I'm a retro gaming expert and this handheld is a Black Friday steal for under $50 / £50

(Image credit: Anbernic)

published 23 November 2024

I have been covering games almost all my life, having started as a journalist in the 1980s, and so have a big collection of vintage consoles. I also regularly play classic games, but mainly using emulators on modern handhelds and there's one that I turn to most often – the Anbernic RG35XX,

Styled like a Game Boy but capable of playing games up to the PlayStation 1, it is a friendly 3.5-inch, full colour device that's great when you want a quick retro blast. And, thanks to the Black Friday sales, it's now cheap and chips – even with 1,000s of classic titles preinstalled.

It's currently under £50 in the UK, $50 in the States – a proper bargain. So check it out now, you won't be disappointed.

As previously mentioned, I already own an RG35XX myself, which I always keep in the top drawer of my desk for quick gaming sessions.

It runs on Linux, has a 3.5-inch iPS colour display and comes with Anbernic's own user experience, giving you access to the many 1,000s of games playable via multiple console emulators. This includes Game Boy, SNES, NES, Mega Drive, PC Engine and arcade coin-ops.

Dual system support means it can run Garlic too. And you can add your own game ROMs easily.

The pocket-sized handheld can even be plugged into a TV via its HDMI port, so you can play games on a bigger screen, too.

Get yourself a case too

If you want to protect your Anbernic RG35XX when it arrives, you should also consider getting yourself a carry case. Luckily, one of those has a discount too.

While you don't have to be an Amazon Prime member to get the discounts above, there are extra retro gaming deals to be found as part of Amazon's Lightning quick-fire deals this Black Friday, which are exclusive to subscribers.

Thankfully, you can sign up on a 30-day free trial right now and have a month to decide if you want to continue to subscribe or cancel at any time.

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.