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The GameForce ACE is a 5.5 inch 16:9 Android handheld that plays everything up to Wii well. It came out in February 2024 at $162. Inside is the RockChip RK3588S with 8 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Wii, plus some PS2.
- You want a 5.5 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want PS2 games: it scores 76 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
GameForce ACE videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Wii. Chip: RockChip RK3588S.
Scores out of 100. 100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues on this device. 80 or more plays well (green), 50 to 79 plays partly (yellow).
What owners say
“I have a Gameforce Ace that emulates pretty well, but the size is just a tad too big for my pocket.”
What the specs mean
16:9 screen
PSP and Switch games fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides, and Game Boy games look small.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: GBA
At 6x, GBA fills 67% of the screen with even pixels. Filling the rest means stretching, which some people smooth with a filter.
Based on: Display math: largest whole-number scale that fits the screen
Big battery for its class
Only 11 of 103 Android handhelds in our database have a bigger battery than this 7,200 mAh (the middle one has 5,000 mAh).
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 103 Android handhelds
DS on one screen
DS games show both screens shrunk side by side, or one big screen you swap. The touch screen stands in for the stylus.
Based on: Layout data: single screen with touch
Android 13
Besides emulators it runs Android games and game streaming apps, from your PC or the cloud.
Based on: Operating system data
Rating
How we score: what it plays 30%, how many players own and recommend it 20%, screen 15%, price compared with handhelds that play as much 10%, controls 10%, size and weight 10%, battery size for its chip 5%.
Good
- Plays everything up to Wii well
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
- Big 7,200 mAh battery
- Analog triggers
Not so good
- Nothing stands out.
Screen fit
Screen: 5.5 inch, IPS, 16:9, 1920 x 1080.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 7x (1120 x 1008) | 54% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 6x (1440 x 960) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 4x (1024 x 896) | 44% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 4x (1280 x 896) | 55% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 4x (1280 x 960) | 59% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 5x (1280 x 960) | 59% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 3x (1440 x 816) | 57% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1920 x 1080.
Size
212 x 91 x 16 mm. Too big for a jeans pocket
- GameForce ACE (212 x 91 mm)
- iPhone 15 (71.6 x 147.6 mm)
True scale, front view. Jeans pocket = front no bigger than an iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case (160 x 82 mm).
Specs
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Chip | RockChip RK3588S |
| CPU | Cortex-A76 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz - 2.4 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G610 MP4 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4 |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 5.5" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 400 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Lower placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, asymetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 256 GB eMMC |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (4.2ble) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 212 x 91 x 16 mm |
| Battery | 7200 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 13 |
| Custom firmware | ROCKNIX, Batocera, UnofficialOS |
| PortMaster | Yes |
Questions
Can the GameForce ACE play PS2 games?
Some. PS2 scores 76 out of 100, so it depends on the game.
Can it play GameCube games?
Yes, GameCube scores 100 out of 100.
Is the GameForce ACE good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 6x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
7,200 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the GameForce ACE cost?
It launched at about $162 in Feb 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$162 at launch $120 to $250
The newest in its line in our database, out since Feb 2024.
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.