NPC: Next Portable Console

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VIDEO GAMES
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

NPC is a podcast about one of the hottest corners of the gaming world: portable hardware. Every other week, Federico Viticci, John Voorhees, and Brendon Bigley cover portable gaming news and share their experiences with everything from the simplest retro gaming handhelds to cutting-edge handheld PCs.

6D AGO

Living in the Past: Wii Pizza and the Return of the Virtual Boy

This week, the guys tackle a load of weird news from playing Game Boy games on e-readers and ordering pizza from a Wii in 2026, the upcoming Virtual Boy Switch 2 accessory. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News This is The New Worst Game Boy Setup Someone Just Ordered Domino's on a Wii in 2026 Virtual Boy Classics On Switch Are Bringing Back Two Lost Games Mecha Comet modular Linux handheld hits Kickstarter for $189 and up Onyx Boox Palma | A Review Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

24 min
JAN 27

A Bigger Brick and AYANEO Overload

This week, Federico and John go it alone without Brendon to cover Game Pass on ARM, an avalanche of AYANEO announcements, and why the TrimUI Brick Pro has shot up their most-anticipated handheld list for 2026. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News Xbox app is now available on ARM-based Windows 11 PCs AYANEO Pocket S Mini is a smaller handheld Android game console with Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 AYANEO unveils KONKR FIT handheld gaming PC with Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 AYANEO Unveils Details on the Pocket Vert TRIMUI Brick Pro Coming Soon TRIMUI Officially Teases The "Brick Pro" Handheld REDMAGIC 11 Air is a slim gaming phone with active cooling fan and massive 7000mAh battery Asus hits pause on smartphone business with no new Zenfone or ROG Phone models planned for 2026 Chinese modders end console wars with a PS5, Xbox Series S, and Switch 2 combo console Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

28 min
JAN 20

Foldables, Fex, and a Forgettable CES

This week on NPC, rumors swirl about the Steam Machine's pricing, AYANEO pauses to collect itself, GameSir's Pocket Taco goes live, the lack of foldable phone controllers, and our first videogames. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News Steam Machine pricing may have leaked Meta has closed three VR studios as part of its metaverse-focused layoffs GameSir Pocket Taco phone controller Kickstarter is now live AYANEO Pocket PLAY delayed AYN Thor gets major OTA update, Batch 2 shipping January 15, prices rising for Batch 3 Retrocade is coming to Apple Vision Pro A FEX announcement is coming Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

31 min
JAN 13

CES 2026: Foldables, Rollables, and Robot Punches

This week, a whirlwind tour of the handheld news from CES 2026, Switch 2 grips, AR glasses, new chips from AMD, the OneXSugar Wallet, and more. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Portable Gaming News from CES NOW LIVE: Nintendo just officially revealed the new purple/light green Switch 2 Joy Genki Grips: Made to be Held by Human Things Pocket8 Makes PICO–8 Playable On Your iPhone touchHLE homepage The Xreal 1S glasses get a spec bump and 3D conversion The OneXSugar Wallet is the first gaming handheld with a folding screen You can charge Belkin's new Switch 2 power case without opening it Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X2 laptops are here — and they brought a new friend AMD heard you like powerful gaming portables — so here are new Strix Halo chips Lenovo Legion Go 2 with SteamOS launches in June, priced at $1199 Lenovo's new concept gaming laptop goes wide. Really wide. GameSir X Hyperkin Reveal A Controller With GC, N64 & SEGA Attachments Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

41 min
2025-12-23

The 2025 Handhelds of the Year Awards

This week, Brendon, Federico, and John pick their top handheld consoles of 2025. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The 2025 Handhelds of the Year Awards The Contenders: Switch 2 Ayn Thor Miyoo Flip TrimUI Brick Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

38 min
2025-12-16

New Phones and Tablets Take Aim at Portable Gaming

This week, handhelds are shipping for the holidays, AYANEO makes a bold bet on a phone, a new Strix Halo tablet one-ups the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, and John dips a toe in the Bazzite waters. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News The Odin 3 and MCON are starting to ship The Anbernic RG DS got a big software update AYANEO Pocket Play Video Kickstarter Pocket Codex for iPhone and iPad Another Strix Halo Tablet - OneXplayer Super X John installs Bazzite on the GMKtech EVO-X2 Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

27 min
2025-12-09

Monster Handhelds and Valve's Big Bet on ARM

This week, AYANEO goes big, very, very big, and we read the tea leaves from Sean Hollister's interview of Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News ANBERNIC Officially Reveals RG477V Retro Handheld Ayaneo Announces a Monster of a New Gaming Handheld iiSU Alpha Sean Hollister of The Verge interviews Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais Retro Game Corps Reviews the Ayn Odin 3 Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

31 min
2025-12-02

Anbernic Stumbles and SteamOS Dreams

This week, the Retroid G2 and Anbernic DS look like duds, the Xbox full-screen experience for PCs is out to more users, and John flirts with the idea of a mini PC for SteamOS. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News Retroid Pocket G2 - Who's it for? Anbernic DS Performance Issues Full screen experience expands to more Windows 11 PC form factors for Windows Insiders Topics Building a Strix Halo Mini PC for SteamOS mini PCs GMKtec AI Mini PC Ryzen Al Max+ 395 MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max Beelink GTR9 Pro Framework Desktop Displays Samsung 32" Smart Monitor M9 M90SF ASUS ROG Swift 32" 4K OLED Gaming Monitor Other YOMT Mobile TV Cart Rolling TV Stand Ergotron LX Pro Premium Monitor Arm Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the "regular" NPC episodes. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/c/NextPortableConsole Leave Feedback for John, Federico, and Brendon NPC Feedback Form Credits Show Art: Brendon Bigley Music: Will LaPorte Follow Us Online On the Web MacStories.net Wavelengths.online Follow us on Mastodon NPC Federico John Brendon Follow us on Bluesky NPC MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Brendon Bigley Affiliate Linking Policy

34 min

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TRAILER

Welcome to NPC

NPC, or Next Portable Console, is a podcast about the games we take with us. Every other week, Federico Viticci, John Voorhees, and Brendon Bigley will cover portable gaming news and share their experiences with everything from the simplest retro gaming handhelds to cutting-edge portable PCs.

2024-05-31

•

4 min

5

out of 5

2 Ratings

NPC is a podcast about one of the hottest corners of the gaming world: portable hardware. Every other week, Federico Viticci, John Voorhees, and Brendon Bigley cover portable gaming news and share their experiences with everything from the simplest retro gaming handhelds to cutting-edge handheld PCs.