The current state of the retro handheld market is nothing short of overwhelming. We are bombarded weekly by new devices with catchy, alphanumeric names that often blend into a sea of sameness. Just when I think I have seen every possible iteration of the vertical Game Boy form factor, a device like the XU20 V32 lands on my desk.
It arrives with a confusing name but brings a surprisingly distinct proposition to the table. This is a pocket-sized handheld running Android, featuring a high-resolution touchscreen, all for a price hovering just under the $70 mark on AliExpress and similar marketplaces.
I spent a significant amount of time testing this purple translucent unit to see if the specs on paper translate to a cohesive gaming experience. It is a device of contradictions, offering one of the best screens I have seen in this category while simultaneously making some baffling ergonomic and hardware choices. For around $50 USD, it presents a value proposition that is hard to ignore, yet it requires a buyer who knows exactly what they are getting into.
Design & Build Quality
Picking up the XU Retro XU20 V32 for the first time, the compact nature of the device is immediately apparent. This is a truly pocketable handheld, not a “pocketable” device that requires cargo shorts. Measuring roughly 112mm tall by 83mm wide, it sits in a size class similar to the Miyoo Mini Plus or the Trimui Brick. The aesthetic is dominated by translucent plastic, available in purple, black, green, and blue. I am partial to the purple finish, which gives it a nostalgic, late-90s atomic purple vibe that fits the retro theme perfectly.
The form factor is somewhat unique, featuring a “cup shape” profile where the top half of the device is thinner than the bottom. This design choice results in a device that feels a bit stout or “chode-like,” for lack of a better term. It is short, wide, and thick at the bottom, which impacts how it sits in the hand.
For users with medium to small hands, the shape is manageable and allows for a decent grip. However, those with larger hands might find the experience cramping during extended play sessions. The device forces your hands into a specific, somewhat claw-like position that isn’t the pinnacle of ergonomic comfort.
I noticed the build quality sits squarely in the “budget” category. It doesn’t feel premium, but it doesn’t feel like it will fall apart in your hands either. The plastic shell has a decent texture, though it retains a certain rigidity that feels inexpensive.
On the back, there is a small exhaust vent, which is a passive cooling solution for the processor. While there are no active fans, the area around this vent does get noticeably warm during gameplay, acting as a reminder that the internals are working hard without active airflow.
One of the more disappointing aspects of the build is the shoulder buttons. They feature a subtle slope intended to accommodate your fingers, but they suffer from a distinct lack of stability. Shaking the device results in a loud, maraca-like rattle coming almost exclusively from these buttons. They are not locked firmly in place, and this looseness detracts from the overall feeling of quality. While they have a soft click and short travel, the wobbliness makes the device feel cheaper than it actually is.
Button placement also features some odd quirks. The power button is located on the back of the device near the top corner, a position that looks strange visually but practically prevents accidental presses. There is also a “G” button on the right side, acting as a menu or home key, and a USB-C port on the bottom for charging.
The overall construction feels like a first attempt from a new brand—ambitious in features but lacking the refined polish found in devices from more established manufacturers like Anbernic or Miyoo.
Display & Visual Experience
The absolute highlight of the XU20 V32 is its display. We are looking at a 3.2-inch IPS screen with a native resolution of 1024×768. For a screen of this physical size, that resolution creates an incredibly high pixel density. Content looks razor-sharp, text is crisp, and 2D sprites look fantastic. Scaling retro games on this panel is a joy because the high pixel count allows for smooth integer scaling and the effective use of shaders and overlays without the image becoming blurry or blocky.
Colors on this panel are vibrant and punchy. I found the default settings to be quite good, but diving into the display settings allows for tweaking contrast and saturation to really make the image pop. The brightness levels are also commendable. Even at 40% brightness, the screen battles studio lighting effectively, suggesting that outdoor playability is definitely viable. It is rare to see a panel of this quality in the $50 price bracket, and it elevates the entire experience of using the device.
However, the screen implementation is not without its flaws. The display is framed by massive black bezels covered in glass. While thick bezels can evoke a retro aesthetic, the black glass border feels a bit too modern and expansive, trapping this beautiful 3.2-inch window in a sea of black space. It creates a visual dissonance where the screen feels smaller than it could be relative to the chassis size.
The 4:3 aspect ratio is perfect for systems like the SNES, NES, and PlayStation 1, filling the screen naturally. However, because this device runs Android and is capable of emulating the PSP, the aspect ratio becomes a hurdle for wide-screen content. PSP games run at a 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning you are forced to either play with large black bars on the top and bottom—resulting in a tiny viewable image—or stretch the image vertically, which distorts the graphics. Watching cutscenes or playing games designed for a widescreen experience on a 4:3 display of this size is functional but far from immersive.
The inclusion of a touchscreen is a major advantage, particularly for Nintendo DS emulation. Being able to tap the screen directly rather than using a virtual cursor mapped to a thumbstick changes the playability of many DS titles entirely. It transforms games that rely heavily on touch input from unplayable novelties into genuinely enjoyable experiences. Despite the limitations of a single screen, the touch capability justifies the Android OS choice and sets this handheld apart from its Linux-based competitors.
Performance
Powering the XU20 V32 is the Allwinner A133P chipset, paired with Android as the operating system. This is a known quantity in the handheld world, having appeared in devices like the Trimui Brick. The performance profile is predictable: flawless emulation for 8-bit and 16-bit eras, perfect PS1 performance, and very strong Nintendo DS capability. Where things get interesting is the bonus performance unlocked by the Android OS optimization.
I found that PSP and Dreamcast performance is notably better here than on equivalent Linux devices using the same chip. Games like Chains of Olympus on the PSP run surprisingly well, maintaining playable framerates with only occasional dips during intense action.
