Tekko One Retro Console Review: Is It Worth Buying? My Honest Experience

I have a soft spot for old-school games, so the Tekko One immediately caught my attention when I saw it advertising thousands of retro games in one little handheld. The idea of having that much nostalgia sitting in my bag sounded like exactly the kind of gadget I would end up reaching for way more than I expected.

And yes, I ended up having fun with it. But the more I looked into the console itself, the more I realized that the 20,000+ games headline is not necessarily the reason I would buy this particular handheld.

Key Takeaways

• The sheer number of preloaded games makes it incredibly easy to find something to play.
• It is genuinely convenient because the games are already loaded and do not require Wi-Fi to play.
• The console is much more interesting for retro gaming than for anyone expecting modern-console performance.
• I have some reservations about paying a premium for a handheld that appears very similar to generic retro consoles sold elsewhere.

What Is the Tekko One?

The Tekko One is a portable retro gaming handheld that comes with a microSD card loaded with thousands of classic games. Tekko currently advertises versions with 64GB of storage and 20,000+ games, as well as a 128GB version advertised with 40,000+ games. The company says the console can run games from classic 8-bit and 16-bit systems, handhelds, arcade machines and some early 3D platforms.

It has a built-in display, physical controls, USB-C charging and a claimed battery life of up to 10 hours. You do not need Wi-Fi to play the games that are already installed, which is one of the things I liked most about the concept.

The really big selling point is obviously the game library. Tekko throws around numbers like 20,000 and 40,000+ games, with examples including Pokémon, Zelda, Mario Kart, Street Fighter, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot and Tekken.

Why I Tried It

I wanted something that would give me that old-school gaming feeling without having to buy separate consoles, hunt down old cartridges or spend time setting everything up myself.

The Tekko One looked particularly tempting because I could just pick it up and start scrolling through games. That is really the appeal of these retro handhelds for me. I don’t necessarily want another complicated gaming system sitting around the house. Sometimes I just want to play something familiar for twenty minutes and put it down.

And when a little handheld is advertising 20,000+ games, curiosity is going to win eventually.

My Experience With the Tekko One

The first thing I liked was how quickly I could get into the games. There is something very satisfying about turning on a retro handheld and immediately being confronted with a ridiculously long list of games. You do not have to download anything before you can start playing, and you do not need an internet connection just to access the games already stored on the console.

Of course, the downside to having thousands upon thousands of games is that scrolling through them can become its own activity. There were plenty of games I recognized immediately, but there were also huge numbers of titles I had never heard of. I actually spent a surprising amount of time browsing the menu because I kept finding something that made me stop and think, wait, I remember this.

That is where the Tekko One is genuinely fun. It is not really about having 20,000 games that I am going to play. I am not going to play 20,000 games. Nobody is going to play 20,000 games. The appeal is having a ridiculous library where there is a decent chance that the particular old game I suddenly remember from childhood is sitting somewhere in there.

The controls are also familiar. The handheld has the standard retro-console layout, so I did not have to learn anything before jumping into a game. The screen is small, but that actually works for this type of console because these older games were designed around much smaller displays anyway.

Where I think people need to keep their expectations in check is with the more demanding games. The Tekko One is designed around retro emulation. It is not a replacement for a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation or Xbox. Tekko itself acknowledges that while most games are intended to run smoothly, some of the more advanced titles can require adjustments to the settings.

That did not bother me because I was buying it for the retro experience in the first place.

The battery has also been convenient. Tekko claims up to 10 hours on a full charge, although actual battery life will depend on what you are playing and how you are using the device. USB-C charging is a nice touch because at least I am not dealing with some weird proprietary cable every time it needs charging.

I also like that it is genuinely portable. This is the kind of thing I can throw into a bag for a flight, a long car ride or a boring stretch of downtime without feeling like I have packed an entire gaming setup. But then I started looking beyond the fun part.

And that is where Tekko One gets more complicated.

The 20,000+ Game Claim Is What Made Me Look Twice

The enormous game count is impressive as a number, but I would not automatically equate 20,000 games with 20,000 worthwhile gaming experiences.

