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The Retroid Pocket Duo is a 5.5, 4.5 inch 16:9, 4:3 Android handheld that plays everything up to PS2 well. It came out in Upcoming at $249. Inside is the Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-7790 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, 4.5 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want Switch games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
Retroid Pocket Duo videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PS2. Chip: Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-7790.
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 the specs mean
Same chip as 1 other handheld
The Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-7790 also powers the Retroid Pocket Duo Lite+. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
Big battery for its class
Only 17 of 103 Android handhelds in our database have a bigger battery than this 6,000 mAh (the middle one has 5,000 mAh).
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 103 Android handhelds
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)
Android 16
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
- 120 Hz screen
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
Not so good
- Nothing stands out.
Screen fit
Screen: 5.5, 4.5 inch, AMOLED, 16:9, 4:3, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 960.
Size
162 x 95.5 x 22.4 mm, 350 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- Retroid Pocket Duo (162 x 95.5 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 Dragonwing Q-7790 |
| CPU | Cortex-A720 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz - 2.6 GHz |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 722 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 5.5, 4.5" |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 960 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
| Pixel density | 400 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, 4:3 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | Yes |
| 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 2.1 |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (6e) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.4) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Clamshell |
| Dimensions | 162 x 95.5 x 22.4 mm |
| Weight | 350 g |
| Battery | 6000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Front |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 16 |
Questions
Can the Retroid Pocket Duo play PS2 games?
Yes. PS2 scores 90 out of 100 on our emulation scale.
Can it play GameCube games?
Yes, GameCube scores 100 out of 100.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
6,000 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
Price and newer models
$249 at launch $120 to $250
Not out yet. The price may change at launch.
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.