S30 Retro Console 3.5inch IPS Screen Portable Handheld Game Console (S30)

So, I love my PocketGo. And the PocketGo S30 just adds to it. Emulation wise, it runs pretty much all the same emulators as the original PocketGo, with the addition of PlayStation and Dreamcast. There's not a lot to talk about in terms of the simpler systems: NES, Megadrive, etc work flawlessly. SNES is greatly improved from the original PocketGo. While there were some audio issues with Dreamcast games, overall it's very playable (Grandia II, anyone??). PlayStation works great as well (Tomb Raider, Hydro Thunder, Star Wars Rebel Assault II). Overall, a fantastic piece of hardware.Pros:- Good screen size- Analog stick (perfect for PS1 games)- Improved interface: Press and hold power to turn on and off. Press Power in-game to adjust settings, save/load state, exit game, etc- Improved filesystem. Rather than having apps installed in the device "firmware", everything is available straight on the included 16gb micro SD card. Adding/updating/removing/changing emulators is as easy as moving items around on the SD card- USB C charging (short cable included)- Headphone jack for late night gaming in bedCons:- Triggers are a bit awkward to reach when using the analog stick. It'll take a bit of getting used to, and then you'll be right as rain- Highly addictiveI'll update this review after some time has passed, but overall, I'm incredibly pleased with the PocketGo S30 console! Buy one for yourself and a friend today!

Note: this will be a review of my experience with the device right out of the box. I will update this review if necessary after upgrading the firmware.Well, the form factor is absolutely delightful for any retro gaming fan so that is just awesome. The screen is clear and vibrant with excellent visibility at all viewing angles. The speaker/sound quality is just so so but it’s certainly not a dealbreaker in any way. The device is ergonomically very comfortable with the exception of the L2 and R2 buttons. They are positioned in such a way that when you press down your fingers want to slide off of the device. They are also set lower than the L1 and R1 buttons which feels a bit awkward to me. Other than that the buttons feel good and function well. Battery life is also quite good in my experience so far. I’m sure you’ll get in the vicinity of 5 hours give or take. Oh, and the thing boots up faster than any handheld of this type that I’ve handled.Onto the part we’re all here for...the emulation performance. Given the specs we all know it’s gonna play your standard stuff like NES and your Gameboy varieties very well. It also plays SNES, PC Engine, and Mega Drive/Genesis along with Ps1 with no issues that I’ve experienced. There are some hiccups when trying to emulate Dreamcast but perhaps the firmware update will address this issue and it’s still playable as is.Overall I have to say that this is a handheld with a quality build and will definitely suit most of your retro gaming needs handily. Along with the aesthetic of a SNES controller it’s just a cool thing to own for collectors. There are some more powerful machines on the market for around this price range but you sacrifice build quality. I would definitely recommend this handheld and would probably have given 5 stars if those second shoulder buttons weren’t so weirdly place/implemented.

I've had some time to sit down and tinker with the PocketGo s30, and my initial impressions are mixed but overall quite positive. It's not the perfect system, like all handhelds it has its flaws but for its current price, this is one of the strongest handheld options.One caveat, is that right out of the box the experience is disappointing because the built-in software is not optimized for this system and has no options to tinker with. Therein lies Its greatest strength, however, how user friendly it is. Simply download the new Simple30 firmware from Retro Game Corps on Youtube, unzip it to your memory card, and add roms. Now it will have Retroarch and run dozens of systems with flawless precision. Even hard to find systems like 32X, TurboGrafx CD and Sega CD!Now, if you are looking for N64, Dreamcast and PSP emulation, you'll need to move up to the next weight class and purchase an RG350/351 or Retroid Pocket for $100+. But again, at this price point, if you are looking for solid emulation of 8 bit, 16 bit, MAME and Neo Geo, early handhelds like Gameboy/Color, and early CD systems like PS1, Sega CD and TG CD, then this could be your answer.If you love the SNES controller, you will be quite pleased with the look of this design. It feels incredible to hold, has great build quality, great sound and a marvelous IPS screen with decent viewing angles. One thing I find frustrating about this Dpad is that I cannot for the life of me throw a consistent fireball, for some reason I need to start at down-back instead of down to have any success, and that may be a deal breaker for some fighting game fanatics. But if you mostly play shmups, RPGs and action games this dpad works fine. Also If you have large hands, you may find the controls spaced too far to the edge for perfect comfort and may have to hold it more in your fingers than I do, another thing to consider..TLDR: Incredible design, MUST be upgraded with new FW to be usable but INCREDIBLY simple to do. No high-end emulation with this one. Killer performance for the price. Dpad is not good for fighting games.

I have owned multiple "variety gaming" devices in my life such as the Nvidia Shield Portable, Android Phones and iPhones with attachable controllers, and when I saw one modeled after the SNES controller I was really excited. Although the D-Pad is not identical and there are two additional shoulder buttons and a small joystick I do get that authentic SNES controller sensation when using it. There is an alternative firmware called "Simple30" that I highly recommend installing on there you can find instructions for it elsewhere. Overall definitely worth the price and I've already put 100+ hours on it playing games that I love.