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The GPD Win Max 2 is a 10.1 inch 16:10 Windows handheld that plays everything up to Wii U well, made by GamePad Digital. It came out in October 2022 at $899. Inside is the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U with 16 of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Wii U.
- You want a 10.1 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want something light: it weighs 1005 g.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
GPD Win Max 2 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Wii U. Chip: AMD Ryzen 7 6800U.
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 the specs mean
16:10 screen
Close to widescreen: PSP and Switch nearly fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: GBA
At 10x, GBA fills 94% 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
Same chip as 6 other handhelds
The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U also powers the AOKZOE A1, AYANEO 2, GPD Win 4, Loki Max and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
D-pad on top, sticks below
The d-pad has the natural thumb spot, which suits 2D games. In 3D games your thumb lives on the lower stick.
Based on: Layout data (d-pad placement)
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
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 U well
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
- Metal shell
- Analog triggers
Not so good
- Heavy at 1005 g
- High-end price
- Small 65 mAh battery
Screen fit
Screen: 10.1 inch, IPS, 16:10, 2560 x 1600.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 11x (1760 x 1584) | 68% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 10x (2400 x 1600) | 94% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 7x (1792 x 1568) | 69% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 7x (2240 x 1568) | 86% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 6x (1920 x 1440) | 68% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 8x (2048 x 1536) | 77% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 5x (2400 x 1360) | 80% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 2560 x 1600.
Size
227 x 160 x 23 mm, 1005 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- GPD Win Max 2 (227 x 160 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 | AMD Ryzen 7 6800U |
| CPU | AMD Zen 3+ |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 2.7 GHz - 4.7 GHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 680M |
| RAM | 16 LPDDR5 |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 10.1" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 298 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Separated Cross (PS Vita), Upper, inner placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | Dual NVMe SSD slots |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (?) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (?) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Clamshell |
| Dimensions | 227 x 160 x 23 mm |
| Weight | 1005 g |
| Battery | 65 Wh |
| Shell | Metal (Magnesium Aluminum Alloy) |
| Speakers | Side |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Windows version | 11 |
Questions
Can the GPD Win Max 2 play PS2 games?
Yes. PS2 scores 100 out of 100 on our emulation scale.
Is the GPD Win Max 2 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 10x it fills 94% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
65 mAh. The middle Windows handheld in our database has 65 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the GPD Win Max 2 cost?
It launched at about $899 in Oct 2022. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$899 at launch $250 and up
Newer in the same line: the GPD Win 4 (Mar 2023) and the GPD Win Mini 2024 (Apr 2024). Compare before you buy this one new.
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.