BEST RETRO HANDHELD UNDER £50 IN 2026
You don't need to spend a fortune to get into retro gaming. These are the best budget handhelds under £50 — ranked by specs, community feedback and Amazon buyer ratings.
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The R36S is the best retro handheld under £50 for most people — more RAM than competitors, analogue sticks, and long battery life at just £35. The RG35XX offers better brand reliability from Anbernic at around £45, though its 3.7 Amazon rating reflects some build consistency issues.
| DEVICE | PRICE | RAM | BATTERY | WIFI | AMAZON | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R36S | ~£35 | 1GB | 3500mAh | ✗ | 4.1★ | ★★★★☆ |
| RG35XX | ~£45 | 256MB | 2600mAh | ✓* | 3.7★ | ★★★☆☆ |
At around £35 the R36S is the cheapest serious retro handheld on the market. The 1GB RAM is the standout spec — it handles N64 and PS1 emulation better than most devices twice the price. Add a 3500mAh battery and analogue sticks and it's a package that's hard to beat at this price.
PROS
- Cheapest serious handheld
- 1GB RAM handles more games
- Analogue sticks included
- Long battery life
CONS
- No WiFi
- Variable build quality
- Smaller community
- Stock firmware is poor
Anbernic is the most established brand in retro handhelds. The RG35XX has a loyal community following and GarlicOS custom firmware is excellent. However the 3.7 Amazon UK rating is worth noting — some buyers report build consistency issues with this model specifically. Worth researching the H+ variant which addresses some of the original's shortcomings.
PROS
- Anbernic reputation
- GarlicOS is excellent
- WiFi on H+ variant
- Good community support
CONS
- 3.7★ Amazon UK rating
- Less RAM than R36S
- Shorter battery
- No analogue sticks
For pure value: buy the R36S. It's £10 cheaper, has more RAM, longer battery and analogue sticks. The RG35XX is worth considering if the Anbernic brand name matters to you, but check the H+ variant rather than the base model given the Amazon rating.