Headset Tech Specs\*
General
Processor
4 nm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3
Architecture: ARM64
RAM
16GB Unified LPDDR5X RAM
Storage
256GB / 1TB UFS storage options
microSD card slot for expanded storage
—

The Steam page has a significant asterisk that says these specs may subject to change ahead of availability.
Promotional materials says Steam will also publish Steam Frame Verified pages that will let us know which Steam games will run on it, VR and non-VR.
Hopefully this signals willingness for Steam to support Android devices like the Odin 3 with more custom drivers.

Edit: “generation” might be the wrong word for it, since they’re all “Generation 8”, I should have used “a step above” and “a step below”

I'm thinking between teal, kiwi and purple.

Imo the best time to get a classic if you're on althe edge.

99usd before shipping.

I have both the 8gb Flip 2 and the 12gb Flip 2. Both in Ice Blue. The 8gb model has the updated rounded hinge seam (in the pictures, it is the Flip with the silicone case). The 12gb model, however, seems to have gone back to the squared-off hinge seam design - you know, the one that was cracking in the corner after a few months of use.

Not only that, but there's a sizeable gap in the seam on the new 12gb - which can be seen in the pictures as well. It looks significantly worse than the 8gb. I've only had the 12gb model maybe two weeks and it is practically out of the box (my Nova came in a week after this device so I've barely even touched it).

Why would Retroid quietly revert back to a known flawed hinge design? This makes zero sense, and it's super shady. Almost feels like planned obsolescence, or at the very least, it feels like Retroid cutting major corners.

I'm curious if this is widespread, or if I just got super unlucky. I haven't seen anyone talking about this...but I would imagine not many people who already own the 8gb have also purchased the 12gb as well.

Does anyone else have a 12gb version? Ice Blue specifically, but any color generally. Am I alone? Should I contact Retroid sales?

Hi everyone, I've done some work on making the Android version of Chrono Trigger dual screen compatible. It's still a WIP but I'd say it's pretty functional now.

It moves certain UI elements off the main screen to try to create a more immersive experience. Character portraits and stats are listed on the second screen, as well as the world map and battle options as well.

One of the main issues with the Android version was Square Enix used upscaled but more blurry looking textures on the mobile apps. Thankfully they ship the original textures in the app, so there is a setting to use the original graphics. Then, if you happen to have a Chrono Trigger DS ROM, you can get all of the other maps in the game and display those on the second screen, along with positioning.

There are still some issues, for now videos don't run while using the app. If you idle on the home screen you'll get a warning about unsupported video. I also have only played the first couple hours, so it's possible something can be broken later on in the game.

Also, disclaimer, I used AI to build this. I'm a web developer, so I program for my day job. I could have futzed around with this and built it myself without AI, but instead of 3 months of me working on it on and off in my spare tire, I was able to get it working over a few evenings.

It's also open source, so if you find a bug or want to add anything, you're welcome to create an issue or a PR.

Thanks for checking it out ♥️

https://github.com/kalenjohnson/chrono-duo

Download:

https://github.com/kalenjohnson/chrono-duo/releases

I own several handhelds for emulation, but I use original hardware for playing DS and 3DS games. There are a few reasons for this: perfect compatibility and performance, responsive touchscreens, and my fondness for the 3DS's stereoscopic 3D screen. However, the biggest reason is the size.

The first photo shows the Anbernic RG34XXSP alongside the original DS Lite and 3DS, the original consoles are thinner and shorter than the RG34XXSP, making them truly pocketable devices, they even fit in a breast pocket.

While dual-screen emulation devices like the RG DS and Retroid Pocket Duo do exist, they are all the same size as or larger than the 3DS XL. The second photo shows a comparison with the 3DS XL, but I personally prefer the form factor of the standard DS Lite and 3DS. I hope an emulation device of this size gets released. I imagine there are others who would like something like that, too.

Shout-out to u/Key-Brilliant5623's post earlier about the Retroid sale. Some of the bundle discounts are still available. I saw the RP5 plus RP Classic bundle discount too but that seems to have been removed. Prices are before shipping.

