Mobile gaming and retro handheld gaming have trended upward over the past few years. The rise of high-quality mobile games like Genshin Impact and the steady player base of Pokémon Go has made mobile gaming a USD 100-billion industry. Meanwhile, a recent surge in retro game popularity and hobbyists has driven up prices for old consoles, like Nintendo handhelds. This trend has also given birth to products such as ANBERNIC’s affordable retro handhelds and AYANEO’s higher-end equivalents that run Android.
Following this trend is Shenzhen-based ONEXPLAYER. Usually a competitor in the handheld PC gaming space, the company is now joining the Android handheld industry with one of the wildest products announced for the market yet — the ONEXSUGAR 1. This handheld may look like a usual ‘bar’ console, but it flips and folds into a flexible dual-screen device that boasts of playing almost any mobile and retro game.
Double the screens, double the fun
The ONEXSUGAR 1 features dual OLED screens: a 6-inch 2160×1080, 18:9 main display and a secondary 3.92-inch 1240×1080, 8:7 display that flips up from the back. Its side controls are also flipable, meaning you can use it in several orientations. Players can go the traditional horizontal route and utilize only one display to play. They can also switch it up and use both displays, either by using the smaller screen on top as a simple guide while gaming or treating it like a Nintendo DS or 3DS. It also has an intelligent screen masking feature to adjust the main screen for 16:9 or 16:10 content with one tap.
Other specs for the device are as follows:
- CPU: Snapdragon G3 Gen3 chip — a more gaming-oriented version of 2024’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU
- OS: Android 14-based with the Sugar Console overlay
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB UFS 4.0 storage + microSD slot
- Connectivity: Wifi 7 + Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C port with fast charging and video output
- Battery: 5600mAh
- Thermals: Dual fans and dual heatpipes
- Additional features: Customizable RGB, Hall effect joysticks, magnetic d-pad, tactile micro-switch buttons, dual linear haptics
Incredible tech, looming concerns
On paper, the ONEXSUGAR 1 is a remarkable feat of engineering. The almost-final prototype looks like a Star Trek device. For fans of retro handhelds, this might pique their interest. However, one should remember that this is very much a 1st-generation device. There are those who have tried their hands on the device and found several usability issues, such as ergonomics, as the shoulder buttons don’t seem to be very comfortable. Some experienced the thermal fans directly blowing hot air into their fingers. Meanwhile, the magnetic d-pad may not be the most suitable for playing precision-based platformers. They have also said that the OS is not the most convenient to use, as you have to tap on either screen each time you want to do something on a particular display.
Although this is an incredible piece of tech, I would like to wait and see how it goes. However, if you’re curious as to how it fares, the ONEXSUGAR 1 is available for preorder on Indiegogo. It has already surpassed its goal, with pledges worth over USD 238,000 as of this writing. The company is offering an early bird price of USD 599, with the regular price set at USD 669.
While there’s still some time for improvements before the product is shipped, the pricing might be a breaking point for some gamers. For USD 669, that’s well into PC-handheld territory and over the price of several other products in the market, such as the Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, or Legion Go S. It may be a smarter choice to pick the other options to play both the latest games and retro games. Another factor is the 1st-generation woes that will only be clear when the product ships in September 2025.
YouTube: ONEXSUGAR Sugar 1：Brings Joy Every Moment of The Way
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Photo credits: All images shown are owned by ONEXPLAYER and have been made available for press usage.
Sources: Retro Game Corps (via YouTube) / Sean Hollister (The Verge) / Indiegogo
