Retroid Pocket 2 Review

The Retroid Pocket 2 is an Android device handheld retro gaming console that garnered a lot of interest from the gaming community. In terms of retro gaming handhelds priced under $100, the Pocket 2 is a great choice.

It can faithfully emulate most retro games up to and including your favorite Gamecube titles. Natively, the Retroid Pocket 2 runs on the Android 11 operating system and can not only run games via emulation but also gives you access to the entire Android library of games as well.

We recently also wrote a review on the newer Retroid Pocket Flip, so be sure to check that out too before deciding which to buy!

GoRetroid’s future is looking bright with its pocket line of products. This handheld feels like it is a high build quality product, it’s comfortable to use, has a great form factor, is small enough to bring with you wherever you go, and is the perfect companion device for retro gaming fans.

Brief History

The Retroid Pocket 2 was originally released back in September 2020 and it is one of the best handheld emulators available. At the time, it took the gaming scene by storm. It was quite impressive just how well this little device was able to emulate systems up to the GameCube. Considering how many other systems struggled to play many GameCube titles, it goes to show the power inside this handheld.

What Is Setup Like?

The Retroid Pocket 2 has Android 11 pre-installed on it from the moment you take it out of the box and turn it on for the first time. The OS is super straightforward because of this and setting the device up is a breeze. GoRetroid put in some extra effort and allows gamers to easily install over 30 different emulators to the device with the press of a single button.

In addition to emulation, because this is an Andoid-based device, the Google Play Store comes pre-installed and gives access to an endless amount of mobile games and apps. You can choose to either launch the Retroid Pocket 2 with the standard Android user interface or opt for the pre-made Retroid Pocket UI that heavily resembles the Nintendo Switch home screen.

Setting the handheld up takes no time at all and you should be all ready to play some games within a few minutes time. The process will be even more straightforward if you are a veteran Android user. Getting your SD card inserted and synced is easy to do and after, you’ll find that all your files are easily accessible and well organized.

The device supports connecting external Bluetooth controllers, so if you prefer to use your favorite controller, you’re in luck. It’s also handy for multiplayer games for friends who want to join in on the action.

Comfortability

This device is on the smaller size, as you would expect with a gaming handheld.

In terms of ergonomics and how this thing feels in your hands, the Retroid Pocket 2 was clearly designed with comfortability in mind. One thing that can be incredibly frustrating with handhelds is the design. Having your hands or fingers fall asleep while trying to beat a boss can be infuriating to say the least. You’ll be happy to hear that this isn’t an issue here. The device will sit snugly in your hands and won’t cause cramping or strained fingers.

It’s quite light and super easy to hold for long play sessions. The shoulder buttons are big enough that you won’t be struggling to find them in-game, but not too large that you’ll find yourself accidentally pressing them.

The face buttons, d-pad, and analog stick are all excellent and feel good to click and press in, giving this the overall polish of a premium-level device. It seems that the Pocket 2 borrowed a lot of its design choices from the PS Vita and it does feel heavily inspired by it. The analog sticks feel nice, similar to what you’d expect with a more modern controller.

Specifications

The Pocket 2 houses a powerful CPU with a Mali G52MC2@614MHz GPU. It has 3GB/4GB RAM and a 3.5″ touch screen display that uses a 4:3 aspect ratio and 640 x 480 resolution at 60fps. As mentioned previously, the device uses Android 11 as its OS and also has micro HDMI out (in 480p), analog L2/R2 & 3D hall analog sticks, and a 4000mAh battery.

Speaking of the device’s battery, battery life wise you can expect to get between 3 to 5 hours of playtime depending on the titles that you’re playing and how intensive they are to run.

Prices can vary a bit depending on the retailer and its availability at the time, but you should expect to pay around $99. Pricing wise, it’s hard to beat and really does give the competition a run for its proverbial money.

The device doesn’t include an internal fan so you won’t get blasted by hot air when running more intensive games.

Performance, Retro Games, & GameCube Games

Considering the size of the device, it’s impressive that they were able to compress such power into this little device.

It’s been tested with many different consoles using some of the best emulators for retro gaming and holds up very well. While it does peak at Gamecube game emulation, that is a wide selection of consoles and game titles you have access to.

Most retro handhelds that aren’t expensive struggle with GameCube emulation, however with the Retroid Pocket 2, most games run essentially flawlessly and even the larger 3D games such as Simpsons Hit & Run didn’t have any issues. If you’re looking for an portable emulator to play GameCube games on, this is the one for you.

The 4:3 display is perfect for emulating older retro titles. PS1 games run great on the handheld along with most of the PSP games library as well. which can be hard to emulate if there’s not enough processing power. Even God of War runs nearly flawlessly from start to finish.

N64 and Dreamcast games also run very well and look absolutely great. As expected, all the hitters from Mega Drive, NES, SNES, Game Boy, and GBA games also run quite well. Once you pass the GameCube and start getting into emulating Wii games you’ll notice that things tend to begin to chug along. Even though the system does have a PS2 emulator available on it, most games won’t be playable or worth investing the time into.

Emulating DS games can also be a bit wonky due to the single small screen issue, but speaking of performance they run fine.

Saving, Changing Settings & More

Because its running on the Android OS, saving your games, accessing load states, and changing emulator button mappings is a breeze. You’ll just need to swipe in the necessary directions to access the emulator settings you’re looking for. Whether you’re adjusting ROM settings or configuring Pegasus front end, it’s a breeze and couldn’t be simpler on this handheld.

Android Games & PC

We’ve touched primarily on emulating retro games, but because the device runs on Android, the Retroid Pocket 2 has access to a ton of native Android games and apps from the Google Play Store. Do keep in mind that some Android-based games and apps might not be particularly optimized for the device’s 3.5″ screen, however, there are still many Android games that play great and are better than ever with the device’s d-pad.

If you have a subscription to XBOX Game Pass, you can download the app from the Play Store and even stream PC games using Xbox Cloud Gaming’s X Cloud service.

Summary

The Retroid Pocket 2 is an amazing handheld device that offers tons of value for the price point. Being that it only costs under $100 to pick up, you simply cannot go wrong here. It can emulate most of your favorite older games up to the GameCube. That’s a massive library of games to play through and the fact that it can also play Android games as well is a nice bonus.

It’s well-designed, quite powerful, and extremely comfortable to hold and use, making it a great choice for long gaming sessions.

The Retroid Pocket 2 is a great option for those who want to play Gamecube games and older without having to worry about upgrading in the near future. It offers excellent processing power and a decent-sized screen to enjoy games in handheld form.

While you may not be able to emulate Nintendo Wii and PS2 games very well, this little handheld is well worth the money and will give you endless hours of gaming and reliving the classics.

We cannot recommend this retro handheld device enough for those who want to experience their favorite classic games on the go. It’s competitively priced, is high quality, and has a wide library of games that it supports and can run well. Go ahead and pick one up to start playing games now, you’ll thank us later!

Be sure to check out our guide for the Miyoo Mini as well.