If you’ve been into TikTok lately, you may have heard of a product called TikTok Powkiddy RGB 20S. This $99 console looks like a Game Boy and claims it can play almost any old game, from the NES all the way to the PS1 and Nintendo DS. And if nothing else, it’s an excellent illustration of why TikTok’s game console recommendations aren’t taken seriously.
I have to assume the target audience for the RGB20S is young adults, who may not be aware of the array of cheap imitations that have plagued the market since the dawn of console gaming. The Powkiddy RGB20S seems to be one of those controllers — and if you have a smartphone, honestly, you actually have a better portable gaming rig.
To cover the basics, the Powkiddy RGB 20S feels like a slightly smaller Game Boy, except there are more buttons. It is available at Walmart for $99 (Opens in a new tab)And the Amazon for $129 (Opens in a new tab)But that doesn’t mean you should.
@employee (Opens in a new tab)
♬ I miss you (Accelerated version) -_ (Opens in a new tab)
The rectangular device features an analog stick, D-pad, face and navigation buttons on the front, as well as four shoulder buttons on the back. The front buttons are actually arranged in a smiley face — in the same way that crocodiles seem to smile when they devour their prey, one might suppose. On the sides, you can insert one microSD card for the operating system, one microSD card for storage, and that’s where we start to get into trouble.
Powkiddy RGB 20S is an open source Linux device. As such, there are no physical cartridges to purchase, and no digital game store to patronize it. Instead, Powkiddy’s website advertises that the system can handle “major simulators,” which is the company’s way of ignoring the word “emulators.” The company assumes that every game you play on the system will be a pirated version, which is probably true.
We will not discuss the ethics of hacking old games in this article. However, producing an entire console just to illegally distribute other companies’ games is somewhere between “arrogant” and “unscrupulous,” depending on your point of view. (We also wonder how Sony would feel about Powkiddy promoting a screenshot of the PS1’s Spider-Man in one of its user reviews.)
Beyond that, Powkiddy’s website simply doesn’t inspire much confidence. There are five user reviews, all of which look fake, while the full official name of the product is “POWKIDDY RGB20S 3.5-Inch 4:3 IPS OGA Screen Open Source OGA Screen Open Source Handheld Game Console RK3326 Special Back Button Children Gifts.” When a company writes a product description for a search engine algorithm rather than an end user, it’s usually not a good sign. Powkiddy’s Chrome tab flashes “We miss you!” Every time you open another window, like your jealous ex.
However, the silliest thing about this whole situation is that if you have $99 to spend on a portable gaming accessory, you can actually get a much better one: the Razer Kishi V2, for example, or the Backbone One. These devices will turn your existing smartphone into an improvised handheld console, with a much larger screen and better-arranged buttons. You’ll get access to legitimate games via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, not to mention cloud games via Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now. Even if you insist on using emulators, there are plenty of good ones out there for Android. (iOS is a little trickier, but it’s still possible).
Anyway, we don’t know why the Powkiddy RGB20S gained so much traction on Gen Z’s favorite social media platform. But whatever its benefits, TikTok is excellent at spreading misinformationGames are prone to bad advice such as public health or politics. If you need a portable game console, we recommend the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or a controller stand for your phone.
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