TrimUI Smart Pro S: The Widescreen Budget King Gets a Turbo Boost
The original TrimUI Smart Pro was a bit of an underdog—well-built and beautiful, but it often felt like it was gasping for air when trying to run more demanding titles. Enter the TrimUI Smart Pro S. For 2026, TrimUI has kept the "PlayStation Vita-esque" aesthetics but swapped out the internals to create a device that finally lives up to its "Pro" moniker.
What’s Actually New?
On the outside, it looks identical to the original, but the "S" upgrade brings three critical changes that change the gameplay experience entirely:
The Processor: Moving from the Allwinner A133P to the Allwinner A523. This provides a massive jump in GPU performance (up to 2.5x faster), which is the difference between "unplayable" and "smooth" for several high-end systems.
Active Cooling: There is now a small, variable-speed fan inside. This prevents the device from slowing down (thermal throttling) during long sessions of God of War on PSP.
Clickable Sticks (L3/R3): One of the biggest complaints about the original was the lack of clickable sticks. The Pro S finally adds L3 and R3 support, which is a lifesaver for PortMaster titles and modern twin-stick games.
The Screen: Still One of the Best
The 4.96-inch IPS display remains the centerpiece. At 720p, it is significantly sharper than the 480p screens found on most competitors in this price bracket. Because it’s a 16:9 widescreen, it is arguably the best budget way to play:
PSP: It fills almost the entire screen and looks native.
GBA: With a bit of scaling, Game Boy Advance looks lush and vibrant.
Streaming: If you use Moonlight to stream games from your PC, the 720p resolution is a perfect sweet spot.
Performance: The "PSP" Threshold
The original struggled with about 50% of the PSP library. The Smart Pro S, however, handles almost the entire catalog. We tested Tekken 6 and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, and they ran at full speed without the need for aggressive frame-skipping. It also pushes into Sega Saturn and Dreamcast territory with much more confidence than its predecessor.
The "TrimUI" Feel
The controls are "clicky" rather than "mushy." The D-pad is tactile and precise—great for fighting games—and the face buttons have a short, snappy throw. The RGB rings around the joysticks are still there, adding that signature neon flair to your late-night gaming sessions.
Final Verdict
At roughly $102.99, the TrimUI Smart Pro S occupies a unique niche. It’s for the person who wants a Linux-based system (no Android setup headaches) that can actually handle widescreen gaming. It’s a more powerful, more capable "Version 2.0" that finally gives the hardware the muscles it deserved from the start.
