The Q90 by Powkiddy is yet one more transportable machine for lovers of handheld retro gaming emulation. Priced affordably at $36 on Powkidy.com (sic), it comes with some good options and a pleasant construct high quality. But like all of the merchandise available on the market at this time you continue to must cope with some quirks. This tiny handheld emulator is value trying out, particularly given its value, although it falls quick in some key locations.
In my opinion the actual competitors on this $30 area is the PocketGo, which I reviewed final 12 months and proceed to make use of although I personal extra highly effective {hardware}. The Q90 boasts quite a few upgrades over the PocketGo and needs to be thought of when in search of such a small and low cost machine.
The Powkiddy Q90 (left) and PocketGo (proper) are related in some ways however diverge in key areas.
Q90 vs PocketGo: Hardware
The Q90 improves upon the PocketGo in total dimension. The PocketGo is super-small at roughly 12.5 x 5.5 x 1.5mm. While that petite dimension helped with portability, the machine might cramp up my hand after lengthy gaming classes. The thicker Q90, at roughly 13.8 x 6.5 x 1.8mm, helps for these longer gaming classes however continues to be sufficiently small to throw in a pocket. When it involves bodily dimension I give the sting to the Q90.
When we get to the display, larger is not essentially higher. Both units function a 320×240 IPS panel, however due to the larger dimension of the Q90 the display is greater, too—3 inches diagonal, vs 2.4 inches on the PocketGo. While that distinction doesn’t seem to be a lot, that further half-inch or so does ease eyestrain over time.
Other than the scale, nonetheless, the PocketGo’s display is vastly superior: brighter, sharper, and with higher off-axis viewing angles. Unless you need to have a bigger display, the PocketGo wins right here.
Adam Patrick Murray/IDGThe Q90 is greater than the PocketGo, nevertheless it’s nonetheless snug sufficient to hold in a pocket.
When it involves inputs we see a couple of notable variations. In the Q90’s favor, it expenses through USB-C, a welcome improve to the Micro-USB on the PocketGo.
The remainder of the image is extra problematic. The buttons and d-pad on the Q90 are squishy and have sharper edges, in comparison with the PocketGo’s clicky suggestions and rounded edges. I’ve most well-liked clickier controls, so there may be some subjectivity right here. However, I additionally wasn’t a fan of the Q90’s thumbstick (on the left facet) to be used in supported video games. It’s of the sliding selection, which suggests there may be little or no journey. Resistance is tight sufficient that it is onerous to slip in a clean style.
In the audio division, each function a 1/8-inch headphone jack. The Q90 has stereo audio system the place the PocketGo has mono, and that looks like a plus. Unfortunately the Q90’s audio system are situated on the again of the machine, so the sound strikes away from you, and can even get muffled by hand placement. The PocketGo is the higher choice for those who don’t wish to use headphones.
Adam Patrick Murray/IDGRear audio system proper the place fingers are positioned = dangerous.
Removable battery = good.
The Q90 does have a bigger battery than the PocketGo at 1500mAh versus 1000mAh. While the bigger display negates a few of these positive factors, the Q90 nonetheless lasted longer, so it earns the battery benefit. On high of that it’s simply replaceable in comparison with the PocketGo, which is at all times a plus in my e book.
When it involves {hardware} I feel there are some nice benefits the Q90 has over the PocketGo, most notably the bigger display, larger battery, and extra snug dimensions. But the PocketGo is superior relating to display high quality, button really feel, and speaker placement.
Q90 vs PocketGo: Software
The quantity of emulators the Q90 helps is staggering (as with most of those units), with help for GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, NES, SNES, Master System, Genesis, PC Engine, Neo Geo, Playstation 1, and extra. Unfortunately efficiency in most of those emulators falls behind what you’ll expertise within the equally priced PocketGo.
Adam Patrick Murray/IDGDespite having the identical internals, the PocketGo provides a smoother emulation expertise than the Q90.
Both handhelds function the AllWinner F1C100S CPU, which suggests extra intensive SNES video games like F-Zero ran at at stuttery, low body charges that had been nowhere close to playable with out tweaking within the emulator choices. Same goes for extra advanced GameBoy Advance video games like Metroid: Zero Mission and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow —there have been issues with display tearing and audio drops in its default configurations.
For probably the most half 16-bit and beneath is a pleasant expertise for those who don’t count on emulated perfection, and I’ve been capable of take pleasure in numerous hours on the go. The PocketGo isn’t mild years forward of the Q90 on efficiency, however total the older machine gave me fewer hiccups and a smoother expertise in lots of my favourite video games.
While the Q90 comes with a PS1 emulator, it’s tough going, with too many issues to listing—I didn’t have a clean play session with any of the video games I examined. Even protecting my expectations low, Powkidy’s resolution to incorporate {hardware} options like an analog nub and rumble help in all probability drove up the price unnecessarily. While I’m glad the choice is there in case you might be curious, I might flip towards extra highly effective {hardware} for a greater 32-bit and past expertise.
Adam Patrick Murray/IDGThe NXHope entrance finish of the Q90 is straightforward and customizable however a bit obtuse to make use of.
The Q90 ships with the NXHope emulator software program as its entrance finish. It’s pretty straightforward to navigate for those who’ve used certainly one of these transportable emulators earlier than. Button configurations change relying on context, so there’s a studying curve. Overall, nonetheless, it’s equal to the entrance finish of the PocketGo in virtually each side, together with an unhelpful battery standing icon and problems with getting ROMs onto the machine.
When it involves efficiency there may be loads of enjoyable available on the Q90, however for nearly each sport I performed on each methods the PocketGo was the superior performer. If you might be in search of the perfect efficiency, choose the PocketGo.
Conclusion
The Powkiddy Q90 has some nice issues going for it, together with its cute design, bigger display, and extra snug grip. It’s value a glance if you’d like a small transportable emulator that has loads of energy to play most retro video games as much as the 16-bit period. But for those who can tolerate the smaller dimension, I nonetheless suppose the PocketGo is the higher choice regardless of it’s age, due to its smoother total efficiency and higher {hardware}.