![Powkiddy RGB30](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/a7f547d145319/powkiddy-rgb30.900x.jpg)
There are a lot of things to love about the Analogue Pocket, but one of the things we really like is the perfectly square 1:1 aspect ratio screen, which is absolutely ideal for playing Game Boy games.
A display with this kind of aspect ratio is a rare beast these days, with most manufacturers aiming for a widescreen 16:9 format instead. That's fine if you're looking to play modern games on the move, but for retro, boxy is good.
Chinese firm Powkiddy clearly agrees as it has released a new handheld, the RGB30, which boasts a 4-inch, 1:1 aspect ratio 720x720 pixel LCD that's even larger than the one on the Analogue Pocket. Can a screen like this work on a landscape-oriented device, though? We're about to find out.
Powkiddy RGB30 Review: Design & Display
The act of accommodating a 1:1 aspect ratio screen into a device of this size means that the Powkiddy RGB30 feels a lot different to its rivals. In terms of width, it's about the same as any other device on the market, but the display necessitates a tall body – and that comes with some pleasant side effects.
For starters, it gives the RGB30's physical controls room to breathe. The D-pad and buttons are positioned relatively high on the face of the device, but they're easy to reach and don't feel cramped. Likewise, the dual analogue sticks aren't stuck right at the bottom of the unit's face, as is often the case with other emulation handhelds. No matter which input you favour, you'll find the RGB30 very comfortable to use.
![Powkiddy RGB30](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/72b3f5c090898/powkiddy-rgb30.900x.jpg)
As for the overall design, there are a lot of smart choices here. The large surface area of the unit means the stereo speakers are never in danger of being muffled by your palms when you grip the unit, and the shoulder buttons – while sadly arranged in-line rather than one on top of the other – rest naturally under your extended index fingers thanks to the tall nature of the unit.
There are some negatives to report – the face buttons feel a little cheap and nasty, while the back of the unit also betrays the system's budget credentials and picks up scratches a little too easily. The bodywork itself, while well-designed, also feels less robust than some of its rivals.
No such criticisms can be made against the display, however. While it's not quite as sharp and bright as the one seen on the Analogue Pocket – which is truly one of the best screens on any handheld, ever – the RGB30's 720p, 1:1 LCD panel is fantastic, especially when you consider the low price point of the device. The colours really pop, and the 720p resolution means that retro games scale especially well, retaining sharpness and plenty of detail.
Finally, it's worth noting that the RGB30 has HDMI-out, allowing you to connect it to the TV without spending extra money on a dock.
![Powkiddy RGB30](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/f03a5d36cddd6/powkiddy-rgb30.900x.jpg)
Powkiddy RGB30 Review: Performance
The Powkiddy ships with the open-source JelOS out of the box, and this works in conjunction with emulators like RetroArch to present a very user-friendly experience.
The unit we were sent for review by Keep Retro came pre-loaded with a bunch of ROMs – as well as artwork, screenshots and covers – making the whole experience feel very polished indeed, right out of the box. You can, of course, change the OS and customise pretty much every element of how the device works, but for those of you who simply want to get gaming as quickly as possible, the RGB30 offers a hassle-free experience – although the pauses when moving between games is a little too long for our liking.
Thanks to the moderately powerful RK3566 chipset, retro gaming emulation is pretty much perfect – up to a point. While the RGB30 will play Dreamcast, PlayStation, Saturn, Nintendo DS and PSP titles, performance isn't perfect, and you may find that some titles run poorly. However, systems such as the SNES, Game Boy, Mega Drive and GBA all run wonderfully, and many of these play to the strengths of that 1:1 aspect ratio screen.
![Powkiddy RGB30](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/3d36b481fc99a/powkiddy-rgb30.900x.jpg)
Take Game Boy, for example. With the right screen filters, you can make the image look just as authentic as it does on the Analogue Pocket. The same can be said for Neo Geo Pocket Color games, which load with a cool pixel grid filter applied right from the off. Even systems which don't use a 1:1 aspect ratio look great, with the small borders at the top and bottom of the screen being a relatively minor issue.
