👍 The product featured in this article was provided to the author free of charge for the purpose of review. That means: • Nobody was paid to write or publish this review. • The vendor did not get editorial input in, nor advanced screening of, this article. • This article may include affiliate links (which will have a tag icon). We earn a modest commission (https://heavyelement.com/ethics#2-caffiliate-links) off any purchase you make using our links at no additional cost to you. • This article was written in accordance with our Ethics Statement (https://heavyelement.com/ethics#2-bproduct-reviews). When a retro handheld manages the sort of reputation that the original TRIMUI Brick and Brick Hammer have, their successors arrive with a heap of expectation. Rumors of a "Pro" model had enthusiasts imagining faster processors, more demanding emulation and another leap forward for one of retro gaming's favorite vertical designs. With twin thumbsticks revealed, many of us assumed this was going to be the next-generation Brick. Instead, TRIMUI took a somewhat different approach, splitting its latest vertical handhelds into two distinct devices: the Linux-powered Brick Pro that I'm reviewing today, and the significantly more powerful Android-based Brick Hammer Pro U to be released soon. __Side-by-side, the Brick Pro (in black) with the Brick Hammer (silver)__ On paper, the Brick Pro is quite a conservative upgrade. Under the hood, the Brick Pro retains the same Allwinner A133P found in the original Brick, so its emulation ceiling remains largely the same, while the improvements come elsewhere: a larger overall size and 3.95-inch display, Hall effect analogue sticks and a fairly unchanged design that stays true to everything fans already loved about the Brick. It's a decision that has divided opinion as far as I’ve seen, with some questioning whether the "Pro" name really should have meant more power, while others argue that the original Brick never needed fixing in the first place. __These twin sticks are the standout change for the Brick Pro__ That split is what makes the Brick Pro such an interesting handheld to me. At the same time TRIMUI introduced the far more powerful Android-based Brick Hammer Pro U (the ‘U’ standing for ‘Ultra’), it positioned the Brick Pro as the Linux-first alternative. For the amazing and growing custom firmware community, and for players who value simplicity over benchmark numbers, that may ultimately prove to be exactly the handheld that Linux-first fans have been waiting for. Before mine had even arrived, developers working on Linux firmware were already talking less about the power staying the same, and instead about how they planned to build for it. With that in mind, it was finally time to find out whether the Brick Pro could justify its name, not through benchmark numbers, but through the experience of just living with it. Along the way, I'll also be hearing from a few developers and community members who have been following the Brick Pro from the very beginning. Affiliate Linkhttps://gardinerbryant.com/affiliate-links/ ℹ️ __Before anyone heads to the comments: Yes, I've written TRIMUI in full capitals throughout this review. The internet can't seem to agree whether it's TRIMUI, TrimUI, Trimui or something else entirely, so I took the easy way out and copied the company's own website.__ • Specs, at a Glance: __The three available color options for the Brick Pro: Retro Gray, Black and White__ • *Colors:** Black, White, Retro Grey • *Operating System:** TrimUI Linux (Linux 4.9) • *Processor:** Allwinner A133P @ 1.8GHz • *Graphics:** PowerVR GE8300 (up to 660MHz) • *Memory:** 1GB LPDDR3 RAM • *Storage:** 8GB eMMC + microSD support (up to 1TB) • *Display:** 3.95-inch IPS display, 1024×768 resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, 324 PPI, fully laminated • *Controls:** Hall effect dual analogue sticks, D-pad, ABXY buttons, L1/L2/R1/R2, L3/R3 clickable sticks • *Wireless:** Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 • *Battery:** 5,000mAh* • *Charging:** USB-C, up to 10W • *Video Output:** USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode (up to 1920×1080 @ 60Hz) • *Audio:** Dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, built-in microphone • *Ports:** Dual USB-C ports, microSD card slot • *Weight:** 236g ℹ️ *note: TRIMUI quotes a battery life of 5–10 hours, though as always I'll be discussing my real-world experience later in the review.__ • Click, Clack, Glow By the end of my first day with the Brick Pro, I found myself appreciating not what TRIMUI had changed, but what it had carefully preserved. The original Brick and Brick Hammer already felt wonderfully tactile, and the Brick Pro continues that tradition while adding just enough refinement to make it feel like the natural next step. Despite the slightly larger footprint, it still slips comfortably into my hands, and after a few evenings of testing it had become one of those handhelds that simply disappears, letting the games take center stage. One concern I'd seen online before launch centered around the plastic, with promotional images leading some people to wonder whether the texture looked a little...off, especially on the black model. In person, I couldn't disagree more. The shell has an incredibly pleasant, ever-so-slightly textured finish that immediately reminded me of a handheld from a past that never