Don’t fall for fake listings when buying a retro Android gaming handheld

Despite their somewhat legally dubious origins, Android gaming handheld makers have taken a lot of steps toward legitimacy in recent years. The big players, like Retroid, AYN, and AYANEO, don’t ship devices with any copyrighted material, and most now offer some sort of warranty on products. However, that hasn’t stopped scams from popping up in other parts of the web, prompting AYN to send out a warning message this morning.

The company writes that it has received reports of unaffiliated websites selling its products online. These range from overpriced resellers to outright scams, and the company warns that it “cannot guarantee any sort of protection if you purchase from non-AYN sites.” The company also notes that only emails from addresses ending in @ayn.hk are official AYN staff members.

The only legitimate places to buy AYN handhelds are its official website, as well as its official stores on Amazon and AliExpress. However, most new products are only available on the website.

AYANEO has traditionally sold mostly through crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo, but this year it’s shifting more sales to its website. The company has struggled to ship devices on time, and it appears to be taking criticisms about long crowdfunding periods to heart as part of its “Service Improvement Plan” for 2026.

Other handheld makers are more difficult to pin down. ANBERNIC sells products via its official website, but most of the best deals can be found from third-party sellers on AliExpress. That platform has some level of customer protection from fraud, but you will likely need to jump through some hoops to get any support.

In any case, buyers should take care when shopping for gaming handhelds and only purchase from trusted sources. If you’re buying second-hand, try to use platforms that offer some form of buyer protection.