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X6

X6 by BOYHOM, Vertical retro handheld, running Linux (RTOS), powered by Actions Semiconductor ATJ2273S, with a 3.5 inch display, priced around 25.0

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X6

Specifications

  • Brand: BOYHOM
  • Release Date: 2023 / 07
  • Price: 25.0
  • Form Factor: Vertical
  • OS: Linux (RTOS)

Where To Buy

Marketplace rows use affiliate-friendly links where available. Average price stays based on the console database, not live per-store pricing.

Store Price
Aliexpress
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
25.0
Aliexpress 2
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
25.0
Amazon
Amazon search results
25.0

Affiliate disclosure and terms are linked in the footer.

X6 review: why this vertical handheld is more interesting than it first looks

Budget shortlist candidate

X6 from BOYHOM is the kind of retro handheld that makes sense only once you stop reading the spec sheet like a trophy case and start reading it like a buyer.

X6 is not trying to win every argument at once; its appeal lives in the balance between emulation comfort, day-to-day usability, and whether its price still feels sane.

Best For

  • Players who care about nostalgia, portability, and quick pick-up sessions.
  • Best fit for Game Boy (A), NES (A), and Sega Genesis (A).
  • Designed around a vertical handheld shape.

Why It Hooks You

  • Overall rating sits at ⭐️⭐️½.
  • IPS display story helps define the vibe.
  • Current price context is 25.0.

Watch Outs

  • Cross is horrible to use. Shoulder Buttons not configured in game (need passed by the mapping menu for each games). Screen Angle of view not really good. A/B/X/Y buttons with too much depth (unplayable for fighting games). SD card with a special partition, if you reset your card without make a copy ... impossible to use it (Need not just a save of all files, it's a real copy of the SD card that you need, because she use an special partition !) Some Display Problems on games. Can't run all GBA games for some games White screen, need to press menu button to exit. Impossible to add emulator or change it

Spec Snapshot

Before the review gets opinionated, here is the clean spec picture. This table is the reality check that keeps the rest of the write-up grounded.

CategoryDetails
BrandBOYHOM
Release2023 / 07
Form factorVertical
Operating systemLinux (RTOS)
Overall performance⭐️⭐️½
SoCActions Semiconductor ATJ2273S
CPUActions Semiconductor ATJ2273S, 1 Core, and 450 MHz
GPU"Video Engine"
RAM? DDR (2?)
Display3.5 inch, IPS, and 60 Hz
Resolution640 x 480, 4:3, and 228.57 PPI
Battery and cooling2000 mAh
Storage and I/OExternal MicroSD, USB-C Top facing, and AV Out
Price25.0

If this review pulls you in, the fastest next rabbit hole is Bittboy V3 and D-R35S Plus, because those are the products most likely to clarify whether X6 is your real match or just your current curiosity.

Screen, Controls, and First-Contact Feel

X6 pairs the hardware with 3.5 inch, IPS, 60 Hz, 640 x 480, 4:3, and 228.57 PPI. That is the kind of detail stack retro buyers should linger on, because a handheld can be technically capable and still feel wrong if the aspect ratio, sharpness, and scaling story are off. The screen protection is listed as Plastic, a small clue that often hints at how polished or rough the front face might feel in daily use.

The controls are described with Cross Lower placement, Dual thumbsticks with L3/R3 Upper placement, 4 Buttons, L1, R1 Shelf, and Menu, Power, Reset, Volume +/-. That matters more than many spec sheets admit, because the difference between a fun handheld and a fatiguing one often shows up in the D-pad, shoulder shape, and how naturally the thumbs settle into place. A device can run a game and still fail the vibe test if the controls feel like an afterthought.

The 4:3 aspect ratio adds another layer to the story. Some buyers want sharp all-purpose flexibility, others want a screen that flatters the systems they actually play most. Good reviews should make that tradeoff visible instead of pretending every resolution solves every problem.

Price, Availability, and Value Pressure

X6 is currently tracked around 25.0 and lands in the $0 - $50 pricing band. Price does not just change whether a device feels affordable. It changes what kinds of flaws buyers are willing to forgive.

The spreadsheet points shoppers toward Aliexpress and Aliexpress 2 for availability. That matters because storefront quality, shipping confidence, and after-sales expectations often shape the emotional experience of a purchase before the box even arrives. The listed strengths orbit around the price. easy to use with big icon. screen look good, good colors (with the good position). good speaker. quick launch ~10/15 seconds. battery charging with usb c.

The tradeoffs are not buried, either: the sheet flags cross is horrible to use. shoulder buttons not configured in game (need passed by the mapping menu for each games). screen angle of view not really good. a/b/x/y buttons with too much depth (unplayable for fighting games). sd card with a special partition, if you reset your card without make a copy ... impossible to use it (need not just a save of all files, it's a real copy of the sd card that you need, because she use an special partition !) some display problems on games. can't run all gba games for some games white screen, need to press menu button to exit. impossible to add emulator or change it.. Good buying advice is not about pretending the downsides do not exist; it is about deciding whether the downsides land in the part of the experience you personally care about.

Where The Hardware Should Hold Up

The heart of the machine is the Actions Semiconductor ATJ2273S. CPU duties are handled by Actions Semiconductor ATJ2273S. Graphics are handled by "Video Engine". Memory is listed at ? DDR (2?). The sheet rates the overall performance at ⭐️⭐️½, or roughly 2.5 on the normalized scale.

