Powkiddy RGB10S Review: Getting Tough To Choose
MSRP: $75.99
Disclaimer: Hekka sent us a unit of the Powkiddy RGB10S free of charge to review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this video are our own and were not discussed with either companies prior to publishing.
A Quick Intro
I love technology and how it has completely progressed the way we play games in such a short time. It happened so quickly that within a span of 10 years, games that would require you to be locked down in a room to a big piece of machinery can now be played on a gadget the size of your hand. I’ve owned dozens of handheld retro consoles over the years and I can easily see advancements in what emulators can run with these newer chipsets. We got the Powkiddy RGB10S sent to us by Hekka.com to review and while this may not currently be the sexiest name in retro handhelds, for $75, there’s still a lot of value to be explored with this nifty device.
Rocking the Rockchip
Rockchip processor powered retro handhelds aren’t too uncommon in the market. It’s an affordable combination that has a proven track record for this form factor. The Powkiddy RGB10S uses that 1.5 GHZ RK3326 chip that pushes performance to be able to handle around 64-bit games. We’ll get into specific performances a bit later, but for 8-bit and 16-bit games, this processor is more than enough to have an enjoyable experience. When you boot up the RGB10S, you’re greeted with an Emuelec theme that mimics the menu of the Nintendo Switch. There’s a default of 8 themes out of the box you can toggle between. Also out of the box, the RGB10S comes with two emulator frontends: Retroarch and Emulationstation. I’m more accustomed to using Retroarch, but both are highly popular frontends that work well on these types of consoles. Once you enable a Wifi connection, you can actually just download new themes directly from the device without hooking it up to a computer. I have to admit that while I used to find it unnecessary to include Wifi connection on these retro handhelds, I’ve changed my mind after experiencing the conveniences of customization of the UI. That’s something I miss when I swap over to consoles like the Miyoo Mini.
When it comes to the hardware, there’s a lot of things going on here. Out of all of the comparable devices I own, this one has the most buttons and ports built in. It’s almost jarring at first to get an understanding of what does what. Let’s start overhead with the traditional R1, R2, L1, and L2 shoulder triggers. Like most of these consoles, the front shoulder triggers are stiffer and have less travel than the bigger rear ones. If we’re accounting for the size ratio of the unit, the R1 and L1 are actually more narrow than on other devices I’ve used. It’s not to the point where the console is unplayable, but if you’re playing a game that presses on those triggers often, it does get tiring to target those areas.
Ports and Button Layout
Lining the frame between the two sets of triggers are where all of the ports and external connections are located. There’s a power button, a minuscule reset button that I can’t seem to press with my finger, as well as a micro-SD card slot where a 64 GB card with roms already occupy the slot. The RGB10S allows up to a 128 GB card. A headphone jack splits up two USB-C ports. The one on the left is for charging with a 5V charger, while the one on the right side is for OTG connections. Finally on the farthest right side is a Wifi toggle switch that allows you to turn on and off the device’s internet connectivity. Wifi usage will consume more power for the device so I keep it off most of the time.
On the main face of the device, I do like how symmetrical the layout is. There are two set keys flanking the 3.5 inch IPS display that supposedly need to be used as start and select on some emulators. I don’t fully understand the reasoning for these buttons as there actually are dedicated start and select buttons on the device. The start and select buttons are below it next to the mono speaker. An analogue stick with a nice feeling rubber head resides directly above the directional pad. Directly on the opposite end of the screen are the X,Y,A, and B buttons. Once again, that’s quite a busy layout, but it’s missing one important operational switch that I found to be a surprising omission: a volume scroll! I had to dig through the paperwork to find out how to adjust the audio levels. There are a few operational commands that require a combination of buttons that I personally felt should have been a core function for the device. Holding down the select button while pressing either up or down on the directional pad is how audio levels can be adjusted. It’s not too hard to remember, but it also isn’t the best way to do it while in the heat of the moment during gameplay.
How it feels in the hand
While I did like the layout of the main functional buttons and controls, I found the RGB10S to be a bit uncomfortable to hold. There wasn’t much support for the inner palms as well as the middle fingers when gripping the console. This is due to the narrow body shape that doesn’t leave much unused real estate open. The flat back matte plastic body also makes it more difficult to get a solid grip onto the rear body. I also found that the rounded corners contribute to a more uneven balance when holding it up. When I compare the feel of the console in my hand to the Retroid Pocket 2, which shares this boxy form factor, I find it much more comfortable to hold without straining my hands. The larger size for empty real estate to rest the palms on as well as the sharper edges help contribute to a more comfortable grip. I feel as if the Powkiddy RGB10S sacrifices a little bit of comfort for extra portability. I don’t personally know if it’s worth the tradeoff as something like the Retroid Pocket 2 isn’t that much bigger and is much more ergonomic in the hands.
