Manuals+

Choose a Handheld for Batocera

This guide provides an overview of handheld devices compatible with Batocera.linux, focusing on their features, performance, and compatibility with various console generations.

Console Generations and Handheld Equivalents

Console generations are referenced to help understand handheld capabilities. Generally, handhelds are considered about a generation and a half behind consoles in terms of power required to run games.

Generation Consoles Handhelds
3rd NES, Sega Master System, Atari 7800 Not yet, unless you count Game & Watch.
4th SNES, Sega Genesis/Megadrive, Philips CD-i, Neo Geo, PC-Engine/TurboGrafx/SuperGrafx Game Boy, Sega Game Gear
5th Sony PlayStation, N64, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar Game Boy Color, Sega Genesis Nomad
6th Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Gamecube, Sega Dreamcast Game Boy Advance, Nokia N-Gage, Neo Geo Pocket Color
7th Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 Nintendo DS, Sony PSP

Anbernic RG552

This device is shipped with a "Linux" operating system that may be an outdated or customized version of Batocera. It is ill-advised to use this version as it attempts to connect to non-existent servers for content downloaders, bezels, and RetroAchievements, and most emulators are broken.

Features:

Performance: Identical to the RockPro64.

Anbernic RG351MP

There is an unstable version of Batocera available for this device with many major issues. It is not recommended for end-users.

A premium handheld using the RK3399 ARM CPU. Capable of running both Android and Linux operating systems, with an active fan to keep the system cool. Features high-quality build materials and is similar in form-factor to the Odroid Go Super.

Features:

Performance: Identical to the RockPro64.

This device is not supported (yet).

This entry is under construction.

The culmination of the RG351P and RG351M, using a superior 640x480 screen. Has an operating system with EmulationStation installed by default. Praised for its superb build quality.

GameForce

Neo Geo Pocket-inspired form-factor. Has some minor build quality issues (non-OCA screen, wobbly face buttons) but these can largely be ignored. Supported since v32. Plastic shell; comes in tan, green or orange.

Features:

Powkiddy RGB10 Max/Max 2

The 4:3 aspect screen lends itself to systems it does well with. Performs nearly identically to the Odroid Go Advance. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

The upgraded version of the Powkiddy RGB10, featuring the same CPU. Build quality is great. Comes in black, orange or black-with-white-buttons.

A later model with a new shell (noticeably higher build quality) and refined buttons (notably stacked shoulder buttons instead of aligned ones) was released, called the RGB10 Max 2.

Features:

Performance: 3x integer scale for GBA games uses the entire height of the screen. Despite switching to a 16:9 screen, performance is the same as the RGB10 non-Max. Most systems you run will be 4:3, you can use “core-provided” aspect ratio to use black borders. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

Anbernic RG351V

The Batocera build for this handheld is still in alpha and may have severe bugs/compatibility issues. You have been warned! ?

The build for this device has gone MIA. It is not compatible with Batocera at the moment. ❌

Not to be confused with the RG351P/M, which use an entirely different form factor. The long-awaited upgrade to the original RG300, uses the Game Boy-inspired shell with the internals of the RG351P. Slightly larger than a Game Boy Color. Has an operating system with EmulationStation installed by default. Praised for its superb build quality. Plastic shell; comes in translucent grey, white or with a wood grain pattern.

Anbernic RG351P/RG351M

Features:

Performance: Its 4:3 aspect ratio display lends itself well to 2x upscaling PS1 games. Performs nearly identically to the Odroid Go Advance. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

Not to be confused with the RG350P/RG350M, as it uses different architecture internally. Has an operating system with EmulationStation installed by default. Praised for its superb build quality. The P (plastic) version comes in three colors, whereas the M (metal) version comes in silver or metallic red.

Features:

Performance: Its 3:2 aspect ratio screen perfectly upscales GBA at 2x integer resolution, but other systems may have black borders, shrinking the screen size a little. Performs nearly identically to the Odroid Go Advance. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

Odroid Go Super

A larger revision of the Odroid Go Advance, still using the same CPU at the same clock. Around the same size as the Switch Lite. There are still some minor build quality issues, but they can be largely ignored. Plastic shell; comes in translucent or grey.

Features:

Performance: Despite switching to a 16:9 screen ratio and adding a right stick, the device still performs nearly identically to the Odroid Go Advance. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

Powkiddy RGB10/RGB10M

Basically a more polished version of the Odroid Go Advance/RK2020. Build quality is great. The metal shell comes in metallic black. The plastic shell comes in black, grey or yellow.

Features:

Performance: Performs nearly identically to the Odroid Go Advance. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

RK2020/RK2020-M

Basically a pre-assembled version of the Odroid Go Advance. Some would say a “clone”. First production units had a battery issue, but this was resolved in later manufacturing runs. Build quality is kind of crummy (visible seams, no passive heatsink) but is slightly better than that of the Odroid Go Advance. The plastic shell comes in translucent indigo or translucent black. The metal shell comes in black.

Features:

Performance: Performs identically to the Odroid Go Advance. It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS.

Odroid Go Advance v1/Black

A do-it-yourself assembly case for the Odroid Go Advance board. Not to be confused with the Odroid Go, which uses a much weaker board and a Game Boy inspired form-factor. The original had a translucent case that could be easily dyed, the later v2 revision only came in black (and thus is referred to as the “Black” edition). The build quality of the original is kind of crummy (visible seams, no passive heatsink), but was improved with Black edition. The easiest handheld to physically modify due to compatibility with other button sets/ease of dyeing.

Features:

LED control: Some people find the constantly flashing LEDs to be very intrusive. Here's how to turn them off:

This command will turn the blue LED to MicroSD card access: echo mmc0 > /sys/bus/platform/drivers/leds-gpio/gpio_leds/leds/blue:heartbeat/trigger

And following one will turn it off completely: echo none > /sys/bus/platform/drivers/leds-gpio/gpio_leds/leds/blue:heartbeat/trigger

To execute this code automatically at each startup, just put it on a text file and save it as /userdata/system/custom.sh

Credit to neko on the forums for this tip.

Performance: It is capable of 5th gen and below well, though N64 has issues with specific games. Has very limited PSP support, some 2D games run well but 3D games are hit-or-miss. Dreamcast is “playable”, but sub 40FPS. Most current handhelds use the same chipset at this board and thus has very similar performance to it.

Retroflag GPI Case

This case is essentially a Raspberry Pi Zero inside of a Game Boy-inspired case, and its performance is identical to the Raspberry Pi Zero. The first handheld supported officially by Batocera! Keep in mind that you will need to either buy one with a Pi Zero already installed or provide the Pi Zero yourself (without soldered pins)! May also be compatible with the CM3+ mod, but that has yet to be implemented/tested. Build quality is exceptional. The plastic shell comes in grey.

You can install the script to be able to use its power button by following the instructions on this page.

Features:

Performance: Performance is identical to the Raspberry Pi Zero, ie. it can do up to 4th gen consoles at full speed (with the help of some lesser-than-accurate emulators). 5th gen consoles is a stretch but possible with optimization of settings. Unfortunately it's missing some buttons/sticks for all later the systems it can run, but that can be worked around on a per-game basis or it might not matter at all if you only intend on playing 5th gen portable handheld games and below.

A description of the Retroflag GPI Case alongside a Nintendo Game Boy.

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choose a handheld mPDF 8.0.7

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