Similarly, Crazy Taxi on the Dreamcast runs almost perfectly smooth. The overhead of Android seems to be managed well, allowing these slightly heavier systems to function at a level that exceeds expectations for a $50 device.
Nintendo 64 remains the Achilles heel of this chipset. While optimized titles like Banjo-Kazooie run beautifully, more demanding games like Cruis’n World suffer from significant slowdowns and sluggish frame rates. The A133P simply hits a wall with harder-to-emulate N64 titles, regardless of the operating system. It is playable for a curated selection of the library, but I would not buy this primarily as an N64 machine.
Software Experience
The software experience is built around the Aurora Launcher, a fork of the Dawn Launcher, which itself borrows heavily from the Daijisho frontend. It presents a clean, console-like interface that scrapes box art and organizes your library efficiently.
However, it operates on top of Android, meaning you have to deal with the inherent sluggishness of booting up an Android device. From a cold boot, the XU20 V32 takes over 45 seconds to become usable. This is an eternity in the handheld world, making the sleep mode functionality absolutely critical.
Navigating the UI reveals some friction. The device includes a “Game Switcher” function intended to let you hop between titles instantly. In practice, however, it lacks the auto-save and auto-load refinement seen in custom firmwares like OnionOS. When you switch back to a game, it often reboots the title from the start rather than resuming exactly where you left off. This makes the feature feel more like changing a cartridge than a modern quick-resume function.
Furthermore, the pre-configured RetroArch settings leave onscreen overlays and notifications enabled, cluttering that beautiful high-res screen with unnecessary text every time you launch a game.
Android also allows for native gaming, and I tested unofficial ports like Hollow Knight. The device runs these lightweight Android titles competently, but the 4:3 screen ratio often cuts off UI elements designed for 16:9 phone screens. You might miss health bars or objectives because the game is rendering purely for a widescreen format. While it is technically impressive that Hollow Knight runs at full speed, the compromised visual experience limits the enjoyment.
Features & User Experience
One of the most unique hardware features on the XU20 V32 is a physical toggle switch located between the D-pad and face buttons. This switch changes the input mode of the D-pad, swapping it between digital D-pad functionality and analog stick emulation. This is a brilliant inclusion for a device without a physical analog stick.
In N64 or Dreamcast games, you can flip the switch to use the D-pad as an analog stick for movement, then flip it back for menu navigation. It is a clever, system-level hardware solution to a control problem.
The controls themselves, however, are a mixed bag. The D-pad and face buttons use a firm, stiff membrane that requires a deliberate press. They have a significant amount of travel and a “blocky” feel that lacks the snappy responsiveness of higher-end devices.
For RPGs or slower-paced games, they are perfectly adequate. For precision platformers or fighting games, I found them to be imprecise, occasionally prone to accidental diagonals, and generally tiring to use over long periods. They feel “retro” in the sense of a well-worn toy, rather than a precision instrument.
Audio is handled by a single mono speaker on the rear of the unit. Despite being mono, it gets surprisingly loud and cuts through ambient noise well. It lacks the stereo separation found on the Trimui Brick, and the sound can be tinny, but it is serviceable for retro gaming chiptunes. The audio experience essentially involves forcing sound through a single grille, which lacks depth but provides raw volume.
The inclusion of Wi-Fi allows for retro achievements, box art scraping, and even some light multiplayer if you are adventurous.
The Android backend means you are not locked into a closed ecosystem; you can download different emulators, change launchers, or tweak settings to your heart’s content. I was even able to switch the default home app back to the standard Android “Quickstep” launcher, giving me a traditional tablet interface, though navigating that on a small 4:3 screen is cumbersome.
Battery & Charging
The XU20 V32 is equipped with a battery capacity that is generally cited around 3000-3200mAh, which is fairly standard for a device of this size running this chipset. Charging is handled via a USB-C port on the bottom. In my testing, battery life was decent but heavily dependent on the system being emulated. For lighter tasks like Game Boy Color or NES, the device sips power, easily offering 5-6 hours of playtime.
However, ramping up to PSP or Dreamcast emulation drains the battery significantly faster, pushing the runtime closer to the 3-4 hour mark. The lack of active cooling means the heat generated by the processor soaks into the battery and the rear shell, which can degrade battery health over time if you constantly push the device to its limits.
Final Thoughts
Pricing for the XU20 V32 fluctuates, but it generally ranges from $65 USD to $70 USD on AliExpress, occasionally dipping lower during sales or trending slightly higher on Amazon for faster shipping. This price point places it in direct competition with the Trimui Brick, the Anbernic RG35XX series, and the Miyoo Mini Plus.
Compared to the Trimui Brick, the XU20 falls short in terms of build quality and aesthetics. The Trimui feels denser, more premium, and has better controls. However, the XU20 wins on versatility thanks to Android and the touchscreen. If you specifically want to play Nintendo DS games or dabble in N64/PSP titles, the XU20’s software flexibility gives it an edge.
Against the Miyoo Mini Plus, the XU20 offers more power and a horizontal form factor but loses significantly on community support and software polish. OnionOS on the Miyoo is a masterpiece of user experience; the Aurora Launcher on the XU20 is functional but unrefined.
The value proposition here rests entirely on the screen and the OS. You are paying $50 for a stunning 1024×768 display and the freedom of Android. If those two features appeal to you, the XU20 is a bargain. If you prioritize control feel, build quality, or a “pick up and play” Linux interface, there are better options in this crowded market segment. It occupies a niche for the tinkerer—someone who wants to mess with settings, try different emulators, and take advantage of a high-resolution panel for scaling experiments.
