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The Retroid Pocket 5 is a 5.5 inch 16:9 Android handheld that plays everything up to PS2 well. It came out in November 2024 at $200. Inside is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with 8 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PS2, plus some Switch.
- You want a 5.5 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want Switch games: it scores 56 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
Retroid Pocket 5 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PS2. Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865.
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'm currently playing tomb raider remastered on my retroid pocket 5 with gamehub and it runs perfectly.”
“I have a Retroid pocket 5 which is no slouch but it's 60hz and the WiFi is not quite as good so streaming IMO isn't as nice”
“I love my Retroid Pocket 5, however, there is something pretty amazing about the focused experience of Linux handhelds.”
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: GBA
At 6x, GBA fills 67% 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
Same chip as 7 other handhelds
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 also powers the AYANEO Pocket Micro 2, Mangmi Air Y Pro, Mangmi Pocket Max, Retroid Pocket Flip 2 SD865 and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
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 13
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 PS2 well
- AMOLED screen with deep blacks
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
- Big 5,000 mAh battery
Not so good
- Nothing stands out.
Screen fit
Screen: 5.5 inch, AMOLED, 16:9, 1920 x 1080.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 7x (1120 x 1008) | 54% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 6x (1440 x 960) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 4x (1024 x 896) | 44% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 4x (1280 x 896) | 55% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 4x (1280 x 960) | 59% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 5x (1280 x 960) | 59% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 3x (1440 x 816) | 57% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1920 x 1080.
Size
199.2 x 78.5 x 15.6 mm, 280 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- Retroid Pocket 5 (199.2 x 78.5 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 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| CPU | Cortex-A77 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz - 2.84 GHz |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 650 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 5.5" |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 400 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 128 GB UFS 3.1 |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (6) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.1) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 199.2 x 78.5 x 15.6 mm |
| Weight | 280 g |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Front |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android, Linux |
| Android version | 13 |
| Custom firmware | ROCKNIX, GammaOSNext |
| PortMaster | Yes |
Questions
Can the Retroid Pocket 5 play PS2 games?
Yes. PS2 scores 86 out of 100 on our emulation scale.
Is the Retroid Pocket 5 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 6x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
5,000 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 5 cost?
It launched at about $200 in Nov 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$200 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.