Pocket Advance Review: Android-Powered GBA Clone

What the Pocket Advance Is

The Pocket Advance is a modern handheld designed as a faithful clone of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, but with a twist: it runs Android. Rather than emulating the GBA experience through software on a phone, this device recreates the original hardware's look and feel while giving you access to a full mobile operating system underneath.

That combination is what sets it apart from the wave of retro handhelds that have appeared in recent years. Most of those devices rely on custom firmware and limited menus. The Pocket Advance instead puts Android at the centre of the experience, which opens up possibilities the original GBA never had.

At its core, though, the appeal is simple. It is a device built to look and feel like the handheld many of us grew up with, sized and shaped to match, but capable of far more than the cartridge slot ever allowed.

Why Android Makes It Different

The Pocket Advance doesn't just emulate the Game Boy Advance — it runs Android, and that changes everything about what this handheld can actually do. Because the operating system is Android, the device is not limited to a single console's library. Instead, it can play more than just GBA games.

That flexibility is the real story here. Where a dedicated GBA clone might stop at one system, the Pocket Advance opens the door to a much wider range of titles thanks to its Android foundation.

For anyone who grew up with Nintendo's 32-bit handheld, this matters. You still get the GBA experience you came for, but the hardware underneath is capable of far more than that single library.

It's a subtle distinction that shapes the whole appeal of the device. The Pocket Advance isn't simply a nostalgia piece — it's a modern Android handheld that happens to nail the GBA form factor.

How It Compares to the Original GBA

In spirit and in silhouette, the Pocket Advance is a faithful clone of the Game Boy Advance. It recreates the original handheld's landscape form factor, so anyone who grew up with Nintendo's 32-bit portable will recognise the shape immediately. The button layout also mirrors the GBA, meaning the muscle memory you built up over years of play still applies here.

That fidelity extends to the software. The Pocket Advance is designed to play classic Game Boy Advance titles, so the games themselves are the same ones you remember rather than modernised remakes or reimaginings.

Where it diverges is under the hood. The original GBA ran on Nintendo's own dedicated hardware, while the Pocket Advance is built around Android. That single change is what separates a straightforward clone from something more interesting, and it shapes almost everything else about how the device behaves in daily use.

For purists, the familiar body and controls may be enough. For everyone else, the Android foundation is the detail that matters most.

Verdict: Nearly Perfect

After spending time with the Pocket Advance, it's clear this device comes remarkably close to perfecting the reviewer's favorite Nintendo handheld. The combination of authentic GBA aesthetics and modern Android functionality creates an experience that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

The hardware design captures what made the original so special while addressing its limitations. The screen is bright and crisp, the controls are responsive, and the build quality feels solid in hand. Running Android opens up possibilities the original hardware never could achieve, from save states to enhanced display options.

Is it flawless? Not quite. There are minor compromises that keep it from being truly perfect, but these are small enough to overlook given everything it does right. For anyone who loves the Game Boy Advance, this is an easy recommendation.