The Action store chain is putting a console back on sale at a very low price, trying to ride the trend for retro consoles. This is a bad plan.
Action, like Lidl, is a specialist in consumer products at discounted prices. There are sometimes very good plans to make, and sometimes, pitfalls that should be avoided. We think that the 7.95 euro retro games console falls into the second category, unfortunately.
Already at the top of certain recommendation sites, due to its very attractive price, we prefer to warn against the purchase of this electronic object.
The minimum service
Behind the promise of a small retro console in Game Boy format with “240 games from the 90s”, in fact hides the QSS Retro Gamer console imported by Karsten International. This is a machine that is obviously quite cheap in terms of manufacturing, no wonder at this price, and works with 4 AAA batteries.
The problem mainly comes from the collection of games, all unknown to the battalion despite their large number. The others are simply counterfeit versions of games from the Nintendo NES or Super Nintendo era. It is impossible to modify its operation, change the system or install new games.
We can imagine the idea of buying this console for a young child, putting aside the question of using a screen for a child. At less than 8 euros, it’s tempting, and the child will probably not know the difference between counterfeit and non-counterfeit games. Considering the console as a toy, it’s a good perspective. However, they remain poor quality games with a console that is not very pleasant to use. The console could easily end up on the sidelines gathering dust.
More expensive alternatives
A whole market for low-cost retro consoles has developed in recent years. For example, we regularly find the Anbernic RG35XX console or the Miyoo Mini Plus for around 30 to 40 euros.
It’s obviously a budget a little higher than the knockdown price of the Action console, but these two consoles allow you to correctly emulate the Game Boy to the PlayStation 1 on a much better quality screen, with a customizable system.
The two consoles recommended here run on batteries and charge via USB-C. They have a much more modern design despite their lower price than the Action console.
With its ridiculous price, the Action console does not represent a big risk. However, we cannot really recommend its purchase.