quite existed. Combined with the wonderfully tactile buttons, there's something about the Brick Pro that feels like an alternate-universe Nintendo handheld from the 1990s. Before glossy glass, fingerprint magnets and premium materials became the industry's obsession, this is exactly how I'd imagine one might have felt. The rounded corners melt into my palms, while the softly bevelled edges prevent any uncomfortable pressure during longer sessions. It feels familiar and unmistakably like a handheld designed to be played rather than displayed. __All the corners and edges and back are perfectly rounded for my sized hands, zero discomfort holding this one__ The controls are equally reassuring. The D-pad and face buttons sit high enough on the body that I never found myself wishing they were raised further, an issue I’ve seen a few people have with some vertical handhelds. Thankfully, it simply isn't an issue because they're perfectly seated. Every press feels crisp and satisfying, with just enough resistance to inspire confidence without becoming fatiguing over longer play sessions. Before long I stopped thinking about the controls altogether, which is the highest compliment I can pay them. The dual Hall effect thumbsticks naturally become the biggest talking point. They feel smooth, responsive and are a welcome addition for PSX, Nintendo 64 and the occasional PSP title. Personally, I found them sitting ever so slightly lower than my ideal position, although I suspect that's more a reflection of my hand size than the design itself. Resting the base of the handheld on my little fingers and wrapping the others around the back made everything feel perfectly comfortable. This is absolutely a case of your mileage varying for how they feel for you. I’d consider myself the extreme case of noticing this kind of thing, and if I forgot about it swiftly, then you will too. The shoulder buttons tell a slightly different story. They work well, but they are unapologetically clacky. Seriously clacky. The L2 and R2 buttons produce a deep, resonating click that's impossible to ignore, while L1 and R1 have a slightly sharper, higher-pitched tone. Whether it's the larger plastic shell acting like a tiny echo chamber or simply the switches themselves, I'm not entirely sure, but they're certainly among the loudest shoulder buttons I've used on a handheld. If you're planning on playing beside a sleeping partner or someone trying to watch television, don't be surprised if you receive a quick recommendation to exit. They’re loud. Video 5 (https://gardinerbryant.com/content/media/2026/07/VID_20260712_112437725.mp4) 0:00 /0:07 __A short little clip sharing the noise of the triggers. This is a prime example on why my reviews are written, and not recorded__ Around the back, the textured grille immediately reminded me of the original Nintendo Game Boy. The resemblance was there on the Brick and Hammer, but the larger plastic body of the Brick Pro somehow makes the comparison even stronger. It's an incredibly subtle design flourish that most people probably won't consciously notice, yet it quietly reinforces the nostalgic feeling that runs through the entire device. __I always liked how TRIMUI does their logo embedded into that grille__ TRIMUI has thankfully kept one of my favorite little touches from its previous handhelds too. The RGB lighting still glows beneath the shoulder buttons, around the two front-facing FN buttons and across the top rear light bar, and I remain just as fond of it here as I was on the Brick Hammer. The new addition is the illuminated rings surrounding each thumbstick. Normally I can take or leave RGB stick rings, but here they tie the whole lighting design together beautifully. Against the black shell especially, the overall effect gives me the faintest hint of Blade Runner without ever feeling gaudy or distracting. I wish more handheld manufacturers adopted things like this light bar across the top of the rear. It is so nice to see! __From left to right: the top light bar on the rear and the glow of the lights under the shoulder buttons, in the middle you can see the two fn buttons lit up above the two thumb-sticks, new to this model. On the right is a close-up of that LED light under the stick__ Another welcome addition is the dedicated Home button tucked beneath the volume controls on the left-hand side. A single press brings up a quick settings overlay, giving instant access to brightness, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, vibration, lighting controls and more. After enjoying a similar shortcut on the TRIMUI Smart Pro S, I'm very glad to see it become part of the wider family. It's also reassuring to see TRIMUI continue to include a proper 3.5mm headphone jack. In an age where even dedicated gaming hardware sometimes leaves wired audio behind, it's a small feature that I still appreciate every single time I reach for a favorite pair of headphones. __From left to right: micro SD card slot far left, reset button, USB-C charging port, tiny hole I have no doubt I should absolutely know the purpose of but don't, then the 3.5mm headphone jack__ Then there's the display. It is gorgeous, but it is also different to what you're used to, if you're coming from the Brick/Brick Hammer. One of my favorite aspects of the Brick Hammer was just how bright and vibrant its IPS panel felt despite not being OLED, and the Brick Pro