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The Retroid Pocket 3 is a 4.7 inch 16:9 Android handheld that plays everything up to PSP well. It came out in August 2022 at $120. Inside is the UNISOC Tiger T310 with 2 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PSP, plus some GameCube.
- You want a 4.7 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want 3DS games: it scores only 20 out of 100.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
Retroid Pocket 3 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PSP. Chip: UNISOC Tiger T310.
Scores out of 100. 100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues on this device. 80 or more plays well (green), 50 to 79 plays partly (yellow).
What owners say
“I leave my Retroid Pocket 3 overnight on sleep all the time, and with the battery saving mode enabled on Android settings, it can drain as little as 5%.”
“I have a Retroid Pocket 3 and think the dpad is pretty solid.”
“I also regret my retroid pocket 3 because the screen has terrible motion handling and the 3+ was announced way too soon after the 3 launched.”
What the specs mean
16:9 screen
PSP and Switch games fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides, and Game Boy games look small.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: PS1 and N64
At 3x, PS1 and N64 fills 69% of the screen with even pixels. Filling the rest means stretching, which some people smooth with a filter.
Based on: Display math: largest whole-number scale that fits the screen
Small battery for its class
Only 16 of 103 Android handhelds in our database have a smaller battery than this 4,000 mAh (the middle one has 5,000 mAh). The heavier the system you run, the sooner it runs out.
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 103 Android handhelds
Digital triggers
The GameCube's triggers were pressure sensitive, and a few games use a light press, such as spraying while you walk in Super Mario Sunshine. Here the triggers are on or off.
Based on: Hardware fact: GameCube controller triggers are analog; this device is not listed with analog triggers
D-pad on top, sticks below
The d-pad has the natural thumb spot, which suits 2D games. In 3D games your thumb lives on the lower stick.
Based on: Layout data (d-pad placement)
DS on one screen
DS games show both screens shrunk side by side, or one big screen you swap. The touch screen stands in for the stylus.
Based on: Layout data: single screen with touch
Android 11
Besides emulators it runs Android games and game streaming apps, from your PC or the cloud.
Based on: Operating system data
Rating
How we score: what it plays 30%, how many players own and recommend it 20%, screen 15%, price compared with handhelds that play as much 10%, controls 10%, size and weight 10%, battery size for its chip 5%.
Good
- Plays everything up to PSP well
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
Not so good
- Not built for PS2 games
Screen fit
Screen: 4.7 inch, IPS, 16:9, 1334 x 750.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 5x (800 x 720) | 58% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 4x (960 x 640) | 61% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 3x (768 x 672) | 52% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 3x (960 x 672) | 64% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 3x (960 x 720) | 69% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 3x (768 x 576) | 44% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 2x (960 x 544) | 52% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1334 x 750.
Size
184.65 x 81.38 x 24.23 mm, 230 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- Retroid Pocket 3 (184.65 x 81.38 mm)
- iPhone 15 (71.6 x 147.6 mm)
True scale, front view. Jeans pocket = front no bigger than an iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case (160 x 82 mm).
Specs
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Chip | UNISOC Tiger T310 |
| CPU | Cortex-A75 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz - 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8300 |
| RAM | 2 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cooling | No |
| Screen | |
| Size | 4.7" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1334 x 750 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 325 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Separated Cross (PS Vita), Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 32 GB eMCP |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 184.65 x 81.38 x 24.23 mm |
| Weight | 230 g |
| Battery | 4000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 11 |
Questions
Can the Retroid Pocket 3 play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 20 out of 100. It plays everything up to PSP well.
Can it play GameCube games?
Partly. GameCube scores 50 out of 100.
Is the Retroid Pocket 3 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 4x it fills 61% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
4,000 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the Retroid Pocket 3 cost?
It launched at about $120 in Aug 2022. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$120 at launch $120 to $250
Newer in the same line: the Retroid Pocket Classic (Apr 2025) and the Retroid Pocket 6 (Jan 2026). Compare before you buy this one new.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.