The main difference between the Retroid Pocket 5 and the RG-556 is power.
The Retroid Pocket 5 plays everything up to PS2 well, while the RG-556 tops out at Wii.
Other differences
- The Retroid Pocket 5 runs Android or Linux, the RG-556 runs Android.
- The Retroid Pocket 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, the RG-556 on the UNISOC Tiger T820.
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 RG-556 is 223 x 90 x 15-25 mm, 331 g. Neither fits a jeans pocket; think jacket pocket or bag.
Which is better for PS2 games, the Retroid Pocket 5 or the RG-556?
Retroid Pocket 5The Retroid Pocket 5. It scores 86 out of 100 for PS2 against 74.
Which costs less?
RG-556The RG-556, at about $175 at launch against $200. 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 RG-556's screen at 6x.
Which has the bigger battery?
TieAbout the same: 5,000 and 5,500 mAh.
Side by side
| Retroid Pocket 5 | RG-556 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $200 | $175 |
| Released | Nov 2024 | Mar 2024 |
| Plays well up to | PS2 | Wii |
| Shape | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Software | Android or Linux | Android |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | UNISOC Tiger T820 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Screen | 5.5 inch AMOLED 16:9 | 5.48 inch AMOLED 16:9 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,500 mAh |
| Weight | 280 g | 331 g |
| Size | 199.2 x 78.5 x 15.6 mm | 223 x 90 x 15-25 mm |
| Analog sticks | Double, symmetrical | Double, asymmetrical |
| 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 5RG-556
- 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. 75 comments by 54 different people compare them in community discussions, and 7 post titles name both. Specs, emulation scores and launch prices from the retrocatalog.com handheld database.