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The Retroid Pocket is a 3.5 inch 4:3 Android handheld that plays everything up to DS (no touchscreen) well. It came out in February 2020 at $75. Inside is the MediaTek MT6580A with 512 MB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to DS, plus some PSP.
- You want a 3.5 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want N64 games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You want N64 and 3D PS1 games on two sticks: it has one.
Retroid Pocket videos
What it plays
Plays up to: DS (no touchscreen). Chip: MediaTek MT6580A.
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
4:3 screen
NES to PS2 era home consoles were 4:3, so they fill it. GBA and PSP games show bars above and below.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
PS1 and N64 at exactly 2x
320 x 240 times 2 is the screen's own 640 x 480, so PS1 and N64 pixels stay perfectly even with no filter and no bars.
Based on: Display math: native resolution x whole-number scale = screen resolution
Same chip as 1 other handheld
The MediaTek MT6580A also powers the Retroid Pocket 2. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
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
Only one pair of shoulder buttons
PS1 games that use L2 and R2 need those moved to other buttons.
Based on: Layout data; the PS1 controller has four shoulder buttons
DS without touch
There is no touch screen, so DS games that need the stylus use a pointer moved by a stick.
Based on: Layout data: no touch screen
Android 6
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 DS (no touchscreen) well
- Video out to a TV
- Low price
Not so good
- N64 games can struggle
Screen fit
Screen: 3.5 inch, IPS, 4:3, 640 x 480.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 3x (480 x 432) | 68% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 2x (480 x 320) | 50% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 2x (512 x 448) | 75% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 2x (640 x 448) | 93% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 2x (640 x 480) | 100% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 2x (512 x 384) | 64% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 1x (480 x 272) | 43% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Bold rows fill the screen with a perfect fit. Screen 640 x 480.
Size
87 x 140 x 19 mm, 200 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- Retroid Pocket (87 x 140 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 | MediaTek MT6580A |
| CPU | Cortex-A7 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.3 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP2 |
| RAM | 512 MB DDR2 |
| Screen | |
| Size | 3.5" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 640 x 480 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 228 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Disc, Lower placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Single, top |
| Shoulder buttons | No L2/R2 |
| Rumble | No |
| Gyroscope | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 32 GB |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (?) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (?) |
| USB-C | No |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Vertical |
| Dimensions | 87 x 140 x 19 mm |
| Weight | 200 g |
| Battery | 4000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Front |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 6 |
Questions
Can the Retroid Pocket play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to DS (no touchscreen) well.
Is the Retroid Pocket good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 2x it fills 50% 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 cost?
It launched at about $75 in Feb 2020. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$75 at launch $60 to $120
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.