retrosizer.com

Retrosizer is a browser-based visual comparison tool for handheld gaming devices. It lets you place devices side by side at true relative scale, rotate and rearrange them, and preview how retro game systems—Game Boy, GBA, NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, PlayStation, and others—will appear on each screen. It's useful if you're choosing between retro handhelds, checking whether a device is too big for your hands or pocket, or wondering how a classic game will look on a modern display.

What you can actually do

• Compare physical size at true relative scale. Devices are shown at accurate relative dimensions, so a Miyoo Mini next to a Steam Deck reflects the real size difference rather than two unrelated product photos.
• Preview retro game screens. Screen simulations show pixel scaling for supported systems, so you can judge how a Game Boy or SNES title fills (or doesn't fill) a given display.
• Drag, rotate, and arrange freely. You control the layout instead of being locked to a fixed grid.
• Share a comparison by URL. Once you've built a layout, the link reproduces it for someone else.

How to use it

1. Open retrosizer.com in a browser.
2. Add the devices you want to compare—either by picking from the supported list or by starting from one of the popular comparisons.
3. Drag and rotate them into the arrangement you want.
4. Use the filters (screen size, manufacturer, performance) to narrow down candidates if you're browsing rather than comparing specific models.
5. Select a retro system to see its simulated output on the selected screens.
6. Copy the URL to save or share the comparison.

The expected result is a scaled, side-by-side view plus screen previews—enough to make a size and display judgment before buying.

Devices and manufacturers covered

The supported list is broad and spans retro-focused and modern handhelds:

That range matters: it means you can compare a $60-class retro device against a full PC handheld in the same view, which is hard to do from spec sheets alone.

When it's the right tool—and when it isn't

Retrosizer is a good fit when your question is about size, screen fit, or visual experience: "Is the RG-35XX SP too small for my hands?", "How much of a Game Boy screen will the RGB30 actually use?", "How does the Miyoo Mini Plus compare to a Game Boy Pocket?"

It is not a performance database or a buying guide. The site describes filtering by performance, but the core value is visual and spatial comparison. For frame rates, emulation compatibility, or battery life, you'll need other sources. Treat Retrosizer as the step where you rule devices in or out on physical and display grounds, then check specs elsewhere.

Practical notes

• The tool runs in the browser; no account or install is mentioned in the site's own description.
• Comparisons are shareable via URL, which makes it handy for asking for a second opinion in a forum or chat.
• Because screen simulations use accurate pixel scaling, they're most informative for integer-scaling questions—whether a system maps cleanly onto a given resolution.

If you're deciding between two retro handhelds and the spec sheets look similar, putting them side by side at real scale is often the fastest way to settle it.

Retrosizer is a browser-based visual comparison tool for handheld gaming devices. You pick devices from its supported list, drag and rotate them on a shared canvas, and see them at true relative scale — including simulations of how retro systems like Game Boy, GBA, SNES, and Genesis will look on each screen. It's built for two decisions: which retro handheld to buy, and how your favorite classic games will actually appear on a given screen. No account or install is mentioned in the site's materials; the comparison itself is the core function.

Step 1: Pick the devices you want to compare

Retrosizer's supported device list is broad and spans several categories, so it helps to know roughly what you're weighing before you start.

Add the devices you're actually deciding between. A useful pattern is to put your current device next to the one you're considering, so the size difference is immediately visible rather than abstract.

Step 2: Arrange them at true relative scale

This is where Retrosizer differs from reading spec sheets. Devices appear at true relative scale, and you can:

• Drag devices around the canvas to group or separate them
• Rotate them to compare thickness, button layout, or how they'd sit in a pocket
• Arrange freely so you can line up screens edge-to-edge or stack bodies

Because the scale is relative rather than normalized, a Steam Deck next to a Miyoo Mini shows the real gap — useful when a spec sheet lists dimensions but you can't picture what "127 mm tall" means in your hand.

Step 3: Check how retro games look on each screen

Screen simulations show accurate pixel scaling for Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, PlayStation, and other systems. This answers a question specs can't: whether a 4:3 handheld will letterbox a GBA game, how much of the screen a Game Boy title fills, or whether integer scaling leaves black bars.

If you're choosing between a 1:1 screen (like the PowKiddy RGB30) and a 4:3 screen for the same library, this is the step that decides it — the simulation shows the trade-off directly.

