#Dual-screen handheld gaming device puts a new twist on the Nintendo DS design

Although most handheld gaming devices follow the same horizontal design as the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, there are a few that try to think outside the box as well. There are, for example, clamshell form factors that look more like tiny laptops, while some try to go down memory lane with box Game Boy-like designs. There are even those that try to mimic the removable Joy-con controllers of the OG Switch, though with mixed success.

One design that pops up now and then aims to bring back the unique experience of the Nintendo DS and its two screens. Of course, most of these follow the same clamshell form factor, but one upcoming design is giving it a rather unconventional twist. Rather than presenting two screens from the get-go, the ONEXSUGAR offers a device that changes between one and two screens, almost like a small transforming robot.

Designers: ONE-NETBOOK x Sugar Cubes

Designing a dual-screen isn’t that difficult these days considering how far technology has come. Making it interesting and not feel like a Nintendo DS clone, however, requires a bit more creativity. Never mind potential legal landmines, having a handheld device that just opens up to reveal two small screens on top of each other feels almost dated and mundane. It’s no surprise, then, that Samsung’s own take on a foldable gaming device garnered quite the attention at MWC 2025 last month.

ONE-NETBOOK, a purveyor of unconventional handheld and portable devices, might be turning heads with its new design as well. Dubbed the ONEXSUGAR due to its collaboration with gaming device design Sugar Cubes, this dual-screen is clearly no Nintendo DS clone, no matter how much the two are compared. At first glance, it looks like a very thick but otherwise normal handheld gaming device, with split controllers flanking the large screen.

The magic happens, however, when you flip those controllers sideways until they’re upside down. Then you flip the squarish screen on the back to settle between those controllers. Turn the device upside down and you’ve got a Nintendo DS look alike, except that you can’t fold the gaming device at an angle and still play because the second screen folds backward instead of forward.

Yes, that square screen sits on the back of the console when not in use. Judging by the promo photos, however, it can still be used even when folded back, though the exact use case for that configuration is unclear. Maybe it can mirror what you’re playing so you can have a captive audience watching in front of you.

The ONEXSUGAR design is undoubtedly unique and interesting, though it leaves quite a few concerns as well. The durability of the hinges will definitely be in question, especially now that there are three of them. Heat management and internal component layout will be another worry since the presence of a second screen that stays on the back where these heat-generating parts live complicates things a bit. We’ll just have to wait and see how it will fare and whether or not it’ll end up like the failure that was the AYANEO Flip DS.