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ESA targets Anbernic emulation handhelds as "superfake" piracy…

The games industry group says the handhelds enable piracy, but the pirated ROM-filled SD cards are typically sold by third-party sellers; the box itself ships clean.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN Tonight
Published 9:56 PM ET, Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Photo: TomasVial · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN Tonight at 9:56 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Ars Technica's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Anbernic — Photo: TomasVial · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

First reported by Ars Technica: “ESA targets Anbernic emulation handhelds as "superfake" piracy enablers”.
Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 9:56 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Ars TechnicaESA targets Anbernic emulation handhelds as "superfake" piracy enablers

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe Entertainment Software Association is calling Anbernic's emulation handhelds "superfake" piracy enablers, even though the device itself ships without games.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA superfake! That sounds like a hero in a trading card game, and I want the holographic one.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe trouble is, it's third-party sellers who routinely load the cards with pirated games, and that is a different crime from building a handheld.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo you're saying the handheld itself is clean, but the game card is where the crime happens.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentBy that logic a blank notebook is a forgery kit. Nobody sues the pencil.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentMy cousin sold me a card with four thousand games on it and a sticky note that said trust me.

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