GamerCard is finally here! The superslim handheld brings a touch of the modern to retro gaming – there's nothing quite like it

It's been a touch more than a year since I last wrote about GamerCard – the superthin gaming handheld from the nephew of Sir Clive Sinclair – but now it's finally arrived and available to order.

I'm in the process of fully reviewing the superthin device, having had one in my hands for a few days, but I can already safely say that I've never used anything quite like it before.

Using a Raspberry Pi Zero architecture, but heavily customised, the handheld is mind-boggingly slim – just 6.5mm. It's roughly the same shape and size as a voucher card with backing – the sort you regularly find in grocery stores. And it even has the display slot at the top to hang it.

However, this is no mere disposable gift. This is a fully functioning gaming handheld that gives you access to dedicated games, a Pico-8 library, and your own retro games library stored on a microSD card.

There's a 4-inch IPS display with a 1:1 aspect ratio, 254ppi resolution (718 x 718) and 60Hz refresh rate. Charging is through USB-C with a 1,600mAh battery inside. I've not yet fully tested the battery life, but it's claimed to last from two to eight hours depending on the types of games played and brightness of the screen.

Bar its extremely thin case (which is surprisingly comfortable to hold), the other unique design choice are the snap-dome switch buttons. They are all covered by silicon, with the direction pad and action buttons underneath two large circles.

This feels odd at first, but you soon get used to it – especially once they've been worn in a bit (they are stiff from the box). It's particularly unusual on the D-pad side, where you have to learn to feel your way around the direction buttons, but it ends up surprisingly effective.

Clearly, the silicon coverings were chosen to keep the Gamecard as thing as possible, with few protrusions.

As for the software, you get a simple grid-like homescreen with settings and game icons. There are a few preinstalled (depending on the model you choose), but then there are others available through the Raspberry Pi Games store and the Pico-8 hub (which came with countless homegrown titles to play).

You can also add your own retro games via Retropie, which can also be installed from the Pi store. This uses a cutback version of Emulation Station and actually arrives with three homebrew ZX Spectrum titles – fitting for a device from Grant Sinclair.

I need more time with the GamerCard before I form my final impressions, but it must be said that the display is a real standout. It has deep, involving black levels and colour presentation, especially so for an IPS panel.

I haven't yet added my own retro games to play through emulation, but suspect it'll work particularly well with Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles, thanks to the 1:1 screen. Sinclair also wants to release new games for the Gamercard over time, so it should mix the old with the new.

You can check it out now for yourself, with orders now open on grantsinclair.com. It was originally designed to ship with internal storage, but due to the global components crisis, you can select models with included microSD cards instead.

The GamerCard starts at £99 with no microSD, so you'll have to provide your own and add the operating system and games yourself. Alternatively, a 32GB bundle is available for £125 that comes pre-loaded with six games and can be used straight from the box.

Then there's a 128GB bundle for £149, which also comes with the six games but features more storage for downloads and your own ROMs.

I'll be posting my final thoughts in the coming days. For now though, it feels like something different and new in an market so used to cheap Chinese clones. And that in itself should be applauded.