Miyoo Mini Plus Review: The Budget Retro Bar, Read Closely

The Miyoo Mini Plus is the handheld that turned a cult into a category: a small, vertical, Game Boy-style device for 8-bit, 16-bit and early PlayStation games, made far better by community firmware. It went on sale through Miyoo's AliExpress store from March 1, 2023, while Keep Retro took preorders at $69.99, and Miyoo still sells it on its own store, where it listed at $53.99 without a card or $58.99 with a 64GB card when checked in September 2026. This review is built from Miyoo's own product page, firmware and support pages, Time Extension's review and reporting, and the OnionOS project's own documentation, rather than first-hand use. As with every emulation device on this site, it assumes you play games you legally own.

Miyoo Mini Plus at a glance

Source: Miyoo's Miyoo Mini Plus product page and the product images on it (including the label on the back of the device), plus its firmware page, checked September 2026, and Time Extension's review (March 17, 2023) for the core count and the ports. Miyoo's page says "hours of continuous gameplay per charge" without a figure, and its battery image notes that battery life varies with usage and settings.

An earlier version of this review listed a 2,100mAh battery. Miyoo's own page and battery label say 3,000mAh, and Time Extension reported the Plus's battery as 50 percent bigger than the 2,000mAh cell in the Miyoo Mini V2.

What it plays

Be clear-eyed here, because it is the most important thing to understand before buying. Time Extension found emulation "mostly brilliant, as long as you don't mind sticking to a particular period in gaming history." The stock system comes with emulators for nearly every pre-32-bit console, including NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, SNES, Mega Drive, Neo Geo, Neo Geo Pocket, PC Engine, Master System and WonderSwan, with RetroArch covering more. Miyoo itself describes support for "systems like NES, SNES, GBA, and more."

The PlayStation is the ceiling, and it is not a smooth one. Time Extension found that many PS1 games run at full speed, but some show audio skipping or slowdown, and listed "PlayStation emulation is sketchy" among its negatives. Neither Miyoo nor Time Extension presents it as a machine for anything beyond that, so if your library reaches into Nintendo 64, Dreamcast or PSP, you want a more powerful device. Our emulation ceiling tool shows where a chip like this stops and what the next rung needs.

The screen shape is the other half of the story. At 640 x 480, the 3.5-inch panel is 4:3, the shape of most of the systems this device plays, so sprite-era games fill it without the black side bars a widescreen handheld shows. Time Extension called the panel's colour balance excellent and found it "pin-sharp," and said it is "almost as good as the display on the Analogue Pocket."

The rule this site does not bend on: emulation here assumes games you legally own. The emulator software is legal; the games must come from your own cartridges, discs and purchases, and this site does not name or link to sources for game files.

Battery, size and sound

Miyoo rates the battery at 3,000mAh, and Time Extension found it "good for over six hours of use on a single charge." Real runtime depends on the system you play and the screen brightness, as Miyoo's own battery note says.

That battery is also why the Plus is bigger than the original Miyoo Mini. Time Extension found it "a lot bulkier," but also easier to use for long sessions: "you can play for longer without getting hand cramps." Its reporting before launch had described the original Mini's size as its one serious complaint, since it could be uncomfortable over long sessions for people with large hands. The four shoulder buttons are staggered, with L and R sitting slightly lower than L2 and R2, which Time Extension found made them easier to reach and harder to confuse. The one hardware complaint is sound: a single speaker that is "quite punchy" but distorts at high volume.

Software: the stock system and OnionOS

The stock system is Linux-based, and Time Extension found it "slick" and easy to navigate, but uneven: some emulators lack options or show the wrong aspect ratio. The fix most owners reach for is OnionOS. The Onion project describes it as "an enhanced operating system for your Miyoo Mini and Mini+," with "fine-tuned emulation with 100+ built-in emulators, auto-save and resume" and plenty of customisation. Time Extension recommended switching to it, saying it "makes a massive difference." Miyoo's own firmware page now lists OnionOS alongside Allium, MinUI and Koriki as alternative systems for the Mini Plus, and Miyoo's product page describes the device as running Onion OS.

Wi-Fi is the Plus's one real technical upgrade over the original Mini, according to Time Extension, and OnionOS put it to use: in August 2023, Time Extension reported that an OnionOS update, then in testing, would add ad-hoc wireless multiplayer and link-cable style trading and battles for Game Boy games. One thing to know before relying on community software: the latest OnionOS release on the project's GitHub page is v4.3.1-1, from June 24, 2024.

Miyoo publishes the Mini Plus firmware and a full system package on its firmware page. Its update method is to copy the firmware file to the root of a FAT32-formatted card, insert it with the device off, connect the charging cable and hold the power button; Miyoo says the update takes about 5 to 8 minutes and the cable must not be disconnected. Our firmware update hygiene guide covers doing this safely.

Support and spare parts

Miyoo's FAQ offers a one-year warranty from the date you receive your order, covering workmanship defects but not normal wear and tear, damage from improper care, or modifications by third parties, plus a 30-day return window from delivery. It also publishes a troubleshooting page and official repair videos, and sells replacement parts: when checked in September 2026, Miyoo's store listed a Mini Plus screen and a grey Mini Plus shell in stock, with Mini Plus battery and motherboard replacements listed but unavailable.

