What this dataset does not know
How reliable is handheld emulation compatibility data?
49% of this matrix is empty, 27% of the filled cells rest on a single source, and three cells have sources that contradict each other. Here is all of it, in detail.
How much is missing
An empty cell means nobody published testing for that pair. It does not mean the device fails. Most gaps sit where an expensive handheld meets an easy system, because no reviewer writes down that a $299 device runs the NES.
Where sources contradict each other
When testing disagrees, the lower rating is published and the other claim is recorded here rather than quietly dropped.
AYN Odin 2 on Switch
Hit and missLater coverage describes 8 Gen 2 devices running the bulk of the Switch 1 library at full or near-full frame rate, but names the Odin 2 Portal variant rather than this model. The lower rating is kept until testing on this exact device is found.
Steam Deck OLED on Wii
PlayableOne source rates this higher, describing nearly the whole library at full speed at native resolution or above, with the trackpads standing in for the Wiimote pointer. The lower rating is kept because the two sources disagree on how much setup is involved.
Retroid Pocket 4 Pro on Wii
Hit and missOne source rates Wii as running well at 2x internal resolution. Another describes it as hit-or-miss on mid-range Dimensity 1100 devices specifically. The lower rating is kept because the sources disagree.
How much rests on one source
37 of 138 records cite exactly one piece of testing. Retro Handhelds Online alone backs 43 records, which is 31% of the dataset. If their testing is wrong, this table is wrong in the same places.
| Publisher | Records backed |
|---|---|
| Retro Handhelds Online | 43 |
| Retro Dodo | 41 |
| Time Extension | 23 |
| Joey's Retro Handhelds | 20 |
| RetroResolve | 19 |
| Held Games | 17 |
| Retro Game Corps | 11 |
| RetroSpecGame | 9 |
| Playhouse | 8 |
| RetroHandheldHQ | 8 |
Which systems are thinnest
Systems ranked by how much of the device roster has never been tested against them. These are where an added data point would help most.
- Nintendo Switch4 tested, 14 unknown
- Arcade (MAME and FinalBurn)5 tested, 13 unknown
- Nintendo Wii6 tested, 12 unknown
- Sega Saturn7 tested, 11 unknown
- PlayStation Portable8 tested, 10 unknown
- Nintendo 649 tested, 9 unknown
- Game Boy / Game Boy Color10 tested, 8 unknown
- Nintendo Entertainment System11 tested, 7 unknown