As you can see in the image above, this portable console incorporates 2 analog joysticks, a D-Pad crosshead, the four usual buttons (in this case Nintendo-style) and four triggers on the back, as well as the Select, Start, an additional Fn button, volume rocker, on/off and reset.
Unboxing and external analysis
The Powkiddy RGB20S is packed in a hard yellow cardboard box, on the outside of which we only see the brand and, on one side, the color.
When we open the packaging, we find a small instruction booklet, some stickers to “convert” the orange console into a kind of lion, the USB power cable and, of course, the console.
The instruction manual is extremely concise and also half in Chinese, so say goodbye to understanding anything about how the console works because you won’t find it there.
The console was protected by a white polystyrene panel at the top, in order to prevent damage to the screen during transport.
The first impression that we have taken when we have the Powkiddy RGB20S in our hands is that it is made of “plasticorro”, and in fact as soon as you move it a bit (let alone shake it) there are several components that sound… after examining it carefully we figured out it was the 4 rear triggers, which isn’t like they’re too tightly attached and they have quite a bit of “dancing”.
We have already seen it in the sketch, but now we show it to you again. On the right side we have the volume buttons and the micro SD slot with the memory card for the operating system.
On the opposite side, the power and reset buttons and the other micro SD slot, in this case for games. In both cases you can see that it is indicated, so that we do not make mistakes by inserting the card where it is not.
In the back we have the 4 triggers, which, as we have mentioned before, move a lot. Also, when you rest the console on a table, be very careful because it will rest on these triggers.
In the lower area we have two USB-C ports, one for charging and the other for OTG, in addition to the 3.5mm minijack connector for headphones.
As we indicated at the beginning, the console already comes with two micro SD cards, which are also clearly identified.
There is not much more to tell about the exterior of the console either, so we are going to proceed to turn it on and see what it offers us.
Testing the Powkiddy RGB20S
To begin with, it must be said that the Powkiddy RGB20S takes a long time to boot up… about a minute between starting the operating system and letting us interact. Initially, a menu appears in which we can select the platform we want to play on, and once inside it will show us the list of games; This can be changed in the menu, it has several ways to show us the main menu and we can select the one we like the most. In our case, we leave the one that comes by default since it seems quite comfortable to use.
The screen looks incredibly good, and despite its low resolution, the fact that it is IPS and so small makes it look phenomenal.
The two joysticks feel quite good to use, and both the four main buttons and the D-Pad as well… surely they will last many hours of use without problems. Now, the rear triggers are undoubtedly the weak point of the console, because as we noted a while ago they are quite loose and dance a lot. Also, their online position makes them somewhat awkward to hit.
The performance of the console is more than adequate, all the games work without any performance problem and, in fact, although they don’t say it, it has given us the impression that it works at 60 FPS without problems, including in the Nintendo 64 titles that they would be the most demanding in terms of hardware. It’s normal, after all, all the games are from quite old consoles that worked well with much less hardware than the one this console has (do you remember the phrase that your smartphone is more powerful than the PC that man brought to the moon? Well, something similar).
The menu is quite complete, although a bit awkward because of where the options are located. It is translated into Spanish, although partially, and we can find some options in English (see, for example, Display Settings or Emulator Settings).
As for the battery, the manufacturer says that it should give us 8 hours of autonomy, but the reality is that it is more like 6 hours. However, even with those 6 hours we already have to have a good afternoon of “vice” without problems.
Conclusion and verdict
In general terms, the Powkiddy RGB20S performs extremely well in terms of performance, its autonomy is acceptable and the user experience is quite good. The console is comfortable to use (if you use the rear triggers), and it should be noted that the screen really looks luxurious.
As negative points, we must mainly mention three: on the one hand, the aforementioned rear triggers, quite flimsy and uncomfortable to use. On the other hand, it takes a long time to start, with the addition that the manufacturer recommends not turning it off suddenly, but we will have to go to the menu and turn it off from “Exit”.
The third negative point is that there is no way to exit to the main menu, and if you want to exit a game to play another or simply to turn off the console, you will have no choice but to press the Reset button, having to wait almost a minute again for for the console to turn on again.
This console costs about €73 on AliExpress, while on Amazon Spain we can also get it with next-day delivery for around €115, taking into account that it includes a discount coupon.
Really, seeing the experience of use and the result it gives and with the price it has, we consider that it is a highly recommended purchase for all those fans of retro games who want to remember the games of their childhood… and of course you have games for a while . For this reason, we believe that this Powkiddy RGB20S deserves our Silver award, as well as our recommendation for its quality / price despite the quality flaws that are evident (the award is essentially for the price, of course).
