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The Mini Zero 28 is a 2.8 inch 4:3 Android handheld that plays everything up to Dreamcast well, made by MagicX. It came out in January 2025 at $59. Inside is the Allwinner A133 Plus with 2 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Dreamcast, plus some PSP.
- You want it in a jeans pocket: the front is 130.5 x 65.1 mm.
Skip it if
- You want PSP games: it scores 70 out of 100, so many games struggle.
Mini Zero 28 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Dreamcast. Chip: Allwinner A133 Plus.
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 the MagicX Mini Zero 28 and love it. Currently playing through Jet Grind Radio.”
“I have a MagicX mini zero 28 and IMO the software has always been the thing holding the great hardware back mainly due to it being an android device without a touch screen.”
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 2x
320 x 240 times 2 is the screen's own 640 x 480, 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
Same chip as 8 other handhelds
The Allwinner A133 Plus also powers the TRIMUI Brick, TRIMUI Brick Hammer, TRIMUI Brick Pro, TRIMUI Smart Pro and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
Small battery for its class
Only 5 of 103 Android handhelds in our database have a smaller battery than this 2,900 mAh (the middle one has 5,000 mAh). The heavier the system you run, the sooner it runs out.
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 103 Android 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)
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 without touch
There is no touch screen, so DS games that need the stylus use a pointer moved by a stick.
Based on: Layout data: no touch screen
Android 10
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 Dreamcast well
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Low price
Not so good
- Not built for PS2 games
- No video out
- Small 2,900 mAh battery
Screen fit
Screen: 2.8 inch, IPS, 4:3, 640 x 480.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 3x (480 x 432) | 68% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 2x (480 x 320) | 50% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 2x (512 x 448) | 75% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 2x (640 x 448) | 93% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 2x (640 x 480) | 100% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 2x (512 x 384) | 64% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 1x (480 x 272) | 43% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Bold rows fill the screen with a perfect fit. Screen 640 x 480.
Size
130.5 x 65.1 x 19 mm, 120 g. Fits a jeans pocket
- Mini Zero 28 (130.5 x 65.1 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 | Allwinner A133 Plus |
| CPU | Cortex-A53 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8300 |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR4 |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 2.8" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 640 x 480 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 285 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Rumble | No |
| Gyroscope | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | Dual External MicroSD |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (4) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | No |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 130.5 x 65.1 x 19 mm |
| Weight | 120 g |
| Battery | 2900 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android, Linux |
| Android version | 10 |
| Custom firmware | MinUI, GammaOSNext, GammaOS C. |
Questions
Can the Mini Zero 28 play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to Dreamcast well.
Can it play GameCube games?
Partly. GameCube scores 10 out of 100.
Is the Mini Zero 28 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 2x it fills 50% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
2,900 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
No, it has no video out.
How much does the Mini Zero 28 cost?
It launched at about $59 in Jan 2025. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$59 at launch Under $60
The newest in its line in our database, out since Jan 2025.
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.