Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
My husband and I don’t have a habit of gifting each other on birthdays or holidays. We did that for a bit the first year or two, then fell into a rhythm of choosing what we wanted together, be it valuable purchases, trips, or experiences. But a few months ago, as his birthday was approaching, I decided to break this unspoken rule and buy him an Android gaming handheld, the Retroid Pocket Classic ($149 at Amazon). Here’s why I made that choice and why it turned out to be the most perfect and fun gift I could’ve ever given him.
Do you own an Android gaming handheld? 8 votes Yes, I own one. 13 % I have many! 0 % I don't, but I'm considering it. 75 % No, I'm not interested. I game on my phone. 13 % No, I'm not a gamer. 0 %
Why a portable gaming device seemed like the perfect gift
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
For a few years now, Marcel (we’ll call him by his name because “my husband” will get old fast) has been playing games on his Android phone when he has a few minutes to spare. I don’t know how exactly he finds these games on the Play Store — Top Charts? Recommendations? Search? By category? — but every few months, he has a new addiction. Often, though, these are lightweight, free-to-play, ad-filled games where he has to wait for lengthy, loud, and obnoxious ads to finish before he can play another level or have another try.
This behavior is what put me on the path to find him a dedicated gaming device where he could have proper physical controls and, potentially, some higher-quality games. I wanted something that he could carry on trips, long train rides, and easily move around the house, not a console that sits at home the entire time.
Marcel spends some time playing low-quality games on his Android phone. A proper gaming handheld seemed right to level up his experience.
Plus, I was determined that this would be his gadget, first and foremost, not a shared device. Heaven knows we have enough of those, and any remotely tech-related gadget from our Home Assistant installation to our Synology NAS and smart home gear ends up being my responsibility because of my job. The other reason is that I’m not a gamer by choice. I have zero self-control and will get sucked up by any game I play, to the detriment of my sleep or work, so I often have absolutely zero games installed on my phone, and we don’t have any PlayStation, X-Box, or Nintendo Switch plugged into our TV. I’d be useless if we did.
I considered the Switch and Steam Deck, but emulation won
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