I’ve often talked about minimalism - I even wrote about it over a decade ago on this very blog. Life ebbs and flows, and I go through phases of accumulating and getting rid of stuff, but nothing compares to the freeing feeling of knowing you only have meaningful things.

My interest in digital minimalism started after I read Cal Newport’s book on the subject. Having a decluttered digital space and focusing on meaningful on-device experiences has been a major focus of mine. I curate my RSS feeds and follow blogs I care about. I only watch YouTube videos from creators I subscribe to.

But something’s been missing. I still wanted a quick, on-the-go experience for when I have five or maybe fifteen minutes to spare. Yeah, the right thing would be to just put down my device and think, clear my head, or maybe even meditate. But my mind, like so many others, just gravitates toward short-form content - Reddit, YouTube Shorts, you name it.

Anberic RG 35XX Pro: A terrible name for a wonderful little console.

I think I’ve found a solution: the Anberic RG 35XX Pro. Yes, it has a terrible name, but it’s a retro handheld console that can play games from various arcades and consoles, up to and including the original PlayStation 1. We’re talking Game Boy Advance, SNES, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 - and dozens of others. It even supports PC ports, as long as the graphical requirements are low.

Look, I have a Steam Deck. It’s an amazing device for gaming on the go, but it’s a relatively large device to lug around. Another console I have, the Nintendo Switch, is smaller, but still a little too bulky to fit in a pocket (unless you wear cargo pants, maybe). The Anberic RG 35XX Pro (really, what a mouthful of a name) slides right in my pocket. I can hold my sleeping infant in one hand and play through a classic from my childhood with the other.

And the best part? All of that for a relatively low investment of around $70.

The handheld has a 3.5-inch screen with a 640x480 resolution - which is exactly the resolution many games from that era were built for. Text is large and legible, and decades-old graphics look great on a tiny screen. The handheld also comes with modern conveniences, most notably save states. You can save the game at any point, which really helps with the pick-up-and-play nature of the device.

Outside of PC games, I mostly grew up with PlayStation 1 titles, so I’ve been playing Tekken 3, Final Fantasy VII, and Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. This little console has been a welcome antidote to the endless scroll.

I picked mine up from Amazon: Anberic RG 35XX Pro (affiliate link), or you can order directly from the manufacturer (the price is the same as Amazon once you factor in the shipping).