builds on that with a larger canvas that makes games even more inviting. Colors are rich, text is noticeably easier to read than on the original Brick because of the size now, and the whole display remains wonderfully crisp whether I'm playing indoors or out. If you ever found yourself squinting at the earlier model's smaller screen, this larger panel alone may be reason enough to consider the upgrade. That said, the colors will be different than the original displays. I set up NextUI to ensure the temperature and brightness is all calibrated to be the same for both my Brick and my Brick Pro, and you can see they're different: __The Brick is to the left, and the Brick Pro is to the right. Saturation of the color is the main difference here with TRIMUI's new panel__ Video 6 (https://gardinerbryant.com/content/media/2026/07/VID_20260711_151348883.mp4) 0:00 /0:19 __Again, the saturation seems to be the major difference here__ In the end I found myself appreciating the dozens of smaller improvements that quietly make the handheld a nicer place to spend an evening. That's a much harder thing to quantify than benchmark numbers, but it's exactly the kind of refinement I was hoping to find. As far as comfort for me, this is a great handheld to hold. __Ironically the included micro SD card with my Brick Pro had a more saturated blue than their older cards used!__ • What Does It Play? If you read my review of the TRIMUI Brick Hammer earlier this year, you're going to notice something rather familiar here. I'll emphasize this again: underneath the larger display, dual Hall effect thumbsticks and refined design sits exactly the same Allwinner A133P chipset. The emulation ceiling hasn't suddenly leapt forward, and TRIMUI has never claimed that it would. __Game Boy Advance feels uniquely perfected on this handheld: colors are bright, nicely saturated and every GBA game I played on here just made me smile__ Ordinarily, this is the point in a review where I'd tell you how much faster everything feels than the previous model. This time, I can't. The Brick Pro isn't about chasing more demanding systems; it's about making the systems it already handled feel more enjoyable to play. That shifts the conversation away from benchmark numbers and onto something arguably more important: how the handheld actually feels once you've loaded your favorite games. __Comix Zone for Sega Genesis looks equally as fantastic. I can just say, if you're looking at older 4:3 systems, they games will look and perform absolutely perfectly on the Brick Pro__ With that in mind, I decided to focus on where the biggest physical change should make the biggest difference: games that actually make use of those new analogue sticks. Systems like the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Game Boy Advance and everything else the original Brick and Brick Hammer already handled continue to run just as beautifully here, so rather than retreading old ground, I wanted to focus on the systems where the Brick Pro's new controls genuinely change the experience. That meant spending my time with PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP and so on. Dreamcast Dreamcast has always felt like one of those "bonus" systems on the Brick family. The games that work well are great, while the more demanding titles quickly remind you that this is still a Linux handheld built around the Allwinner A133P. Unfortunately, Sonic Adventure 2 fell into that second category during my testing. Frame rates bounced anywhere between the mid-20s and the mid-50s depending on what was happening on screen, making the experience feel noticeably inconsistent. It never quite settled into a rhythm that I'd call smooth enough to wholeheartedly recommend. Crazy Taxi and Dead or Alive 2 told a very similar story. Both hovered between roughly 25 and 30 FPS during my testing, making them technically playable, but never quite smooth enough to forget about the hardware underneath. Crazy Taxi remained enjoyable in short bursts, especially with the new Hall effect sticks lending a little more precision to steering, while Dead or Alive 2 was responsive enough to experiment with. It would settle in to 30 FPS for nice bursts, but it also inevitably dropped. That inconsistent frame pacing was always noticeable. Neither game crossed the line into unplayable territory, but both served as a reminder that Dreamcast remains one of those "it depends" systems on the Brick Pro; very much a title-by-title affair rather than something I'd buy the handheld specifically to emulate. PlayStation If there is one system that feels completely at home on the Brick Pro, it's PlayStation. This is the era where the hardware, screen and controls all come together perfectly, and if you're looking for a handheld that handles PS1 emulation without compromise, this is exactly the kind of experience you should expect. Every game I tested ran flawlessly and only at native resolution, with no noticeable slowdown, graphical issues or compatibility problems. Tekken 3, Wipeout 2097, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII and Colin McRae Rally 2 all played exactly as I hoped, feeling like the kind of games the Brick Pro was designed around. __Racing games in particular really shine on here, every PlayStation game I've played holds 59/60 FPS strong, zero drops, and having a thumbstick means controlling a sliding rallie car is pure ease__ The addition of Hall effect thumbsticks is a welcome bonus too. While many PS1 games were built around the original PlayStation controller and still feel best with a D-pad, having analogue controls available makes certain titles feel more natural, especially racing games or anything that benefits from smoother movement. __WipEout 2097 ran at a dead-stable 50 FPS, not dropping down one iota. Having played more hours of this than I care to admit, I can say it is perfect on here and performing as it should!