Arcade games – especially those which use a 'TATE' mode – also look fantastic on the RGB30, thanks largely to the fact that its 1:1 display accommodates vertical content much better than a traditional 16:9 screen. Sure, you get thick, black borders on the left and right of the screen, but the image is much larger than it would be if played on a handheld with a widescreen display.
Powkiddy claims that the RGB30's 4100mAh battery is good for around eight hours of use, but we didn't get close to that amount. Battery drain will be determined by a wide range of variables, including brightness, volume and the kind of demands you're placing on the internal hardware, but we'd say six hours is a more realistic figure – and, to be honest, that's still not bad when compared to the stamina we've seen from other emulation handhelds.
Powkiddy RGB30 Review: Conclusion
![Powkiddy RGB30](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/5ce00045af307/powkiddy-rgb30.900x.jpg)
The PowKiddy's 1:1 aspect ratio screen makes it a good choice for those of you who want to emulate systems like the Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Neo Geo Pocket Color – and it's also great for 4:3 ratio systems, like the SNES, Mega Drive, NES and Neo Geo.
It doesn't fare quite as well when it comes to more advanced consoles, but for around $90, we're not complaining. In fact, we'd even go as far as to say that, if you're struggling to get an Analogue Pocket and you're not too bothered about using physical cartridges, this could well be the alternative you're looking for – even if software emulation isn't entirely as accurate as FPGA.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Thanks to Keep Retro for supplying the Powkiddy RGB30 used in this review.
Comments 22
Looks like a nice software emulator, but if it can't play original carts and isn't fpga then it isn't a true competitor for the Pocket.
The Pocket’s screen isn’t a “perfectly square” 1:1. It’s 1600×1440, or 1.11:1.
Maybe “almost perfectly square”?
Also, do you find the extra 0.5” compared to the Pocket to significantly enhance Tate content? I tried the Tate cores on the Pocket but it felt way cramped, and 0.5 feels like a minuscule number to me.
Running Neo Geo games satisfactorily is a great plus for me! I'll sure take a closer look at it. The price range is not wonderful but it's ok
Is it a true rival though, not being able to output to a TV via dock?? And no cartridge support?
Cool handheld for sure but I think this is more a Anbernic rival if anything.
EDIT: Nevermind! It has HDMI-out!
I do prefer a dock setup rather than being tied to an HDMI cable. For my TV setup, I have a wall mounted tv and all the cords are run in the wall and hidden so the TV looks like it’s magically floating. This setup isn’t ideal for those kinds of situations.
Couple of bizarre things in this article. First being the clickbait headline. If it isn’t an FPGA, it isn’t an Analogue competitor. FPGA is why the Analogues cost is what it is and why it doesn’t have a competitor on the market.
Second being the praise of being sent pirated games from China from a professional journalist. I mean yeah most of us do download and play ROMs and it’s pretty accepted. Still head scratching to see a major gaming media company say “yeah China! Break them international laws, we love you for it!”.
Nice short review! 👍
@ChromaticDracula It has HDMI out
I don't think I see it mentioned in the review but do you load games on to a micro SD card for this device? Is there a size limit of SD card that it can read?
Oh, now this is very interesting - I prefer the form factor of this and it might be a really good device for me to use to play GB, GB and NGPC roms on the go. I've been weighing up various options, but that 1:1 screen is a big selling point for me, I get really irrationally annoyed by borders. And 720 is the exact sweet spot vertical resolution for perfect integer scaling of most retro content, allowing for either perfect crisp even pixels or a grid filter with no shimmering.
@Damo Great review! You wrote "With the right screen filters, you can make the image look just as authentic as it does on the Analogue Pocket" - can I assume that this includes a decent looking "pea soup" style DMG pallette with a pixel grid shader? If so, I'm sold.
@DestructoDisk I would assume that roms were added to review copies sent out to avoid wasting money accidentally sending devices to people that aren't tech savvy enough to get roms or work out how to install them. Certainly their website says nothing about including games of any kind when selling to the public.
However, also on the subject of the ethics of sharing roms rather than selling them, a large amount of "legally licensed roms" on cheap retro machines, compilations for consoles, or streaming services are actually extremely innethical and often not even truly legal, just paying money to copyright/patent trolling grifters who claim to own the rights and no-one can afford/bother to dispute them. They all regularly rebrand the companies, logos, and which individuals are the current "director" so its a bit like playing whack-a-mole.