So How Does it Play?
Let’s get into the meat of the review which is gameplay. With the Rockchip and 1 GB of ram, I had a pretty idea what the RGB10S could handle going into this review. There are a bunch of emulators pre-installed that won’t be out of place for anyone who has owned one of these retro handhelds. The usual batch up to 16-bit games from fourth generation home consoles like the Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo will run near flawlessly with this hardware. Handheld consoles up to the PSP also runs like a champ. That means the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, and Neo Geo all play just about as well as the real experience.
Where things get a little muddy revolves around when we reach 32-bit gaming and higher. For the most part, N64 games play reasonably well at decent frame rates. Batman Beyond Return of the Joker was an underrated game and I was excited to play it on here again. It played at a pretty consistent FPS count, with only minor hiccups during explosions. Definitely playable. Dreamcast was a bit more difficult to make the claim as an enjoyable experience. A game like Dead or Alive 2 even with tinkered settings had a hard time giving playable FPS counts. Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver was a little better, but there were plenty of frame drops throughout the session.
PS1 however fared a fair amount better than its legacy competition. A game like Crash Team Racing constantly supplied me with a steady high FPS count. It was as smooth as I could hope for. Tekken 3 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater also ran nearly perfectly on this Powkiddy. I think that’s really pushing the limits of what this hardware can hit at a respectable gameplay experience. Moving to the PSP, I would also say that certain games in the library are playable. For example, games with a lot of pixels populating the screen like Dissidia: Final Fantasy and Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce play surprisingly well. Dynasty Warriors is a good benchmark for what the PSP games you can expect to work on the Powkiddy.
Mountain of Competition
The difficulty lies with the mountain of competition that populates the current market. There are just so many great retro handhelds both currently available to buy and on the horizon of arriving.
I see the RG10S as a great retro handheld to relieve my favorite pre-fifth generation console games. As someone who grew up in the 90’s, I have many fond memories with the Gameboy and Sega Genesis. Those were the two consoles that really brought me into the world of gaming and got me hooked. Having the capability to play these games on such a sleek and compact device is a fantasy come true for me. On that basis alone makes the Powkiddy RGB10S worthy of consideration to purchase. The difficulty lies with the mountain of competition that populates the current market. There are just so many great retro handhelds both currently available to buy and on the horizon of arriving.
You can pay about $20 more to get a much better viewing experience on the Miyoo Mini. While the display isn’t bad by any means on the RGB10S, especially when you look at older devices, the 480x230p screen doesn’t get too bright at full brightness. The panel Powkiddy decided to use here does have a budget vibe to it. I find the colors to be dull and the overall viewing angles to be subpar. Once again, it certainly is playable and you can enjoy using the Powkiddy, but when put to scope in the realm of the rest of the retro handheld market, I do feel there are better devices that utilize traits I personally desire more.
On the bright side (figuratively), the combination of parts used to make the RGB10S seems to work well together in the battery life department. There’s a 3,000 mAh battery powering the RGB10S that supposedly can give you 8 hours of playtime. Real world use is lower than that number, but within range. I was seeing more like 5-6 hours of actual game time, but that too depends on the type of power consumption drawing from the Powkiddy. I do like that it charges via USB-C like other modern retro handhelds as that allows players to use just one universal cable when traveling. I can also use a portable battery pack when on the road to keep it juiced up.
The Powkiddy RGB10S does have some quality values for some buyers out there. It’s a candy bar form factor that fills a segment somewhere between a Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Advance Micro. It’s a compact size even by retro handheld standards. If you’re strictly looking to play up to 16-bit games flawlessly in a compact form factor, then the RGB10S has a potential claim in your pocket. If you’re looking for good Dreamcast, PS1, and emulation above those, I find that going over the $150 threshold often gives you a device with more room to grow with your gaming library. That segment seems to also have more comfortable layouts and grip from something like Anbernic or Powkiddy’s other designs. There’s a lot of competition now in this market space and I’m all for it. This decade is now a 90’s console gamer’s paradise.
Alex
Caught in between the conundrum of his fascination with retro and the future, Alex has a very unique taste in technology. Never one to follow trends like his millennial peers yet constantly desiring to get ahead of the curve, he sees technology like he does his other love: comic books. Always looking for the best value or a hidden gem, his collector mindset reflects on some of his favorite gadgets: the Moto X (2015), HTC U11 and the Google Pixelbook. If there’s a good tech deal out there, Alex is on the hunt!