If you’re searching for the best mini PC that your can get for retro game emulation this year, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled this list so that you can not only browse through the most popular small form factors PCs for running game emulators, but also read through their short reviews which I’ve prepared alongside each device. No more stalling, let’s get to it!
Check out also: 8 Best Retro Handheld Emulator Consoles This Year – My Personal Choices!
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A Word About The Chosen Devices
I’ve based this selection of Mini PCs is based on two main factors: first – their performance when it comes to the most recent retro emulator software, second – their cost-to-performance ratio, which is in my book one of the most important factors when purchasing any modern tech product.
All of these devices are perfectly capable of emulating almost all older retro consoles you throw at them at high frame rates and higher than native resolutions. Consoles like PS1, N64, and all the well-known oldies won’t be problem for any of these PCs, and many of them can do even better, being capable of emulating GameCube, Dreamcast, PS2, PS3, and even Nintendo Switch games.
Best Mini PCs For Batocera Linux?
The most popular way to easily install and run all of the most important emulation software on a PC without wasting time on unnecessary configuration is using a Linux distribution known as Batocera. Installing it is again possible on almost every device described below excluding the very last one, and in general is the preferred way to go about setting up an emulation box in your home.
Still, most of the mini PCs on this list come with a fresh Windows 11 install, which is just as capable of running all the emulators you throw at it, if you don’t want to mess around with custom OS installation.
If you’d like to go the Batocera route, there are so many tutorials on how to quickly install it on your Mini PC that I won’t get into the details in this article. Regardless, rest assured that you won’t have any issues with using it after getting a device from this list!
Can You Also Use These Mini PCs For Playing More Demanding PC Games?
Light PC gaming with these Mini PCs won’t be a problem. While some most recent AAA titles quite obviously might not be able to run perfectly at higher resolutions, using the devices listed you can without much trouble enjoy playing titles like Skyrim, GTA III & IV, Borderlands, and much more, even at higher graphical settings.
Just keep in mind that the devices from the budget category, running the Intel N100 CPU can have trouble running some more demanding titles from the last decade. In case of the top performers which are mentioned first though, you will even be able to run newer titles like Cyberpunk 2077 reducing both the in-game graphics and rendering resolution.
1. Beelink SER8 AMD R7 8845HS
- PS3, Xbox 360 & Switch emulation works without any trouble.
- Lets you play many AAA games at lower settings in 1080p.
- Refined back I/O panel.
- Audio jack output on the back.
- The very best choice spec-wise.
- The price is a little bit steep.
- Not really that much more powerful than the SER7.
The Beelink SER8 AMD R7 8845HS is currently the top Beelink Mini PC model which at the time of writing this article was released just a few days ago! This little device is the performance beast and the absolute best Mini PC on this list.
With the 8 core 16 thread 8845HS AMD processor, 12 core 780M GPU, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of built in expandable storage, this one is a perfect choice for an emulation box. It can easily emulate all systems you can imagine up to the Nintendo Switch era without any hiccups. And it’s even suitable for some light PC gaming, with many AAA titles working at lower graphical settings in 1080p in satisfying framerates.
Still the price might be a little high, considering it’s just about in the range of what you would pay for a mid-range gaming laptop with similar performance. In a moment, I’ll show you other, more affordable options with similar performance starting with 2 other models from Beelink, and then, other manufacturers.
2. Beelink SER7 MAX 7840HS
- Second best choice performance-wise.
- Near perfect PS3, Xbox 360 & Switch emulation.
- Will still let you play many AAA games at lower settings.
- Great sleek outer shell design and quiet cooling system.
- Will run many emulated games upscaled.
- The price is still a little much.
- Won’t tackle most newer PC games with higher settings or at resolutions higher than 1080p.
Let’s follow up with the second best unit you can get right now. The Beelink SER7 MAX 7840HS is an emulation beast, rocking a new 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor able to go past 5GHz in turbo mode, and a AMD Radeon 780M GPU accompanied with 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM. Having both HDMI and DisplayPort connections on-board capable of video output at 144hz it’s perfect for hooking it up to your large TV and enjoying content in high resolution. There is also an 1TB SSD on board, so you can fit all your favorite games and software in there.
Emulating 3DS at 4x upscale, PS3 and Xbox 360 at native resolution, and even Nintendo Switch games is not a trouble for this device. This mini PC can even handle some AAA games such as Witcher III and Destiny 2 at lower graphical settings in 1080p. It’s truly the best of the best, and you can’t really find a better performing device in this form factor at least for now.
Beelink, being a very much trusted player in the Mini PC game also has quite a few different, less capable but also cheaper models in their product lineup. If you’re interested in these options, I will show you two different ones, and you can check the rest of them in the official Beelink Amazon store here.
3. Beelink SER5 MAX 5800H
- Noticeably cheaper than the SER7.
- Pretty much retains the same performance when it comes to emulation.
- The same well-thought design and I/O.
- Still has 1TB of on-board storage.
- A little bit less powerful than the SER7.
- Less RAM on board (16GB DDR4).
- Newer PC games can be a hit or miss with higher graphical settings.
A small step-down from the SER7 is the SER5, also coming from Beelink is the Beelink SER5 MAX 5800H which in terms of sheer performance in practice lies very close to its older brother. Still, because it’s noticeably cheaper, it quite understandably is a little bit less powerful. The Ryzen 7 5800H with a max single-core turbo frequency of 4.40GHz and the 16GB of DDR4 memory are far from being unreliable, and this PC is still more than enough for emulating even the more demanding consoles such at the PS3 or Nintendo Switch.
