This is my first handheld since the Game Boy Advance, and I’m loving the Retroid Pocket 6. I got the 8GB model.. (12gb are hard to find) I got a brand new one from ebay (screen protector , case and the grips) mainly to play PS2 and GameCube games, and the performance has been amazing. It feels solid, the buttons feel great, and the front ends are so worth setting up.
As a father of a 3-month-old, it’s the perfect little device to keep me occupied instead of doomscrolling. This thing is freakin’ amazing.

I love him. I pray for him. The best thing that RETROID has done!! :D

just feels so right!

Model: 12gb Memory /128gb Storage

spent a little over a week with the RP6 and it’s easily my favorite handheld i’ve ever owned. device has played everything i’ve thrown at it pretty flawlessly

i’m gaming more and actually getting through titles. trying to keep the library minimal for now as to not have choice fatigue but here’s a couple of my favorite games and systems i’m trying out:

PSVita - RP6 just feels like it was meant to run Vita. runs @ 2-3x resolution with minimal settings changes (really just needed to update latest driver)
-Ultimate MvC 3 (runs great, cutscenes have some animation issues)
-The Swapper (flawless)
-Dead Nation (flawless)

PS2 - runs @ 3-4x resolution. I can’t believe I have a PS2 in my pocket. got to revisit my old library and actually completed a play through of some games.
switching between openGL or Vulkan may work better for some games
-MK Shaolin Monks (near flawless, had to lower resolution on some fights/scenes)
-The Force Unleashed (near flawless, controls a bit clunky)
-LOTR 2 & 3 (runs great @ 4x)
-Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (perfect @ 4x)
-Spartan Total Warrior (runs great, some character model rendering issues)

Steam - via GameHub (Droid Deck and GameNative did not work well for me) after changing some settings, games ran well
-Sleeping Dogs (consistent 60 FPS @ 720p) great game!
-Cairn (got around 20-30 FPS) too many dips to be enjoyable but was excited to actually get it to run. didn’t have the patience to tinker so just moved on for now

and that’s it! I hope you all have enjoyed this little device as much as I have. if you are on the fence about purchasing it I wouldn’t hesitate!

notes: battery life is better than expected. amoled screen is beautiful!

Lot of discourse about the recent clamshells that Anbernic and Retroid are pushing out. This post is just me yapping shortly about them and summarizing most points, as well as what I'd want personally as an endgame device. This is strictly my own bias, feel free to let me know what you think.

In summary:

Retroid Duo: Great screens, not enough power for endgame, stick bottom which is strange for 3DS and other slightly modern titles you might play, unremovable stick caps that some people dislike comfort-wise

Anbernic RGDDS: Great concept, great design since it mimics 3DS, great performance, has a stylus, lackluster screens, horrendous pricing, not OLED, 60hz, ai button but officially stated that it can be remapped (was never too mad about this one since it could help translate games)

AYN Thor: Great screens, great performance, all glass makes it more fragile, bit thick, closes a bit harshly, uneven lip means it doesn't close flush, weird bottom screen ratio

For what I'd want is very simple and a mix of all 3

- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 like the Thor

- OLED 120 hz for both screens, they can be 16:9 on top and 4:3 on bottom like the Duo

- Design can be similar to the RGDDS. The nostalgic look of RGDDS is peak but can be tweaked to be more modern like a slightly wider screen

- Plastic front, no lip unlike the Thor so it closes evenly

- Included stylus

Optional:

- Would be nice if it was a bit smaller but big isn't bad, would just be more of an at-home console or for bags rather than pockets

TLDR: snapdragon 8 gen 2, Duo screens, RGDDS's design more or less, with an included stylus would be my endgame. Until then I just wait until it (ever) exists

What are your guys thoughts and what would you be okay with/not be okay with for a potential "Dream Dual Screen Handheld"?

Got a Flip 2 a couple days ago and am struggling to come to grips with the ergonomics. My main problem is that using the dpad and bumpers at the same time requires you to stretch your index fingers awkwardly. Is this something you get used to, or am I just holding it wrong? If not, I’m debating returning or selling it and getting a nova or rp6.

Hi all,

I'm trying to understand the consternation over the Pocket Duo having the two analog sticks in parallel. On the RGC impressions video he complained about it like it was self-evidently a bad thing and I've been seeing a lot of complaints on here as well.