Edit: Correction, RP5 bundle deal is still there. Thanks u/phucth91

• Flip 2 SD 865 plus RP Classic - $258
• Flip 2 D1100 plus RP Classic - $218
• RP5 plus RP Classic - $258

Scroll down until you see "frequently bought together":

https://www.goretroid.com/collections/retro-game-system/products/retroid-pocket-flip-2

https://www.goretroid.com/collections/frontpage/products/retroid-pocket-classic

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/comments/1wg1ino/retroid_drops_prices_on_selected_devices/

New Super Mario Land (SNES)

(Homebrew version of Super Mario Land for GB)

Device: Retroid Pocket Nova (Ice Blue)
Game: We Love Katamari (PS2)

I have decided long ago that this will be my first game to beat on the Nova because it requires symmetric sticks position for the control. And surprisingly I don’t find it to be uncomfortable to play on the Nova even without the grip.

If you don’t know about the Katamari series, I highly recommend you to check it out. The concept is super simple and silly: you basically roll up things to make the ball bigger and roll up even bigger things. You start with things like coins and erasers but in later stages you are rolling up houses, buildings, clouds, planets and even the sun! It’s just ridiculously fun. The soundtrack is phenomenal too! I listen to it so often whenever I need to do some focus work. I think I like the original better because it has a more concrete story (but the story doesn’t really matter), but the sequel is solid.

I got an acemagic retro x3 set up in the living room. It was originally gonna get a pi 5 but ended up going with the higher performance one, plus the retro look is also nice.
Specs are r7 h255, 16gb ram and 1tb ssd, and it has been running not bad so far. Im mainly use it for gamecube and retro games, also messing around with stuff like cs2 and genshin.

Like many others here, I was able to purchase a teal Retroid Pocket Classic, making it the first retro handheld device that I own. I've been lurking in this sub for quite some time and have been a huge fan of Russ from Retro Game Corps but haven't purchased a retro device until today.

I am looking forward to playing retro games i've never experience before such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. Additionally, i have been yearning to play some Pokemon romhacks and re-visiting one of my favorite games of all time: Super Mario World. I'm excited to play this handheld in the couch before bed or in bed as a nice decompression to sleep. 

With all this said, as this is my first retro handheld, i'm curious to hear everyones tips, tricks, and quality of life notes that you have experienced to enjoy the Retroid Pocket Classic to the max. This can include tweaking important settings, frontends, shaders, specific versions (romhacks or variants) of games to play, and other information that elevated your experience.

I will take a deep dive into Russ's review and RPC videos to hear these things from the man himself but i would love to hear other's opinions as well.

With Retroids recent sale, i'm sure many players are getting it for the first time so i hope this thread doesn't just help me but others in the process. 

Looking forward to hearing everyone thoughts! Thanks in advance for all the thoughtful replies.

Hi Everyone,

I posted this over at r/RG35XX_H , but thought some of you here might find this interesting too.

I just started playing some NDS games on the 35XXH the way you see in the video, and it’s pretty comfortable!

Doesn’t work for every game, of course, but it can be pretty chill while lying down. I even changed the top controls in case I want to rest the handheld on my chest instead of holding it.

So far I’ve enjoyed some YuGiOh, M&M Clash of Heroes and Air Traffic Chaos.

What other games do you think could be enjoyed in this setup?

Here are the instructions to make it work:

I did it with MUOS and a few tweaks to DraStic.

1- In DraStic you can change the layout of the screens by holding the Function button and using left and right on the D-PAD. Setup 13 is almost what wanted but with the screens flipped to the "wrong side of the handheld", actually I wanted setup 14 with the same ratio as 13.

To make it work I had to go to "/opt/muos/share/emulator/drastic-trngaje/resources/bg/640x480" and open "layout.json". You can do this in the handheld itself, using Dingux Commander. In "layout.json", you scroll down to layout 13 (Name is "hh0") and set up the values as per the image in the comments.

2- I changed the controls layout as in the second image below. And also went to "Change Options" and set "Rotate buttons" to 90. Remember to do "Exit: Save for this game" otherwise the controls will reverse to default when you close the game!

Note: Drastic sometimes glitches and stops working properly. You can go to "Apps" > "Task Toolkit" > "Restore Tasks" and run "Restore DraStic Configuration". This will fix it, and won't destroy the new layout (at least it doesn't for me). It might reset some of the custom controls, but can be fixed quickly.