Step 4: Narrow the list with filters

Retrosizer lets you filter devices by screen size, manufacturer, and performance. Use these when you don't have a specific model in mind yet:

• Manufacturer — if you're loyal to Anbernic, Miyoo, or Retroid, filter to that brand first
• Screen size — set a range if pocketability is the priority
• Performance — narrow to devices that can handle the systems you care about

Filtering first, then comparing, keeps the canvas from getting crowded with devices you'd never buy.

Step 5: Share the comparison

Comparisons can be shared via URL. Once you've arranged the devices and set up the screen simulations you want to show, copy the URL and send it — the recipient sees the same layout and scale. This is handy for asking a friend "is this too big?" or for saving a shortlist to revisit later.

Common snags

• Too many devices at once. The canvas gets hard to read past a handful. Compare in pairs or small groups instead.
• Confusing screen size with screen shape. A larger screen isn't automatically better for retro games — aspect ratio and pixel scaling matter more, which is exactly what the simulations show.
• Forgetting the simulation step. Size comparison alone won't tell you if a Game Boy game looks right; check the screen simulation for the systems you actually play.

What it's good for — and what it isn't

Retrosizer is a visualization and comparison tool. It helps you see relative size and preview pixel scaling before buying. It doesn't sell devices, list prices, or provide performance benchmarks beyond the filter category. Treat it as the step between "reading reviews" and "clicking buy" — the point where you confirm a device will physically and visually work for the games you want to play.

Retrosizer is a browser-based visual comparison tool for handheld gaming devices. It lets you place devices side by side at true relative scale, rotate and drag them, and preview how retro systems such as Game Boy, GBA, SNES, Genesis, and PlayStation will appear on each screen. Use it when you are choosing between specific handhelds and want to judge size, portability, and screen fit before buying. It is not a store and does not sell devices.

What You Can Actually Do on Retrosizer

The site describes itself as a visual comparison tool, and its feature list is short and concrete:

• Compare devices at true relative scale
• See how Game Boy, GBA, SNES, Genesis, and other systems look on different screens
• Drag, rotate, and arrange devices freely
• Share comparisons via URL
• Filter by screen size, manufacturer, and performance

That combination covers the three questions buyers usually ask: How big is it really? How will my games look on it? Which models even qualify?

Step-by-Step: Narrowing Down a Purchase

1. Start from a comparison that already exists

Retrosizer lists popular comparisons on its homepage, including:

• Miyoo Mini vs RG-280V vs GBA vs Steam Deck
• Anbernic Devices
• Nintendo Handhelds

If one of these matches your shortlist, open it and skip ahead. If not, build your own.

2. Filter to a workable candidate set

Use the screen size, manufacturer, and performance filters to cut the supported device list down. The catalog is large — it spans Anbernic, Miyoo, PowKiddy, Retroid, Nintendo, Sony, AYANEO, AYN, Analogue, Asus, Valve, and others — so filtering first saves time.

3. Compare physical size at true relative scale

Drag the devices next to each other. Because they are shown at true relative scale, a Steam Deck beside a Miyoo Mini tells you immediately whether the larger device is something you would actually carry. Rotate devices to check thickness and shape, not just face area.

4. Check the screen simulation for your target system

This is the part that separates Retrosizer from a spec sheet. Select a system — Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, PlayStation, and others are listed — and see accurate pixel scaling on each candidate screen. A device with a large screen but an aspect ratio that mismatches your favorite system will show it here.

5. Save and share the comparison

Comparisons can be shared via URL, so you can send your shortlist to someone else or reopen it later before committing.

How to Read the Results

Retrosizer's own framing is that it helps you "visualize the experience before you buy." Treat it as a shortlist tool: it eliminates devices that are too big, too small, or wrong for your games, and leaves you with a set worth researching further.

Where It Fits in a Buying Decision

Use Retrosizer early, when your list is still long. A practical order:

1. Filter by manufacturer and screen size to get a candidate set.
2. Compare sizes at true scale to drop anything you would not carry.
3. Run screen simulations for the two or three systems you play most.
4. Share the final comparison and check reviews for the remaining candidates.

If your main concern is emulation performance, battery life, or price, Retrosizer will not answer those — its evidence covers size, screen appearance, and filtering only. If your main concern is "will this feel right in my hands and will my games look right on it," that is exactly what the tool is built for.

Retrosizer simulates retro game systems on handheld screens by rendering each classic system's native resolution at accurate pixel scaling inside a to-scale model of the device's display. You see how a Game Boy, GBA, NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, or PlayStation image actually fits on a given screen — including the letterboxing or stretching that comes with mismatched aspect ratios — before you buy the device.

