1w ago

A retro gaming handheld console has been amazing for me and I want to recommend it

This little handheld console has been so great. My PC and Steam Deck must be so disappointed with me.

I had been following r/SBCgaming for a while and never felt the need to play very old console games. But now it seems that these consoles have really come a long way in what they can play. I saw reviews for the Retroid Pocket 5 and thought it looked amazing. Then I saw the prices of the Retroid Pocket 4 pro and it was a no brainer.

I bought the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro on eBay for £120 (probably could have gotten it cheaper, but I rushed to buy this). The fact that such a tiny and pocketable handheld can run Nintendo Switch games (less demanding ones) really blows my mind. I carry this with me everywhere. It fits in pretty snug trouser pockets and is only slightly bigger than my phone (although my phone is an S23 Ultra with a chunky case). I’ve had it for over 2 weeks and I’m still in the honeymoon phase and using this instead of my gaming PC or Steam Deck. I’m discovering consoles I never owned (3DS and Wii games). The fact that it plays Android games as well is such a great bonus (mainly Balatro with save game sync online) is such a great bonus. It has WiFi 6, hall effect analog sticks (much better than the Switch!), an IPS display, headphone port, analog triggers, bluetooth 5.2 and a decent battery. This this has no business being this good.

For anyone else interested:

· If you’re looking for an affordable, pocketable console with good performance then the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is amazing and I would recommend it. Buy this on eBay as people are unloading these to upgrade to the new console.

· If you want better performance then the Retroid Pocket 5 has a better SOC and much better screen, but is twice the price and much less pocketable. Order on AliExpress when there’s a sale/coupons.

· Buying a console like this is a bit like adopting Linux.... You’ve got to be willing to tinker and troubleshoot. It took me hours to set it up (use this guide) and I still haven’t sorted out Vita emulation.

This is a device I didn’t know much about and really didn’t expect to enjoy this much. If you haven’t come across these little consoles, definitely take a look! If you want to test the waters and see if this is for you, then starting with emulation on your phone will is a good way to start.

Review video

Retro Pocket 5 review video

Video comparison

Gaming @beehaw.org

cRazi_man @lemm.ee

1w ago

A retro gaming handheld console has been amazing for me and I want to recommend it

games @hexbear.net

cRazi_man @lemm.ee

1w ago

A retro gaming handheld console has been amazing for me and I want to recommend it

Games @sh.itjust.works

cRazi_man @lemm.ee

1w ago

A retro gaming handheld console has been amazing for me and I want to recommend it

39 comments

I have a RP3+ but after using it a while, Android is too much of a hassle.
Miyoo Mini or Anbernic equivalents running Linux are so much easier. There's no setup- just put your roms in a folder and go. I spent hours on the Retroid just trying to to get launchers looking nice and emulators configured.
But the critical feature is Android will never have a fast boot. When you hit the power on the Miyoo it saves the game state and completely powers down. It doesn't go to sleep like Android where the bat is dead a day later. The Miyoo will have power weeks later. And because it boots in 10 seconds right into the middle of the game exactly when you hit power off, it's not a problem to wait for a full boot.
- So I started looking at these two companies. It looks like only anbernic has a horizontal. A lot of those actually run Android, but it appears the best Linux one is the 40xx. Do you know if that's correct, or any other input that would help me select one? Thanks in advance.
  *Edit: Also, to anyone else interested. Anbernic is going to have a Easter sale on Sunday at 11am eastern.
  
  I have/had ( bought for friends or myself) Anbernic 35xx, 35xx SP, rg cube x, 351 mp.
  There are so many variations that it's really personal preference. Like are you doing 16:9 games or 4:3? I wanted something for old arcades like pacman and space invaders so I got the cube. That screen ratio also happens to work well for Gameboy
  Yeah Miyoo only makes a vertical and a flip. Retro game corps says the flip has some quality control problems.
  
  I recently got a Trimui Smart Pro, if you're looking for horizontal devices, it's also worth a look

I've been eyeing the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 and thinking about buying one. How are you playing Repentance on this thing? Switch emulation?
- Yes, Switch Emulation. The emulation app is called Sudachi (works better than Yuzu).