The CPU side is described with 1 Core, 1 Thread, and 450 MHz, which is more useful than brand names alone because it hints at how much headroom the handheld should have before emulator tuning gets annoying. On the graphics side, MIPS32 helps sketch the ceiling for heavier systems, upscale experiments, and shader curiosity.

X6 looks strongest with Game Boy (A), NES (A), Sega Genesis (A), Game Boy Advance (B), and Super Nintendo (B), which gives the review something more tangible than a vague "good for retro" verdict. The listed emulation limit, GBA and SNES mostly playable, PS1 and above unplayable, is the kind of line buyers should actually respect because it tells you where the romance ends and the compromise begins.

If there is a weakness here, it is not necessarily fatal. It simply means the smartest pitch for this handheld is often the honest one: let it own the systems it handles confidently and do not pretend it is built to brute-force every wish list.

Where The Shortlist Gets Interesting

ConsoleAnglePricePerformanceWhy Click Through
Bittboy V3
Miyoo / Bittboy
Smaller Alternative30.0⭐️⭐️vertical layout, tracked around 30.0, rated ⭐️⭐️.
D-R35S Plus
SZDIIER / Diium
Closest Match40.0⭐️⭐️¼vertical layout, tracked around 40.0, rated ⭐️⭐️¼.
GAMEMT E5
GAMEMT
Closest Match40.0⭐️⭐️½vertical layout, tracked around 40.0, rated ⭐️⭐️½.
LDK Game
LDK / Wolsen
Smaller Alternative50.0⭐️⭐️½vertical layout, tracked around 50.0, rated ⭐️⭐️½.

X6 becomes much easier to judge once it is forced into the same room as Bittboy V3, D-R35S Plus, and GAMEMT E5. This is where a vague impression turns into a real buying decision, because each nearby rival throws a different kind of pressure on the table.

X6 versus Bittboy V3 is interesting because smaller alternative is the obvious angle. If X6 feels almost right but not quite, Bittboy V3 is the sort of nearby detour that can completely change the shortlist. Bittboy V3 is tracked around 30.0. Its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️. X6 versus D-R35S Plus is interesting because closest match is the obvious angle. Compared with X6, D-R35S Plus makes the more obvious play for readers who care about closest match. D-R35S Plus is tracked around 40.0. In practice, its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️¼. X6 versus GAMEMT E5 is interesting because closest match is the obvious angle. In practice, if X6 feels almost right but not quite, GAMEMT E5 is the sort of nearby detour that can completely change the shortlist. GAMEMT E5 is tracked around 40.0. From another angle, its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️½.

The real benefit of this comparison set is not that it declares a single winner. It reveals which compromise profile feels least annoying over time.

How It Lives Beyond The Spec Sheet

X6 is described with battery: 2000 mAh. Those are not background details; they shape noise, comfort, endurance, and whether the device feels eager to be used or mildly exhausting to keep fed. Audio is covered by Single Mono Front facing, which matters for sofa play, travel, and late-night sessions when speakers and headphone output can quietly make or break the experience.

Physically, the device is outlined by Plastic and Green, Black, White. This is where you start picturing whether it is truly pocketable, only jacket-safe, or clearly a bag companion. A handheld is only as portable as the friction it introduces. Too heavy, too hot, too awkward, and even strong specs start feeling theoretical.

The practical I/O story includes External MicroSD, USB-C Top facing, and AV Out. These details matter because many retro buyers are also collectors, tinkerers, dock-and-TV players, or people with large libraries that need sensible storage and transfer options.

Who This Handheld Is Really For

X6 is best framed as a machine for players who care about nostalgia, portability, and quick pick-up sessions. That may sound obvious, but it is the difference between buying a handheld that becomes a habit and one that turns into a drawer resident.

The vertical shape matters here because it changes comfort, portability, and the kind of nostalgia the device leans into. The fact that it runs Linux (RTOS) also affects what kind of setup work, app ecosystem, and tinkering ceiling buyers should expect.

The release timing listed as 2023 / 07 helps place it in context. Context matters because buyers are not comparing isolated products; they are comparing moments in the market.

The Shortlist Verdict

X6 leaves the strongest impression when you frame it as a recommendation for players who care about nostalgia, portability, and quick pick-up sessions. That is the lens that makes the strengths feel intentional instead of accidental.

Budget shortlist candidate is not just a catchy label here. It is the cleanest shorthand for why this device deserves attention. The compatibility profile around Game Boy (A), NES (A), Sega Genesis (A), and Game Boy Advance (B) gives it a concrete identity. The main caution remains cross is horrible to use. shoulder buttons not configured in game (need passed by the mapping menu for each games). screen angle of view not really good. a/b/x/y buttons with too much depth (unplayable for fighting games). sd card with a special partition, if you reset your card without make a copy ... impossible to use it (need not just a save of all files, it's a real copy of the sd card that you need, because she use an special partition !) some display problems on games. can't run all gba games for some games white screen, need to press menu button to exit. impossible to add emulator or change it..

If the device sparks your interest, the smartest next click is usually Bittboy V3, followed by D-R35S Plus, because that is where the shape of the market around it comes into focus. That is what a good review should do: not close the conversation, but sharpen the next choice.

Playable Games

Games shown here match systems this handheld can run at a B grade or better.

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