What the simulation actually shows

The tool places two things side by side in one visual space:

• The device itself, drawn at true relative scale so you can drag, rotate, and arrange handhelds next to each other.
• The screen content, a simulation of how a specific retro system appears on that device's display.

Because both the hardware outline and the on-screen image are scaled to the same reference, the comparison is spatial rather than numerical. You are not reading a spec sheet of resolutions; you are looking at how big the game image is and how much unused screen surrounds it.

The pixel scaling mechanism

Each retro system has a fixed native resolution and a fixed pixel aspect ratio. Retrosizer maps that native output onto the target device's panel using accurate pixel scaling, which means:

1. Integer or near-integer scaling keeps pixels crisp instead of blurring them, so the simulated image reflects what a good emulator setup would actually produce.
2. Aspect ratio handling determines whether the image fills the screen, sits in a bordered box, or gets stretched. A Game Boy title on a wide modern panel will not fill the width the way a native widescreen game would.
3. Relative screen size is preserved, so a small device with a high-resolution panel and a large device with a low-resolution panel look genuinely different rather than being normalized to the same box.

The practical result: the simulation answers "how much of this screen does the game use, and how sharp is it?" rather than just "what resolution is the panel?"

Systems and devices covered

The screen simulations cover Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, PlayStation, and others. Supported hardware spans a wide range of manufacturers, including:

This range matters because the same retro system can look completely different across a 1-inch FunKey S, a 4-inch RG-35XX, and a 7-inch Steam Deck.

How to use it for a buying decision

1. Pick the devices you are choosing between and place them next to each other. The relative scale immediately shows size differences that photos hide.
2. Select the retro system you care about most — for example, GBA if that is your library, or SNES if you want 4:3 content.
3. Look at the screen simulation, not just the device outline. Check how much of the panel the game uses and whether the image looks uncomfortably small or letterboxed.
4. Rotate and rearrange to test different orientations, since some handhelds are used vertically for certain systems.
5. Share the comparison via URL if you want to revisit it or ask someone else's opinion.

Where the simulation helps most

The clearest use case is a device with a panel shape that does not match classic systems. A wide screen may be great for PSP and PlayStation content but leave large black bars for Game Boy and SNES. Conversely, a 4:3 panel suits most 8-bit and 16-bit systems but wastes space on widescreen-native content. Seeing the pixel-scaled image at true relative size makes that trade-off concrete instead of theoretical.

A second use case is judging whether a small device is actually usable for text-heavy games. A system that looks fine on a large handheld can render uncomfortably small on a compact one, and the simulation shows that directly.

Limits to keep in mind

The simulation reflects screen geometry and pixel scaling, not emulator performance, input latency, or build quality. It also does not tell you whether a specific device runs a given system well — only how the image would appear. Use it to settle the visual question, then check performance and ergonomics separately.

Retrosizer supports handhelds from Anbernic, Miyoo, PowKiddy, Retroid, Nintendo, Sony, AYANEO, AYN, Analogue, Asus, Valve, and several other manufacturers. The catalog covers both modern retro handhelds (Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, Retroid Pocket series, Anbernic RG series) and original classic portables (Game Boy family, DS/3DS family, PSP, PS Vita, Game Gear). If a device you're considering isn't listed, you can't compare it on the site — the tool only works with devices in its supported list.

Manufacturers and device families covered

The list below groups what the site currently lists. It is a snapshot, not a promise that every model or variant exists.

What you can do with a supported device

Once a device is in the list, Retrosizer lets you:

• Compare physical size at true relative scale — drag devices around and rotate them to see how they stack up against each other.
• Preview retro game systems on each screen — the site simulates how Game Boy, GBA, NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, PlayStation, and other systems appear on a given display, with accurate pixel scaling.
• Filter the catalog — narrow devices by screen size, manufacturer, and performance.
• Share a comparison — arrange a set of devices and share the result via URL.

Practical notes before you rely on the list

• The list changes. Retrosizer describes its device coverage as including "many more" manufacturers, and new handhelds are added over time. Check the site directly if you need the current state.
• A missing device is a real limitation. If your candidate handheld isn't listed, you can't place it next to a Steam Deck or a Game Boy to judge size or screen scaling — you'd need another source for that comparison.
• Popular comparisons are a shortcut, not the full catalog. The site highlights groupings like Miyoo Mini vs RG-280V vs GBA vs Steam Deck, Anbernic devices, and Nintendo handhelds, but you can build your own arrangement from any supported device.

If your goal is deciding between two specific handhelds, confirm both appear in the list above before starting — otherwise the comparison you want isn't possible on Retrosizer.