Best Handhelds for Pokémon ROM Hacks 2026

Quick answer: what should you buy?

For Pokémon ROM hacks, spend based on what systems you actually want to play.

Best overall: Anbernic RG35XX Plus

Best balance of price, screen, power, firmware support and NDS compatibility. This is the safest recommendation for most RomHaven players.

Best cheap pick: R36S

If you mainly want GBA hacks and want to spend around £30–£40, the R36S is hard to beat. It is less polished but runs GBA brilliantly.

Best pocket pick: Miyoo Mini Plus

Small, clean, lovely for GBA, and OnionOS is excellent. Pick this if you care about portability more than NDS support.

Best premium-feeling cheap device: TrimUI Brick

A nicer-feeling vertical handheld with a sharp screen. Great for GBA sessions, but not the best choice if NDS is important.

RomHaven recommendationIf you want one simple answer: buy the RG35XX Plus, replace the stock SD card, install muOS or KNULLI, and load your GBA/NDS ROM hacks onto a clean branded microSD card.

Best devices for Pokémon ROM hacks

These picks focus on GBA, NDS, battery life, screen quality, firmware, and value.

🥇 Best overall

Anbernic RG35XX Plus ~£55–£75

The RG35XX Plus is the best all-rounder for Pokémon ROM hacks because it gives you a proper 3.5-inch 640×480 IPS screen, enough power for every GBA hack, useful custom firmware options, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI output. It is also one of the better cheap choices if you want to dabble in Nintendo DS hacks.

3.5-inch 640×480 IPSH700 chip1GB RAMGBA perfectNDS usableHDMI out

Why it works

Great GBA screen size
Enough performance for RomHaven games
Two SD-card setup available
Strong firmware scene

Watch out

Stock card should be replaced
Not as tiny as Miyoo
NDS is better than on weaker devices, but not perfect for every layout

Check Amazon UK Setup guide

💷 Best budget

R36S ~£30–£45

The R36S is the cheap beast. It is not refined, listings can vary, and the stock cards are usually not something you should trust long-term. But for GBA Pokémon hacks, it is ridiculously capable for the price. If you just want Pokémon Unbound, Radical Red, Glazed, Gaia, Clover and Emerald Rogue on a handheld, this does the job.

3.5-inch 640×480-style IPSBudget kingGBA perfectPS1 goodArkOS / ROCKNIX

Why it works

Very cheap
Runs GBA hacks brilliantly
Analog sticks included
Good first handheld

Watch out

Clone/listing lottery
No real premium feel
Replace SD card immediately
NDS is not the reason to buy it

Check Amazon UK R36S review

👖 Best pocket pick

Miyoo Mini Plus ~£45–£70

The Miyoo Mini Plus is the nicest small device for GBA-only Pokémon players. OnionOS is the reason people love it: fast booting, clean library browsing, excellent save-state handling and a very polished feel. It is not the pick for NDS hacks, but for GBA it is a joy.

3.5-inch 640×480 IPS3000mAh batteryOnionOSGBA perfectVery pocketable

Why it works

OnionOS is brilliant
Lovely for short sessions
Great save-state workflow
Strong community

Watch out

No NDS support worth buying for
Small hands-friendly, not huge-hands-friendly
No HDMI output

Check Amazon UK Miyoo setup guide

✨ Best feel

TrimUI Brick ~£55–£85

The TrimUI Brick is the one to buy if you want the device to feel a little more special. It has a sharp 3.2-inch 1024×768 IPS screen and a more premium-feeling shell/button setup than many budget devices. It is excellent for GBA Pokémon hacks, though the smaller screen shape is different from the classic 3.5-inch 4:3 handhelds.

3.2-inch 1024×768 IPS3000mAh batteryPremium feelGBA perfectGreat buttons

Why it works

Feels nicer than most cheap handhelds
Very sharp screen
Great for GBA/PS1
Good pocket size

Watch out

Not as mainstream as Anbernic/Miyoo
Firmware scene is smaller
No analog sticks

Check AliExpress Compare under £100

Full comparison table

The specs and real-world Pokémon ROM hack notes that matter.

Device	Best for	Typical UK price	GBA hacks	NDS hacks	Screen	Firmware	Buy if...
RG35XX Plus	Best overall	£55–£75	Excellent	Usable	3.5-inch 640×480 IPS	muOS / KNULLI / GarlicOS options	You want the safest all-round pick.
R36S	Best cheap option	£30–£45	Excellent	Limited	3.5-inch 640×480 IPS-style	ArkOS / ROCKNIX	You want the cheapest good GBA machine.
Miyoo Mini Plus	Best portable GBA pick	£45–£70	Excellent	Not recommended	3.5-inch 640×480 IPS	OnionOS	You want polished software and pocket size.
TrimUI Brick	Best premium feel	£55–£85	Excellent	Not recommended	3.2-inch 1024×768 IPS	Stock/community firmware	You care about build, screen and buttons.
RG35XX H	Best horizontal budget pick	£55–£85	Excellent	Usable	3.5-inch 640×480 IPS	muOS / KNULLI	You prefer horizontal controls and analog sticks.

