ESA Urges US Government Crackdown on Retro Handhelds Preloaded with Unlicensed Games

The Entertainment Software Association has submitted a formal filing requesting that the United States government take action against portable retro gaming systems that ship with unauthorized game libraries. In an October submission to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the trade group described these plug-and-play and handheld gadgets as superfakes designed to closely mimic legitimate electronics while profiting off widespread copyright infringement.

According to the trade association, these units often arrive with storage media housing thousands of unauthorized titles spanning multiple historic console generations, including the NES, Super NES, PlayStation 1, and Sega Genesis. The submission singled out manufacturer Anbernic for producing devices styled after classic hardware while bundling extensive catalogues of unauthorized software. The filing emphasized that ready-to-play collections eliminate technical barriers for everyday consumers, directly harming legitimate sales of remasters, compilations, and digital subscription services.

To curb the proliferation of these pre-installed libraries, the trade organization urged the government to place such operations onto its annual Notorious Markets List. Additionally, the group proposed a multi-step enforcement framework asking authorities to inspect bundled media, mandate proof of software licensing from merchants, target supply chains at customs, and penalize online storefronts that repeatedly distribute copyright-infringing gaming devices.