Powkiddy Reveal Latest Handheld, The V90S
Retro handheld company Powkiddy has revealed details on its latest device, the Nintendo DS-style V90S. It’s available in multiple colors and for pre-order, and will start shipping on May 31, 2025.
The V90S follows on from the company’s V90 model, but increases the device size and overall power. This includes an Allwinner 133 Plus-ARM quad-core CPU and DDR3 1GB RAM, with emulation support (by default) for a ton of systems, with the functionality for users to add more.
“Based on open source Linux system, supports multi-platform customization,” Powkiddy said in an official news post. “Perfectly runs 20+ classic platform games such as MAME/N64/PS1/PSP/GBA/NDS.”
A Budget-Friendly Emulator
There are plenty of retro handheld devices and companies out, such as Retroid, Anbernic and AYANEO, although many of their devices skew towards the higher price range. Powkiddy is sometimes considered a budget equivalent, and while it might not always use the same type of components as its rivals, it still offers a substantial range of game emulation.
The V90S handles titles from the Game Boy Advance, NeoGeo, SNES, and a lot more. Users can also add their own game files to the system, as it’s open source and possible to tweak to run other titles from other consoles.
The 3.5 inch screen is in 4:3 aspect ratio so retro games shouldn’t appear stretched, and it has a generous 640 x 480 resolution for such a small handheld. There’s even a vibration function, which is something other handheld device developers are starting to implement in their devices.
Pocket-Sized Retro Fun
The clamshell design and 85mm x 89 mm size makes the V90S easy to carry around while still maintaining what Powkiddy calls a “finely carved nostalgic appearance with a full sense of age.” It’s available in red, yellow, gray, and transparent black, and there’s a choice of storage space from 16GB (OS only) through to a massive 250GB, which is handled via Dual TF card slots.
The 3000mAh large-capacity battery can provide up to 6 hours of gameplay, and charges via USB-C in just two hours. There’s an optional WiFi module, and the V90S also features, as Powkiddy puts it, “strong scalability, supports a variety of peripherals,” although it hasn’t clarified which peripherals are compatible.
