TL;DR The MagicX One35 is an upcoming budget handheld with two d-pads. It’s ideal for both retro games and vertical shooters, by turning the screen. Pre-orders start on October 10 at $79.90, with shipping starting November 10. The budget Android gaming handheld market has burst wide open in the past few weeks. Sub-$100 devices like the MANGMI AIR X and AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini are poised to take entry-level handhelds to the next level, but there’s now a new challenger with a completely different approach. The MagicX One35 is a small handheld with a 3.5-inch IPS touchscreen display in a horizontal layout, but one thing makes it stand out from any other handheld on the market. Rather than dual joysticks, it includes two D-pads: one on the left in the upper position and another beneath the face buttons on the right. The MagicX One35 is designed for both horizontal and vertical gameplay. This might seem strange initially, especially if you’re considering playing first-person shooters, but it has a clear design rationale. In addition to emulating standard retro games in a horizontal format, this handheld is designed to be turned on its side and used vertically. Looking closely, you’ll see that the start and select labels are sideways, hinting at this capability. That makes it great for vertical tate mode arcade games and Nintendo DS emulation. Small buttons where your fingers rest while holding it vertically serve as triggers in Nintendo DS games. Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search — find out more here. In terms of specs, the MagicX One35 is packing a MediaTek Helio G85 and 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM. That should give it compatibility with everything up to and including the PS1 and N64, with some PS2 and GameCube support, too. Like the Nintendo DS-focused MagicX Zero One, the One35 will run on a modified version of Dawn Launcher in Android 12. It will have Play Store compatibility, but it will most likely come completely set up and ready to emulate your favorite retro games right out of the box. Pricing on the MagicX One35 is set at $79.90, making it one of the cheapest Android gaming handhelds available. Pre-orders start on October 10, with shipments starting a month later, on November 10. Follow