Play It Again

DroidDeck 0.6.7 Expands Game Support and Improves Performance

Posted on October 30, 2026October 30, 2026 by Mike

These devs clearly don’t realize that this one-man show works a full-time job, enjoys a little family time, plays the occasional game, and somehow tries to piece together another handheld review. Can we slow down with the updates? Just for me? No? Okay, fine. Here comes another update. DroidDeck 0.6.7 is out with a redesigned […]

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News & Stuff Oct 29, 2026

BoomScroll Has Me Chasing That Bullet Heaven High

Posted on October 29, 2026October 29, 2026 by Mike

Life and all the things that come with it can be hard. It can be draining. Sometimes, it can just be a lot. For many of us, finding enjoyment in life’s simple pleasures is what keeps us going. A perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwich. Waking up and realizing you have another two hours to sleep. […]

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News & Stuff Oct 28, 2026

ARMSX2 2.9 and 2.9.1 Bring Improvements to Your PS2 Handheld Experience

Posted on October 28, 2026October 28, 2026 by Mike

ARMSX2 celebrated its first anniversary on October 26, 2026, with the release of version 2.9. The latest update introduces several performance improvements, new GPU driver options, and additional features designed to make PS2 emulation more accessible on Android handhelds. One of the biggest additions is the VU1 Ahead-of-Time Compiler, which aims to improve performance in […]

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News & Stuff Oct 27, 2026

Slot-Brick 0.50 Brings PlayStation Support and Its Own Experimental OS

Posted on October 27, 2026October 27, 2026 by Mike

Version 0.50 of Slot-Brick is out, introducing PlayStation support, expanding hardware compatibility, and adding Slot OS, an experimental custom firmware option that allows the handheld to boot directly into the Slot-Brick frontend. I’ve covered Slot before, but this is my first time writing about Slot-Brick. If you’re wondering what the difference is between the two, […]

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News & Stuff Oct 27, 2026

HakuX 1.2.0 Overhauls Original Xbox Emulation

Posted on October 27, 2026October 27, 2026 by Mike

After more than six months without a new public release, HakuX has returned with an overhaul of its original Xbox emulator for Android. Developer rfandango released version 1.0.0 on October 23, 2026, followed by version 1.1.0 the next day. A third release, version 1.2.0, arrived yesterday. Rather than continue improving the original xemu-based architecture, the […]

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News & Stuff Oct 26, 2026

Azahar Draws the Line With Anbernic Over 3DS Emulation

Posted on October 26, 2026 by Mike

Checkmate honey, beat ya at your own damn game. Earlier today, the Azahar team announced that it was withdrawing official support for Anbernic handhelds. This means the developers will no longer investigate or resolve bugs and compatibility issues specific to Anbernic hardware. Why, you ask? Well, the announcement comes on the heels of Anbernic’s promotional […]

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News & Stuff Oct 26, 2026

The Spruce Is Loose! spruceOS 4.5.6 Expands Handheld Support

Posted on October 26, 2026 by Mike

The spruceOS team is back with version 4.5.6, and this release brings more than the usual collection of bug fixes and emulator updates. Support for additional handhelds, native PICO-8 save states, new emulation options, and improvements to the interface are among the highlights. spruceOS has expanded well beyond Miyoo hardware and now supports handhelds from […]

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News & Stuff Oct 26, 2026

MustardOS Andromeda Introduces Pickles and More Than 1,000 Changes

Posted on October 26, 2026October 26, 2026 by Mike

It’s been approximately eight months since the last major MustardOS release. Today, the development team released Andromeda with more than 1,000 changes across the operating system. One of the biggest additions is Pickles, a new Libretro player that offers an alternative to RetroArch. Like RetroArch, Pickles uses Libretro cores to run games from different systems. […]

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News & Stuff Oct 24, 2026

Is It Finally Time to Jump on the DroidDeck Bandwagon?

Posted on October 24, 2026October 23, 2026 by Mike

DroidDeck has come a long way in a relatively short period. This trend seems to be all the rage these days. What began as a way to bring Steam games to Android devices has expanded to support additional PC game storefronts, with each release introducing new features and improvements. Version 0.6.0 continues that trajectory, but […]

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News & Stuff Oct 21, 2026

AYN Odin 3 Portal Pre-Orders Open October 22 Starting at $399

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Mike

Good Morning! Are your wallets stuffed and puffed? Well, they’ll might feel a little lighter come Thursday. AYN has announced the pricing, configurations, and pre-order date for the Odin 3 Portal. We now have some of the remaining details following last week’s hardware reveal. The 7″ Android handheld will be available in three configurations, all […]

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Podcasts Oct 20, 2026

On Second Thought with Mike & Matt: 68

Posted on October 20, 2026October 20, 2026 by Mike

Episode 68: Shell Shocked – After more than a decade of knowing each other, Mike and Matt finally meet in person! Matt returns from his New England adventure with stories of beautiful fall foliage, Acadia National Park, questionable fashion choices, and lobster rolls that apparently require a second mortgage. $43 for a lobster roll? That’s […]

