With the reveal of plenty of new high-end Android gaming handhelds this year, there's a growing trend of devices drawing inspiration from the iconic Nintendo DS. With Ayaneo and MagicX announcing their own takes on the flipable form factor, OneXPlayer has decided to do the same, but with a literal twist. Called the OneXSugar, the device may look ordinary at first, but there's much more to this handheld than meets the eye.
After its big reveal earlier this year, OneXPlayer has now announced that the OneXSugar's campaign is officially live on IndieGoGo, where you can register your interest to save 30% on the handheld once it launches.
So far, OneXPlayer has only confirmed that a powerful Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 CPU will be in the handheld, along with two color choices of black and white, while also sharing some details about the two displays. The main display is 6.01 inches, ideal for playing the best Android games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile on the go. But as the promo video shows, it's the smaller 3.92-inch secondary screen that's likely to make the biggest impact for users.
In an animation that feels reminiscent of a Megazord from the Power Rangers TV show, the smaller display flips out from the back, followed by both controllers on either side moving to the screen, essentially becoming a larger Nintendo DS handheld-style device.
It's very impressive, and another post by a content creator on X that showcases how the transformation works in the real world only proves how well this design could work for countless games once the OneXSugar is available. You could multitask by playing a game on the smaller screen while watching a movie on the bigger one or even try out some free homebrew games that make full use of the dual displays.
The fact that you can use just one display is a smart move for battery life. Having two screens enabled at all times can be a big energy drain, so OneXPlayer has clearly thought about how the OneXSugar's design can be practical as well as convenient. Nevertheless, we're intrigued by how this handheld sets itself apart from others like the Zero 40 and the Flip 1S DS, and we're looking forward to finding out if it's a worthy contender for our best retro handhelds list.
2025 seems like the year of Nintendo DS-inspired handhelds, and we're here for it. In the meantime, check out our guides to the best gaming phones and the best gaming tablets, or our Nintendo Switch 2 review if you're still thinking of buying one.