The honest cons

• The ceiling is PS1, and PS1 is uneven. Time Extension found some games skip or slow down.
• Bulkier than the original Mini. Better for long sessions, less pocketable.
• One speaker. It distorts at high volume.
• The best experience is not the default. Most owners install OnionOS, which is well-regarded but is setup you do yourself.

Verdict

The Miyoo Mini Plus is one of the easiest recommendations in retro handhelds, provided you buy it for exactly what it is: an inexpensive, well-built vertical handheld with a sharp 4:3 screen, a 3,000mAh battery that Time Extension found good for over six hours, and community firmware that makes it better. Its spec sheet hides nothing: a modest chip that is at its best with 8-bit, 16-bit and handheld systems, with PlayStation as a shaky top rung. If your library stays below that line, start here. If you need N64, Dreamcast or PSP, step up to something like the TrimUI Smart Pro, or compare the H700-based models in our Anbernic RG35XX review, which share the same 3.5-inch 640 x 480 screen size. Our best emulation handheld for beginners and best handhelds under $100 roundups place it against its rivals, the handheld shortlist ranks current picks, and our first emulation handheld setup guide walks the legal, honest starting path.

Buying it second-hand

The Mini Plus has been on sale since 2023, and most of the checks below take a few minutes. Our used handheld market guide covers the general test-on-arrival routine; these are the Mini Plus-specific points.

1. Confirm it is a Mini Plus. Miyoo's own product photos show a label on the back with the model name ("Miyoo Mini Plus"), the 5V/1.5A USB-C input and a manufacture date, so ask for a photo of it; the date also tells you how old the battery is. The Plus is the vertical model with the 3.5-inch screen and Wi-Fi. The original Miyoo Mini is smaller and has no Wi-Fi, and Miyoo's other current models are different devices: the Mini Flip (a 2.8-inch clamshell), the Flip V2 (a 3.5-inch clamshell), the A30 (2.8-inch) and the Mini V4.

2. Remember that the card holds the system. Onion's documentation explains that the firmware lives inside the device, while the system you use day to day stays on the microSD card, and Miyoo's firmware page installs its own full system package the same way. Miyoo asks for a FAT32-formatted card and recommends branded cards such as SanDisk or Samsung. A unit sold without a card will need a card set up with Miyoo's system package or OnionOS before it can do anything useful. If the unit comes with a card, wipe or replace it; the legal note in our used-market guide explains why, and our microSD buying guide explains which cards to trust.

3. Check the battery. Time Extension's six-plus hours describes a new battery; ask how long a charge lasts now. Miyoo's own troubleshooting says that if the screen will not turn on, you should charge the device for about 30 minutes and check whether the power light comes on, and it points to the battery or the motherboard when it does not. Any lithium battery that has swollen, which can show as a lifting screen or a bulging back, is a reason to walk away.

4. Check the screen. Look for dead pixels and scratches. Miyoo's general troubleshooting page also explains three things you may see: bubbles under the plastic film applied at the factory (it peels off), visual glitches (try a different card first; if they persist, Miyoo points to moisture on the display cable or pressure damage), and light leaking at the seam of the screen frame, which Miyoo says is a misalignment that can often be pressed back into place.

5. Test every control and port. Press the D-pad in all eight directions and every button, including Start, Select, Menu, the volume rocker and all four shoulder buttons. Miyoo says an unresponsive button can be a displaced rubber pad under it, which is fixable by opening the device. Confirm it charges over USB-C, reads the card and plays through the headphone jack. Connect to Wi-Fi; Miyoo notes that Wi-Fi needs a working card inserted.

6. Do not write off a unit stuck on the logo. Miyoo's troubleshooting starts with removing the card and powering on again; if the device then boots, the card is the problem, and a new card with fresh firmware is the fix.

How to judge the seller's claims. "Games included" or "loaded" is not value, and not something you can legitimately buy; price the hardware only. "OnionOS installed" is not a problem, but reinstall a system you trust from Miyoo's firmware page or the Onion project itself. "Barely used" should come with a photo of the device powered on, a photo of the back label, and an answer about battery life. And assume no warranty: Miyoo's cover runs one year from when the original order arrived and excludes normal wear, so a second-hand unit is on its own. The upside is that Miyoo sells Mini Plus screens and shells directly, so the common fixes are inexpensive.

Sources

• Miyoo, "Miyoo Mini Plus" product page and product images (specifications, battery label and back label), lomiyoo.com, checked September 2026.
• Miyoo, Firmware page, Technical Solutions page and FAQ (warranty and returns), lomiyoo.com, checked September 2026.
• Miyoo, spare-part listings (screen, shell, battery and motherboard replacements) and product pages for the Mini Flip, Flip V2, A30 and Mini V4, lomiyoo.com, checked September 2026.
• Damien McFerran, "Review: Miyoo Mini Plus - A Game Boy-Style Emulation Powerhouse For $70," Time Extension, March 17, 2023.
• Damien McFerran, "Miyoo's Dinky Game Boy Clone Is Getting A Bigger Brother," Time Extension, January 13, 2023 (updated February 24, 2023).
• Damien McFerran, "Pokémon Trading And Ad-Hoc Netplay Coming To The Miyoo Mini Plus," Time Extension, August 14, 2023.
• Onion Team, OnionUI/Onion project README and release v4.3.1-1 (June 24, 2024), GitHub, and the Onion documentation's "Installation" page (version 4.3), checked September 2026.