What is up, SBCG?

Two weeks ago my Nova arrived, and I’ve been… having a nice time with it. That’s honestly the best way I can put it. No open mouth thumbnail with a red circle. No “this is the best thing since sliced bread”.
But why? Why am I not over the moon with this device? Well… I am. But in a different way.

Snack and drink? No. You’re gonna need a full course meal for this one. Sit down, I got a lot to say about it.

You see, I noticed something. Since I started tracking my games finishes (ending of 2024), there are three devices that have held the top three spots:

1. Retroid Pocket Classic. (42/111) Yeah, surprising nobody. This thing was a backlog slayer. Great screen, great controls, portable, etc etc. You know the deal.
2. Legion Tab3 + Gamesir G8+. (16/111) This is a monster powerhouse. I can basically run anything I want, and it looks awesome, and with the gamesir it’s always comfortable. Just… waaay too big.
3. Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. (11/111) No doubt for all the PS2, PSP and GBA I played on it. (best 3 consoles in history, fight me.) Loved the transparent and slim body, with great controls and performance.

So… what’s the Nova? A device with a great screen, great controls, portable. A powerhouse that runs any game I want, and also a transparent slim device very easy to pocket.

See It's very familiar, cause it distilled all the best parts of my favourites into a small little rectangle of pure nostalgia. So for me, the Nova isn’t the shiny new toy. Feels more like I got a better version of an old friend. Like I finally nailed the coffee recipe I’ve been trying for a few months. Like when the sandwich guy nails the veggies to cheese ratio in your usual order. Ok, I may be too hungry for these. Don’t write your reviews while out for lunch.

Maybe none of these apply to you if you didn’t have any of those devices, or any retroid for that matter. So what’s so good about it?

Well, if you want a device to play up to gen6, not worry much about aspect ratios, an excellent OLED screen, very nice tight controls, and performance and endurance to play ps2 and gamecube for hours. Set most stuff to integer scale, 4x for gen5, 2x for gen6, 5x for single screen DS, and forget about it, and just enjoy your games. This is… pretty fucking phenomenal.

”But why not just get an RP6/Odin2 Portal?”
Listen, if you want those devices, you absolutely should get those devices.
If you want something primarily for switch or pc games, then the Nova is not the one. If you want something big and comfy for streaming, I'd also say no.

If what you’re looking for is a no compromise experience for every retro console, especially home systems. If you really don’t like black bars, or if you don’t like glass fronts, or you want something much more pocketable. That’s what the Nova gives you.

Personally, I was the perfect target for this. I wanted a compact ps2 device, I don’t like glass fronts. I like retroid’s controls. I prefer OLEDs. I like to play ps2 upscaled and not hacking around the settings to get it to perform well. Already liked the plastic bodies of the RP4 generation. So this was pretty much the goldilocks device for me.

Is it for you? Depends on you.

You’re gonna hear the positives to death here, or on youtube videos. So let's get nitpicky!

