Miyoo A30 Review
Small But Mighty
Purchase Price: $42.99
The Miyoo A30 is a compact yet purpose-driven handheld emulator that leans heavily into nostalgia. It keeps what classic gaming made appealing with familiar titles, simplistic button layout, and with no gimmicks of a design into a very portable form factor. This handheld is designed for quick sessions and for anyone looking for a quick gaming fix on the go. The performance is solid for an emulator-based console, but it really focuses on emulating handhelds, not console systems. Ergonomics is also not a strong suit for those longer gaming sessions, but still, considering its affordability and portability, it becomes a strong contender to bring with you on a day-to-day basis to play your retro titles.
Classic Titles at the palm of your hands
Pokemon was made for a small handheld like the A30
The A30 can support the majority of the retro handhelds, such as titles on the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. It can stretch to older home consoles like the NES or the SNES, though that does not feel like the primary focus of the A30. Being able to play Pokémon was the main selling point for me. I took it with me everywhere I went for a month straight. It does a fantastic job of being able to play Game Boy games with little to no issues. The A30 delivers a seamless, pick-up and play experience, booting straight into a game and reliving that nostalgic loop within seconds.
The software on the other hand, while functional, can be a bit complicated. That said, the active community for emulation frontends gives modding support to the A30, improving its firmware and ease of use out of the box. However, the A30 stock out of the box still delivers a straightforward and enjoyable way to revisit classics. Being able to just turn the device on at anytime and anywhere to run the classic Pokémon titles was so much fun, but also having other games for when my brother wanted to use it and run his Megaman games on it was definitely a plus.
Meant for quick plays, not for long sessions
The A30 is designed with short, pick up and play sessions in mind rather than those longer couple of hours gameplay. Its compact form factor makes it exceptionally portable, being able to slip into my pocket alongside my everyday essentials, but at the same time, it comes with some trade-offs due to its size. The D-pad felt natural, and the buttons were very satisfying and well-built, but the ergonomics struggled once it was used in longer sessions. The analog stick was positioned in a way that caused my thumb to feel uncomfortable after a couple of hours of gaming.
At just 5 inches in length, the A30 feels smaller than the other handheld emulators, and while it may be an advantage for portability, it does not feel as comfortable as those other devices, such as the Miyoo Mini or MagicX XU Mini M. The 2.8-inch IPS screen is very sharp and bright for the price, but during longer gaming sessions, my eyes would strain due to the small screen. Ultimately, the A30 does a fantastic job for those couple of hours sessions to pass the time on commutes, but is not ideal ergonomically for those long hours of continuous gaming when you have more free time.
The A30 can feel cramped due to how small it is
Great at handheld emulating, but not much more
The Miyoo A30 delivers just enough hardware to support the quick, casual retro gaming sessions without going beyond. It has a 4:3 aspect ratio, a 640 x 480p resolution IPS LCD screen, and very mediocre CPU. The battery life from its 2600 mAh battery gave me a range of 6-8 hours per charge, which was plentiful as I was using the A30 to pass the time, ranging from 30 minutes to about an hour.
The A30 next to a Nintendo 3DS
The Miyoo A30 has built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and a USB-C charging port, which allowed me to easily connect it to my computer to add modded games that I wanted to continue on the go. The Allwinner A33 chipset works best for older emulator systems like the Game Boy Advance but struggles with more demanding systems like the PlayStation. The A30 succeeds by focusing on doing the handheld emulation well rather than trying to emulate every home console poorly.
Final Thoughts
The Miyoo A30 is an ultra-compact device that gives homage to that retro feeling we all had when the Game Boy Advance Micro was new to the market. As an entry-level emulator, it offers a straightforward, pick-up-and-play experience, letting you enjoy the classic 8-bit and 16-bit titles all in one device. The limiting hardware allows you to primarily focus on playing handheld consoles such as the Game Boy Advance, instead of the home consoles like the SNES. The A30 is meant for those fun, short gaming sessions during a commute or to pass the time without having to break the bank. I would recommend the Miyoo A30 for anyone not seeking a replica of a classic handheld, but simply wanting a convenient way to enjoy retro titles on the go.
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