__ Nintendo 64 Nintendo 64 is probably where the Brick Pro's new Hall effect thumbsticks make the biggest immediate difference. The original Brick was already a fantastic little handheld for older systems, but adding proper analogue controls changes the way you approach games that were designed around more than just a D-pad. The results are still very much a game-by-game situation, though. The Allwinner A133P hasn't changed, so the Brick Pro isn't suddenly transforming into a Nintendo 64 powerhouse. Instead, the games that run well feel more enjoyable than before, while the more demanding titles still show the limits of the hardware. __Super Mario 64 sticks to 30 FPS and plays SO much better with the thumbsticks. Left stick for movement, right stick for camera. This game feels made specifically for the Brick Pro when you play it. Beautifully bright primary colors, smooth FPS and just a joy to play__ Starting with Snowboard Kids, things were exactly what I hoped to see. The game sat at a locked 30 FPS throughout my testing, with no noticeable drops, and the combination of the larger screen and analogue controls made it feel surprisingly natural on the Brick Pro. Super Smash Bros. was similarly impressive. Performance hovered between 55-60 FPS for the majority of my testing, with only those occasional brief dips to 55 during busier moments. Nothing that affected the experience, and certainly nothing that stopped it feeling like an enjoyable way to revisit one of the Nintendo 64's most iconic multiplayer games. F-Zero X was another highlight, I went back to playing this again and again. It maintained a smooth 59 FPS without any noticeable issues. Fast-moving games like this are often where weaker handhelds start to show their limitations, and F-Zero GX is known as one of the 'heaviest' N64 games, so seeing it run this well was a pleasant surprise. However, not every game was as successful. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 struggled significantly, with performance fluctuating wildly between around 15-25 FPS at times, briefly climbing much higher before dropping again. It was just a good reminder that while the Brick Pro can handle some Nintendo 64 titles surprisingly well, this isn't a system where you can simply load any game and expect a perfect experience. Most might be perfect, some might be fine, others quite wonky. Your mileage will just vary on what you want to play and test, but if you're anything like me you might enjoy that process just as much as playing! When you find a game that works, those new sticks make a huge difference for the '64. \^ an instable framerape renders THPS2 unplayable__ PSP PSP is where the Brick Pro starts to show the limits of its hardware. The aspect ratio of it (letterboxed above and below) didn't phase me at all, it suits the device well and with the Pro's bigger screen you can see all you need to on there. Starting with Wipeout Pure, things immediately became challenging. I got greedy at first, trying 2x resolution in the hope that the Brick Pro might surprise me, but those settings were simply too ambitious. Dropping back down to the native 1x resolution improved things considerably, although performance still wasn't completely consistent. Frame rates fluctuated between roughly 20-30 FPS, occasionally climbing higher, rather than settling into the smooth experience you'd ideally want from a fast-paced racing game. __This is at 1x with frame-skip set to auto__ God of War: Chains of Olympus was a similar story. The game was technically playable, with performance generally sitting around the high 20s, but it wasn't stable enough to call a smooth experience. Frame rates regularly dipped into the low 20s during heavier moments, reminding me that this is a system pushing beyond the Brick Pro's intended comfort zone. To be fair though, it is playable, just not a consistently smooth experience for me. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition continued that trend, with performance that never quite settled into something I'd want for a fast-paced racing game. The new analogue sticks are genuinely enjoyable to use, and games like this highlight why having them is such a welcome addition, but the hardware simply isn't powerful enough to consistently deliver the experience PSP games demand. This one wasn't very enjoyable. __The variation on FPS with Midnight Club 3 is way too shifty to enjoy the gameplay and sticks here__ All that said, I don't think PSP support should be viewed as a failure. The Brick Pro was never positioned as a high-end emulation machine, and the fact that some PSP software can boot and become playable at all is a nice extra. Opting for slower PSP games like Jeanne d'Arc happily play really well. The lighter games and 2D-focused titles have a much better time here, I was just focusing on some more 3D intensive games to start with to see how it