Of course, its illegal to sell devices with roms on, like how Soulja Boy was doing. But these types of devices are designed to have roms put on them as soon as you buy them anyway, so from a moral rather than legal standpoint, if you are buying a device like this, you have already decided you are ok with using them. And as I said, in some cases, its actually more ethically sound to use downloaded roms than pay for fake/unethically sourced but legally unchallenged "licenses". Tis a bit of a minefield, for sure, but neither is 100% right or wrong, from an ethical, or sometimes even legal standpoint.
Its difficult to sift through which "legal" collections are genuine without going down big rabbit holes and sifting through government records (often these companies obscure themselves through countless shell companies like money launderers and tax avoiders) but as soon as I cotton on to a particular "license" being "owned" by one of these people I actively avoid supporting such activity which is far more immoral in my personal opinion. Especially as some of the biggest names behind it are very nasty and sometimes dangerous individuals commiting widescale fraud & harassing whistleblowers.
I posted in more detail about this connundrum in various thread here and on NintendoLife, most recently here: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/10/kelsey-lewin-is-leaving-the-video-game-history-foundation
Ultimately, I think its up to the individual to decide what they are morally comfortable with. Just know that its not as black and white as "paying for a rom / retro collection / device with licensed built in games is an ethical way to legally own/play them" as often its neither ethical or legal. Like food labelling pretending to be "healthy", take it with a grain of salt, sugar, fat and chemicals.
@ralphdibny From the wesbite it looks like there may be 2 micro SD slots, one for the OS, and one for games. They sell the system with 16gb for the OS, and you can have 64gb / 128gb bundled.
It says that each slot supports up to 256gb, but the implication is that only the 1 slot (and therefore 256gb max) can be used for games.
This handheld use emulation and is more in line to compete against Anbernic and AtGames handhelds, not Analogue. The Analogue Pocket is FPGA and support physical cartridges so both aren't really competing against one another.
@DestructoDisk I didn't read anything endorsing piracy. He was explaining how having all the box art, short video demo, and description makes it a more immersive experience. Legal or illegal roms are not the point and I can tell you first hand that it's nice to have the box art for your curated list of favorite games on one device. Can you add art/video to the Pocket? Can you play SNES/MD/NES carts on your Pocket or are you playing ROM files? How about PSX/Saturn or other disc based systems? I'd say the comparison is justified.
@Damo how did I miss that?! Thanks for clarification
@samuelvictor
I think every gamer has downloaded an iillegal ROM in their life at this point maybe without even knowing that it was illegal in the first place. Still, it feels bizarre to have NintendoLife (or TimeExtension) promote a device like this that is simply meant to play pirated games. I mean, it’s not like people who own an Analogue pocket are only going play games from cartridges but I guess you are at least given the option there. With the Powkiddy it is downloading ROMs and getting them on an SD-card. Which is the most unofficial way possible. I think NL (or TE) should only promote methods that are official like the SNES Mini or Nintendo Switch Online. And I guess one could be ok with promoting the Analogue Pocket since as I mentioned you can at least decide whether you will stay in the legal zone or not.
@Hexapus "Can you add art/video to the Pocket?"
Not unless you are talking about Game Boy Advance Video cartridges. It's not a software emulation handheld.
"Can you play SNES/MD/NES carts on your Pocket or are you playing ROM files?"
Neither. It's not a software emulation handheld. It's a portable that plays cartridges made for handhelds. (you could hack it with custom firmware and play ROMs on the FPGA (however you can't software emulate those ROMs)) Also... original hardware using real cartridges is "Playing ROM files" too.
"How about PSX/Saturn or other disc based systems?"
Doesn't play those at all, even if you hack OpenFPGA onto it. The system uses an FPGA which recreates the original hardware of consoles on a chip that can mimic the arrangement of the original chips. There is currently not an FPGA complex enough to do 3D game systems. It's not a software emulation handheld.