Ergonomically, what is bad about having the sticks be parallel like in this device? It has been years since I handled a 3DS so I know that the controller layout isn't the same as that was but I don't have a strong memory of why it might have felt better.

I've used devices like a Playstation controller where the sticks are parallel and Switch joycons where they are not and haven't really noticed a difference.

Apologies if this sounds like trolling, I am not trying to defend the layout or say that it doesn't matter, I am thinking about getting the device and the fact that this decision seems to be universally panned is giving me pause, but I am trying to understand why.

EDIT: Thanks for all the comments. Sounds like the main complaints are needing to reach further for the triggers, and by having a main part of the control lower down, the device doesn't sit in your hands as well and so requires a more uncomfortable grip on that side. Since this is meant for DS/3DS games primarily it would make sense to move the D Pad down instead.

After nearly three weeks of almost zero communication from Retroid, I have to throw in the towel on owning a working Nova. Some of you might have seen my post about my Nova arriving wet and damaged. I got one email back asking me if the Pocket Classic that was also in my order was working. I told them yes, only the Nova seems to have problems (it smells and the R1 and M2 buttons don't work). Since then, nothing. I was told in other online spaces that Retroid would most likely do nothing about this and it seems like they were right. I'm happy you all get to enjoy this device but I just had bad luck. The Pocket Classic is cool at least and I think it was an amazing deal at 100 bucks.

First attempt to boot from USB, not sure yet if it'll work. Previously I booted from a microSD, but my Kingston microSD recently broke after only a couple of weeks of use. Maybe I was sold a fake microSD. I think a USB flash drive will be more reliable in any case.

Actually, I'm not doing this for gaming, on Armada OS it's really convenient to test the Turnip driver.I just noticed that games on the AYN Odin 3 sometimes consume much less RAM, for example system with Elden Ring on the Odin 3 seems to use 8 GB, while on the Retroid Pocket 6 it's around 10. My RP6 version is the 8 GB one, so I got curious and I think I found that UBWC in Turnip on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is not enabled everywhere it could be, which is where the difference comes from. But I haven't had time to check everything before my microSD broke and part of the work was lost along with it, so if this works out I'll make a separate post about it.

Hey everyone! I’ve already ordered my Retroid Pocket Duo, and now I’m trying to figure out what microSD card to get for it.

This is my first step into gaming on something outside of the mainline consoles, so I’m pretty excited to try out emulation and play some games I never got around to playing before!

I’m mainly planning on playing:

Nintendo 3DS games

GameCube games

DS and GBA games

PSP, PS1, and other older systems

I’ve been trying to look up what microSD card would be best, but it’s surprisingly hard to find the actual right specs for this sort of thing. A lot of the information I find is either too general or doesn’t really explain what you need for emulation.

So, what’s the sweet spot for storage and speed?
Would 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB be the best choice?
How fast does the card actually need to be? Is a regular card good enough, or is it worth paying extra for a faster one?
Are there any particular brands or models you’d recommend?

I’m mainly looking for the best balance between price, storage, and performance without spending extra on features that won’t make a noticeable difference.

Would love to hear what you guys use in your Retroid devices and what you’d recommend for a beginner. Thanks!

It's been a while since I owned a Retroid Pocket Nova. I wanted to showcase how I use it.

Picture 1 - Hotel Dusk DS using Dual Screen add on.

Picture 2 - Left 4 Dead 2 using Gamenative. Dual Stick shooters work well with the official grip. Quite a few PC games support 4:3

Picture 3 - Pokemon Black DS using it in a vertical orientation. Right stick is set up as D Pad controls. Can easily play with one hand woth access to touch ibputs. This allows pocketability for DS games (in my opinion Nova is more pocktable than both Duo and Thor without the attachment due to how thin it is as well as weighing around 100g less).

Picture 4 - Skate 3 Android Port. Many official and unofficial Android ports are getting released. Many of these support 4:3 including Call of Duty, Fez, Dead Cells, Twilight Princess, Simpsons Hit and Run, Dave the Diver, Subnautica, Geometry Wars 3, Dredge, Bully, Ball X Pitt and etc.

Picture 5 - ESDE Front End. I have set it up where vidoes play instantly with a box art. Its like browsing a museum. Nova is simply the best for older retro emulatuon due to 4:3, and the native landscape 12phz OLED panel has the lowest input lag.

