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The Miyoo A30 is a 2.8 inch 4:3 Linux handheld that plays everything up to DS (no touchscreen) well. It came out in May 2024 at $49. Inside is the Allwinner A33 with 512 MB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to DS, plus some PSP.
- You want it in a jeans pocket: the front is 127.5 x 57 mm.
Skip it if
- You want N64 games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You want N64 and 3D PS1 games on two sticks: it has one.
Miyoo A30 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: DS (no touchscreen). Chip: Allwinner A33.
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
“My miyoo a30 is pretty quiet, doesn't have clicky buttons at all”
“For old systems my Miyoo A30 is great, pocketable and good controls.”
“My Miyoo A30's screen cracked while it was in my pants pocket for just a couple of days with nothing but a soft wallet.”
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
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)
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
No headphone jack
Audio goes over Bluetooth or the speakers. Bluetooth adds a delay you can notice in rhythm games.
Based on: Layout data; Bluetooth audio latency is a known limit of the standard
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 DS (no touchscreen) well
- Low price
Not so good
- N64 games can struggle
- No video out
- Small 2,600 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
127.5 x 57 x 16 mm, 115 g. Fits a jeans pocket
- Miyoo A30 (127.5 x 57 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 A33 |
| CPU | Cortex-A7 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.2 GHz - 1.5 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP2 |
| RAM | 512 MB |
| Cooling | No |
| 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 | Single, bottom |
| L3 / R3 | No |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Gyroscope | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | External MicroSD |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (4) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | No |
| Headphone jack | No |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 127.5 x 57 x 16 mm |
| Weight | 115 g |
| Battery | 2600 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Front |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Custom firmware | SpruceOS, MinUI |
Questions
Can the Miyoo A30 play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to DS (no touchscreen) well.
Is the Miyoo A30 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?
No. Use Bluetooth headphones or the speakers.
How big is the battery?
2,600 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 Miyoo A30 cost?
It launched at about $49 in May 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$49 at launch Under $60
The newest in its line in our database, out since May 2024.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.