Handheld that plays M.A.M.E.?

[eegad]

Over the past several years, I've bought a few handheld's that play dedicated retro console games....Atari 2600....Genesis.....NES. I've also seen some handhelds online that supposedly emulate multiple old consoles. But what I REALLY would love to find is a handheld that would let me play real arcade games via MAME.

 

I have an Android tablet with MAME on it, which is cool, but controlling games with touch is awful. I have a bluetooth controller that'll sync and work with it, but that's not ideal either because my tablet is just too big to hold comfortably, and the controls aren't attached to the unit. What I'd love is something the size of a typical cell phone with some built-in controls (maybe 4 buttons on one side, and a d-pad on the other).  Also, it should be relatively easy to set-up...no more complicated than it was for me to install the MAME apk on my tablet and then copy some roms via usb cable hooked to my computer.  Older MAME version totally okay; I'm only looking to play simple games from late 70's and early 80s (Pac Man, Galaxian, Galaga, Asteroids, etc).   Any recommendations?

 

(I've looked for and have been unable to find a small size Android tablet that just comes with some controls built into it. That would be great....just load up all the emulators you want on it and have a fantastic retro handheld. I can't imagine why some company doesn't make a "gaming tablet").

 

[TIX]

I have my eye on the  GPD XD Plus

 

[+thanatos]

I've had one for 10 years...  So I'm sure there are way better options now! 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP2X_Wiz

[qrysdonnell]

I have the original Nvidia Shield which is my go-to for portable emulation.

[TheCoolDave]

I know it's not the easiest thing but, an OLD USED PSP that could be had for under $30, after it's hacked it can run MAME roms... as well as most other systems (N64 can get spotty on it).

 

The controls are nice on the PSP, even the Vita can be hacked and do it...

[Flojomojo]

@eegad There are lots of things that will do what you want. They're cheap and they're getting better all the time. https://obscurehandhelds.com/

[Lord Thag]

All of these consoles are old or hard to obtain though.

If you want something that's cheap, modern, available and plays MAME look at the chinese LDKGame or Retrogame 300. You can get them on amazon. $40-$60 generally. They're pretty good with stock firmware, and great with the custom firmware. Plays Neo Geo, CPS1/2, and the rest. Anything 16bit or less plays like a charm, and the custom image (super easy to set up, just flash a common micro SD card) gives all kinds of emulators: NES, SnES, Genesis, Turbografx, all the handhelds (best way to play Lynx I've found), and obscure stuff like Wonderswan, Vectrex, MSX etc. Save states, and it will also run tons of linux games (comes preinstalled with Quake, Hexen, Heretic, Wolf3d, Doom etc). I use mine daily on lunch breaks.

The stock card comes with about 3000 roms too.

[Newsdee]

If money is no object, there is the GPD Win 1 and 2.  They run Win10 so you can use the PC version of Mame, plus Steam, plus DosBox, etc.

I have the model 1, I use it mostly for point & click adventures and it runs 2D games well. Model 2 has much better 3D handling and a slightly more comfortable layout.

 

I used to have a GP2X (various models) and kind of miss it, but nowadays I would also want a keyboard attached to it.

The GPD Wins fit the bill quite nicely. I am still on the fence about getting a 2 since my 1 is still alive and kicking (and enough for the games I use).

 

The one thing I don't like about them is that the sticks are clickable. Instead there are keys on the keyboard for it.  It's a weird choice, but it's not an issue for most games.

A new GPD Win 2 Max is coming, but it will more pricey.

 

More here: http://gpd.hk/gdpwin2

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Newsdee

[spacecadet]

Yeah it's "old" (is this a bad word around here?), but I'm going to second the PSP recommendation. The PSP can not only run MAME, but a couple dozen other emulators, plus PSP games, which is not a small thing to add to its list of attributes. There are a massive number of great PSP games; it is one of the most underrated systems ever, and these days you don't need the original UMD's to run them (though UMD's are fun and I recommend collecting them). And it's a cheap system; way cheaper than some of the other recommendations so far.

 

I'm not saying there's no other good option, just that the PSP is certainly one of them. I'd love to have one of those GPD Win 2's, but they are expensive.

[RevEng]

After trying a few emulation handhelds, I found the small screens annoying.  Recently I picked up a telescoping iPega PG-9083s controller, and I've been using it with retroarch on a tablet. It's a great inexpensive option,  especially if you have a tablet just laying around, and the controls are decent quality. 

 

 

 

[eddhell]

Coffee is not working yet, my brain saw M.U.L.E. instead of M.A.M.E. and my reply was completely different before I realized it....

(brain is not accustomed to seeing MAME with periods in it)

 

Sony PSP is pretty good solution for me, the early models can be hacked pretty easy from software/firmware (instead of wiring mods) and run quite a bit of homebrew and emulators.  But I like mine for the C=64 emulator more than any of the others, nothing like a portable game of M.U.L.E. (or MAME!) on long road trips and waiting rooms....and can be picked up cheap at pawn shops.

 

Also, a Raspberry Pi can be fitted into small cases, even small enough screens can be used to make it 'handheld' size.  There's lots of advantages to the Pi - you can have portability AND ability to plug into HDMI tv, plug up any controller with USB connectors, etc...

 

[H.E.R.O.]

Little late to the party here but i truly loved the NVIDIA Shield handheld and sad they decided to stop it (tho obviously they had a prototype for Shield 2 since someone found it in a pawn shop of all places!).

 

Mine still works so perhaps I'll dig it out. Also, it was BS you could ONLY play Half Life 2 & Portal on the Shield but no other device. Maybe it works in Shield TV. I dunno.