In terms of disk space there are no compromises here, the 1TB SSD is still here, and that’s a good thing for all you data hoarders out there (including me). All in all, while it certainly isn’t the least expensive choice for retro emulation (we’ll get to the cheaper options in just a bit), it’s very much worth picking up if you want to use your mini PC for more than just light retro gaming.
4. NAB5 Mini PC
- The i5-12450H does a great job with newer console emulation.
- One of the sleekest device on the list.
- Comparable with the Beelink SER5.
- No Xbox 360 and no PS3 emulation, as per usual on the N100.
- Newer PC titles will struggle at native resolution.
The NAB5 Mini PC rocks a Intel Core i5-12450H chipset, which can reach up to 4.4GHz in the turbo mode does a pretty amazing job at being a core of a home emulation station, although it’s being advertised mainly for office work and education purposes, as many of these devices are. This mini PC is small, quiet, and much like the previous ones can fit under your large living room TV without any trouble.
But of course, the looks are not everything. The performance of this one is comparable with the Beelink SER5, which is honestly quite good. Two RJ45 inputs paired with 4 USB 3.2 ports and 2 HDMI ports alongside 2 USB-C ports capable of DP data output make this one score 10 out of 10 when it comes to connectivity. It’s also in my opinion one of the sleekest devices on this list with its slim rounded white chassis. Be sure to check it out.
Check out also: Steam Deck Emulation Battery Life – Is It Any Good?
5. Beelink EQ12
- Intel N100 can easily handle most classic consoles.
- PlayStation 2, GameCube and Wii gaming is possible at 720p.
- Our first true budget option.
- The N100 is alright, but will lock you out of playing newer PC titles and emulating more recent consoles in 1080p.
- Cannot really stand up to the 4 previous devices performance-wise.
Now comes the first budget option – the Beelink EQ12. The last Mini PC from Beelink I’m going to show you here is the cheaper option, which still will be able to emulate most of your favorite PlayStation 1 games, Nintendo 64 games, and also PS2, GameCube and Wii games at 720p. Of course, all of the more vintage retro systems and older PC games will also run here without breaking a sweat.
At the very core of this device lies the 12th Gen 4 Core Intel N100 processor peaking at 3.4GHz in full load. Of course, it can’t be really directly compared to the CPU’s used in the two previously mentioned models, and it won’t be able to emulate many newer systems in 1080p or upscale them further. Still, emulating consoles from the PS2 and GameCube era in 720p can be buttery smooth in most games, rather easily holding stable 60fps.
6. KINHANK Mini PC Emulation Station
- Over 60 thousand games already on the drive.
- The emulators should come pre-configured.
- Overall a great device if you don’t mind the slightly less powerful N100 CPU.
- Still, the N100 is a less powerful, budget option.
- Only has a 500GB drive, which sadly is only an HDD.
This one is a little bit different. The KINHANK Mini PC is advertised as a box meant to serve as an emulation box out of the box (pun intended), and it sure is capable of running most consoles already already mentioned in the context of the Beelink EQ12, as they share the very same CPU. It also should come preloaded with a handful of games (around 60000 total) in the basic configuration all ready to go, which is always a nice thing.
The 12th Gen Intel N100 CPU used in many of the Mini PCs in this price range paired with a fresh Windows 11 install, is exactly what you get here. This device can generally support up to native resolution PSP emulation with some simpler games, however if you’d like to take a step up to the newer systems, you might have to run them at 720p. Of course, it goes without saying, that some lighter PC gaming is also possible on this device, however as always, don’t expect to tackle any modern titles on an N100 box.
7. GMKtec N100
- Can emulate classic consoles and PSP, Dreamcast and GameCube games with no trouble.
- Perfect for older PC games and indie titles.
- One of the more affordable options.
- Great design with easy to access RAM & main SSD.
- No viable Xbox 360 and no PS3 emulation, as per usual on the N100.
- Newer PC titles will struggle at native resolution.
Here is yet another Intel N100 device, the GMKtec N100, which while being a little bit cheaper, still can play the role of a tiny emulation PC in your home setup without letting you down when it comes to newer consoles. It’s extremely compact at just 4.48 x 4.17 x 1.67 inches (LWH), and it weighs less than 2 pounds!
With this one you’ll still be able to run all the systems up to PSP, Dreamcast and GameCube at reasonable framerates, however it won’t be able to tackle Xbox 360 and PSP – as expected of a device with an N100 at its core. It also plays older PC releases and most basic indie games with no trouble at all. A pretty good deal, especially for this price if you ask me!
8. The Budget Choice: TSINGO X Max Plus
- The price is really low.
- You get what you pay for, and it’s mostly enough.
- A true plug-and-play device with 2 basic controllers.
- The design is pretty cool if you like the transparent aesthetic.
- Can at times stutter even with older systems.
- Maxxes out on less-demanding PSP games.
The TSINGO X Max Plus is your budget choice on this list. It’s price is extremely low compared to the other devices I mentioned, but unsurprisingly, it’s also quite a bit less powerful, and runs an custom Android based OS instead of Windows. Still, it’s one of the cheapest and most affordable plug-and-play boxes in this price range, looks pretty cool, and it comes pre-loaded with many compatible games so that you can avoid lengthy setup and get to retro gaming right away.
It performs surprisingly well, apart from some audio glitches and stutters in some of the older systems with the default configuration up to PS1 which I thought I should mention here, and it even reaches out into the PSP territory with some of the lighter two-dimensional games playing relatively well, and the newer 3D titles being essentially without any surprise – hit and miss. It also comes with two very basic controllers, although you’re probably better off relying on the ones you already own. For this price, it’s a really fair trade, at least for me!
