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The GKD Pixel is a 2.31 inch 4:3 Linux handheld that plays everything up to PS1 well, made by Game Kiddy. It came out in January 2024 at $76. Inside is the Ingenic X1830 with 128 MB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PS1.
- You want it in a jeans pocket: the front is 56 x 80 mm.
Skip it if
- You want N64 games: it does not run them.
- You want Wi-Fi for updates and cloud saves.
GKD Pixel videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PS1. Chip: Ingenic X1830.
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'm really loving my GKD pixel. MinUI makes it the perfect commute device”
“For a vertical, I use the gkd pixel. I'm running minui on it and love it.”
“I own the OG GKD Pixel and it's one of my favourite devices.”
What the specs mean
4:3 screen
NES to PS2 era home consoles were 4:3, so they fill it. GBA and PSP games show bars above and below.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
PS1 and N64 at exactly 1x
320 x 240 times 1 is the screen's own 320 x 240, so PS1 and N64 pixels stay perfectly even with no filter and no bars.
Based on: Display math: native resolution x whole-number scale = screen resolution
Small battery for its class
Only 16 of 117 Linux and other handhelds in our database have a smaller battery than this 1,300 mAh (the middle one has 3,000 mAh). The heavier the system you run, the sooner it runs out.
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 117 Linux and other handhelds
Shoulder buttons in a row
L1 and L2 sit side by side along the top edge instead of stacked. PS2 games that need L1 and L2 together mean sliding one finger between them.
Based on: Layout data (shoulder button layout)
No analog sticks
N64 games and later PS1 games were made for a stick. Here they run on the d-pad, which works for some and ruins others.
Based on: Layout data; N64 and PS1 DualShock games use analog control
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 PS1 well
- Metal shell
- Low price
Not so good
- No analog sticks
- N64 games can struggle
- No Wi-Fi
- No video out
Screen fit
Screen: 2.31 inch, IPS, 4:3, 320 x 240.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 1x (160 x 144) | 30% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 1x (240 x 160) | 50% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 1x (256 x 224) | 75% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 1x (320 x 224) | 93% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 1x (320 x 240) | 100% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Bold rows fill the screen with a perfect fit. Screen 320 x 240.
Size
56 x 80 x 18 mm, 107 g. Fits a jeans pocket
- GKD Pixel (56 x 80 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 | Ingenic X1830 |
| CPU | XBurst |
| Cores | 1 |
| Clock speed | 1.5 GHz |
| RAM | 128 MB DDR2 |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 2.31" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 320 x 240 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 173 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Lower placement |
| Analog sticks | No |
| Stick layout | No Thumbsticks |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Rumble | No |
| Gyroscope | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | External MicroSD |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | No |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Vertical |
| Dimensions | 56 x 80 x 18 mm |
| Weight | 107 g |
| Battery | 1300 mAh |
| Shell | Metal (Aluminum) |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Custom firmware | MinUI |
Questions
Can the GKD Pixel play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to PS1 well.
Is the GKD Pixel good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 1x it fills 50% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
1,300 mAh. The middle Linux and other handheld in our database has 3,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
No, it has no video out.
How much does the GKD Pixel cost?
It launched at about $76 in Jan 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$76 at launch $60 to $120
Newer in the same line: the GKD Pixel 2 (Feb 2025). Compare before you buy this one new.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.