Miyoo Mini Plus vs Anbernic RG35XX SP: The $70 Showdown

The best retro handheld isn’t the one with the highest price tag — it’s the one that actually disappears into your pocket and begs you to play one more Game Boy game. After weeks of shoving both the Miyoo Mini Plus and Anbernic RG35XX SP into jacket pockets, backpack side pouches, and even a glovebox, I have a clear favorite. But it’s closer than you’d think.

Both handhelds hover around $70, both run Linux-based custom firmware, and both can emulate everything from NES to PlayStation. The Miyoo Mini Plus is a candy-bar legend, while the RG35XX SP builds its whole identity around a clamshell design and a brighter screen. The decision comes down to how you carry, hold, and finish games.

Candy Bar Versus Clamshell: Ergonomics With a Twist

The Miyoo Mini Plus is all about simplicity. Its flat face and thin depth slide into a front pocket with zero bulk, and the vertical layout feels like a Game Boy with modern buttons. The RG35XX SP, meanwhile, folds into a square that protects its screen but adds noticeable thickness — a tradeoff Anbernic keeps refining across its clamshell line. Holding the SP in its open position gives you a lower center of gravity, which helps during long sessions, but the Miyoo’s rounded edges win when you’re standing on a crowded train.

Neither device is designed for giant hands. If you plan to play for more than an hour, the SP’s wider grip area makes it easier to hold without cramping, but the Miyoo Mini Plus slides into any pocket so effortlessly that you’ll actually bring it everywhere. That availability is a feature in itself.

OnionOS vs. GarlicOS: A Software Showdown

The Miyoo Mini Plus has become inseparable from OnionOS, a custom firmware that boots in seconds and organizes everything around a clean app launcher — the same firmware at the heart of our Miyoo Mini Plus review. It supports save states, fast forward, and a curated game switcher that makes jumping between titles painless. GarlicOS on the RG35XX SP offers similar features, but version 2.0 has proven less polished, with a few more menu layers and occasional audio quirks. OnionOS still feels like the gold standard for budget Linux handhelds.

That software edge gives the Miyoo Mini Plus a real daily-driver advantage. The RG35XX SP’s clamshell hardware is the more interesting object, but every time I had to dig through GarlicOS menus, I found myself reaching back for the Miyoo. For most retro gamers, the operating system is the soul of a handheld. The Miyoo’s soul is simply more refined.

The Verdict: Which One Goes in Your Bag?

If you want the most pocketable, pick-up-and-play retro machine, the Miyoo Mini Plus is the easy recommendation. OnionOS, a mature community, and a sub-$70 price make it almost frictionless. But if you value a protected screen, better shoulder button ergonomics, and a design that still sparks conversation at a coffee shop, the RG35XX SP is a worthy alternative. You can’t go wrong; the best choice is the one that makes you play more.