The retro handheld market in 2026 is busier than ever. Anbernic, Miyoo, and Retroid Pocket are all putting out impressive hardware, and if raw emulation power is your thing, there’s genuinely never been a better time to be a fan. But the Evercade Nexus isn’t trying to win that race — and that’s exactly why it stands out.
THE EMULATION GREY AREA (AND WHY IT MATTERS)
Let’s be honest about something the retro handheld community often glosses over: most emulation handhelds operate in a legal grey area. The hardware is legitimate. The software you load onto it — ROMs downloaded from the internet — almost certainly isn’t.
That’s not a moral lecture. It’s just context. For a lot of players, that doesn’t matter. But for retro fans who want a clean conscience alongside their collection, it absolutely does.
Every single game on the Evercade Nexus is officially licensed. Blaze Entertainment has done the legal legwork with publishers and rights holders so you don’t have to think about it. And every cartridge ships with a full-colour numbered manual — the kind of tactile, collectible experience that a microSD card stuffed with ROMs simply cannot replicate.
With 80+ collections and 700+ games already available in our Evercade cart library, there’s no shortage of content to get stuck into.
DUAL ANALOGUE STICKS — A BIGGER DEAL THAN IT SOUNDS
Older Evercade hardware leaned hard into the 8 and 16-bit era, which suits a D-pad just fine. The Nexus changes that conversation entirely. Dual analogue sticks, rear bumpers, and triggers mean the Nexus is properly equipped for N64 and PS1-era titles — the kind of 3D games where previous Evercade handhelds had to make compromises.
If you’ve ever tried to play a tank-control survival horror or a 3D platformer on a device without analogue inputs, you already know why this matters. The Nexus doesn’t ask you to settle.
THAT SCREEN
The Nexus packs a 5.89″ IPS display running at 840×512 resolution with brightness rated at over 500 nits. For pixel-art games, that resolution is a thoughtful choice — it scales cleanly for retro content without the softness you get when forcing a 1080p panel to display low-res sprites.
At 500+ nits, outdoor gaming in daylight is actually viable. Not “squint and hope” viable — genuinely usable. That’s a quality-of-life detail that makes a real difference day to day.
EVERSYNC MULTIPLAYER IS QUIETLY BRILLIANT
EverSync is one of those features that sounds modest until you think about it properly. Using WiFi 6, two Nexus units can share a game wirelessly — and only one player needs the cartridge. Your friend doesn’t need to own the game. You both just need a Nexus.
For a platform built around physical media, that’s a genuinely clever solution to the classic problem of local multiplayer collecting. No doubling up on carts, no awkward lending. Just play.
THE BANJO-KAZOOIE LAUNCH BUNDLE
The Nexus launches in October 2026 with something special in the box: the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack, featuring both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie on a single physical cartridge. Two of the most beloved N64 platformers ever made, officially licensed, on day one.
It’s a statement launch. Rare’s bear-and-bird duo are the kind of titles that justify those dual analogue sticks all by themselves, and having them as a physical collectible cart — complete with manual — is exactly the kind of thing Evercade fans will appreciate.
HOW IT STACKS UP AGAINST THE COMPETITION
Devices like the Anbernic RG and Miyoo line offer tremendous value if you want a wide-open emulation box. The Retroid Pocket range pushes further still, with Android under the hood and access to higher-end emulation targets. These are good devices. Genuinely.
But they’re asking a different question. They’re asking: how much can we emulate?
The Nexus asks: how good can a curated, legal, physical retro experience actually be?
With a 5,000mAh battery delivering 5+ hours of gameplay, USB-C charging, dual front-facing stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless headphone support, and a quad-core 1.5GHz processor with 4GB eMMC RAM, the Nexus isn’t making compromises on the hardware side. It’s a premium device that happens to have a principled approach to game licensing baked into its DNA.
At £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99, it sits at a higher price point than entry-level emulation handhelds — but factoring in the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack in the box and what you’re getting in terms of build quality and legal peace of mind, it’s a fair ask.
THE VERDICT
The best retro handheld of 2026 depends on what you’re looking for. If you want maximum emulation flexibility, the Anbernic and Retroid options are worth your attention. No shame in that.
But if you want a beautiful screen, proper analogue controls, clever local multiplayer, a growing library of officially licensed physical games, and a Banjo-Kazooie cart waiting in the box on day one — the Evercade Nexus is in a category of its own. It’s the retro handheld for people who actually care about the games, not just the ROMs.
Check out the full specs and everything you need to know on our Evercade Nexus hub page.