fared. For me, PSP on the Brick Pro is best described as another bonus rather than a feature. The new sticks make you want to explore this library, but the hardware ultimately brings you back to where the device shines: PlayStation and everything that came before it, and the PSP games you should be going for first are the slower ones! • The Software Side of Things Out of the box, the Brick Pro runs TRIMUI's own Linux-based operating system, and after spending some time with it, I found very little to complain about. It boots quickly, gets you into your games without unnecessary fuss, and the menus are clean, simple, easy to navigate bright and even a little fun. For a lot of people, that's exactly what they'll be looking for from a handheld like this. Turn it on, pick a game, and start playing. The stock experience is functional rather than flashy, but that simplicity works in its favor. There are no complicated layers to fight through and no endless settings menus demanding your attention. It also includes the extras you'd expect, with support for things like media playback and other small features that make it feel like more than just a dedicated gaming device. One interesting fact was the naming used for the systems. With system names like PloyStotion, MegoDrivo and Gome & Wolch, I wondered if this was on purpose to escape any copyright woes (ironic, seeing they send out a card filled with ROMs), or if it might be some kind of A.I. generation Skynet gone mad situation. I contacted TRIMUI, and they confirmed this misspelling is on purpose: After spending some time testing the stock experience, I found myself wanting to return to the same place I did with the Brick Hammer: the community. Being someone who enjoys tinkering with these devices, one of the first things I wanted to do after getting comfortable with the Brick Pro was install NextUI. This isn't because TRIMUI's own software is lacking (it genuinely works really well) but because community-made firmware has become such an important part of the identity of these Linux handhelds, especially TRIMUI's family of handhelds. NextUI: Thanks to Frysee, one of the developers behind NextUI, I was able to test several early builds of the firmware before the stable OTA release arrived. Even before his own Brick Pro development unit had reached him from TRIMUI, he was happy to share preview builds with me so I could follow the project's progress during the course of this review. NextUI A powerful CFW for TrimUI Brick and Smart Pro (https://nextui.loveretro.games/) Like I mentioned in my Brick Hammer review, NextUI doesn't just add more options for the sake of it. It feels like a carefully considered evolution of the experience, with more personality, better organization and a stronger focus on making your game library feel like something you want to explore rather than simply scroll through. Some of the features that make it stand out include: • Lower latency and improvements to screen tearing and sync issues. • Retroachievements support (including offline). • Box art support to bring your library to life. • UI customization with backgrounds, fonts and LED controls. • Built-in playtime tracking. • Cheats, overlays, shaders and more. • Deep Sleep mode and improved battery monitoring. On the Brick Pro, that extra layer of polish feels particularly appropriate. This is a device that already appeals to the people who enjoy owning a small, personal gaming library they can carry anywhere, and NextUI pushes that feeling even further. Instead of simply launching a game, I found myself browsing, organizing, searching through the Pak Store, and rediscovering things I'd forgotten were sitting on the card. The stock TRIMUI OS is perfectly usable, and for many people it will be all they ever need. But for those willing to spend a little time exploring what the community has built, the Brick Pro feels like exactly the kind of handheld where that extra effort pays off. __The best part about handhelds running Linux is that there are so many options available to you to try out and settle on. The stock OS is perfect, but if you want to go exploring then you can have just as much fun finding your own preferred firmware!__ ℹ️ __To be clear, I tested the stock OS thoroughly before moving over to NextUI, because that's the experience every Brick Pro owner will have when they first open the box. But as someone who enjoys exploring what these communities create, NextUI remains my preferred way to use the device and one I'd recommend to you too!__ • The People Building It __Frysee's TRIMUI Brick Pro with his own stick delete mod shown off in the middle there__ One of the reasons I was looking forward to reviewing the Brick Pro had very little to do with the hardware itself. Long before mine had even arrived, the developers behind some of the community's most popular custom firmware projects were already discussing what they planned to build for it. Rather than focusing on the unchanged chipset, many were talking about the opportunities that came with a familiar platform and a growing ecosystem. To get that perspective, I spoke with Frysee, one of the core developers behind NextUI, the custom firmware I found myself returning to throughout this review. I wanted to know what excites a developer about a handheld like the Brick Pro, and why someone who spends countless hours building software for these devices still sees so much potential in TRIMUI's latest release. • *From a custom firmware developer's perspective, what excites you most about the Brick Pro, and what do you think people who are focused purely on its unchanged chipset might be overlooking?