Fall’s Budget Handheld Trio – Which $100 Device Actually Delivers?

Retro-emulation handhelds continue to be the fastest-growing corner of gaming, and the race to lower the entry price is suddenly accelerating. While clamshell devices have taken over 2025, there’s a new wave of truly budget devices that are more performant than the previous RK3566 and H700 devices. This fall, three newcomers promise PSP, Saturn and N64 for under $100: the Mangmi Air X, the Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini and the MagicX One 35. Just twelve months ago that checklist at this price was unthinkable—especially from Ayaneo, a company famous for four-figure luxury portables. (Its new Konkr sub-brand is supposed to be the “affordable” line, yet the Pocket Air Mini arrives outside that family, making the move even more surprising.) Let’s stack the three side-by-side and decide which one actually deserves the “best-budget” crown.

	MagicX One 35	Mangmi Air X	AYANEO Pocket Air Mini
Launch / price	Base $55 until 10/25	$79 (until 10/21) / $89	$69 (2GB) $79 (3GB) (early bird)
Shipping Cost	$19 4PX or YunExpress	$15 YunExpress	Approx ~ $15 – $25
SoC	Helio G85 (12 nm)	Snapdragon 662 (11 nm)	Helio G90T (12 nm)
CPU	2×A75\@2.0 GHz + 6×A55\@1.8 GHz	4×A73\@2.0 GHz + 4×A53\@1.8 GHz	2×A76\@2.05 GHz + 6×A55\@2.0 GHz
GPU	Mali-G52 MC2	Adreno 610	Mali-G76 MC4
RAM / storage	3/4 GB LPDDR4 / 64 GB eMMC	4 GB / 64 GB eMMC	2 GB or 3 GB / 32 GB or 64 GB eMMC
Screen	3.5″ IPS 960 x 640 (3:2)	5.5″ IPS 1080×1920 (16:9)	4.2″ IPS 1280×960 (4:3)
Battery	4300 mAh (≈ 5 h)	5 000 mAh (≈ 6-7 h)	4 500 mAh (≈ 5-6 h)
Weight	~189 g	~245 g	269 g
OS	Android 12	Android 14	Android 11
Cooling	passive only	passive only	active fan (tiny blower)
Ports	USB-C, 3.5 mm, microSD	USB-C, 3.5 mm, microSD	USB-C, 3.5 mm, microSD
Controls	single pair shoulder buttons	single pair shoulder buttons	Hall sticks + full shoulder set

All three arrive with Android 11–14 pre-installed, so PPSSPP, Redream and YabaSanshiro fire up the moment you open the box—no command-line tinkering, no Linux image to flash. So set-up time will be relatively less time than other retro emulation handhelds.

“Playable PSP” has become the new entry-level benchmark for horizontal handhelds under $100, while GameCube is still the glass ceiling—most titles limp along at 25–30fps, so devices like the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro or Ayn Odin remain relevant for anyone who wants double that frame-rate and upscale the resolution. MagicX and Mangmi rely on passive aluminum plates, but the Ayaneo Mini sneaks in a tiny blower that lets the Helio G90T hold 2 GHz bursts for about ten minutes before tapering to 1.6 GHz—still enough to out-muscle the other two in Saturn and PSP scenes that hammer the CPU.

If you want the fastest chip for roughly seventy dollars, grab the Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini—just accept the heaviest chassis however the build quality and software will be the best amongst the three options. If your wallet stops at fifty-five, the MagicX One 35 will happily have 4x integer scaling for GBA and can play lightweight PS2 and Gamecube games. It’s also the smallest/most pocketable device on this list. Not to mention a TATE mode with it’s second DPad. Need the longest binge between charges? The Mangmi Air X’s 5,000 mAh cell and 1080p screen win endurance—but be prepared to dial PSP back to native resolution on heavier titles because the Adreno 610 runs out of breath once you crank the pixels.

Mangmi Air X

The Mangmi Air X is currently on sale on their official website. If you want an in-depth write up on the Mangmi Air X check out our previous coverage. For a complete review of the Mangmi Air X, check out these videos below:

Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini

If you want more information in-depth coverage of the Pocket Air Mini, you can check out our previous article. The Indiegogo campaign will launch 10/17/25 at 8:00am EST. And for an in-depth review, check out this review from TechDweeb & ETA Prime:

MagicX One 35

Lastly, the MagicX One 35 is currently open for pre-order on their official shop. At present, there aren’t any reviews yet for the MagicX One 35 but there are some benchmark and performance test videos you can watch below: