Evercade Nexus is a gaming handheld that celebrates a simpler time — and that’s a compelling pitch in 2026

In an era of gaming dominated by mandatory installs, always-online requirements, monthly subscriptions, and the ongoing outrage surrounding physical media and whether we actually own the games we buy, the Evercade Nexus is a well-timed retort.

The latest handheld games console from Blaze Entertainment, it’s a device that harkens back to a simpler era. Arguably a better time. When you’d buy a game, insert it into your console of choice, and start playing. No downloads. No online connection. No fuss.

It also represents a few firsts for the Evercade lineup. The Nexus boasts the largest display of any Evercade device, and is the first to sport dual analog sticks. It’s also fully compatible with the existing range of more than 80 Evercade cartridges, which offer titles from the very first generation of video games up to the 64-bit era.

The Evercade Nexus can’t compete outright with the best gaming handhelds, such as the Asus ROG Ally X or the Nintendo Switch 2. However, it’s not trying to outmuscle these devices and match their also compelling pitch of blockbuster games on the go. Instead, Evercade Nexus looks to the past to celebrate the best of what video games used to be. Find out more in my full Evercade Nexus review.

Evercade Nexus review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The latest handheld hardware in the Evercade lineup, the Nexus is the biggest redesign of the range in four years, designed with 32-bit and 64-bit games in mind.
• Who is it for? Nostalgia gamers and retro collectors, and anyone who’s ever uttered the phrase “they don’t make them like they used to.”
• What does it cost? $199 / £169
• What’s good? The focus on retro play, physical cartridges (which you actually own), the addition of dual analog sticks, solid battery life, and it comes bundled with Banjo-Kazooie
• What’s not? The lack of built-in grips can make long play sessions uncomfortable, the absence of a suspend feature, and weaker specs make boot-up times lengthy

Evercade Nexus review: Specs

Evercade Nexus review: The ups

The Evercade Nexus is a dream handheld for retro gaming fans. It’s simple to use and doesn't demand extensive setup and game installations. It's compatible with 80+ cartridges and offers the best play experience on any Evercade device to date thanks to its dual analog sticks. Plus, it comes bundled with two platforming classics.

Back to basics

Switching on the Evercade Nexus for the first time was a surprisingly novel experience. Turn on a brand new gaming device in 2026, and you’ll typically be required to sign in to an online account (or create one), run through a series of setup menus, and then likely spend your first couple of hours with your new hardware watching a download bar slowly crawl along.

Not with the Nexus. The setup was short and simple. I connected the device to my home Wi-Fi network, installed a small system firmware update, and then was let loose to start playing. No need to enter personal information, select an online ID (the good ones are always taken), or endure pop-ups encouraging me to sign up for any form of subscription service.

Evercade Nexus strips away the hurdles that have come to define modern gaming. It harkens back to an era when you bought a console, inserted a disc or cartridge (depending on the era), and then could be playing your shiny new game within moments.

Cartridge collection

The Evercade Nexus doesn’t even have a digital storefront on its homescreen. And the only digital game available is a rotating “Game of the Month” — as I write this, it's a simple side-scrolling platformer called “Flearun!”. There are more than 700 games playable on Evercade Nexus, but these are all found on physical cartridges, rather than downloadable from a digital store.

Cartridges are the crux of the Evercade ecosystem, and there is plenty of choice. There are carts for legendary franchises, such as Tomb Raider, DOOM and Duke Nukem, alongside collections dedicated to games published by Activision, Visco, NeoGeo, Piko, Atari and Interplay.

Once you buy a cartridge, it’s yours to treasure. Or loan to a friend. Or sell to somebody else. It's your choice. You own the game and can do as you wish. There's no digital license that can be revoked, or need to download anything. Just plug in and start playing.

Each Evercade cartridge is also compatible with the entire Evercade device range, from the newest Nexus down to the original Evercade handheld released in 2020.

Banjo-Kazooie Bundle

At launch, the Evercade Nexus comes bundled with the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack, a collection comprising two 3D platformers released on the Nintendo 64: Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tootie.

I’ll fully admit a nostalgic bias towards the iconic bear and bird — Banjo-Kazooie was the first video game I ever played — but even putting this youthful fondness aside, the games make for a great showcase of the Nexus.

The lush greens of Spiral Mountain, Banjo-Kazooie’s starting area, look vibrant on the device’s 5.89-inch display, and they’re games designed around analog sticks, which brings me neatly into one of the Nexus’ biggest upgrades…

Dual analog sticks

Okay, so a handheld with dual analog sticks is hardly a revelation in 2026. The PSP and Nintendo 3DS days of single sticks, which functioned more like cumbersome analog nubs, are long gone.

However, the Nexus is the first Evercade handheld device to sport two analog sticks. This not only allows games like Banjo-Kazooie to be controlled as they were originally designed, but also more closely approximates the feeling of playing on an arcade cabinet, handy because there are several arcade collections in Evercade's cartridge library.

The sticks themselves are smaller than on, say, a PS5 DualSense controller, but still feel sturdy, with a chunky click when you press them down, which I personally love.

Battery life

Evercade claims the Nexus boasts a battery life of “5+ hours,” and while in my testing it’s been closer to 4 hours when playing Banjo-Kazooie with LED brightness at its default setting, that’s still a lot more time than you’ll get from the Switch 2 or Steam Deck OLED.

In my Nintendo Switch 2 vs Steam Deck OLED battery life test, I got 2 hours 40 minutes from the former, and a mere 2 hours 9 minutes from the latter. So, the Evercade Nexus wins in this category and should last you a domestic flight or train journey.

Of course, rival handhelds are running significantly more graphically complex games, so you would expect the Evercade Nexus to win here. But still, 4 hours is a solid overall battery life.

Evercade Nexus review: The downs

I appreciate Evercade’s celebration of all things retro, but a few modern features wouldn’t have gone amiss, and due to its flat design, it’s not the most comfortable handheld to hold.

Lack of built-in grips

The back of the Evercade Nexus is sheer black plastic. It looks slick enough, but it means your fingers have nothing to grip, resting on the back of the device. This isn’t a problem in shorter bursts, but over multi-hour play sessions, it can become pretty uncomfortable.

I had a similar issue with the Nintendo Switch 2, and resolved it by housing my handheld in a dBrand Killswitch case. Maybe third-party accessory makers (or Blaze Entertainment) will release a similar case for the Evercade Nexus. However, I wish the design had taken some inspiration from the Steam Deck OLED, which gives you something to grip with your resting fingers.

No suspend feature

My single biggest frustration with the Evercade Nexus is the lack of a suspend feature. Being able to put your handheld to "sleep" and then pick up right where you left off is such a common feature in modern devices that I didn’t realize how much I now rely on it.

On the Nexus, your options are on or off, and that’s it. This can be a major pain in games like Banjo-Kazooie when you're halfway through a level and need to pause for a period; it means either leaving it running (wasting battery life) or shutting down and losing your progress.

A little underpowered

The Evercade Nexus isn't running blockbuster games, so naturally it's not as powerful as some of the mainstream handhelds out there. It doesn’t need to match their specs. However, this comparative lack of power is felt beyond games, such as in the Nexus’ lengthy boot-up, an annoyance exacerbated by the lack of a suspend feature.

In my testing, the Nexus boots up in 39 seconds, whereas the Nintendo Switch 2 takes nine seconds. Similarly, when loading into actual software, the Nexus took 16 seconds to begin Banjo-Kazooie, whereas the Switch 2 started the new Resident Evil 2 remake port in just six seconds. This is merely to start up the software as well.

Evercade Nexus review: Verdict

The Evercade Nexus is a handheld for a very specific type of gamer. Anybody who wants a play experience rooted in classic games and who feels a little fed up with the baggage of modern gaming will almost certainly fall in love with this nifty retro handheld.

At an appealing $199 price point, it gets an awful lot right, and with a vast collection of cartridges available and Banjo-Kazooie as a pack-in, you won’t be short on great games to play. I do wish the design was more ergonomic, and at least a few staples of current-generation handhelds, like suspend, would have been appreciated.

Still, the Evercade platform has been described as “the vinyl of retro gaming,” and like with listening to vinyl records, perhaps some of the friction is part of the charm. So, if you fall into Evercade's niche, there's no reason not to step into the Nexus.