f you have a collection of old games gathering dust, buying a brand-new hybrid handheld to play them sounds tempting. The GAMEMT MTX promises exactly that by pairing physical cartridge support with retro emulation. However, what sounds like an all-in-one dream machine quickly runs into obvious hardware trade-offs that make very little practical sense.
GAMEMT previously teased the E5 MODX with a modular display in April, but clear specifications for its newer MTX handheld remain sparse. While FunnyPlaying announced a mini handheld just a week ago, the MTX has now surfaced through early retail and influencer leaks. Chinese reseller Royibella showcased the hardware on their YouTube channel, while YouTuber Nittrx showed off an early sample unit of the GAMEMT MTX device.
Questionable Specs and Screen Mismatch
According to Nittrx, the GAMEMT MTX runs on a Linux operating system powered by an AllWinner T509 CPU and features built-in WiFi connectivity. The hardware includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI out capability for TV play, and a full front glass panel. Yet the standout choice is its square 720 x 720 display paired directly with a dedicated cartridge slot.
This features a 720 x 720 display and AllWinner T509 CPU.
Games run natively at a wide aspect ratio, meaning a 1:1 square screen forces massive black bars on the top and bottom of your screen. You end up buying a specialized cartridge-reading handheld only to waste a significant portion of its display real estate on blank borders.
GAMEMT MTX tries to bridge physical retro collecting and cheap emulation, but the resulting package compromises both. Sticking a square display onto a device built for rectangular widescreen cartridges delivers a compromised viewing area for the exact media it claims to celebrate.