Every few months the gaming press loses its mind over a new portable PC with a chip that costs more than my first car. They’re impressive machines. They are also, increasingly, irrelevant to the thing I actually love about this hobby — and the R38S is the proof.
Power isn’t the point
A 700-euro handheld plays today’s blockbusters on the bus. Wonderful. But the magic of retro gaming was never about pushing pixels; it was about access, discovery, and the strange intimacy of a small screen and a great game. A 70-euro R38S delivers all of that, and it delivers it to people who could never justify the premium tier.
The democratisation argument
When a device costs less than a single new AAA game, the barrier to entry collapses. A teenager can buy one with birthday money. A parent can hand one to a curious kid without fear. That’s how hobbies grow — not from halo products, but from cheap, good, accessible ones.
The RAM-shortage reality
With component prices climbing and premium handhelds getting pricier, the value of a sub-100-euro device that does 90% of what most people want has never been higher. The R38S isn’t competing with the expensive machines. It’s quietly winning a different, larger game.
The most consequential handheld of the year is the one the most people can afford to own.
Where I land
I’m not against powerful handhelds. I own one. But if you asked me which device did more for retro gaming in 2026, I wouldn’t hesitate. The R38S matters because it shows up in pockets that the 700-euro machines will never reach.