My Perfect PortMaster Portable

Throwback games belong on throwback handhelds—mostly, anyway. When I first started grabbing handhelds, I was searching for a portable device to play PlayStation 1 games. I changed my goals over time. It was the most incredible gadget that could play GameCube and the greatest gadget for the GBA. After that, I took a slight detour in my quest for the top Pico-8 gadget. Before becoming the Powkiddy RGB30, that was the Miyoo Mini for the longest time.

What if I give it another go? I've been using PortMaster for a while now, and although it's generally reliable, some devices are more suitable for me than others. While I seek the ideal PortMaster portable, how about you join me? For the time being, however.

Furthermore, even if it could be my first option for PortMaster, you won't likely choose it.

The Features

Characteristics. The items you'll need to enjoy a solid experience. You'll likely find that one or two are also essential for you, even though this may be a subjective category.

First up? It does, in fact, run PortMaster. While some devices may not have this obvious, others may. In addition, you may encounter a device similar to the Miyoo Mini, which has ports but lacks PortMaster. While it still gives you a lot of choices, it also brings you closer to operating systems like Rocknix, ArkOS, or even CrossMix-OS.

Although this is purely a matter of taste, the gadget must have built-in wifi. Some handhelds require dongle towers for wifi. However, I'm not a big fan. Finding and manually adding ready-to-run games to my PortMaster directories is absolutely not something I enjoy doing. I'll ruin it. This eliminates a lot of devices that require wifi. I wouldn't use any of these from the RK2023 (OG) to the RGB10 Max 3 Pro (Heart, Heart, Heart) to the 28XX and XU Mini M. since they don't have built-in wifi. However, that isn't the only reason; I'm also considering a choice in the following category.

The Screen

The screen is another simple one, but it's also a matter of personal taste. The PortMaster collection has a large number of games. Some of those need more screen space because they are more contemporary. Handheld devices with a 3.5" screen or less are doomed. I'm constantly searching for the largest screen size available on these smartphones for games like Sonic Mania, Stardew Valley, and Modern Celeste.

I've discovered that the 3.5" devices are in use, so as a bonus, I'll also include the 4" 1:1 displays. purely because I still can't find horizontal real estate.

As a result, I am left with the 5:3 RG552, the 16:9 handhelds, and the 4" 4:3 handhelds. What should I do next between gadgets like the RG40XX, GameForce Ace, TrimUI Smart Pro, and RGB10 Max 3 Pro? That final step involves choosing what provided me with the most incredible experience. Additionally, some people were knocked unconscious far more easily than others.

The Experience

Some of the experience's elements caused me to turn off my gadgets immediately. The RG552? It has an excellent screen, but the power life is relatively poor. The Smart Pro from TrimUI? It has good battery life and decent controls; however, several PortMaster games aren't supported. Oddly, some of them were utterly absent from the list. Ace of GameForce? Although the controls were OK and the screen was solid, I saw vertical white lines appear across the screen after pressing the device to download games.

Glaring problems forced three, not bad, devices out of my line of sight. However, they are not alone. I mentioned using the 40XX devices with their displays, but it's important to keep in mind that they might not have full port support in PortMaster via MuOS or something like that. That influences my choice today, even if it might alter depending on the effort put in.

I'm excluding the RK3326 because the H700 and 3566 handhelds work better for me and offer good, affordable alternatives.

The remaining models are the RG-Arc, X55, RGB10 Max 3, and RG503. I would dismiss the first one for not having a stick of any kind. You can view my whole comparison from March for the past three, but my viewpoint remains unchanged. My current favourite widescreen 3566 handheld is the Powkiddy RGB10 Max 3, notwithstanding the GameMT E6+ and CB-408 release.

Final Thoughts

This list may not be ideal for everyone. You may like handhelds with smaller screens or detest them with widescreens. But I want a large screen to enjoy a game to the fullest. And I believe it's a good value handheld at $63 on AliExpress right now.

If you're looking for a gadget, a 40XX would be my second choice. Even now, it's a really good PortMaster handheld that I'd be pleased to use daily, though muOS compatibility is constantly growing.

Many games are available to play, and not all of them have to be old. Therefore, give PortMaster a try if you want to play something new. There's plenty to lose yourself in.