I’ve been following the community for about 2 years now. Started with a Retroid Pocket 2+, then picked up a Miyoo Mini for something that was a little easier to take on the go, then added an Anbernic rg35xx. I still think the rp2+ (and now the recently released rp2s) is the perfect 1st device. Generally handles everything up through Dreamcast without issue, 4:3 screen, decent enough buttons, affordable.
If you want something a little cheaper or in a verticle format, the rg35xx or Miyoo Mini+ are both good devices as well. I’ve never used the Miyoo Mini+, but I personally prefer the rg35xx with Garlic os to my Miyoo Mini with onion os.
If GameCube or PS2 are important to you, just get a Deck.

While I do hate everything moving to a subscription model and think we’ll be inevitably screwed in the long run, the cloud gaming feature on gamepass has been perfect for me. My ps4 broke a few years ago and instead of trying to get a ps5, I just subscribed to gamepass. I only have a laptop, and most of my gaming is while my wife or kids are using the TV. It’s so nice being able to just bring my laptop into the TV room and be able to play newer games it couldn’t run natively. If I had a console or gaming pc, I’d be gaming much less.
They offer a subscription for $5/month that includes access to all the dlc.