Back in the swing of things this week, with three in-depth videos! Plenty more to come as I work on clearing out my backlog of review items.

🎥 Now Playing

Retroid Pocket Nova is a Dream Handheld

The RP Nova is here, and it’s easily one of the most-hyped handhelds of recent memory. Here are my first impressions, and expect a review video next week. Even after a few days with it, I’m happy to report that the Nova is a triumphant return to form, with beautiful details refined across multiple previous iterations.

OneXPlayer 3 Review: OLED + Power

The OneXPlayer 3 has some big wins: 8.8" OLED screen (same as the Legion Go 2), Intel's monster G3 Extreme CPU, detachable controls, and a price that competes with the larger companies. But those advantages are also hindered by some smaller details; let's put it all together to see if this is the luxury handheld PC for you.

Well, I Happen to Love the Steam Machine

The Steam Machine has finally arrived, and while I think it’ll take quite some time to really unpack the value of this living-room-focused PC, here is a preliminary review.

Other Russ Sightings:

• Expedition: Handheld - In Entry #22, Adam and I do a deeper dive into the RP Nova (including some behind-the-scenes insights), and we gush about the Neo Geo Pocket Color a bunch, too.

• Retro Handhelds - I joined Stubbs, Rob, and Mike on their livestream to discuss our first impressions of the RP Nova. This was fun, and it was good hearing some of their perspectives on the device.

📰 Power-Up(dates)

• In what sounds like nostalgia-bait Mad Libs, Atari has signed a deal with Universal Pictures to adapt 10 of its classic games into movies. Curiously, both Centipede and Millipede are on the list, the latter famously being a sequel to the former. The full list includes Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars' Revenge. According to Deadline, the films are reportedly aiming for big-scale action-adventure fare. I’m taking bets now as to how many of these will actually appear in theaters - it sounds like the Dark Universe all over again.

• Microsoft introduced Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC, making classic Xbox games playable across Windows and handhelds including the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. Four titles are available now: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy, with the option to purchase them outright or play them on Game Pass. Microsoft describes this as "the beginning of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games from the past and bring them to PC over time." The PC versions will include new features like upscaling and achievements, too. There’s a lot of speculation that Xbox 360 titles are coming next!

• I plan on making a Steam Machine emulation video soon, and over the past week I’ve been chatting with the EmuDeck dev to identify pain points in the Steam Machine’s emulation setup process. Lo and behold, EmuDeck is now officially optimized for the Steam Machine! The latest update fixes SD card detection issues and missing controls across several emulators. Setup requires no desktop mode tinkering or manual reinstalls; existing users simply need to launch any emulator directly from Game Mode to apply the fixes automatically. While higher-resolution optimizations for target displays remain on the development roadmap, this release ensures a streamlined plug-and-play experience for gamers looking to turn their Steam Machine into a dedicated emulation console.

• Cue the country music, Anbernic unveiled the RG SP in a new video, the latest in its GBA SP-inspired emulation handheld lineup. It’s a slimmer RG34XXSP that ditches the joysticks, adds dual alloy hinges, and features a 25% thinner top bezel than previous models. I got my hands on it while in China, and it feels great. The RG SP will come in four color options: pink, teal, black, and grey, each with a premium metallic finish and acrylic logo badge. The device is expected to use an H700 quad-core similar to Anbernic's previous releases, which bodes well for custom firmware at launch.

• After a lengthy development cycle, the community-crafted FPGA handheld Game Bub is officially getting ready to ship to backers. Retro Handhelds reports that the initial batch of handhelds and docks are currently en route from the factory to Mouser's warehouse in Texas for distribution. For those who haven't ordered yet, a few hundred unclaimed units are still available for pre-order on Crowd Supply at $269. Built around an AMD FPGA board, the horizontal device features a 4-inch 3:2 display (720x480), native GBA link cable support, front-facing speakers, and a 3,000 mAh battery promising up to 14+ hours of runtime. Check out my video on the device here, and I purchased a unit too - the fact that this FPGA is multiple times more powerful than what is needed for GBA makes me hopeful that we’ll see additional cores for it in the future.

• GKD has officially revealed the full specifications and pricing for its upcoming 350H Ultra handheld, highlighting a premium build paired with solid mid-range hardware. Priced at 799 RMB (roughly $118 USD), the device features a CNC-machined aluminum alloy shell with a full glass front panel, TMR analog sticks, a 3.5-inch display boasting a dense 1600×1440 resolution, and a 5000mAh battery supporting 18W fast charging. Under the hood, it runs on the mysterious RK3576S processor alongside 2GB of RAM. To my knowledge, this is a chipset that remains largely untested in retro handhelds so far, meaning while performance should theoretically push up to N64 and Dreamcast emulation, time will tell how well it handles real-world play.

