This new retro gaming handheld is a great deal for under $200

After the first teasers emerged last month, the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Classic is now officially available to pre-order, with prices starting at just $179. Admittedly, the retro gaming handheld looks very similar to the brand’s original Pocket Micro, which arrived only last year, but the big difference is the lack of analog sticks, which makes the device look, and presumably feel, a lot like playing the Game Boy Advance Micro.

Based on its specs alone, the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Classic looks like a future pick for our guide to the best retro gaming handhelds. The cheapest version comes with 6GB of RAM – yes, that’s more than the Nintendo Switch – 128GB of internal storage, and runs Android 13 for a smooth emulation experience. It also boasts a borderless 3.5-inch 640P IPS display, which is a very nice touch, giving you plenty of screen space without massively adjusting the form factor of the original Pocket Micro.

If you want to pre-order the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Classic, all you need to do is head over to the official Ayaneo site, where you can also find the full specs table including details on the battery and chipset. While 128GB should be more than enough space for all your favorite retro games, there is the option to go big with an 8GB+256GB version of the handheld, but it’s a little more expensive at $209.

There are also two special edition colorways for the Pocket Micro Classic, Retro Gray and Retro Gold, on offer for $239, so if you’re something of a hardware collector, you might want to check out those options before putting your order in. According to Ayaneo, shipping begins in mid April,  and you can check out our list of the best GBA games while you wait for yours to arrive.

As ever, we’ll be eager to get our hands on the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Classic to put it through its paces as soon as possible, but on paper, it certainly looks capable of rivalling its Retroid and Anbernic competition. For more great gaming tech while you’re here, be sure to check out our guides to the best handheld consoles and the best gaming tablets, with plenty of options to suit all budgets.