New retro gaming handheld revealed with unique rotating twist

The upcoming Small Universe X Sugar Cubes are colorful handheld retro emulation devices with one unique feature – a rotating screen.

The launch of the Nintendo Switch and the Valve Steam Deck heralded an explosion in the popularity of handheld gaming devices. A plethora of options are now available, ranging from high-end devices like the Ayaneo Kun to the budget-friendly HyperMegaTech Super Pocket. The Small Universe X Sugar Cubes aims to differentiate itself from the crowd with its unique selling point – a rotating screen.

The Small Universe X Sugar Cubes is designed to be a retro emulation device that fits in your pocket. Images shown on Chinese social media site BiliBili (Via RetroDodo) have displayed a range of different colorways ranging from pastel pink and green to bold orange and black. The system has four standard face buttons, a circular D-pad, and two tiny analog sticks. The rest of the options and control buttons have been arranged in the center in a way that makes them look like a cute winking face. The shell itself is said to be all metal.

Star of the screen

Bili Bili

The star attraction is the screen, which is a 3.9-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1240 x 1080, which puts it in the same 10×9 range as the original Game Boy and Neo Geo Pocket. The rotating screen is designed to accommodate both 3×2 and 4×3 aspect ratios, as well as vertical-style Arcade titles like 1942 or Joust.

Initial information indicates that the Small Universe X Sugar Cubes will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 CPU, a 64-bit ARM chip that is usually found in Linux-based handheld devices, such as the Ayn Odin 2. This will give the system a significant amount of power for such a small device.

No pricing or release date has yet been confirmed, and even the specs are based on early information. Only time will reveal the full details.