Chinese emulation handheld manufacturer MagicX has just revealed its product roadmap for the rest of 2025 and beyond, and one device in particular has caught our attention.
The Retro DS appears to be a successor to MagicX's Zero 40, which we recently reviewed. That device used a single, portrait-oriented screen to replicate the dual displays of the Nintendo DS, but it would seem that the Retro DS is going one stage further and laying down the foundations for 3DS emulation.
Instead of using a single portrait screen, the Retro DS is equipped with a 4.1-inch 1280x720 upper screen and a 3.4-inch 960x720 bottom display. While the resolutions are different to those seen on Nintendo's hardware, this mimics the screen setup of the 3DS, where the upper display was larger than the lower one.
It should also be noted that the Retro DS comes with dual analogue pads that are very similar to the design seen on the 3DS.
While the original 3DS only had one analogue pad, a 'Circle Pad Pro' accessory was released, which added a second. The New 3DS hardware revision included a second analogue 'nub' rather than a full-size stick. In terms of design, the Retro DS is most similar to the first 2DS model, released in 2013.
There's been no confirmation from MagicX that the Retro DS will be capable of emulating 3DS games, and it would be safe to assume that it won't include autostereoscopic screens. Still, given the open nature of these devices and the fact that they often run Google's Android OS, getting 3DS games up and running on the Retro DS should be easy, assuming it's powerful enough to do so – there are already 3DS emulators available on Android.
MagicX's 2025 line-up also includes the Two 45 (another portrait-style device) and the Two 48, a more traditional horizontal candybar handheld. Other products include the One 35 and Retro 45 (both launching in September) and the Whirl V45 and V48.