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The PowKiddy X28 is a 5.5 inch 16:9 Android handheld that plays everything up to PSP well. It came out in May 2023 at $150. Inside is the UNISOC Tiger T618 with 4 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PSP, plus some PS2.
- You want a 5.5 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want 3DS games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
PowKiddy X28 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PSP. Chip: UNISOC Tiger T618.
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
“Personally I loved my Powkiddy x28 because it's got the biggest screen in its class, but the joysticks are more digital than analog in terms of responsiveness.”
What the specs mean
16:9 screen
PSP and Switch games fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides, and Game Boy games look small.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: PS1 and N64
At 3x, PS1 and N64 fills 75% 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 8 other handhelds
The UNISOC Tiger T618 also powers the Anbernic RG Rotate, Anbernic RG Vita, Retroid Pocket 3 Plus, Retroid Pocket Flip and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
4 GB of memory rules out Switch
The Switch has 4 GB of memory of its own. An emulator has to hold all of it and Android on top, which does not fit here.
Based on: Hardware fact: the Switch has 4 GB of RAM
Digital triggers
The GameCube's triggers were pressure sensitive, and a few games use a light press, such as spraying while you walk in Super Mario Sunshine. Here the triggers are on or off.
Based on: Hardware fact: GameCube controller triggers are analog; this device is not listed with analog triggers
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
Android 11
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 PSP well
- Video out to a TV
- Big 5,000 mAh battery
Not so good
- Nothing stands out.
Screen fit
Screen: 5.5 inch, IPS, 16:9, 1280 x 720.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 5x (800 x 720) | 63% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 4x (960 x 640) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 3x (768 x 672) | 56% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 3x (960 x 672) | 70% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 3x (960 x 720) | 75% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 3x (768 x 576) | 48% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 2x (960 x 544) | 57% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1280 x 720.
Size
207.6 x 80.7 x 26.9 mm, 296 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- PowKiddy X28 (207.6 x 80.7 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 | UNISOC Tiger T618 |
| CPU | Cortex-A75 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MP2 |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 5.5" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1280 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 267 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 207.6 x 80.7 x 26.9 mm |
| Weight | 296 g |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Front |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 11 |
| Custom firmware | GammaOSNext |
Questions
Can the PowKiddy X28 play PS2 games?
Some. PS2 scores 50 out of 100, so it depends on the game.
Is the PowKiddy X28 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 4x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
5,000 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the PowKiddy X28 cost?
It launched at about $150 in May 2023. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$150 at launch $120 to $250
The newest in its line in our database, out since May 2023.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.