Picture 6 - Sonic All Stars Racing on Gamenative. I found some games that support 4:3 dont work with 960p resolution. If that is the case you have to change the resolution to 720p which resolved it for this game.

Picture 7 - Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow DS. For DS games that use the 2nd screen as a map I find using MelonDS with 2nd screen at 2x with transparency is perfect. Nova screen is perfect for full screen DS games because its perfect integar scaling for scrap 2D pixels.

Picture 8 - Chrono Trigger DS using Dual Screen add on and grip. For long play sessions at home I find the grip and Dual Screen add on more comfortable than actual clamshells. The reason is clamshells tend to have a boxy design with sharp corners.

Picture 9 - 007 Everthing or Nothing Gamecube. Nany dont know that GameCube originally was design with stereo 3D in mind. Dolphin supports Stereo 3D natively. Because if this around 50 percent of games work with stereo 3D perfectly with no visual bugs. Even the menus pop out in 3D. I use my Rokid Max XR Glasses to get a perfect full Side By Side 3D effect. By default Android only supports half resolution side by side for Dolphin. I managed to resolve this by installing Shizuku and Second Screen and display in full resolution side by side for glorious high resolution Stereo 3D graphics. Of course for Azahar by default it support full resolution side by side 3D.

About 5 months ago I posted my "perfect trio" here, in my perfect trio I was using the Retroid Pocket Mini V2 as an EDC device, I was always in my pocket in my jacket.

I ended up making a change and today my EDC handhelds is the RG Rotate, the same screen aspect ratio of the MiniV2 (unfortunately it is not OLED), and although it does not have analogues, what I usually play is not necessary for.

So today these are the laptops I use the most, and for my use I think they end up completing each other.

Rp6 - AynThor - Anbernic RGRotate.

Has anyone had any experience with their item being sent back to retroid before it went international? I emailed them a few days ago but still yet to receive a reply, just wondering if anyone has first hand experience with this sort of issue

It was not hard at all to set up… and it runs quite well. Avg like 40-60 fps. I’ve wanted to play this game for years, now I just need a mod to get rid of the black bars lmao. Pretty cool

I kid, of course. I dont expect them to release yet another variant, but man I wish they would.

I want a Duo Plus, where they drop in nova's chipset and 12gb ram..... and no, thor is not the same.

and

I also would like a Duo Lite Plus Plus.... Just like Lite Plus (with inline triggers and duo's chip) but with duo's screens.... or would they instead call this a Duo Minus?

Not even about OLED for me though. I think I'd honestly prefer the LCD, but the bottom is smaller screen on the lite, and Im scared of input latency.

This is what I've come up with as a middle ground between bulky grip and no grip at all.

It's too early to say I love it, but I prefer it already over resting the heavy device on my pinkies.

So I am installing Droid Deck on my RP5. This is my first time messing around with Steam. What good games play well on RP5?

I'm thinking of getting a Retroid Pocket Nova and using gamehub. How does it fare for games such as Sleeping dogs, Once Human, Batman Arkham city and Skyrim? I know skyrim works but i'm not sure if thats without tweaks.

Any advice would be very helpful!

I was almost certain to go with RP6, but everyone keeps glazing over Nova, how they returned RP6 after using it, how even if its not that ergonomic they keep using it longer and more often than touching RP6..

I spent like two weeks non-stop comparing them from YouTube and reddit, but I need MORE.

I am 90% sure I would go straight into Pocknix/Armada instead of Android, I want to play a lot of retro stuff since this would be my first retro handheld, but also I plan to use it with dock instead of my Nintendo Switch as one to rule them all.

Which one folks? And 8 or 12GB?

https://github.com/zFitness/gow3_android/blob/android/README.en.md

Can anyone who already has the lite or the base model tell me how the analog stick being down feels while playing ps2 or gamecube games that make use of it? Are they really as bad as russ makes them out to be?

The analog stick placement is the only thing keeping from getting the duo so id like to know how it actually feels

Hello all - so I've had my RP6 for a little over a month but today I accidentally discovered something weird with the buttons on the back of the system.

If I press just to the side of them and on the front of the screen, it triggers as if I actually pressed it. I haven't dropped or banged it up in anyway. Does this happen to anyone else or is it just me? If so, I will reach out to Retroid and see what they have to say on it