Last year, I reviewed the Anbernic RG35XX SP, an emulation handheld which was modelled after Nintendo's legendary GBA SP device. As is so often the case in this sector of the market, the RG35XX SP isn't the only option available if you like a clamshell portable, and Anbernic rival Miyoo has released its own take on the concept, the Miyoo Flip. What I've actually got here is the second version of the device, with the company swiftly taking on early feedback and altering a few things in its second production run.
Like the RG35XX SP, it's clearly inspired by Nintendo's machine, but copies the SP's design even more closely; in terms of overall size, it's almost exactly the same as the GBA SP, whereas Anbernic's offering was a little larger.
When comparing the two, I'm somewhat torn; the Flip's slightly dinkier dimensions make it more pocket-friendly, but the materials used in its construction look and feel very cheap. When closed, the Miyoo Flip almost looks like a pre-production prototype—and this is despite Miyoo "upgrading" the shell when compared to the first run. It's also worth noting that, at the time of writing, the Flip is slightly more expensive than other devices in this power range, costing between $80-$90 (and potentially more, thanks to the antics of a certain US President).
The device opens with a satisfying click, revealing an 3.5-inch, 640x480 pixel IPS display. It's decent when it comes to brightness and colours, but nothing out of the ordinary for a product in the sub-$100 price range. Closing the lid when the system is running places it into sleep mode, which is super handy.
Below the screen, you've got the D-pad (better than the one seen on the original GBA SP) and four face buttons (NA SNES-coloured on my unit, and the printed letters on top look a bit cheap), as well as the mono speaker in the middle. This is pretty punchy, but the sound quality leaves something to be desired. Thankfully, unlike the GBA SP, there's a 3.5mm audio socket, so you can hook up some headphones if you wish.
The big selling point the Miyoo Flip has over the RG35XX SP is the inclusion of dual analogue sticks, located below the main controls. It's nice to have the option to play N64, Dreamcast, PS1 and PSP games with analogue input, but the reality is these sticks are a real pain to use; they're situated so far towards the bottom edge of the device that it's almost impossible to use them without getting hand cramp. This is a perfect instance of trying to cram too much into a device which is already struggling for space when it comes to controls.
In terms of performance, the Rockchip RK3566 chipset can handle everything up to and including the Sega Dreamcast, but as is so often the case with emulation handhelds in this price bracket, you shouldn't go expecting full speed when running the more advanced systems. The quality of N64, Saturn, Dreamcast and PSP emulation is maddeningly inconsistent on the Miyoo Flip; some games run fine, while others exhibit performance problems, or refuse to run at all.
It's a good rule to temper your expectations with these handhelds; if you're mainly interested in emulating systems like the Game Boy, GBA, SNES, NES, Genesis / Mega Drive, Neo Geo, Neo Geo Pocket, PS1 and several arcade machines, then you'll have little reason to complain with how the Miyoo Flip performs.
As for battery life, the 3000mAh cell delivers between 4-6 hours of use, according to Miyoo, and my testing largely corroborates that—although, as always, the upper range of that estimate is only going to be reached if you're sticking with low-power emulation and don't have the screen brightness and volume cranked all the way up.
Other points of interest include built-in WiFi and an HDMI-out port for connecting the device to a TV. You've also got two MicroSD card slots, so you can quickly add more storage if you have a relatively large card lying around the house.
Miyoo Flip (V2) Review - Conclusion
If you're looking for an emulation device which looks and feels like your childhood Nintendo handheld, then the Miyoo Flip, just like the Anbernic RG35XX SP, is a solid investment. On the plus side, it's smaller and sleeker than the RG35XX SP, and the addition of analogue control means you can (kinda) play games like Super Mario 64 the way they were meant to be played, but the downside is that these sticks are really uncomfortable and impractical to use, which renders them a little redundant.
Still, if you're only concerned with pre-PS1 emulation, then I can recommend the Flip just as highly as the RG35XX SP—although the higher price might put some people off.
Thanks to MechDIY for supplying the Miyoo Flip used in this review.