General Information
It's slowly but surely being replaced by more capable chipsets, but PowKiddy has revived it for one more ride around the track in the V10, a curious little handheld which costs just $45.
Given the proliferation of these devices in recent times, is this cheap and cheerful portable really worth your time, or should you ignore it in favour of something else? Join us as we find out...
PowKiddy V10 Review: Design & Display
The small-ish dimensions make it ideal for playing on the move, but it's awkward to fit inside your pocket. On the upside, the controls are fantastic; the D-pad feels nice and responsive, while the face buttons are equally pleasurable to use. The four shoulder buttons are a little too clicky for our liking but otherwise fine.
The top of the device has twin USB-C ports (one for charging, one for data), a Reset button and the Power button, while the bottom edge has a MicroSD card slot and 3.5mm headphone jack.
The 3000mAh battery is good for between six and eight hours of play, depending on volume, brightness and emulation demands, and is user-serviceable – the square shape of the V10 means that much of the battery compartment is actually empty.
The unit we were sent by PowKiddy sports a transparent purple colour, but it's possible to get the V10 in a fetching SNES-style colourway, too.
All in all, this feels very solidly built for a $45 product.
PowKiddy V10 Review: Performance
The V10's screen is the perfect ratio for Game Boy Advance titles, and we'd even go as far as to say that this is one of the most cost-effective ways of experiencing the library of that particular console. GBA games look utterly fantastic on the V10's screen, which is brighter than the display seen on the coveted GBA AGS-101 by some margin.
Any system which runs 4:3 aspect ratio content is going to suffer from the black borders on the left and right of the image, but the relatively large size of the V10's screen means this isn't that much of an issue.
PowKiddy V10 Review: Specs
OS | Linux / ArkOS |
Screen | 3.5 inches IPS OCA full lamination / 480x320 |
CPU | RK3326 Quad-core Cortex-A35-1.5GHz |
GPU | Mali-G31 |
RAM | DDR3L 1GB |
External Storage | MicroSD (16GB-256GB) |
Battery | Lithium battery 3000mAh |
Battery Life | Up to 8 hours |
Interface | USB-C, 3.5mm headphone |
Size | 103.2x94x22.5mm |
PowKiddy V10 Review: Conclusion
The somewhat odd shape might be off-putting, but it's comfortable to use for prolonged periods. We wouldn't suggest that the V10 is a replacement for your cutting-edge emulation portable, but as a backup device – or one to simply get the best out of GBA emulation – it's well worth a look.