The Nintendo DS was a wildly profitable console, however emulating its distinctive twin display screen design on trendy handhelds is a problem. You’ll be able to attempt to squeeze each screens onto a single touchscreen, try and utterly recreate the DS’ distinctive {hardware}, or do what Retroid is doing and launch a short lived clamp-on, secondary display screen that’s appropriate with its handhelds and different third-party gadgets.
The Retroid Twin Display Add-on is currently available through the company’s online store in black, purple (impressed by the GameCube), and translucent white coloration choices for $69, however are at the moment bought out. That features a model designed for Retroid’s personal Pocket handhelds together with the RP Mini, RP Mini V2, RP4 Professional, and RP5, and the model for third-party handhelds. So long as a tool isn’t taller than 115mm and helps DisplayPort over USB-C it must be appropriate, however Retroid particularly factors out the Steam Deck isn’t.
That includes a 5.5-inch AMOLED display screen with a decision of 1920 x 1080 pixels and devoted brightness buttons on the aspect, the Twin Display Add-on attaches to gadgets with an increasing clamp and will be positioned at three completely different angles utilizing a “click-stop hinge.” Nevertheless, the second display screen can’t be folded flat towards the hand-held it’s connected to love with the DS.
The add-on options touchscreen performance, which is supported by the DisplayPort protocol. In case your handheld of selection is missing contact capabilities, hanging the add-on off the underside will allow you to play DS video games that closely relied on decrease touchscreen interactions. However since Retroid’s Twin Display Add-on is at its core simply an exterior show for a handheld, what video games you’ll be able to play and the way the display screen might be utilized is left to the gadget’s working system or the emulator you’re utilizing.
The add-on weighs round 130 grams, thanks partially to it skipping a built-in battery. It’s powered immediately by the gadget it’s linked to, however it does have its personal USB-C port with pass-through charging capabilities so you’ll be able to preserve each the show and your handheld working with out killing its battery.