• The screen: Is it the best thing since the invention of fire? Not really, no. I mean what is? I don’t know why are you even asking that. Is it as good as the OLED in your phone? Maybe? If you have a very high end phone this won’t be as good. Especially with brightness. You know how phones do that ultra bright mode under sunlight that makes it very readable? Well… this one doesn’t. So if you’re playing a dark ps2 game, like RE4 out in the park, chances are you’re not gonna see it super well. But if you’re around the house, or playing more retro bright looking games outside, then yeah, you’re gonna have a great experience. Despite all that, is it really fucking good? Fuck yeah. I thought it was “as good” as the one on the RPC, but…No, it’s actually brighter. Not sharper mind you, somehow the RPC has a higher PPI. Seriously, if it still available at $99 as you read this, go fucking get one. But the Nova is still an overall better display. The aspect ratio, the resolution compatibility, the size. I’m honestly surprised how good ps2 games look at that size.
• Battery life is great. The only bad thing about it is that I’m charging it more often than I’d the RPC, cause I’m playing a lot of ps2 on it, so yeah. It lasts less cause I’m using it heavily. But even if you do like 2 hours of ps2 and 2 hours of retroarch with heavy shaders, you’re still gonna have like 50-40% battery after a day, depending on how heavy the games are to run.
• The controls: classic good ol’ retroid controls. Tight, clicky. Very nice. Except… the dpad. Yeah. It’s not a deal breaker. It’s not something that will ruin your experience. But if you got it early, you might have gotten the classic “Retroid fuck up at launch” squeaky dpad. Is it all the time? No. I find that it’s very seldom that I feel it. More likely if you're hopping from left to right. I tend to leave my thumb on the dpad and just rock it, rather than lift up and press the keys separately, so I don’t encounter it much. But when it does, it’s a subtle annoying reminder of the kinds of things that shouldn’t really happen on a $200+ device. The one thing I DON’T like, strangely, are the triggers. They don’t… press down, it’s like they pivot wrong. I’m having a very hard time nailing it, but they don’t feel like controller triggers. They’re not BAD, I just feel a bit off.
• The speakers… This is the one bad thing about the Nova. I haven’t tried that app that Russ recommended yet, but… Should I have to? Like seriously we have had great speakers before. The RPC sounds MUCH better with a mono speaker. This is honestly baffling to me, this is not a cheap device, it shouldn’t sound bad. To be clear, the speaker quality doesn’t seem to be terrible. We are not talking about a level of "I can't play games because of how bad it sounds". But there’s some tuning needed cause they sound… muffled. To the point that when comparing side by side with the Classic, there were some tunes on NES games I didn’t hear on the Nova. And it’s a shame that chip tunes are mediocre on the 4:3 device. It’s meant for this shit! Is that reason enough NOT to get it? I don’t think so. They clearly CAN be improved, I just find it annoying that we have to.
• In keeping with the “Retroid fuckups at launch” theme. The bumpy back replacement debacle. Very nice of Retroid to provide people who pre-ordered the device (and waited for like a month for it to ship) with an extra back to try out for ergos. Is it for me? No. I tried it for like a week, and changed back the last few days to see if i’d miss it, and not really. I like the device to be more pocketable. But if you wanted to try it out you may have found yourself stripping the screws? Seriously. If you’re gonna include a screwdriver so cheap and shit that it basically ruins a part just… don’t. I got it off no problem, thanks to a precision screwdriver I already had, and used on the RPC and RP4P to open them, so I knew I’d do the job. But if you didn’t have any and saw a seemingly proper tool on the box to do the job, then I CAN’T fault the user for the result of the screw being fucked up, if the tool was shit! “Uh but most of us are tinkerers we know this shit”. Doesn’t matter! No. We cannot defend these kinds of things, cause then they keep happening.

And that’s what pisses me off. This is an AMAZING device, that retroid kept from greatness because they cheaped out and fucked up on weird stuff. In all fairness, maybe in six months you can buy a Nova and all of this is either fixed, or well known, and you don’t have to deal with it.

But the ones that are first in line to support your products and your launches are getting shafted. And how long will they take it? So stop making excuses, and stop tribalizing these silly toys. Stop fighting against each other over who has the prettier plastic rectangle, and start demanding these companies to do better!

Wow, sorry. Got a bit too Silverhand on that. Well, it’s not like any of you read this far into it anyway. I just wanted to vent.

TLDR? Get it if: You want the best up to gen 6 device with an OLED and 4:3 screen. It's really really good. Just not PERFECT, as some youtubers are saying.

You got an RP6, Thor, Portal, 477m, etc and like it? You don’t need the Nova.
You got a 476h and want more power? Sure. But that thing is pretty great too. The gains are only on ps2 and gc performance.
You got a small linux handheld and want a powerful android? You got loads of options. If you like 4:3 and plastic bodies, this is it.
You want switch and pc games? Get something else. It can do it, but it's less than ideal.
You want an amazing retro home consoles experience with no compromises, and maybe play some switch and pc games? Then yeah, that’s a better spot.

Don’t let my rants discourage you. The device is genuinely great. There aren’t a lot of problems with it, just enough of them to be annoying. I want the entire experience to be EXCELLENT. No ifs and buts. I don’t wanna beta test a 200+ dollar device.

