I'm looking for a relatively cheap handheld emulator console.

Just buy a Gameboy

>>4131846
I had one 1.5 year now.

My buttons are all still fine but then again I always take good care of my stuff.

If you're going to get one make sure to install the legacy rom 1.8 firmware on it. It remove all the bloat it came with and make the experience more snappier, the up clock also allow to make use of the more demanding emulators (Saturn, PSP).

The main problem with the system though is that it's kinda old at this point. There have been rumors that GPD is working on the XD 2 but nothing confirmed.

>>4131884

Glad to hear that. I just heard the d-pad and buttons are "spongy" and since retro games can be quite prone to button smashing I wasn't sure if they could work properly after, say, 2 weeks of Contra and Metal Slug for example.

If it's actually this durable I'm totally getting one. Would prefer a gpd win but it's rather pricey for my budget.