wishlist for future reference.

The New MSI Claw 8 EX Feels "Next Gen"

MSI's new Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld improves on its predecessors in just about every way, with performance that feels like a true generational leap compared to the Steam Deck/Z1E era of old. Among the upcoming handheld PCs I tested at COMPUTEX this year, this one is easily the most impressive, but it will likely command an eye-watering $1,600+ price (ouch) when it releases later this month.

📰 Power-Up(dates)

• Valve has narrowed the release window for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset to “summer 2026”, confirmed via a developer blog post. The same post announced that both devices are being added to the Steam Verified program. According the Valve, the Steam Machine will deliver roughly six times the power of a Steam Deck, and games already verified for the Deck will carry that status over automatically (with additional testing for titles that push CPU and GPU harder). Pricing remains unconfirmed, though estimates have the ongoing memory crisis pushing expected costs well above early estimates of around $700.

• A Reddit post from someone claiming to work at a "small specialist electronics manufacturer" alleges that Sega, or a licensed partner like AtGames or Tectoy, may be developing a low-cost handheld with physical cartridges. The reported specs include a 5" OLED display in a Vita-like form factor, a low-power ARM processor, and no meaningful 3D acceleration, with the device explicitly targeting “modern” 2D and pixel art titles. Cartridges would reportedly use low-capacity industrial eMMC modules to keep costs down. The source admits these pitches often go nowhere, but says they'd put money on this one being Sega. Take this with many grains of salt!

• Speaking of Sega, the developers of Cuphead (currently on sale for $12, a discount of 40%) dropped a surprise at Summer Game Fest: Mighty Cuphead Adventure, an 8-bit action platformer built from the ground up for the Sega Master System. It's coded in Assembly and designed to run on actual hardware, with physical cartridge releases planned alongside modern console and PC versions. Details beyond the teaser are thin for now, but the commitment to doing it the hard way is hard not to respect.

• RetroDECK's next major update will bring cloud save support via two new tools: Ludusavi, a save backup utility that can sync across devices with some manual setup, and Grout, which integrates with self-hosted RomM servers for cross-device progress. The team won't be providing their own hosting solution as keeping things free is a core principle, so users will need to handle that side themselves. The update also adds Satellaview+, a client that revives Nintendo's 1990s broadcast service, letting users access the original's exclusive games and magazines on a broadcast schedule. The team is taking a summer break before this one ships, but it's shaping up to be a significant release.

• Time Extension reports the Vectrex Mini Kickstarter has shared a significant update: Jay Smith, the 86-year-old creator of the original 1982 Vectrex, has signed on as a consultant for the project and future Vectrex-related work. Project lead David Oghia traveled to Colorado to meet Smith in person to secure the agreement, describing the encounter as genuinely moving. The update also confirms a partnership with Atari to include Berzerk in the lineup. The full built-in game list now stands at 13 confirmed titles, including Mine Storm, Bedlam, Blitz!, Fortress of Narzod, Heads Up, Polar Rescue, Spike, Spinball, Web Wars, Clean Sweep, Hyper Chase, Berzerk, and Zombie Apocalypse, with a 14th still to be announced.

• Nintendo has confirmed it will release a user-replaceable battery version of the Switch 2 for the EU market to comply with incoming regulations taking effect February 18, 2027. The updated models will carry "BEE" model numbers and an "OSM" code on packaging to distinguish them from standard units. The Joy-Con controllers and Pro Controller are also listed under the same "BEE" designation, suggesting they may receive similar revisions. The change is EU-only for now, though given the precedent set by USB-C becoming universal after EU mandates, it wouldn't be surprising if the replaceable-battery design eventually makes its way everywhere.

❤️ Currently Grinding

Retro Game: Contra

Honestly I haven’t had much time to play games this week, but I can say I played a certain Contra game on a certain upcoming (and unannounced) retro handheld at a certain handheld manufacturer’s headquarters, and showed the development team my process for testing d-pads and why it matters. (I really hate cryptic messaging, but I’ll discuss more in an upcoming video.)

One interesting aspect I learned is that until the handheld is in mass production, these companies really cannot 100% guarantee that their device’s d-pad will perform perfectly as designed, due to small adjustments in the manufacturing process. It turns out, those rare handhelds with a perfect d-pad experience are often the result of attention to detail PLUS a stroke of sheer luck (and of course there are tolerances between each model, too). The big guns like Nintendo have way more resources to get things right, but these smaller Chinese companies have to work with what they have.

