Mini Loom Pocket One Review: A Promising Retro Handheld With Software Growing Pains

Introduction

The Mini Loom Pocket One is a new retro handheld from a company that has never made a handheld before. Despite that, it arrives with an eye-catching design, a late-90s aesthetic, and some genuinely impressive hardware choices. The device features a 4-inch display, a Rockchip RK3566 processor, and a price that typically lands around $80. It also comes with some notable software shortcomings that are hard to ignore. This review takes a close look at the good and the bad, and whether this little handheld is worth your money.

Who This Handheld Is For

The Mini Loom Pocket One is aimed at retro gaming fans who want a compact, pocketable device for playing classic systems. Its 4-inch 4:3 display and 960x720 resolution make it an excellent fit for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, NES, Genesis, and Super Nintendo games. It is also a reasonable choice for PS1 and lighter PSP titles, though performance on higher-end systems is inconsistent.

This handheld is best suited for players who prioritize build quality, comfortable controls, and a screen that scales well across many retro systems. It is less ideal for those who want a polished software experience out of the box or who plan to play demanding Nintendo 64 and PSP games regularly.

Design and Build Quality

The Mini Loom Pocket One has a nice plastic look that feels like it came from the late 90s or mid 2000s. The glossy front is actually a removable plastic shell held in place by magnets, which opens up the possibility of future customization with different face plates, though nothing is available yet. The D-pad is also swappable and can be popped out easily, though the unit only comes with one in the box.

The device feels noticeably higher quality than expected from a first-time handheld maker. The rounded edges are well designed, the back panel has a grippy texture with slightly ergonomic grips, and the overall construction feels solid. It weighs about 9 ounces, making it easy to slip in and out of a pocket. The size sits comfortably between ultra-compact everyday carry handhelds and larger couch gaming devices.

The crystal face buttons are a standout feature. They are relatively silent, super responsive, and feel much better than expected for a device under $100. The stacked shoulder buttons are also excellent, being quiet and easy to press. The triggers pivot from the center but still feel great in use.

Controls and Ergonomics

The D-pad uses a rubber membrane connection and has a mushy feel similar to older controllers. It performs well with a lighter touch, allowing for precise inputs without false diagonals. However, pressing down hard in the center can cause it to bottom out and become less responsive. Fighting games like Street Fighter require a gentle thumb to pull off special moves consistently. Overall, it is a good but not great D-pad that rewards a lighter play style.

The analog stick is a hall sensor unit with a full range of motion, similar to sticks found on other modern retro handhelds. It feels smooth and comfortable when switching between the D-pad and the stick. Arcade games play particularly well with it. However, Nintendo 64 emulation does not give the stick a full range of motion. In Super Mario 64, pushing the stick all the way does not make Mario run at full speed, suggesting the joystick calibration is not working correctly with the standalone emulator. The in-software calibration option does not affect the Nintendo 64 emulator.

The analog stick also has RGB backlighting that can be customized through the settings menu. Users can choose from a full spectrum of colors, adjust brightness and speed, or turn the light off entirely.

Display Quality

The 4-inch LCD panel with a 960x720 resolution is one of the strongest features of this handheld. It does not get extremely bright, but it is bright enough for outdoor play in the shade or in a car during daylight. The lowest brightness setting is also suitable for low-light environments. There are 10 brightness levels, adjusted by pressing L3 and the volume buttons together.

The screen’s real strength is its size, aspect ratio, and resolution. The 4:3 panel scales beautifully for a wide range of retro systems. Game Boy and Game Boy Color run at a 5x integer scale, Game Boy Advance at 4x, and NES, Genesis, and Super Nintendo at or near 3x. Even PSP games run at a 2x integer scale. This makes the display an excellent fit for most retro libraries, and it is arguably the best 4-inch screen you can find around $80.

The only complaint is the thick glass panel laminated over the IPS display. It makes the screen feel slightly sunken in and less immersive than displays with thinner glass, though it likely increases durability.

Software and Performance

The software is the biggest shortcoming of the Mini Loom Pocket One. The UI is bare bones, offering little more than selecting a system and then a game. There are no additional themes or customization options. The underlying system is EmulationStation, so users can add their own games and box art, but it is still not as polished as most custom firmwares.

Several performance issues were observed during testing. Every game running in RetroArch ran at 61.5 Hz instead of 60 Hz, making games run slightly faster and raising the pitch of the audio. Some Neo Geo games displayed graphical glitches with incorrect colors and textures. PSP games also showed texture inaccuracies. Nintendo 64 performance was worse than expected, with even relatively easy games like F-Zero X failing to run at full speed. The standalone Nintendo 64 emulator has no settings menu, and pressing the menu button closes the game immediately.

For PS1 and below, the handheld plays everything absolutely fine. Lighter PSP games like Soulcalibur Broken Destiny and Virtua Tennis World Tour also run well. However, anything more demanding becomes difficult to play. The hope is that custom firmware from community teams could fix these issues in the future, but no development teams are currently working on this device.

Battery and Charging

The Mini Loom Pocket One has a 4,000 mAh battery that provides about 6 hours of general use. One of the most surprising positives is that it charges with just about any USB-C cable or charger. It does not fast charge, capping out at about 7 watts, but the flexibility to use almost any charger is rare for a cheaper handheld.

The device also includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, and mini HDMI for video output. The HDMI output works with the stock operating system, but it stretches the 4:3 image to 16:9, filling the entire TV with no option to correct the aspect ratio. This is something that could potentially be fixed with custom software.

Buying Advice

The Mini Loom Pocket One is currently available from most retailers, with prices fluctuating depending on the source. On AliExpress, it can often be found between $75 and $100, and stacking coupons may bring the price down further. Third-party handheld retailers also carry it, with some offering it around $90 with free worldwide shipping. On Amazon, the price is marked up to about $100, though the listing may include a preloaded 64 GB micro SD card with games.

At its core, this is an $80 handheld. The hardware is genuinely impressive for the price, with excellent build quality, superb face buttons, and a display that scales beautifully for retro gaming. However, the software experience is rough, with several bugs and performance issues that make it hard to recommend as-is. If the company improves the software or community firmware becomes available, this could become a much better deal. For now, it is a device worth keeping an eye on rather than an easy recommendation.

Conclusion

The Mini Loom Pocket One is a fascinating debut from a new company. The hardware is remarkably good, from the comfortable design to the excellent face buttons and the versatile 4-inch display. It feels like it could be one of the best handhelds under $100 if the software matched the hardware. Unfortunately, the current software holds it back, with performance issues on higher-end systems and a bare-bones interface. If you are looking for a PS1-and-below handheld with a great screen and solid build quality, it is worth considering. But for now, it is not a device that can be easily recommended without reservations.