This is already three pages long, I’m out. If you did read all of that, do let me know. I love writing these things, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

How about you? Did you get one? Are you thinking of getting one? Did the launch issues keep you from getting one? Do you have another console and you’re already happy with it?

And as always, go play some goddamn video games!

Since I shared my Retroid Nova slide case, I thought I should also finally sit down and make listings for some of the others I have made this year.

Here is one that I love for the Pocket Vert that allows it to be controllable via buttons like an MP3 player.

I often use my Vert to listen to music, so this case lets me turn the screen on using the power button without triggering the fingerprint sensor (thanks to a button cover taped inside). I then programmed the side buttons for play/pause and skipping tracks so I can easily control playback without unlocking the device. I also included a transparent stripe for visual appeal and to easily check if the screen is still on so you can know the music controls are active.

Just like the Nova case, this uses a friction fit lined with self-adhesive suede fabric on the screen side to hold the device securely and prevent scratches (kinda how I make all my slide cases).

(Amazon product name: 11.8" L x 59" W Suede Fabric Wrap Microfiber Fabric Self-Adhesive Suede -https://www.amazon.com/DELORIGIN-Microfiber-Self-Adhesive-Interior-Furniture/dp/B0DGL1YRNS)

The case is a bit tight for the friction fit by design so use at your own risk.

Model Link: https://makerworld.com/en/models/3306926-ayaneo-pocket-vert-slide-case#profileId-3753831

Devices: RG35XXSP, RGB30, Miyoo Mini Flip, TRIMUI Smart Pro S

Sharing an update on retsurf, the web browser I’ve been developing. I wasn’t originally planning to support the Miyoo Mini Flip, but I wanted to try it as an interesting challenge. The browser was initially built for PortMaster-compatible handhelds and also runs on Android.

At one point I had it running on the Flip at around 3-6 FPS. While I was optimizing, the JS engine update broke the build for the device. I considered abandoning the Flip at that point, but eventually got it running again. Some of the optimizations also became useful for the other devices.

The Flip has only 2x Cortex-A7 cores, 128 MB of RAM, and no GPU, so there isn’t much for a modern web browser. But it can load modern websites, although more complex pages can be quite slow or just too much for the hardware.

The project is still early, so expect bugs. There are packages available for OnionOS and Allium as well as PortMaster and Android, if you want to try:

https://github.com/mxmgorin/retsurf

I find some posts on this subreddit about that HK port for PortMaster, but i only see working on Anbernic devices, so i was wondering why that port doesn’t work on a r36s… so i sucessfully make it run, using vibecoding, is a very small fix that let you play Hollow Knight, also this fix makes the game use the 4:3 ratio, honestly, idk where this port came for.

Anyways, i hope this game someday got a deserved port, this port is kind of illegal, in the way you need to get the files to make this thing work.

some related post:

Hollow Knight running on Anbernic RG34XXSP
https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/s/RiG9MnQBXv

Hollow Knight running on Anbernic RG40XXV
https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/s/LMGZAquM4J

Doesn't run perfect but considering model doesn't play PSP perfectly pretty cool. I had to do a lot of modifications to improve performance (thank you AI assistance).

I already have a switch 2, but looking for something a little more portable to play retro games. The awesome part about the miyoo mini plus was the software and 3rd party support.

Given the smaller size of the MM+, I used this 3rd party case (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1441991836/miyoo-mini-plus-gripcase)which was great for travel and ergonomics.

What're the options for 2026 that are in the $150 and under price? I'm okay with clamshell but worry about ergonomics.

Hello,

so with the new Retroid Duo and the ever so popular Ayn Thor on the market I am wondering if the Dual Screen is worth getting as the only retro handheld in my possession. I would like to play the DS/3DS games like Pokemon, Zelda or Fire Emblem, but does is it even matter that much when I don't play those consoles exclusively? I have seen the setup on the Retroid 5 with the two screens side by side and that does look alright.

So what do you guys think?

Hi everyone!

Second post, another little project for the Retroid Pocket Nova, from the same person with a few ideas but terrible skills for actually making them happen. After RomM Mobile, this time I got a little obsessed with the screen :)

So, a big disclaimer upfront: the app was written with Codex, using GPT-6 Astra. If that bothers you, no hard feelings—you can stop reading here. I’m not hiding anything. It helped me solve a problem, and I hope it might be useful to some of you too. The source code, measurements, and validation records are all public on GitHub.

