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The PowKiddy RGB30 is a 4.0 inch 1:1 Linux handheld that plays everything up to Dreamcast well. It came out in September 2023 at $90. Inside is the RockChip RK3566 with 1 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Dreamcast, plus some PSP.
- You want a 4.0 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want PSP games: it scores 70 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You want a handheld for a jeans pocket.
PowKiddy RGB30 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Dreamcast. Chip: RockChip RK3566.
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 love my RGB30 and I just wish it was a little better quality.”
“I think I have played 50+ Pico8 games since getting my RGB30. They are just so fun to play, and more important short, that I jumped into anything that looked interesting.”
“I bought the RGB30 purely to play PICO-8 titles and I don't regret it.”
What the specs mean
1:1 screen
Game Boy and Game Boy Color are 10:9, almost square, so they fill most of it. Everything else shows wide bars.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: Game Boy
At 4x, Game Boy fills 71% 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 26 other handhelds
The RockChip RK3566 also powers the GAMEMT E6 Plus, GKD Bubble, GKD Mini Plus, GKD Mini Plus Classic and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
Big battery for its class
Only 15 of 117 Linux and other handhelds in our database have a bigger battery than this 4,100 mAh (the middle one has 3,000 mAh).
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)
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
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
- Video out to a TV
- Low price
Not so good
- Not built for PS2 games
Screen fit
Screen: 4.0 inch, IPS, 1:1, 720 x 720.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 4x (640 x 576) | 71% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 3x (720 x 480) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 2x (512 x 448) | 44% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 2x (640 x 448) | 55% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 2x (640 x 480) | 59% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 2x (512 x 384) | 38% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 1x (480 x 272) | 25% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 720 x 720.
Size
145 x 86.5 x 18 mm, 207 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- PowKiddy RGB30 (145 x 86.5 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 RK3566 |
| CPU | Cortex-A55 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G52 2EE |
| RAM | 1 GB LPDDR4 |
| Cooling | No |
| Screen | |
| Size | 4.0" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 720 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 254 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | Dual External MicroSD |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (?) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 145 x 86.5 x 18 mm |
| Weight | 207 g |
| Battery | 4100 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Front |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Custom firmware | ROCKNIX, MinUI, ArkOS, KNULLI, PlumOS, GammaOS C., UnofficialOS |
| PortMaster | Yes |
Questions
Can the PowKiddy RGB30 play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 10 out of 100. It plays everything up to Dreamcast well.
Can it play GameCube games?
Partly. GameCube scores 20 out of 100.
Is the PowKiddy RGB30 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 3x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
4,100 mAh. The middle Linux and other handheld in our database has 3,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the PowKiddy RGB30 cost?
It launched at about $90 in Sep 2023. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$90 at launch $60 to $120
The newest in its line in our database, out since Sep 2023.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.