Nintendo don’t want you to know this, but other handheld gaming platforms do still exist. While the Nintendo Switch is the apex predator of consoles you can take on holiday, there are now more alternatives than at any other time – I feel like I should be whispering this in case Mario looms in the doorway, ready to enforce the big N’s will.
The Steam Deck, and portable PCs like the ROG Ally nab their own share of the food chain, but there’s a huge movement happening in the retro handheld space. Here, companies like Anbernic and Powkiddy are breaking new ground, with Chinese manufacturers focusing on reuniting gamers with the best titles of yesteryear. The Retroid Pocket 5 is the latest from Retroid, offering a luxurious, fully featured handheld that isn’t just for old games.
The Retroid Pocket 5’s design owes some level of gratitude to the Sony employees who worked on the PlayStation Vita. In the black colour scheme of our review unit, it could almost be 2012 all over again, but since the Vita was a classy and sleek device that was ahead of its time, those visual similarities aren’t a bad thing.
The Pocket 5 gains some extra curvature at the rear, and that’s definitely not something to complain about. It makes it much more comfortable to hold than either the Vita or the Nintendo Switch. It’s still a small console though, so depending on the size of your hands, you may run the risk of developing cramp. Personally, I had no problems.
Once you’ve powered the Retroid Pocket 5 up, it’s obvious that this is a thoroughly new and modern device, not least thanks to the RGB lights that encircle each analogue stick. The physical form of the Pocket 5 makes it just about pocket-friendly, but compared to devices like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, it’s a true handheld, and something that you can pack in your bag without thinking about if you need to sacrifice something else to make space.
You probably should treat it with some care, though, as the Retroid Pocket 5 is $219/£180, which, while cheaper than some of the top-end retro-flavoured devices, is still a significant investment. You want to know that this thing will last you several years, and in terms of build quality, it feels as though the Retroid Pocket 5 will last you through many, many replays of Final Fantasy 7 or Panzer Dragoon Saga.
All of the expected controls are here, from the four main face buttons, albeit with the letters in a Nintendo Switch layout rather than the more common Xbox one (though you can set it to emulate one in the settings) to the D-pad and dual analogue sticks. The sticks are excellent, boasting that much-desired Hall Effect tech to ensure they don’t wear out for a very long time. Though they’re relatively small, they feel great in use, and I was consistently surprised by how responsive they were.
The shoulder buttons and triggers are amongst the best I’ve found on a handheld, the shoulders boasting gloriously clicky microswitches, and true analogue triggers beneath them. The triggers have a remarkable level of activation, especially considering what they’re attached to. If you’re a fan of racing games they’re a top-tier inclusion that you don’t tend to get in the retro-handheld space.
While the Pocket 5’s physical build is sleek and stylish, the specs under the hood continue to impress. The main point of excitement is the 5.5-inch OLED screen, which runs at 1080p and 60Hz. It’s bright, it’s vibrant, and on the black model it seamlessly blends into the body of the console. With a widescreen aspect, you’re able to play games from multiple generations, as well as watch content via a streaming service as well.
The reason that you’re going to be able to do that is that the Retroid Pocket 5 runs on Android 13. You can install all of your favourite Android apps and games, using the touchscreen as the interface, and if games support it, you can also use the physical controls, which function like any other Bluetooth controller.
Thanks to the Snapdragon 865 chipset and 8GB of RAM, you can play all of the most challenging Android games right now, and I enjoyed jumping into Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero and Infinity Nikki, all of which ran fantastically. Being able to play with physical controls helped to make them feel better than ever, and utterly unlike mobile phone games.
If you’re interested in the Retroid Pocket 5 though, chances are you’re here for retro games. Now, we’re not going to get into the muddy waters of emulation, ROMs and ownership here, but legally speaking, you should own a copy of a game for you to use the ROM of it. We’ve got a healthy collection of older games stashed in boxes and cupboards, so this is a perfect way (and excuse) to revisit some classics. But they don’t have to be too retro.
The Pocket 5 is powerful, particularly in the context of Android retro devices, and that means that it’s capable of emulating systems up to and including the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube and even some Nintendo Switch games. With 128GB of internal storage, there’s plenty of space for those ROMs as a starting point, but there’s also a MicroSD expansion slot which will allow you to carry a huge library of retro games around with you on the go.
It comes with a host of emulators already installed, but you’ll have to do some legwork if you want to make everything look and feel more like a coherent console experience. My favourite frontend is ES-DE, and while you have to subscribe and download that from their website rather than Goggle Play, there’s plenty of guides online if you’re stuck. The finicky nature of this process isn’t unique to the Pocket 5, but if you’re after a simple experience, other retro-flavoured consoles are more straightforward. They likely do less, though.
With a little work, the retro gaming experience on the Retroid Pocket 5 is fantastic, not least thanks to the incredible screen and the excellent controls. Returning to games like Sonic Adventure 2, Virtua Tennis and Metropolis Street Racer – alright, I’m a Dreamcast nut – looks and feels incredible, and you’ll marvel that a handheld this size can now play games that used to need a full home console to play. It’s nostalgic and it’s part of video game preservation – what more could you want?
Well, you might want to play modern console games, and the Retroid Pocket 5 actually has you covered there too, thanks to the wonders of streaming. You can stream PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC titles to the Pocket 5 with very little hassle, positioning it as one of the absolute best handheld devices out right now. I played a bunch of Yakuza: Like A Dragon on Game Pass, and most of the time it felt like I was playing it natively. Thanks to the 5000mAh battery and the smartphone innards, it also lasted far longer than any other handheld device I own, making the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally look pathetic in terms of battery life.
I love the Retroid Pocket 5’s form factor. I’m a little tired of the Nintendo Switch and the ROG Ally taking up as much of my bag as they do, and while not only taking up less space, the Pocket 5 will outlast them by hours upon hours. If you’re after the biggest hit of nostalgia there’s a purple Gamecube-styled colourway, a Grey SNES-inspired one, and then the white or black options. The black one is exceedingly sleek though, and looks like a true premium device. If you’re interested in something similar, but without the full outlay, the Retroid Pocket 3 and 4 are still excellent retro handhelds. Alternatively, if you’re able to spend more, don’t care about size, and want to add native PC gaming, it’s hard to fault the Steam Deck OLED.
