Good for
N64, PS1, GBA, SNES
Support listed to
Saturn
OS
Linux (Batocera)
Released
Jul 2025
The Action Pi 兀 is a budget horizontal retro handheld from Helegaly with a 4.02-inch 960×720 IPS screen, WiFi and Bluetooth, and runs Linux (Batocera). It is best suited for N64, PS1, GBA, SNES, with support listed up to Saturn. It typically sells for around $65.
Played on the Helegaly Action Pi 兀
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Emulation
Supports 15 of 18 tested systems: 8 at excellent, 3 running well.
Mid-generation systems
Excellent5 of 5 systems listed as playable or better
Modern systems
Limited1 of 4 systems listed as playable or better
Classic systems
Excellent6 of 6 systems listed as playable or better
Sixth-generation systems
Limited3 of 3 systems listed as playable or better
Emulation source notes
- DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
- PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- Wii: Nintendo Wii: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
- SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Cemu for Android is only compatible with Adreno GPUs and Android 11-14, so any device with a Mali GPU will not run Cemu.
- Saturn: Sega Saturn: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
Specifications
Display
Screen
4.02 inch
Aspect ratio
4:3
Resolution
960 x 720
Pixel density
298.51 PPI
Panel
IPS
Refresh rate
60 Hz
Performance
Chipset
Allwinner A527
CPU
Cortex-A55
CPU clock
0.4 GHz - 2.0 GHz
CPU cores
8
CPU threads
8
GPU
Mali-G57 MC1-2EE
GPU clock
600 - 950 MHz
RAM
2 GB LPDDR3X
Storage
Internal 16 GB eMMC, External MicroSD
Architecture
ARM
Build
Battery
5000 mAh
Weight
227 grams
Dimensions
172 mm x 82.5 mm x 30.3 mm
Material
Plastic
Charge port
USB-C x2
Controls
Shoulder buttons
Stacked
D-pad
Top
Thumbsticks
Symmetrical
Extra buttons
Power, Volume +-
Features
FAQ
- What systems can the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 emulate?
- The Helegaly Action Pi 兀 plays systems up to Saturn well. It is at its best with N64, PS1, GBA, SNES.
- Can the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 play Saturn games?
- Yes. Saturn performance on the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 is rated good in our catalog. Sega Saturn: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- Can the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 play GameCube games?
- Only partially. GameCube on the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 is playable with compromises. Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- How much does the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 cost?
- The Helegaly Action Pi 兀 typically sells for around $65, which puts it in the budget tier of retro handhelds.
- What operating system does the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 run?
- The Helegaly Action Pi 兀 ships with Linux (Batocera).
- What screen does the Helegaly Action Pi 兀 have?
- It has a 4.02 inch IPS display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, running at 960 x 720 at 298.51 PPI.
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