Retro Hands-On: POWKIDDY V90 Foldable Now Available
Image: Powkiddy
Powkiddy has announced the launch of the V90. The small, foldable handheld is now available for pre-order, with delivery expected to begin May 31, 2025, according to the manufacturer. The console, which is primarily aimed at the retro market, is said to be priced at around €40.
No Wireless Connection
The low price of the V90 is particularly reflected in its features, as the console is completely pre-installed with wireless networks, lacking both WLAN and Bluetooth. However, both functions can be upgraded with compatible USB dongles if necessary. Display for Various Formats
The handheld is equipped with a laminated IPS display with a diagonal of 3.5 inches and a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. The 4:3 aspect ratio should be considered the standard in the field of retro devices, as it represents the best compromise for displaying various formats – the original game had a 10:9 ratio, but the Game Boy Advance used a 3:2 ratio, while many consoles for TVs generally worked with 4:3.
The new V90 from Powkiddy is available in red, gray, transparent black, and yellow.
The technical basis should be sufficient for many emulated devices.
Inside the V90, a winner-takes-all A133 Plus CPU runs on four Cortex-A53 cores, clocking up to 2 GHz. The system is complemented by a gigabyte of RAM. Two SD card slots support the storage of your own content, with one card containing the appropriate Linux operating system. The manufacturer offers cards with capacities of 16, 64, 128, and 256 GB. This base should be sufficient to run games from various systems with appropriate emulators, including Gameboy up to Gameboy Advance, (S)NES, N64, the CP system developed for slot machines, the SEGA Mega Drive, and the PlayStation Portable. A vibration function is also integrated to enhance the gaming experience.
The V90 is no crossover skier.
A permanently integrated 3,000 mAh battery must be fully charged within two hours via a USB-C connection, then activates a playtime of up to six hours. In addition to the classic control pad and the four diamond-shaped control buttons, the handheld has four shoulder buttons for other functions. A built-in speaker with an output of one watt is intended to provide background audio. A headphone jack is missing, but this should be modernized via the USB-C connection with OTG support. The console measures 170 mm in height and 89 mm in width. When folded together, it measures 89 × 85 × 26.5 mm. Powkiddy’s new V90 specifications
Powkiddy’s new V90 specifications (Image: Powkiddy) Image 1 of 6
The new V90s can now be pre-ordered through the manufacturer’s own store in yellow, transparent black, red, and gray, with delivery scheduled for May 31, 2025. It’s likely that the handheld will later be listed on well-known online retailers such as AliExpress or Amazon. For the basic version with a 16GB memory card, Powkiddy charges around €40, although the price can increase to around €72 depending on the selected memory size.
Topics: Retro Game Consoles Retro Gaming Source: Powkiddy
A lifelong video game enthusiast, Julien reviews the latest releases and explores the technologies transforming the gaming world.
