Review PowKiddy V10 - Excellent GBA Emulation (And More) For $45

The trusty Rockchip RK3326 has powered a wide range of emulation handhelds over the past few years, and generally offers decent performance if you're sticking to systems like the Game Boy Advance, SNES, PC Engine and Neo Geo.

It's slowly but surely being replaced by more capable chipsets, but PowKiddy has revived it for one more ride around the track in the V10, a curious little handheld which costs just $45.

Given the proliferation of these devices in recent times, is this cheap and cheerful portable really worth your time, or should you ignore it in favour of something else? Join us as we find out...

PowKiddy V10 Review: Design & Display

While RK3326-powered handhelds are commonplace, you won't find many that look like the PowKiddy V10. Sure, it has all of the hallmarks of a Game Boy-inspired device, but its square form factor and widescreen display make it stand out from the crowd.

The small-ish dimensions make it ideal for playing on the move, but it's awkward to fit inside your pocket. On the upside, the controls are fantastic; the D-pad feels nice and responsive, while the face buttons are equally pleasurable to use. The four shoulder buttons are a little too clicky for our liking but otherwise fine.

The top of the device has twin USB-C ports (one for charging, one for data), a Reset button and the Power button, while the bottom edge has a MicroSD card slot and 3.5mm headphone jack.

There's no physical volume control; that is handled by holding down the 'Plus' button the right-hand side of the V10's face and pressing either left or right on the D-pad. Similarly, brightness is altered by using the same button but pressing up and down on the pad instead.

The 3000mAh battery is good for between six and eight hours of play, depending on volume, brightness and emulation demands, and is user-serviceable – the square shape of the V10 means that much of the battery compartment is actually empty.

The unit we were sent by PowKiddy sports a transparent purple colour, but it's possible to get the V10 in a fetching SNES-style colourway, too.

All in all, this feels very solidly built for a $45 product.

PowKiddy V10 Review: Performance

As we've already mentioned, the RK3326 is a pretty old chip these days, so don't go expecting the V10 to be capable of handling perfect PS2 and Saturn emulation. It tops out around the PS1, with Dreamcast and PSP being playable, but not perfectly so.

The V10's screen is the perfect ratio for Game Boy Advance titles, and we'd even go as far as to say that this is one of the most cost-effective ways of experiencing the library of that particular console. GBA games look utterly fantastic on the V10's screen, which is brighter than the display seen on the coveted GBA AGS-101 by some margin.

Any system which runs 4:3 aspect ratio content is going to suffer from the black borders on the left and right of the image, but the relatively large size of the V10's screen means this isn't that much of an issue.

PowKiddy V10 Review: Specs

PowKiddy V10 Review: Conclusion

The PowKiddy V10 isn't going to blow your socks off when it comes to performance, but for $45, it offers decent build quality, a good screen and excellent 8 and 16-bit emulation.

The somewhat odd shape might be off-putting, but it's comfortable to use for prolonged periods. We wouldn't suggest that the V10 is a replacement for your cutting-edge emulation portable, but as a backup device – or one to simply get the best out of GBA emulation – it's well worth a look.

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Thanks to Keep Retro for sending the PowKiddy V10 featured in this review.