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News & Stuff Oct 19, 2026

Heaven or Hell? The Steam Next Fest Shoot ‘Em Up Roundup

Posted on October 19, 2026October 26, 2026 by Mike

A week of free demos, hidden gems, and upcoming games worth checking out. I’ll be sharing my hands-on impressions as I work through this year’s lineup. The Demo Lineup Demo Played Hop’s Awakening! Shoot ’em up | Eden Cruz A colorful, hand-drawn shoot ’em up with playful visuals, collectibles, and plenty of charm. Played on […]

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News & Stuff Oct 19, 2026

Socket 0.8.0 Adds Dual-Screen Support and More

Posted on October 19, 2026October 19, 2026 by Mike

Remember rummaging through your collection of games, looking for something to play? Socket wants to bring a little of that experience back to modern Android handhelds, minus the clutter of cartridges and discs scattered across your room. Developed by Depmots, Socket is a gaming frontend that presents your collection as customizable 3D cartridges and discs, […]

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News & Stuff Oct 19, 2026

BananaOS Takes a Lightweight Approach to the Anbernic RG DS and DS Plus

Posted on October 19, 2026October 18, 2026 by Mike

With ROCKNIX, GammaOS, and other custom firmware options already available for Anbernic’s dual-screen handhelds, do we really need another operating system? Developer JorreFog apparently thinks so, but BananaOS isn’t necessarily trying to offer more. Instead, it’s attempting to do more with less. Most custom firmware includes a variety of services running behind the scenes. BananaOS […]

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News & Stuff Oct 19, 2026

AYN reveals more details for the Odin 3 Portal

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Mike

AYN has confirmed several specifications for the AYN Odin 3 Portal today. They released a new promotional video that answers some of the questions raised by last week’s announcement. The Dragonwing Q8 is the same Snapdragon 8 Elite-class processor used in the standard Odin 3. The 9,000mAh battery is a 12.5% capacity increase over the […]

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News & Stuff Oct 19, 2026

ERLIK Puts a Mythological Twist on Bullet-Heaven Chaos

Posted on October 19, 2026October 27, 2026 by Mike

Vampire Survivors helped popularize the bullet-heaven genre, where weapons attack automatically, leaving players to focus on dodging enemies, surviving the chaos, and upgrading their arsenal. We’ve all seen the memes and screenshots of hundreds of enemies filling the screen while weapons unleash an almost ridiculous amount of destruction. I mean, if you aren’t drawn to […]

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It's a new month and time for a new handheld to go under the microscope. For October, I'm really excited to dive into the AYN Odin 3. I pre-ordered this many months ago and it recently showed up at my doorstep. I'm not sure why it takes AYN so long to deliver their products but I'm hoping this one is worth the wait!

The Odin 3 is AYN's premium Android gaming handheld powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It features a 6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 × 1080. I'm told it offers the performance needed for demanding Android games, high-end emulation, and PC gaming. I'll be reviewing this device by focusing exclusively on those kinds of systems. I'm eager to try out DroidDeck, GameNative, and PS3 in particular. If you enjoyed my review of the Retroid Pocket Nova, you'll know what to expect later this month when I publish my impressions. Spoiler: I think this one will be played again!

Retroid Pocket Nova: Play It Again?

DroidDeck 0.6.7 Expands Game Support and Improves Performance

BoomScroll Has Me Chasing That Bullet Heaven High

ARMSX2 2.9 and 2.9.1 Bring Improvements to Your PS2 Handheld Experience

Slot-Brick 0.50 Brings PlayStation Support and Its Own Experimental OS

HakuX 1.2.0 Overhauls Original Xbox Emulation

DroidDeck 0.6.7 Expands Game Support and Improves Performance

BoomScroll Has Me Chasing That Bullet Heaven High

ARMSX2 2.9 and 2.9.1 Bring Improvements to Your PS2 Handheld Experience

Slot-Brick 0.50 Brings PlayStation Support and Its Own Experimental OS

HakuX 1.2.0 Overhauls Original Xbox Emulation

Azahar Draws the Line With Anbernic Over 3DS Emulation

The Spruce Is Loose! spruceOS 4.5.6 Expands Handheld Support

MustardOS Andromeda Introduces Pickles and More Than 1,000 Changes

Is It Finally Time to Jump on the DroidDeck Bandwagon?

AYN Odin 3 Portal Pre-Orders Open October 22 Starting at $399

On Second Thought with Mike & Matt: 68

Heaven or Hell? The Steam Next Fest Shoot ‘Em Up Roundup

Socket 0.8.0 Adds Dual-Screen Support and More

BananaOS Takes a Lightweight Approach to the Anbernic RG DS and DS Plus

AYN reveals more details for the Odin 3 Portal

ERLIK Puts a Mythological Twist on Bullet-Heaven Chaos

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