The main difference between the Retroid Pocket 5 and the Retroid Pocket 6 is power.
The Retroid Pocket 6 plays everything up to Switch well, while the Retroid Pocket 5 tops out at PS2.
Other differences
- The Retroid Pocket 5 runs Android or Linux, the Retroid Pocket 6 runs Android.
- The Retroid Pocket 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, the Retroid Pocket 6 on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Which is better
Which fits in a pocket better?
Retroid Pocket 5The Retroid Pocket 5 (199.2 x 78.5 x 15.6 mm, 280 g). The Retroid Pocket 6 is 205.5 x 80.5 x 17.2 mm, 304 g. Neither fits a jeans pocket; think jacket pocket or bag.
Which is better for PS2 games, the Retroid Pocket 5 or the Retroid Pocket 6?
TieAbout the same: 86 and 90 out of 100.
Which costs less?
Retroid Pocket 5The Retroid Pocket 5, at about $200 at launch against $240. Prices today vary by store and the used market.
Which is better for GBA games?
TieBoth run GBA at full speed and fill about the same share of the screen with even pixels: 67% of the Retroid Pocket 5's screen at 6x, 67% of the Retroid Pocket 6's screen at 6x.
Which has the bigger battery?
Retroid Pocket 6The Retroid Pocket 6, at 6,000 mAh against 5,000 mAh. That is capacity only: the chips differ, and the heavier the system you play, the faster either one drains.
Side by side
| Retroid Pocket 5 | Retroid Pocket 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $200 | $240 |
| Released | Nov 2024 | Jan 2026 |
| Plays well up to | PS2 | Switch |
| Shape | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Software | Android or Linux | Android |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Screen | 5.5 inch AMOLED 16:9 | 5.5 inch AMOLED 16:9 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 6,000 mAh |
| Weight | 280 g | 304 g |
| Size | 199.2 x 78.5 x 15.6 mm | 205.5 x 80.5 x 17.2 mm |
| Analog sticks | Double, symmetrical | Customizable |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes | Yes |
| L2 and R2 | Yes, stacked | Yes, stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Video out | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
Green marks the better value where one is clearly better. Prices are launch prices.
Emulation
- Retroid Pocket 5Retroid Pocket 6
- Game Boy
- NES
- Genesis
- GBA
- SNES
- PS1
- DS
- N64
- Dreamcast
- PSP
- Saturn
- GameCube
- 3DS
- Wii
- PS2
- Switch
- Wii U
- PS3
100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues.
Full details
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More comparisons
Why this pair: buyers weigh these two against each other. 50 comments by 43 different people compare them in community discussions, and 1 post titles name both. Specs, emulation scores and launch prices from the retrocatalog.com handheld database.