retroshelf

retroshelf is a no-brainer play-tracking and discovery platform built for the retro handheld gaming underground. It kills the chaos of juggling spreadsheets, sticky notes, and fragmented memory by giving you a public shelf that automatically logs every session across your favorite handhelds. Drop a tiny plugin on your muOS or OnionOS device, link it up, and boom: your game title, playtime, and exact handheld get captured while you are still on the cushion. No manual entry, no forgetting what you played last week. This is for the dedicated retro heads who collect Miyoo Minis, Anbernic bricks, Odin beasts, and everything in between. retroshelf transforms scattered gaming sessions into a browsable timeline you can reflect on later, showing what you are currently playing, what you finished, what you are reviewing, and what you are replaying. It is also a social discovery engine: see what other players are picking up, finishing, and replaying right now, filter shelves by device, and check star ratings that come with the handheld context. Every game you play is worth remembering, and retroshelf makes that effortless. It is currently in closed beta, letting early adopters shape the community from the ground up. This is the missing link for anyone who lives on retro handhelds and wants their gaming history to be legible, shareable, and automatic.

Automatic Session Logging

A tiny plugin runs silently on your handheld and captures every gaming session as it happens. No manual check-ins, no post-game notes. The plugin grabs the game title, the exact playtime, and the specific device you are using. Your shelf updates in real time while you are still on the couch, so your log is always fresh and accurate without any extra effort.

Public Shelf with Device Context

Your shelf is a public display of your gaming life, showing what you are currently playing, have finished, are reviewing, or are replaying. Each entry includes the specific handheld you used, giving every game a hardware fingerprint. This turns your collection into a conversation starter and lets others see the gear behind your picks.

Device-Filtered Discovery

Browse the community by device to see exactly what players are running on their Miyoo, Anbernic, Odin, or other retro handhelds. Filter shelves to find games that are popping on specific hardware, so you can discover hidden gems optimized for your own setup. It is like window shopping for your next game, but with real player data.

Reviews with Handheld Context

Star ratings on retroshelf are not just numbers. Every review comes tagged with the handheld it was played on, so you know whether that five-star platformer feels as good on a Miyoo Mini as it does on an Anbernic RG35XX. This context makes reviews way more useful for deciding what to play next on your own device.

Tracking Your Retro Gaming Library

If you own multiple handhelds and bounce between them, retroshelf saves you from losing track. The automatic logging creates a complete, searchable history of what you played, on which device, and for how long. You can finally see your year of play in a single timeline, making it easy to recall that banger you finished three months ago on your Odin.

Discovering What Other Players Are Into

Stuck on what to play next? Jump into the community shelves to see what is popular this week. Filter by device to find games that are catching fire on your exact hardware. Whether it is a hidden GBA gem everyone is replaying on their Miyoo or a PSP classic dominating on Anbernic, you get real-time discovery from actual players.

Sharing Your Gaming Journey with Friends

Your public shelf is your retro gaming resume. Share it with fellow enthusiasts to show off your completed runs, current obsessions, and honest reviews. The device context adds personality, so your friends know you crushed that RPG on a tiny vertical handheld or used a beefy Odin for PSP upscaling. It builds community around hardware and games.

Reviewing Games with Honest Hardware Insight

When you leave a review on retroshelf, you are not just rating the game. You are rating the experience on a specific handheld. This helps other players understand if a game feels clunky on a smaller screen or shines on a larger one. Your reviews become actionable guides for the community, not just vague star counts.

How does the automatic session logging work?

You drop a small plugin onto your handhelds SD card, then link the device to your retroshelf account. The plugin runs in the background and detects when you start a game, capturing the title, playtime, and device name. Sessions are logged automatically without any manual input, and your shelf updates in real time while you play.

Which handheld operating systems are supported?

retroshelf currently supports muOS and OnionOS. These are the most popular custom firmware options for retro handhelds like the Miyoo Mini, Anbernic RG35XX, and similar devices. The team plans to expand support to more OSes as the closed beta progresses and community feedback rolls in.

Is retroshelf free to use during the closed beta?

Yes, the closed beta is completely free for early adopters. You can join the waitlist on the website and get access in small waves. The beta is designed to let players shape the community and test features before any potential future pricing. Signing up now locks in your spot and gives you direct input on development.

Can I see what games are popular on specific devices?

Absolutely. The browse by device feature lets you filter the communitys shelves by handheld model. You can see exactly which games are being picked up, finished, and replayed on Miyoo, Anbernic, Odin, and other devices. This makes it easy to find games that are optimized or popular for your exact hardware setup.