I think it's pretty clear that Analogue only creates and sells FPGA consoles, and caters to the FPGA niche. PowKiddy creates software emulation handhelds and caters to that niche. They aren't rivals, they are two different things. I mean if you are going that far out, you could make the headline "Powkiddy RGB30 - A $90 Asus ROG Phone 7 Rival? You'd Better Believe It". They are both gaming devices and they both run software emulators. How about the $90 Steam Deck? Seems farfetched like the original eye grabbing title.
I think the main thing to come away with here is "It's not a software emulation handheld". It's silly to say this is a $90 Analogue Pocket.
@Duffman92 I can understand that point of view for sure. However, as you say, pretty much every gamer, especailly retro gamer, has downloaded and played roms at some point, hell most of the biggest retro fans with vast collections probably worth more than their house still play roms because they are convenient, so its useful to be kept informed about new devices to do so.
Now, I admit that for my personal taste, there may be too many of these devices covered, and too often, and there is a never ending slew of such devices coming thick and fast and most of them are much of a muchness and just chinese companies wanting to make a quick buck. But when a device is less generic and has one or more standout features that actually make it especially desirable to descerning retro gamers, I really apprecaite being made aware of it, and I absolutely trust Damo to give a fair and balanced review.
I ignore most of the "yet another alsoran device" articles but for my personal wants, I'm extremely glad that I was made aware of this particular device, a 1:1 720p screen in a horizontal form factor is exactly what I've been hoping for, and I'm sure many other gamers wanting a specific device for playing GB/GBC/NGPC games have too. I wouldn't have known that it existed without this site, so I think its a very relevant thing to post on a site dedicated to retro gamers.
Like I said though, I totally understand why you'd feel otherwise.
@DestructoDisk I agree with a lot of your points, but it entirely depends how you frame it. For me, its absolutely a rival to the Analogue Pocket for what I want. In fact far from being just another chinese emulation device, its the only one I'm considering instead of the Pocket.
I've been considering buying an Analogue Pocket since they were anounced, not because its an FPGA device, but because of the screen's 1:1 aspect ratio and ability to play GB games in their original green colours with a quality dot matrix filter. I've not seen any other cheap chinese device that can do this, looks like this one can... and its cheaper, and I prefer the form factor.
For me, they are absolutely comparable because the factors that would make me consider buying one are met by both, so personally the choice isn't emulation vs fpga (GB emulation is at the point where I find it indistinguishable from the real thing) its price, build quality and form factor. I'm sure the Analogue Pocket is built better, and this review states so. But I'm held off from buying one because of the high price and the fact I actually don't think it looks like I'd find it comfortable to use.
I know FPGA's are awesome, but as I've discussed elewhere on this site I'm holding back till there are more powerful devices and more complex cores that can cover some of the systems where emulation isn't perfect, and probably won't ever be. At that point, I'll happily lay down a huge amount of money on a full FPGA setup. But the Pocket is simply overkill when all I want to do is play Gameboy (and hopefully other 8bit portable) games. Its very neat that the Pocket can play original carts, and I've got loads of them... but for me, the appeal in a portable device is in convenience and practicality when travelling so whether do chose this device or the pocket, I'd only be playing roms. So again, in my particular usecase, these two deveices are very much a direct comparison. I don't feel its a click bait title, it makes perfect sense, if you frame it in that light.
I got mine a couple of weeks back, and I'm absolutely enamored with it. It is indeed amazing for handheld emulation. SNES I bump up to 8:7 and it looks great without looking squished. All 4:3 content, I bump up to 5:7 to claim back some more screen real estate, and again, they look great without looking squashed.
I'm not sure what he meant in the review about PS1 not playing all that well, it really does. But only at native resolution. If you use the double-res setting in RetroArch on the default core, then it plays well, but the sound skips a bit. You'll get the flawless performance at native res from the default core though.
I also found the buttons really great, not at all cheap feeling. They look it, but they don't feel cheap in-game. I also found with some higher thumb grips, the analog sticks work super well, with a better range of motion than I expected from the 'Nintendo Switch-style' descriptor people tend to lump on them. Build quality is pretty fantastic on my black unit too. I thought the plastic would feel cheap, but it doesn't. It feels more solid than any of the GBA models ever felt to me, at any rate.