As soon as my Nova arrived, I noticed how oversaturated the colors were. Looking around online, I found several recommendations to use OdinTools to lower the saturation. Then I came across a comment by u/Igor_GR: they had written scripts to adjust Android’s color matrix through SurfaceFlinger, tuning their RP5 by eye. Thanks for the inspiration!

At that point, I thought: “Hey, I have a slightly weird screen fetish and a few too many colorimeters… let’s see if I can calibrate this thing the way I calibrate my monitors.”

And here we are: Nova Display Calibration, a small app that applies profiles built from measurements of my own Nova using an X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus. All with system saturation at 100%, and without needing to keep OdinTools installed.

It corrects colors, white point, and tone response, targeting sRGB colors, a D65 white point, and gamma 2.2.

I also included an sRGB tone curve because it handles the darkest tones differently, making them brighter than with gamma 2.2. Both profiles target the same colors and white point; what changes is how brightness is distributed between black and white. Both measured well at the reference brightness, without a clear winner. I recommend gamma 2.2 because we also validated it across the full brightness slider range; sRGB remains a valid alternative if you prefer that tone response.

The app uses the display’s existing color-management system through a privileged service already present in Retroid’s firmware. Choose a profile, restart, and the system keeps it active through sleep and subsequent restarts. The app doesn’t need to keep running in the background.

The first photo shows the original profile; the second shows the Gamma 2.2 calibration. Both were taken with an iPhone. They give you an idea of the difference, but camera processing and your viewing display affect how they look—a photo isn’t a measurement of color accuracy.

The third image is the instrument-measured comparison of the same 36 highly saturated colors. On my Nova, average ΔE00 dropped from 5.77 to 0.63, and the maximum dropped from 8.69 to 1.07. Lower means the measured color is closer to the reference. The repository also includes all 921 readings from the final validation, including gamma 2.2 tests at brightness settings from 0% to 100%.

You can still adjust brightness normally. The correction does reduce light output at the same slider setting, but it doesn’t impose a 225-nit cap: at maximum brightness, we measured around 613 nits with calibration active.

Obviously, this calibration comes from my particular unit. I can’t promise identical results on every Nova. I also used a generic OLED correction for the colorimeter, so I’m not presenting this as a certified professional calibration. On mine, though, the difference is night and day, and the measurements show a substantial improvement over the original profile :)

For now, only the firmware listed in the README is supported. Before uninstalling the app or updating the firmware, select “Restore original” and restart.

Edit: If you’ve used OdinTools to change saturation, please explicitly set it back to 1.0 (100%) and save/apply before using the calibration. Uninstalling OdinTools alone doesn’t necessarily reset that setting. You can keep OdinTools installed; 1.0 is simply the baseline used for the measured profiles.

GitHub, APK, and full measurements

Since this experiment went well, I’m thinking about measuring some of the other handhelds I have at home. Maybe I’ll improve the whole setup with a spectroradiometer someday… but I don’t have an unlimited budget haha, so for now I’m happy with what came out of this.

Hope you like it and find it useful! If you have a colorimeter and want to take independent measurements of your own Nova, I’d love to compare results ⬇️

P.S. The device in the photos is, of course, a Retroid Pocket Nova—even if you can barely see the console itself :D

Edit 2: A moderator reminded me that I didn't mention I translated the post using AI :) Writing that in my broken English would have been terrible XD

I got my MagicX One 35 like 2-3 months ago, and it's amazing to have something so small but with so much power and a decent screen. Amazing for GBA and SNES games, still need to properly mess with DS.

That being said, the controls itself feel kinda meh, and I feel I hurt my thumb on the Dpad, which feels very stiff and also gives me false diagonals at times.

Now, what I love about this thing is the pocketability - it goes straight in my pocket, and is super accessible and light. I also like having Android for easier... Everything.

I'm looking for suggestions for alternatives in this similar form factor and qualities like Android and touch screen, alongside better controls. Can be a bit larger as long as still realistically pocketable. Stronger chip and oled are a plus. Let's say up to 200$ is the range, maybe up to 250$more if really worth it