The Retroid Pocket Nova handheld console is here! It offers a true 4:3 OLED display and top-tier performance at a low price

After a series of teasers and a rather mixed year full of price increases and model cancellations, Retroid finally has a proper new release. The Pocket Nova is an Android gaming handheld that focuses on two things the retro community loves — a true 4:3 aspect ratio and flagship performance at an affordable price. And if you know the brand’s history, it’s also a quiet correction of an older misstep.

What the Pocket Nova Offers

At the heart of the new device is a 4.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 × 960 pixels, creating a true 4:3 aspect ratio. It also features a 120 Hz refresh rate, brightness up to 500 nits, and decent color reproduction. Unlike the Pocket 6, the front is not covered by edge-to-edge glass, which some Retroid fans actually welcome.

Performance is handled by the Qualcomm QCS8550, complemented by 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage with microSD expandability. It also features stereo speakers, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and a USB 3.1 port with support for external display output up to 4K at 60 Hz. This is rounded out by a 5,000 mAh battery with 27 W charging, active cooling, and Hall effect joysticks with RGB rings. The system is Android 13.

Why It’s Worth Noticing

The key lies in that inconspicuous chip. The QCS8550 is essentially an industrial (IoT) version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 — a flagship chip from 2023, found for example in the Galaxy S23. The slightly more expensive Retroid Pocket 6 offers the same performance class. In other words, the Nova brings practically the same performance to a lower price point, making it an attractive option for emulating more demanding consoles like PlayStation 2, GameCube, or PSP.

The second reason will be appreciated especially by those familiar with previous models. The Pocket Nova is an indirect successor to the canceled Pocket Mini, which suffered from display issues — the panel then only reported a 4:3 format using software tricks. Retroid is clearly distancing itself from that episode, even by not naming the new device Pocket Mini 3. A true 4:3 display makes sense for retro games because most older consoles operated in this aspect ratio, thus eliminating black bars on the sides. We discussed Retroid’s gaming performance in practice in our review of the Pocket G2 model:

The Retroid Pocket Nova handheld console is here! It offers a true 4:3 OLED display and top-tier performance at a low price Jakub Kárník News Jakub Kárník News

Price and Availability in the Czech Republic

The base model with 8 GB RAM starts at 229 dollars, while the twelve-gigabyte variant will cost 269 dollars. Retroid charges five dollars more for the translucent color versions. In conversion, we are talking about approximately 4,800 to 5,600 Czech crowns, but that’s just the bare exchange rate. You cannot officially buy Retroid in the Czech Republic, so expect to import it through specialized retailers or AliExpress.

Retroid has not yet announced the pre-order start date, but promised that early adopters will also receive a rounded back cover and a tempered film. Finally, a note we like to repeat for handhelds: emulation itself is fine, but you must legally own the games. Downloading titles you haven’t purchased is beyond the pale, regardless of what you run them on.

Are you tempted by a 4:3 retro handheld, or do you prefer a classic widescreen one?

Source: goretroid