** • *Frysee:**Comparing this to the Smart Pro S launch, I'm excited for Brick Pro owners to start out with a full selection of CFW and pak options! While the chipset selection might be a bit boring, it fits the recipe of this just being a larger Brick - with sticks. I can only comment on NextUI, but I'd imagine the situation to be quite similar for all the other popular CFW choices out there. Brick Pro gets to enjoy all the cool things people created for the original Brick, including Portmaster and Itch.io. That's a lot of games to be excited about! • *What is it about the TRIMUI platform that keeps you motivated to develop NextUI for it, and what do you think sets it apart from the many other retro handhelds available today?** • *Frysee:**For me personally, TRIMUI devices somehow avoid major flaws that would turn me off of tinkering with them. There are a few smaller issues here and there, sure, but overall its just very easy to work with them and their Tina Linux based stock firmware. I'm sure we'd all love to have those 32bit drivers for better Portmaster support, but outside of that they are just very enjoyable devices, also from the hardware side. Apart from some Android based handhelds with excellent design (most of them from Retroid), TRIMUI just does a great job of reminding me of all the great original handhelds. What also helps a ton is just having a lot of motivated tinkerers in the community. There is just an endless supply of quirky and cool things being build constantly - and usually Brick is among the first supported devices. We've recently seen a prototype of native RomM integration which I'm super hyped about, and there's now an Itch.io client to download GameBoy Studio games straight from your device - both built by community members. We even have people that are building native games on top of the NextUI/Pak Store ecosystem! Helping showcase peoples' creativity and having a friendly environment to talk about all these things just keeps me going and makes me super proud and happy. • The People Buying It __Kyle's collection of TRIMUI products__ Not everyone approached the Brick Pro with disappointment over its familiar processor. For another perspective, I spoke to Kyle, someone many readers will already recognize from Reddit and the TRIMUI Discord. If a new render, leak or teaser for a TRIMUI handheld appeared over the past few months, chances are Kyle had already shared it with the community. By the time we spoke, he'd already ordered one of each Brick Pro color, along with a Brick Hammer Pro U. Kyle has been part of the retro handheld community for more than five years, but his love of retro gaming stretches back decades. Along the way he's contributed projects such as Game Genie Guy, an application that patches classic Game Genie cheat codes directly into ROMs, and even put together StockMix, a community package that improved the original Brick's stock firmware before larger custom firmware projects arrived. Given his enthusiasm for the platform, I was curious whether the unchanged Allwinner chipset had dampened his excitement. Surprisingly, it hadn't. "The Brick is perfectly performant at what I consider to be retro," he told me, pointing out how quickly expectations in the handheld scene have shifted. "In the past few years we've gone from wanting SNES to run properly to expecting PS2 and Switch emulation." That perspective neatly echoed one of my own thoughts while testing the Brick Pro. It's easy to look at the specification sheet and wish for a faster processor, but it's equally important to remember what this handheld is actually designed to do. When I asked why he continues to buy TRIMUI devices over competing brands, his answer had little to do with benchmark numbers. "TRIMUI is a standout in a crowded scene," he explained. "They release at a slower pace than other manufacturers, but the products they do make feel way more intentional. The build quality feels like it could have been made by Nintendo themselves... they're the only name I recommend to my friends for their ease of use." Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, it's difficult to deny that TRIMUI has built a remarkably loyal community around its devices. After spending time with the Brick Pro myself, I can certainly understand why. • Closing Thoughts The Brick Pro has been one of the more interesting handhelds I've reviewed, not because it redefines what a Linux retro handheld can do, but because it quietly challenges what a "Pro" model is supposed to be. Going into this review, I completely understood why so many people were disappointed to discover the same Allwinner A133P powering the original Brick had returned here. I'll admit I was one of them. Like many enthusiasts, I saw the twin Hall effect thumbsticks and immediately imagined a more powerful successor that would comfortably tackle Dreamcast, PSP and beyond. After spending time with it, though, I think I understand TRIMUI's thinking. __The contents of the box, and the two sets of replacement shoulder buttons you get included with the Brick Pro. These are a simple case of pulling the existing ones off, and pushing the others into place: it is a pressure fit and extremely easy to do!