Analogue Pocket Alternatives That Will Give You A Great Retro Gaming Experience

The Retro CM3 may not look like much and you’d be forgiven for balking at its $150.00 price point but it packs a lot of punch. The shell, especially the standard gray, looks like it’s about two steps up from something your neighbor might have 3D printed in their garage, but that can be remedied somewhat with any of the alternative shells. Options include black with red or blue buttons or various semi-transparent shells. The button layout is simple, including just ABXY, start, select, a D-pad, one analog stick, and a couple of triggers at the top.

Where the Retro CM3 really shines is on the inside. It uses a Raspberry Pi CM3 Lite board and comes stocked with 45 emulators and thousands of games preinstalled. There’s also a slot for an SD card which leaves open the option to add any additional emulators or ROMs you might like.

The Raspberry Pi is fully capable of running games up to N64 and PS1 (per Retro Dodo). So, if you can get over the middling build quality of the exterior, you’re in for an enjoyable gaming experience.

The Retro CM3 doesn’t have the option to play multiplayer or connect to a television but its size does make it perfect for carrying in a pocket, and six hours of playable battery life will keep you gaming on the go.