Cheap novelty or better handheld? Orb Gaming Mini Arcade vs R36S

Display

Product B wins clearly. The R36S has a 3.5" IPS display, which is not only larger than the Orb Gaming unit’s 2.5" full-colour screen, but also typically offers better viewing angles, richer colours, and a more comfortable experience for longer sessions. On a handheld, screen size and panel quality directly affect readability and playability, especially for game menus and older titles with small sprites. Product A’s 2.5" screen is fine for casual novelty use, but it is much more cramped and less suited to extended gameplay.

Performance

Product B wins. The R36S is built around an open-source Linux system, which generally gives it more flexibility, better emulation potential, and a more capable overall platform than a simple built-in-games handheld. Product A is limited to 240 built-in 8-bit games, which strongly suggests a fixed, lightweight system designed for basic pick-up-and-play use rather than a more advanced handheld environment. If you care about smoother navigation, broader compatibility, and a device that feels more like a real gaming handheld, the R36S is the better performer.

Build quality and design

This is closer, but Product B still wins for most buyers. The Orb Gaming mini arcade has a charming arcade-cabinet style and an 8-way joystick that makes it feel like a miniature tabletop arcade toy. That said, its appeal is more novelty-driven than practical. The R36S follows a more conventional handheld design, which is usually more ergonomic and better suited to actual portable gaming. Product A may win on pure nostalgia aesthetics, but Product B is the more functional and versatile design overall.

Battery life

Product A likely wins on efficiency, but with a caveat. Because the Orb Gaming device is much smaller, has a lower-resolution 2.5" screen, and runs a fixed library of 8-bit games, it probably draws less power and may deliver decent battery life for short sessions. The R36S has a bigger IPS display and a more capable Linux-based platform, both of which tend to increase power demand. However, battery capacity is not specified for either product here, so this is an informed expectation rather than a hard spec win. If battery life means “quick casual play without worrying much,” Product A has the edge; if it means “enough power for a proper gaming session,” the R36S still makes more sense overall because the larger screen and better experience justify the likely tradeoff.

Price and value for money

Product A wins on price, but Product B wins on value. At £19.99, the Orb Gaming mini arcade is £21 cheaper than the R36S, which is a major gap. If your budget is tight, Product A is undeniably the more affordable entry point. But value is about what you get for the money, and the R36S’s larger IPS screen, open-source Linux system, and 21,000+ classic games make the extra spend much easier to justify. The R36S costs more, but it also feels like a much more complete handheld gaming device rather than a simple novelty machine.

Game library and features

Product B wins by a landslide. Product A includes 240 built-in 8-bit games, which is a respectable number for a budget toy, but it is still a fixed and relatively limited library. Product B claims 21,000+ classic games and comes with 64/128GB storage, plus the flexibility of an open-source Linux system. Even allowing for the usual caveat that preloaded game counts can vary in quality and completeness, the R36S offers vastly more variety and far more room for experimentation. If game selection matters at all, Product B is in a different league.

Overall user experience

Product B wins overall. The Orb Gaming mini arcade is best understood as a fun, inexpensive retro gadget: easy to use, compact, and nostalgic, but limited in scope. The R36S is the better choice for anyone who actually wants to play retro games in a satisfying handheld format, thanks to its bigger screen, broader library, and more capable software platform. The user experience on Product A is simpler, but simplicity here mostly comes from limitation. Product B asks a bit more money upfront, but it delivers a much richer and more practical experience.

Overall summary: If you want the cheapest possible retro distraction, Product A is fine. But if you want the better handheld in nearly every meaningful category, Product B is the clear winner. The R36S gives you a larger IPS screen, a far bigger game library, and a more capable Linux-based system, making it the stronger purchase for most buyers.