If you bought your handheld from us (K-tec) then, no, you don’t need to replace it. We provide brand-name microSD cards with our handhelds and they come with our lifetime guarantee.
If you bought your handheld elsewhere, then take a look at the SD card that came with it. If it has a brand name on the card, then you should be fine. See below for recommended brands.
If the SD card does not show a reputable brand name, then it’s recommended that you replace it.
Why does the SD card need to be replaced?
The manufacturers of these retro handhelds usually supply them with cheap SD cards. It saves them money. These cards may work at first but they have a reputation for a high failure rate. The risk of the card failing increases over time.
What happens if the SD card fails
The card will experience data corruption or it will become read-only.
The way this manifests will vary depending on which data has been corrupted. Your device may no longer boot at all. You may find that you’re no longer able to save your game’s progress. Certain games may no longer run.
Your device may display more of these symptoms over time.
Which brand of microSD card should I buy?
The following is a list of reputable microSD card manufacturers:
- Kioxia
- SanDisk
- Samsung
- PNY
- Lexar
- Integral
Kingston is a famous name in the world of SD cards. However, our own experience with their cards has been disappointing. Hence, we feel unable to add them to the list.
What should you do when you receive your brand-name SD card?
Actually, before anything else, you should back-up the card(s) that came with your device. If the included card does fail while you’re waiting for your brand-name card to arrive, this can save you a lot of time. See How to backup your retro handheld’s microSD card(s) for more.
Once you’ve made a back-up, and you’ve received your new card, you should seriously consider installing custom firmware on your new card(s). This custom firmware will provide a better user experience and is likely to give better performance.
For more information on how to install custom firmware, see Retro Game Corps‘s video below. Although it specifically covers installing ArkOS on the Anbernic RG351P, it’s relevant for most retro handhelds and the principles are the same for installing other firmwares. Leave a like on the video while you’re at it.
We recommend the following custom firmwares:
| Firmware | Devices |
|---|---|
| OnionOS | Miyoo Mini. |
| ArkOS | Anbernic RG351, RG503, and RG353 devices. |
| RetroOZ | PowKiddy RGB10 MAX, RGB10 MAX 2. |
| Adam | Anbernic RG280V, RG350, RG300X. |
I’ve gotta say, I’m comfortable with all the fiddling as I’m more than experienced, but I love your attitude to adding value over the direct purchase experience, and your section on why you started K-tec inspires a lot of faith. I can’t wait to get my Miyoo from you.
I got card with my powkiddy rgb20s just got today. I what do I do
Hello Dean,
If you bought your PowKiddy RGB20S ( https://k-tec.uk/product/powkiddy-rgb20s-retro-handheld/ ) from us (K-TEC UK) then you don’t need to do anything. Our handhelds come with brand-name SD cards that we give a lifetime guarantee – https://k-tec.uk/microsd-card-guarantee/
If you bought your handheld from another source, have a look at your SD cards so see if they’re from one of the recommended brands we listed above (“Which brand of microSD card should I buy?”). If the SD cards you received with your device are not from one of the listed brands, we would recommend that you buy some new brand-name SD cards. 16GB for the system card, and another that’s at least as big as the games card you received with your RGB20S (64GB, 128GB, 256GB…).
The next step is to download the ArkOS firmware – https://github.com/christianhaitian/arkos/wiki – From the “Download Links” section, download the “RG351MP” version (the PowKiddy RGB20S is a clone of the Anbernic RG351MP). Follow the “Instructions for loading” in order to install ArkOS on the 16GB card.
After you’ve done this, insert both of your new cards into your RGB20S – the 16GB card in the “OS” slot, and the high capacity card in the other slot. Turn on your PowKiddy and wait for it to start up. Go to “Options”, then “Advanced”, then “SWITCH TO SD2 FOR ROMS”.
Once this process finishes, perform a safe shutdown of the handheld (see https://k-tec.uk/docs/kb/user-guides/powkiddy-rgb20s-user-guide/#turning-off-the-device ). Then, use your PC to copy the contents of the games card you received with your device (the one that’s 64GB or more) to the large brand-name card you bought (the one that’s 64GB or more).
Once you’ve done this, insert your new, brand-name games card into your PowKiddy RGB20S, switch it on, and you should be ready to go.