I’ve got over 1300 hours on that game. SMH… I love that game. I’m hoping for another dlc.
- If you haven't already, check out Fiend Folio in the steam workshop. It's a fan-made DLC with new items and 500-so new enemies and it's fantastic.
- Repentance+ is still in beta for now

i got a Powkiddy rgb20sx and I LOVE IT. SO MUCH.
i agree with everything you said, they take some willingness to tinker but boy is the payoff worth it. now that i have the library set up i can swap it out with any device and play anything in the future. i was never a big fan of portable consoles, but having all the retro titles in one little machine is just such a perfect thing. i only paid 60 bucks for my powkiddy, worth every penny

Why would you go for these devices over a steam deck + emudeck? My steam deck is my powerhouse that plays all my Indies, sreams more demanding games from my gaming PC, has a massive retro library and works as a Plex media streamer for travel. It's my dream all-in-one device. The only reason I could see to add this as well would be the form factor?
- Confort and battery life.
  I love my ROG Ally, it's amazing for a bunch of games, but I honestly don't find it comfortable to play GBA or PS1 games for example, and the battery life is like 4 hours tops.
  I recently got a Trimui Smart Pro and been playing GBA games on and off in between work meetings or when I go out. It fits on my pocket alongside my phone and the battery lasts like 6 hours depending on the system.
  Different uses cases, and for $50 it's honestly not a hard sell
- Yeah pocketability.
  I have a Deck, but unless I’m taking a backpack already for a longer trip, I’ll just pocket the Miyoo Mini or 6” Kobo ereader. Double if I’m heading somewhere shady
  
  Interesting, ive been OK lugging my deck around but i mainly travel for work so it just goes in my daybag for train use/hotel use. And as i work from home mostly thats not daily - it gets most of its use around the house plugged into various chargers i have scattered by every casual seating spot...
  Different strokes for different lifestyles i guess.
- while i don't have one of these handhelds, i do have a 2ds xl and i had a steam deck that i eventually sold. for me it's mostly size. i took it to three countries and several states and it was mostly just a burden to carry the deck around, meanwhile the smaller device was easier to toss in a bag.
  part of my choice was also that i don't play a lot of modern games so i didn't need the horsepower that the steam deck provided. it's all nuance and preference, i think.
- Pocketability is the biggest bonus for me. This doesn't replace my Steam Deck, it supplements my gaming by making games available in situations where I can't carry around a giant Deck.
  The other issue is that my 4 yr old son has really gotten into gaming (Mario Odyssey) and takes the Deck off me a lot of the time 😄
  
  Interesting, i love the size of the steam deck - its a positive for me not a con. Im tempted to check out one of the smaller ones for fun if the price is right, but i also love the 'all in one' solution (so i dont have to sync game saves between devices etc) My 5yo daugher got heavily into Mario Odysee too! We have a switch so we let her on it, but had to wind back game time as she got a bit too obsessed. She went from being barely able to jump on boxes (as jump + move at the same time was hard) and like 3 weeks later she bet the basic game, and now is nearly 400 moons... She keeps asking me for help finding them and im like 'kid, you surpassed my knowledge of the game a month back'
- Most download 1000s of retro games for you, because they aren't allowed to ship them preinstalled. But they are usually part of the deal.

Cool emulators/ handheld!!!

How is it for game streaming? I've been loving Apollo and Artemis
- I haven't tried yet. I think there are videos on YouTube showing Moonlight working well. Don't know about other apps. I've installed Steam Link expecting that WiFi 6 should give a good streaming experience.
  
  Artemis is a fork of moonlight and has absolutely surpassed it. Steam Link is garbage compared to it, and that is not an exaggeration.

I like these, but they've been superseded by Windows handhelds for me. Granted, that's because I have so many devices I use for retro stuff that being able to easily mount a shared folder instead of keeping a million SD cards with the same games is a big bonus and there is just no convenient way to do that on Android (and it strongly depends on your definition of "convenient" on Linux). If you just need the one thing to play a single bundle of old games I'd take the convenience, lower price, small size and long battery life of the 'droid devices.

I got the RP4 when it came out, and liked it a lot, but it was hurting my hands to play on it for a while.
- You're right, ergonomics aren't great, but I'm fine with that because it prioritises portability. Better ergonomics can be added with the grip attachment. Although I have giant hands and I'm OK playing extended periods without grips.
  
  That's valid, and to each their own of course.

BoI has to crash on that
- Works perfectly

39 comments