TL;DR: For most first-time players and gift budgets, the Miyoo Mini Plus is the one worth buying: it starts around $160, has the bigger 3.5-inch screen and comes with preloaded or blank card bundles. The TrimUI Brick vs Miyoo Mini Plus choice tips toward the Brick Hammer only if you want a much sharper 3.2-inch 1024x768 screen and a metal body, and are happy to pay from around $225.
Set these two side by side on a table and they look like cousins: upright, Game Boy-style slabs with a D-pad on the left, four face buttons on the right and a 3000mAh battery inside. The difference only shows once the screens light up. The TrimUI Brick vs Miyoo Mini Plus question is really a trade between a bigger picture and a sharper one, with about $65 riding on it. Below: the screens, the card bundles, Miyoo's two-console combo, and which one to buy.
Which Screen Looks Better: Bigger Pixels or More of Them?
The Miyoo Mini Plus has the larger panel, a 3.5-inch IPS screen at 640x480. The TrimUI Brick Hammer shrinks that to 3.2 inches but packs in 1024x768, about two and a half times as many pixels. Run the numbers and the Brick lands near 400 pixels per inch against roughly 230 on the Miyoo, so text and fine pixel art look clearly crisper on the Brick.
Both screens use the 4:3 shape CRT-era home consoles were drawn for, so those games fill the panel without stretching.
Where the Miyoo Mini Plus wins is size of picture and price. Its listing gives exact dimensions, 108 x 78.5 x 22.3 mm and 162g, small enough for a jacket pocket, and adds Wi-Fi and a vibration motor on a Linux system. The Brick Hammer answers with a metal body and an open-source system, for buyers who want a premium gadget rather than a toy.
| What matters | Miyoo Mini Plus | TrimUI Brick Hammer |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 3.5-inch IPS | 3.2-inch IPS |
| Resolution | 640x480 | 1024x768 |
| Sharpness (approx.) | About 230 pixels per inch | About 400 pixels per inch |
| Body | 108 x 78.5 x 22.3 mm, 162g | Metal body |
| Battery | 3000mAh, USB-C charging | 3000mAh |
| Software | Linux, Wi-Fi listed | Open-source system |
| Card choices | None, preloaded 32G to 128G, or blank 64G | None, 64G, 128G or 256G |
| Price from | Around $160 | Around $225 |
| Best for | First handheld, gifts, tighter budgets | Screen-first players who want metal |
Preloaded, Blank or No Card: Which Bundle Should You Pick?
The Miyoo listing gives you the most ways to buy. You can take the console with no card; with a 32G, 64G or 128G card that the listing says carries 9K, 15K or 25K games; or with a 64G blank card, with or without a carry bag. The Brick Hammer is offered with no card or with a 64G, 128G or 256G card, the biggest top size here, while the Miyoo listing caps microSD expansion at 128GB.
A huge game count sounds like value, but a first-time player mostly needs a card that boots straight into a menu. For a gift, a preloaded Miyoo bundle is the least fuss. If you already keep your own legally dumped backups or homebrew, the blank 64G card or the no-card version saves money.
Before you swap or reformat anything, read our TF card basics guide: formatting a preloaded card on a computer wipes its setup.
When Does the Two-Console Miyoo Combo Make Sense?
Shopping for two people? Look at the Miyoo Mini Plus and Mini V4 combo. One box holds a 3.5-inch Mini Plus and a smaller 2.8-inch Mini V4, each with its own 64GB card, USB-C cable, card reader, manual and zip-up travel bag, plus one screen protector for the 3.5-inch screen. It comes in white, black or grey and runs around $213.
That is less than the cheapest Brick Hammer option, and it gets two siblings, or a parent and a kid, each playing on their own handheld. The trade-off is the V4's 2.8-inch screen, the smallest of the bunch, so hand it to the player with smaller hands or sharper eyes.
Buying for one? Skip the combo: a single Mini Plus with the card size you want costs less.
TrimUI Brick vs Miyoo Mini Plus FAQ
Is the TrimUI Brick or the Miyoo Mini Plus better for pocket retro gaming?
The Miyoo Mini Plus is the better pocket retro gaming pick for most people because it costs less, has the larger 3.5-inch screen and lists a compact 108 x 78.5 x 22.3 mm, 162g body. The TrimUI Brick Hammer is better if sharpness matters most: its 3.2-inch 1024x768 panel is far crisper, and the metal body feels more premium. Both carry a 3000mAh battery.
What is the screen size of the TrimUI Brick compared with the Miyoo Mini Plus?
The TrimUI Brick Hammer has a 3.2-inch IPS screen, slightly smaller than the 3.5-inch IPS screen on the Miyoo Mini Plus. The Brick makes up for it with resolution: 1024x768 versus 640x480, which works out to about 400 pixels per inch against roughly 230. So the Miyoo shows a bigger image, while the Brick shows a sharper one.
Does the Miyoo Mini Plus come with games preloaded?
The Miyoo Mini Plus comes with preloaded games only when you choose one of its card bundles. The listing offers 32G, 64G and 128G cards it says carry 9K, 15K or 25K games, plus a no-card option and a 64G blank card for your own legally dumped backups or homebrew. Gift buyers usually want a preloaded card; experienced players often prefer blank.
Which is the better gift for a first-time player, the Miyoo Mini Plus or the TrimUI Brick?
The Miyoo Mini Plus is the better gift for a first-time player in most cases. It starts around $160, comes in grey, purple, black or white, and can be ordered with a preloaded card, so there is nothing to set up before the first game. Save the TrimUI Brick Hammer, from around $225, for someone who already plays retro handhelds and will notice the sharper screen.
What comes in the Miyoo Mini Plus and Mini V4 combo?
The Miyoo Mini Plus and Mini V4 combo includes two complete handhelds: a 3.5-inch Mini Plus and a 2.8-inch Mini V4. You also get two 64GB TF cards, two USB-C cables, two card readers, two manuals, two travel bags and one screen protector sized for the 3.5-inch screen. It costs around $213 and comes in white, black or grey.
Bottom Line: Miyoo for Most Players, Brick for Screen Lovers
Buy the Miyoo Mini Plus if this is someone's first handheld, if it is a gift, or if you want a ready-to-play card in the box; it is the cheaper machine with the bigger screen. Buy the TrimUI Brick Hammer if you already know you love pocket retro gaming and care most about sharp pixels, a metal case and room for a 256G card.
Still weighing the budget end too? Our R36S vs R36H comparison covers it, and the full handheld consoles collection lines up every model we carry. Shipping on all of them: Arrives in 8-15 business days · Pre-ship QC · Free worldwide shipping · Tracked delivery.