A huge library can contain multiple versions of the same game, regional versions, obscure titles and games I have absolutely no interest in playing. The number looks fantastic in an advertisement, but the actual value comes down to whether the games you want are there and whether they run properly.

There is another reason I would be cautious about taking the marketing at face value. Recent independent investigations have questioned whether the Tekko One is substantially different from generic retro handheld hardware that is widely available under other names. One investigation specifically compared it with R36S-style handhelds and raised concerns about the premium being charged for the Tekko-branded version. That does not establish that every Tekko One is identical to every R36S, but it is enough to make me question whether the branding justifies the price.

That was probably the biggest thing that changed how I looked at the product. I still had fun with it. I just became much less impressed by the idea that I was looking at some completely unique retro-gaming machine.

What I Loved

• The huge game library is genuinely fun to explore.
• Games are preloaded, so there is very little setup involved.
• No Wi-Fi is required for the built-in games.
• The handheld is easy to carry around.
• The controls feel familiar for retro games.
• USB-C charging is convenient.
• Being able to save and load progress makes longer games much easier to play.
• It is a fun way to revisit games I had not thought about in years.

What I Didn’t Love

• The enormous game count can feel more impressive on paper than in actual use.
• There are plenty of games I would never play.
• More demanding titles may require settings adjustments.
• I am not convinced the hardware is as unique as the marketing makes it sound.
• The price deserves comparison with generic retro handhelds before buying.
• The optional subscription offering deserves attention because some Tekko pages currently advertise a membership that renews at $9.99 every four weeks for additional games, SD replacement and other benefits.

Is the Tekko One Worth the Price?

This is where I would hesitate before buying. I like the Tekko One as a retro gaming handheld. I like the portability, the huge library, the simple setup and the fact that I can pick it up and start playing without dealing with modern gaming nonsense. But I would not buy it simply because the advertisement says 20,000 or 40,000 games.

That number is doing a lot of the selling. There are other retro handhelds available that use similar hardware concepts and can cost considerably less, so I would compare the Tekko One against those before spending the money. The fact that independent coverage has raised questions about its relationship to generic R36S-style hardware makes that comparison even more relevant.

Also, pay attention at checkout. Tekko’s current product pages have different versions and membership offers, and some pages advertise a recurring $9.99-every-four-weeks membership after the initial free period.

That is something I would want to understand before handing over my card details.

Who I Think Will Love It

This is a fun little console for someone who genuinely loves retro games and wants a huge collection in one portable device.

It is particularly appealing if you have a list of childhood games you want to revisit and like the idea of having dozens of systems’ worth of games sitting in one handheld.

Who Should Skip It

I would skip it if you:

• Want modern gaming performance.
• Are buying it mainly because the number “20,000 games” sounds impressive.
• Expect every game to run perfectly.
• Want the absolute cheapest retro handheld available.
• Are uncomfortable with the current membership offers attached to some versions.

Alternatives

• Anbernic RG35XX Plus
• R36S
• Miyoo Mini Plus
• Retroid Pocket 5

Conclusion

I actually had fun with the Tekko One, and I think that is the most important thing to say. Scrolling through the games, finding old favourites, and having a tiny handheld sitting around for random bursts of gaming is genuinely enjoyable. It delivers the nostalgia very easily, and I like that I can play offline without turning the whole experience into another account-and-download situation.

But the 20,000+ games headline is not enough to convince me that this is automatically a great deal. Once I started looking at the hardware, the pricing and the subscription offers, I became much more interested in what I was actually paying for rather than how many games the box promised me. The recent comparisons to generic R36S-style handhelds make that especially worth considering.

So yes, I like the Tekko One. I just think the game count is doing a lot of the marketing work, and I would absolutely compare the alternatives before paying a premium for it.

Would I Buy It Again?

I would consider buying it again for the convenience and the nostalgia, but I would compare the price against the R36S, Anbernic and Miyoo options first.

Would I Recommend It?

I would recommend it to someone specifically looking for a plug-and-play retro handheld, but I would not recommend buying it blindly because of the 20,000+ game claim. Check the version, game library, pricing and any recurring membership attached to the purchase first.

Also read my similar review of the Atari Game Station Pro