This $60 gadget is a must-have for the retro gamers in your life

Buying decent retro gaming presents for friends can be a pain, but the Super Pocket could save you last minute shoppers a lot of hassle this Christmas. I mean, we’re talking about a handheld console with its own library of cartridges that costs less than many brand new PS5 and Switch games. Not to mention the nostalgia chasing nerds in your life will likely appreciate it over several bits of gaming that’ll likely never really go to good use.

The last week before Christmas has kicked off, so if you’re already sold on the Super Pocket as a gift, you’ll find it over . The retailer also stocks a whole bunch of cartridges for the system, meaning you won’t have to bounce between stores if you’re planning on picking up a full setup. Needless to say, I’d be thrilled if someone bought the as a last minute Christmas gift.

It sits pretty among the options in 2023 for good reason, and you don’t have to test portable consoles for living to recognize how great the pocket-sized device is. I have spent a significant amount of time bashing out high scores on the system, so when I say it’s well worth its $59. 99 / £49.

99 price tag, I’ve got receipts to back me up. If you’re puzzled over what the Super Pocket actually is, allow me to give you the skinny. Created by the fine folks behind the Evercade, this pocketable version of the retro console runs both arcade classics and indie games using physical cartridges.

The setup isn’t too unlike a Game Boy, which makes sense given that it looks like Ninendo’s iconic brick, but you’ll be able to play games from across multiple generations and platforms. Unlike an ‘90s handheld, you also won’t have to travel to the sun to see what you’re doing, as the Super Pocket comes armed with a pretty respectable 2. 8-inch IPS display.

The Super Pocket isn’t just a novelty like some other . Not that I have anything inherently against the usual collection of heat changing mugs, keychain Pac Man games, and Dualsense soap on a rope stocking fillers, but rather than buying multiple short bursts of fun, you could pick up something that’ll change someone’s gaming habits. If, like me, you have a dad that fondly remembers playing Donkey Kong on a corner shop arcade machine, but hasn’t remotely considered playing games today, the Super Pocket could provide an approachable way to revisit a long forgotten hobby.

Better still, both the Taito and versions of the handheld come with 12 and 18 respective games built in, so they won’t even have to rush out to buy carts. However, the fact there’s over 35 Evercade Cartridges that’ll work on the portable means it’s a fully fledged platform, and it’ll mean you can gift additional games in the future when the need arises. Out of all the budget handhelds out there, I’d consider the Super Pocket before anything else.

Don’t get me wrong, purists are going to prefer getting their hands on something like the , and I have a bunch of friends with ROM libraries who’d rather use something by the likes of Anbernic. Still, for the majority of casual gamers out there, HyperMechTech’s portable pal is going to bring a lot to the table, and I’m excited to see whether we end up with more parents, family members, and non-gamers alike taking their first steps back into the hobby using the remarkable rectangle. Before you pop, it’s worth noting you can now get a hard case made specifically for the Super Pocket, and it could make for a great extra gift.

From what I can tell, the Comcase shell originally emerged with a $20 price tag just last month, but you can now grab one . Available in the same Capcom and Taito flavours as the console itself, the add-on also provides somewhere to store loose carts and charging cables while not in use, which certainly beats stuffing them into a drawer of doom where they’d likely end up lost.