Hey there, kuiskaaja!
I know this isn't the 'IRL' part of things, but I had a couple people who I chatted to a bunch who desperately wanted the same thing, except...online. After recommending a bunch of options, in the end I revived an old (and abandoned) Discord server we had, and invited all my friends from the retro handheld scene there.
- Russ (RGC)
- Gamma (GammaOS)
- WhatCookie (RPCS3)
- Mothrip (Cocoon)
- ChrisCovers (Retroid)
- Camille (Eden)
- Nathan (iiSU)
...and just so, so, so many more. All the developers and creators I know joined in. So if you do want a (very small!) space to chat about handhelds with others, send me a DM and I'll send you an invite :)