Best handheld by Pokémon ROM hack

Different hacks stress different things: screen, fast-forward, save states, NDS layouts, or long battery.

Pokémon Unbound

Best pick: RG35XX Plus. Unbound is a long GBA hack, so you want a comfortable screen, good battery, fast-forward, save states and reliable sleep/resume.

Radical Red

Best pick: RG35XX Plus or R36S. Radical Red benefits from quick retries and save states. Any device here runs it well.

Emerald Rogue

Best pick: Miyoo Mini Plus. The pick-up-and-play loop suits OnionOS perfectly, especially if you do short runs during the day.

Pokémon Gaia / Glazed / Clover

Best pick: R36S if cheap, Miyoo if portable, RG35XX Plus if you want the strongest all-rounder.

NDS Pokémon hacks

Best pick: RG35XX Plus or RG35XX H from this budget group. For serious dual-screen NDS play, consider larger Android handhelds later.

Long RPG sessions

Best pick: RG35XX Plus or RG35XX H. The larger shell is usually more comfortable than tiny vertical handhelds for multi-hour sessions.

How to load Pokémon ROM hacks onto a handheld

The clean beginner route, without overcomplicating it.

Buy a branded microSD card

Use SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston or another reputable brand. The no-name card included with cheap handhelds is often the weak point.

Back up the original card before changing anything

Copy the original files to your PC first. That gives you a recovery point if you mess up folders or firmware.

Install the recommended firmware

Use OnionOS for Miyoo Mini Plus, muOS or KNULLI for RG35XX devices, and ArkOS/ROCKNIX-style options for R36S depending on your unit.

Copy games into the correct folder

GBA games usually go into a folder named GBA, GB Advance, or ROMs/GBA depending on firmware. NDS games usually go into NDS or ROMs/NDS.

Test one game before copying everything

Load one Pokémon hack, test saving, test fast-forward, then copy the rest. Boring but saves a world of pain.

Useful ruleIf a device comes with a giant preloaded games card, treat that card as disposable. Keep the handheld, replace the card, and build a cleaner setup yourself.

Best SD card setup for Pokémon ROM hacks

This is the boring bit that stops saves vanishing later.

✓

64GB is enough for GBA-focused players. GBA ROM hacks are small, so 64GB gives you loads of room.

✓

128GB is the sweet spot. Pick 128GB if you also want PS1, NDS, SNES, Mega Drive and arcade libraries.

✓

Use two cards if your device supports it. Keep firmware on one card and games on the other. It makes updates and fixes easier.

✓

Avoid the free card long-term. Cheap bundled cards can work at first and then fail at the worst possible time.

See SD card guide Check SD cards

Want a Pokémon hack to test first?

Start with a GBA hack like Unbound, Gaia, Radical Red or Glazed. They run beautifully on every device in this guide.

Browse Pokémon ROM hacks Compare under £100

Pokémon handheld FAQ

Fast answers before you buy.

Do I need an expensive handheld for Pokémon ROM hacks?

No. Most Pokémon ROM hacks are GBA-based, and even cheap handhelds like the R36S can run GBA very well. Spend more for comfort, better software, better build quality or NDS support.

Which device is best for Pokémon Unbound?

The RG35XX Plus is the safest pick because it has a good screen, strong performance, good firmware options and enough battery for long sessions. The R36S also runs Unbound well if you want the cheapest route.

Can Miyoo Mini Plus play NDS Pokémon hacks?

It is not the device to buy for NDS. It is brilliant for GBA, GB, GBC, SNES and PS1-era games, but NDS is not its strength.

Can R36S play Pokémon ROM hacks?

Yes. It plays GBA Pokémon ROM hacks very well. The main issues are build quality variation, clone listings, stock SD cards and rougher setup compared with Miyoo or Anbernic.

Should I use the SD card that comes with the handheld?

Use it only to test the device. For long-term play, replace it with a reputable branded card and back up your saves often.

Is a horizontal handheld better for Pokémon?

Not always. Pokémon works beautifully on vertical handhelds because it was designed for Game Boy-style systems. Horizontal devices are more comfortable for some players, especially for longer sessions or systems that use shoulder buttons more.