❤️ Currently Grinding

Retro Game: Ratchet & Clank

The one game I’ve been gravitating towards while testing my RP Nova is the original Ratchet & Clank. I remember buying this PS2 game on launch day in late 2002, and the gameplay scratched a particular 3D-platforming itch for me — something that Super Mario Sunshine failed to do when it released earlier that same year. I loved the multiple weapon mechanics of R&C, and it was thankfully less focused on trinket collecting compared to 2001’s Jak & Daxter. At the same time, the game launched during those relatively early 3D platforming days, and navigating the camera was a struggle for me; I remember getting turned around constantly, and dying a bunch even during the easy platforming segments. Nowadays it’s a fairly straightforward and simple game, but also a nice reminder of how sometimes it can take us decades to catch up to the best of games.

Modern Game: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

I got the latest 8BitDo Xbox-centric controller in the mail for testing, and so I did what any self-respective reviewer would do: I fired up my Xbox Series X, and immediately started complaining about how my storage was filled up with a bunch of games I never really play but can’t bear to delete (hello there, Destiny 2). So I decided to tackle one of those eternally-installed Xbox games, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. I’m a huge fan of Ninja Theory as a developer, and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games was their often-overlooked Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. But I’ve had a hard time with the slow pace and obtuse puzzle triggers in Hellblade; this is a game I’ve been playing off an on since 2017, 20 minutes here and there.

Nine years later, I finally beat it this week, which is no great accomplishment considering that the projected time to beat it is only 7.5 hours! Regardless, I’m glad I took the time to run through those last couple of hours, even if the combat is relentlessly boring by the end. It’s a visual marvel, especially considering its age, and I appreciate that its narrative and gameplay structure deviates from your standard norms. I’ve owned Hellblade II: Senua’s Sacrifice for a couple years already, waiting for the day when I’ll be ready for it. This one is similarly short (about seven hours), and hopefully it won’t take me another nine years to beat it.

Music: Sicko - Chef Boy R U Dum

When I think of that special flavor of pop-influenced, mid-1990s punk rock that helped form my teenage years, my mind often will gravitate towards geography. There’s a little topographical map in my mind that connects all of the iconic acts: most were concentrated in the San Francisco area (Green Day, Op Ivy/Rancid, Jawbreaker, No Use for a Name, and Mr. T Experience), some came from Southern California (NOFX, Lagwagon, Descendents, The Vandals, and The Offspring), and then there were outliers like Screeching Weasel in Chicago or Propagandhi in Manitoba. For a local Seattle-area guy, we didn’t often have the chance to see those other regional acts, and so I grew up listening to my own local heroes: MxPx and Sicko.

Formed in 1991, Sicko was a simple three-piece band, who played blisteringly short and energetic sets (often without taking breaks between songs). I just so happened to really get into punk during their absolute peak era in 1995, when their third album Chef Boy R U Dum released. One of the songs from this album (“Little”, track nine) was even a minor hit on our local alternative radio station; admittedly, it was their slowest and most alternative-like song at the time, so it kind of fit. Today, the recording sounds deliciously lo-fi, albeit a little hard on the ears due to its muddy guitar track and Denny’s strained vocal performance. Recorded in just five days, it was actually their most ambitious recording project at the time, despite its home-brewed overall sound. Regardless, if you’re into pop-punk, and you have 33 minutes to spare, I think these 18 tracks still hold up pretty well.

💰 Bargain Bin

• Sandisk’s Imagemate 512GB microSD card is on sale for $75 on Amazon. A couple years ago this wouldn’t have been news-worthy, but in 2026 this is actually a decent deal. Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• Also on Amazon, Razer is having a big sale. I’ve listed some of the best deals on gaming mice below, but check out their full store page for deals on everything from chairs to webcams.

  • Razer Cobra, Gen-3, $18 (normally $40)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Razer Basilisk V3, $35 (normally $70)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Razer Viper V3, $50 (normally $70)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Razer Naga V2, $60 (normally $100)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Razer Viper V3 Pro, $100 (normally $160)

    • Buy it here: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• For those of you who prefer your games DRM-free, GOG is doing some serious sales on franchise bundles. Check out some of the best values below!

  • Middle-earth: The Shadow Bundle, $7 (normally $80)

  • Prince of Persia Bundle, $7 (normally $35)

  • Metro Franchise Bundle, $9 (normally $60)

  • Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy, $10 (normally $50)

  • Robocop Rogue City Collection, $12 (normally $50)

  • Batman Arkham Collection, $16 (normally $120)

  • Tomb Raider I-VI Remastered, $16 (normally $55)

⏪ Previously on Retro Game Corps

Is the FunKey S Worth Remembering?

With Anbernic preparing to release the ultimate SP-inspired clamshell, I thought it could be a fun time to look back at an earlier attempt. The FunKey S was tiny, cute, and relatively cheap. But was it good? Let’s go back in time and find out.

🎬 Behind The Scenes

Right after finishing my Steam Machine video, I finally got my hands on this EXCELLENT stand/dock for the Steam Controller. It’s made by Mechanism, the folks behind the DeckMate line of accessories (among others), and it’s stunning (see it in motion). Its weighted base feels super sturdy, and plopping my controller on the stand is genuinely fun. Check it out here (non-affiliate link); it’s pricey at $40, but well worth it if you ask me. If you’d rather go the DIY route, they provide the 3D-printing files for free, too.

See you next week,
Russ