Modern Game: Mina The Hollower

I did get about an hour altogether to play games, and I have been loving Mina the Hollower on my Odin 3 (via the brand new GameNative update that just dropped). Made by the same folks behind Shovel Knight, this game feels like a mix between Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and a brutally demanding Souls-like RPG. Thankfully, the game has a ton of modifiers you can enable in the settings to tune the game to your liking, including an “assist mode” that’s essentially an easier version of the game (and a “veteran mode” for those who want more of a challenge). I love the variety of options, and the ability to tune it to your liking. Most modifiers disable “feats” (essentially achievements), and I think that’s a nice balance for gamers of all skill levels.

The game itself is wonderful, with a rich story and fun 8-bit style graphics and plenty of weapon options and special moves. It runs like a dream on the Odin 3, only demanding about 2.5W of power on the lowest power mode with a moderate underclock.

Book: Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I brought my Kobo e-reader with me on this trip, and I finished reading this book while on the flight to Taiwan. It’s set in the future, in a world where robots have essentially inherited the earth after a human societal collapse. The trouble is, the robots are still mostly behaving as they were programmed, i.e. attempting to serve humans in a system that no longer needs them. Tchaikovsky does an excellent job getting into the “mind” of robots, and who programmed logic could fail as the system it was meant to serve in crumbles. The book is told from the perspective of a service model (essentially a butler), on a quest to find someone to butle; highly recommended if you’re looking for a more heartwarming (and slightly detached) post-apocalyptic journey.

💰 Bargain Bin

• The AliExpress Summer Sale has a couple more days left which means you still have time to save some money. Head over to my community post to grab some coupons and see some of the more stellar deals!

• Gravity Circuit is free to keep on Steam until June 14th, offered as a celebration of the recently announced sequel, Gravity Circuit 2, due in 2027. If you haven't played it, it's a Mega Man-inspired action platformer with a great art style and tight controls that holds up well on handhelds, it's also available via PortMaster for those playing on Linux-based devices. Grab it on Steam while you can!

• Humble Bundle's Devil May Cry 2026 bundle (affiliate / non-affiliate) gets you the entire series for $15, or the highlights for $8. The $8 tier includes Devil May Cry 5 + Vergil and Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition; bump up to $15 and you also get the Devil May Cry HD Collection (DMC 1–3) and DmC: Devil May Cry. DMC5 and DmC are both Steam Deck Verified, while the HD Collection and DMC4 require Proton GE to run but are reported working fine.

• Humble’s monthly Choice deal is also an excellent value this time around. I generally skip this program because I rarely see something worth my $15, but Octopath Traveller II plus seven other games at this price is a great deal. Affiliate / non-affiliate

• UGREEN has heavily discounted their whole line of Nexode high speed chargers and power banks on Amazon. Fun fact: riding from the airport to my hotel in an Uber the other day, one of the first big buildings I saw in Shenzhen was a huge UGREEN building. I’m not sure if it’s their HQ or a factory (since the airport is a fair bit out of town), but it was an immediate sign to me that I was no longer in Kansas.

  • Nexode Air 45, $17 (normally $25)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Nexode Air 65W, $25 (normally $40)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Nexode Air 100W, $33 (normally $55)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Nexode 45W 20000mAh, $30 (normally $46)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Nexode 130W 20000mAh, $60 (normally $90)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Nexode 200W 25000mAh, $80 (normally $130)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• Sony just held their State Of Play event and to celebrate, a bunch of physical PS5 games are on sale at Best Buy.

  • Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, $20 (normally $50)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, $30 (normally $70)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • God of War: Ragnarok, $30 (normally $70)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2, $30 (normally $70)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Astro Bot, $40 (normally $60)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Ghost of Yotei, $50 (normally $70)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• Capcom is having a Summer Game Fest sale on Steam. Check out the featured deals below:

  • Resident Evil Requiem, $55.99 (normally $69.99): Link

  • Resident Evil 4 (2023), $9.99 (normally $39.99): Link

  • Monster Hunter Wilds, $29.39 (normally $69.99): Link

  • Street Fighter 6: Years 1–2 Fighters Edition, $38.99 (normally $59.99): Link

  • Mega Man Complete Pack, $49.42 (normally $244.91): Link

⏪ Previously on Retro Game Corps

PowKiddy A13 Portable Tabletop Arcade Review

While wandering the halls of some Shenzhen electronics shops earlier today, I saw an old PowKiddy arcade player (the original A12), which reminded me of the A13 model I reviewed several years ago. When is someone gonna bring this form factor back?

🎬 Behind The Scenes

MSI held a special event last week at their HQ to show off their new Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld, but I couldn’t make it because I was scheduled to attend a different event elsewhere. They were kind enough to set up a special session for me earlier this week, and I grabbed entire handheld Avengers crew to join me. If you can name all of us in this picture off the top of your head, you will get rewarded with another fancy newsletter next week. (Hint: the three in the front are MSI folks.)

Ciao,
Russ