My only issue so far is battery life. Even the 6 hours quoted here seems generous in comparison to mine. It drains too fast for my liking. I usually turn Wi-Fi off and bring it down to 50% brightness, which still looks good, but I'm seriously considering just getting a mini power bank and taping it to the back of the unit to play for much longer sessions and to crank up the brightness just a tad.
The screen is a superstar though, and is absolutely perfect for all the LCD shaders I have applied to my handheld systems. If they release a model with the same resolution, but OLED, man, I'd get another in a heartbeat!
I absolutely love the RGB30, and I'd absolutely recommend it for anybody on a budget, and even then, it'll be worth picking up just for the screen, especially at this price. I'd only ever consider getting either an upgraded model, or an additional system with widescreen for those other systems. I think I'll wait for a linux machine that can play PS2 and Gamecube perfectly though, before I splurge on another.
@DestructoDisk A few points:
"It's a portable that plays cartridges made for handhelds"
Judging from the amount of traffic we get on our OpenFPGA core guide for the Pocket, I'd argue a LOT of people are using their Pockets to play ROMs. I have a massive collection of physical carts but I see the benefit of being able to load a bunch of ROMs onto an SD card and avoid having to carry around physical games.
Also, your use of term 'hack' is misleading here; there's no hacking required to make use of OpenFPGA - it's baked into the Analogue Pocket firmware. All you're doing is loading in new FPGA cores and then loading ROMs. The Pocket was always designed with this in mind, just as it was designed to play original media.
"There is currently not an FPGA complex enough to do 3D game systems. It's not a software emulation handheld."
There are PS1, Saturn and N64 FPGA cores on MiSTer already.
"I think it's pretty clear that Analogue only creates and sells FPGA consoles, and caters to the FPGA niche."
While you're correct in that the FPGA and software emulation sectors are different, the end goal is the same: to play retro games. Given that the RGB30 has the same aspect ratio display as the Pocket (one of the big selling points for me personally), the comparison is fair, IMO.
@Damo yes they both play ROMs, but as I mentioned earlier, everything is “playing ROMs”. Original hardware through cartridges is playing ROMs. Difference of the niches is how the ROMs are played, software emulation, hardware emulation, and original hardware. These three platforms are not rivals, though of course anything in gaming has crossover. It’s a stretch to say my smartphone is a rival to a DMG Game Boy, though they both play ROMs, and some people will use both devices or even debate with themselves about which one they are going to decide to use.
As far as the 3D FPGA stuff, it is my understanding that those are not complete and require additional hardware on MiSTer to really get partially operational. I havent seen any running well except the N64 which is not one of the disc based systems I was replying about. But there could be more advancements I haven’t followed closely enough to and am unaware of. If so, I’d love a full update article on where the MiSTer is now. Its hard to follow these things with the bits and pieces that get released at various places here and there.
As for the screen, it is indeed awesome. I am definitely interested in the product, though I am a general retro gamer that plays across original hardware, software emulation, retail retro collections on Switch, and FPGA enjoying each niche’s unique benefits. In other words I am not specifically in the market for FPGA stuff. I am not a core customer of Analogues niche. If you were to ask Analogue what their niche was, do you think they are most likely to respond “screen technology” or “fpga technology”. I think it is obviously the latter. Though realistically they would probably give a more complex answer like “the digital preservation of hardware experiences”, basically meaning.. where the Pocket is concerned, a combined experience of accuracy with the digital function of the software and display combined. The RGB30 is missing the biggest part of that equation, or at the very least, half of the equation.
Sorry for the rambling. And please… and can we a get a full overview article on the current state of MiSTer. I am still pondering on pulling the trigger there.
I think people get too stuck on semantics on the internet.
All I know is that I would have loved an Analog Pocket, and I would have loaded it full of ROMS and FPGA cores, since I sold off my cart collection years ago, but a combination of price and wait time led me to getting a handheld emulation machine. And the RGB30 fit the bill perfectly.
At the end of the day, no matter what you're playing on, all the options we have play these games really well, and that's what matters to me.
@ChromaticDracula yeah, but it's less than half the price.
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