__ (bonus whiskers from my cat, Ciri) Rather than chasing more demanding systems, the company has refined almost everything around the hardware. The larger 3.95-inch display is a genuine improvement and, for anyone who found the original Brick just a little too small, this feels like the sweet spot. It's large enough to make menus, RPG dialogue and PlayStation games much easier on the eyes, while still remaining wonderfully compact. The softly textured shell, rounded edges and comfortable weight make it one of those handhelds you instinctively reach for rather than admire from a shelf. The new Hall effect thumbsticks are another success. The concave tops sit naturally beneath my thumbs, while the grippy rubber reminded me of the original PlayStation DualShock sticks. They're comfortable, accurate and transform systems like PlayStation and Nintendo 64 into much more enjoyable experiences than they ever could have been on the original Brick. TRIMUI's own software also deserves more credit than I expected. The stock operating system is clean, responsive and thoughtfully designed, with touches like the LEDs automatically changing colour depending on the system you're playing giving the device a little extra personality. I still found myself moving over to NextUI because I enjoy tinkering with my handhelds, but that's a preference rather than a criticism. For many people, the stock experience will be more than enough. Thanks to the larger 5,000mAh battery, I found myself reaching for the charger far less often than I expected. If you're spending most of your time with PlayStation and the generations below, somewhere around seven to eight hours of playtime feels like a realistic expectation, particularly if you keep the brightness at a sensible level. Naturally, pushing into more demanding systems like Dreamcast or PSP shortens that runtime, but even then I never felt like battery anxiety was dictating when I had to stop playing. Charging over USB-C is quick enough that topping it up between outings never became a chore, and standby drain is impressively low on NextUI, meaning I could throw it into a bag for a day or two and pick it back up without finding the battery mysteriously depleted. Not everything is perfect. The redesigned shoulder buttons are functional and easier to press than before, but they're also remarkably loud, producing a deep, clacky sound that's difficult to ignore. During testing, my review unit also unexpectedly restarted itself four times, something that only occurred while using the stock operating system. Given TRIMUI's history of releasing OTA updates, I'm hopeful this is the sort of software issue that will be addressed over time rather than a long-term concern. And then there's the processor. PlayStation remains flawless, and many Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and PSP titles are certainly playable if you're willing to experiment. But throughout my testing I couldn't shake the feeling that the rest of the hardware deserved just a little more horsepower. The Brick Pro is so comfortable, so well built and so enjoyable to use that it naturally makes me want to push into more demanding libraries. Having to pick and choose which games work well rather than confidently exploring entire systems feels like a missed opportunity. Of course, a faster chipset almost certainly would have meant a higher price, and in today's market that's easier said than done. TRIMUI clearly made a conscious decision to preserve the affordability and Linux-focused nature of the Brick while refining almost everything else around it. Whether that was the right decision ultimately depends on what you're looking for. If you already own the original Brick or the Brick Hammer, this probably isn't an automatic upgrade. Ask yourself two questions: did you wish the screen were larger, and did you find yourself missing analogue sticks? If the answer to both is yes, the Brick Pro makes a compelling case for itself. If not, your existing handheld is still every bit as capable. For newcomers, however, I think the picture is much simpler. This is a beautifully built Linux handheld with genuinely excellent ergonomics, thoughtful software, a thriving community and enough power to comfortably cover the generations it was truly designed for. It isn't the next-generation Brick many of us imagined, but after living with it, I don't think that's the handheld TRIMUI was trying to build. Sometimes "Pro" doesn't have to mean more powerful. Sometimes it simply means more refined. And in that respect, the Brick Pro succeeds. • If you wanted to check TRIMUI's Brick Pro out on their site, or order one, you can find their website here: TRIMUI Brick Pro Handheld Game Console TRIMUI Brick Pro: Linux retro handheld with dual Hall joysticks, 3.95″ IPS screen & 1080p video out. 5000mAh battery, 1TB expandable. TRIMUI Store TRIMUI Store (https://www.trimuistore.com/products/trimui-brick-pro-handheld-game-console) It is retailing for $99.99 USD right now on their official site, with a 10% off early bird discount code: BPO10. • About the Author: dash Passionate about retro gaming, game preservation, open-source software, and retro handhelds. I tell the stories behind games, hardware, and the people building them. Usually testing a new handheld, using Linux or F-Droid, or replaying a classic.