Size 4.5″
Key specifications
- Operating system
- Android 13
- SoC
- QCS8550
- RAM
- 8 / 12 GB
- Size
- 4.5″
- Resolution
- 960p
- Capacity
- 5,000 mAh
- Weight
- Not disclosed
Retroid Pocket NovaOverview
The Retroid Pocket Nova runs Android 13 and is built around a Qualcomm QCS8550, paired with an Adreno 740 GPU and LPDDR5x memory. Two configurations are offered: 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM, in both cases with 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage and a microSD slot.
The display is a 4.5-inch 960p AMOLED panel refreshing at 120 Hz. The console has 3D Hall-effect sticks, analogue triggers and active cooling. Battery capacity is 5000 mAh.
Announced connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. Listed colours are GC, 16Bit, Black, Crystal, Ice Blue, Clear Purple and Watermelon. A $5 surcharge applies to translucent colours.
Retroid Pocket NovaOur test
The unit we tested was sent to us by Retroid.
Our starting question was simple: the reference 4:3 console, or a powerful machine locked in an uncomfortable format? Our answer is nuanced. The 4:3 AMOLED screen is very good: vibrant colours, deep blacks, and 120 Hz helps cloud gaming as much as retro, with black frame insertion.
For natively 4:3 systems, the console convinced us: SNES, Mega Drive, DS, Dreamcast, PS1 without difficulty, GameCube up to quadrupled resolution, PS2 with good results despite some artefacts depending on the emulator and game. Through GameHub, GTA V runs at around 60 frames per second. Original Xbox emulation, still too young, is not usable.
We also liked side uses: with XR glasses plugged in over USB-C you get a giant screen on the train or plane, and the 4K output lets you dock it.
The downside is ergonomics. Very pleasant for classic 4:3 games and the D-pad, it becomes uncomfortable as soon as you leave that territory: flat back, small imprecise joysticks, extra top buttons that are almost useless. As players who mostly play 16:9 games with two joysticks and triggers, we are clearly not the target audience; we would point such players to the Pocket 6 or an Odin instead.
What we liked
- 4:3 120 Hz AMOLED: vibrant colours, deep blacks
- Excellent for emulating 4:3 systems
- 4K video output, usable with XR glasses
- Careful build
- Headphone jack, on-screen button mapping
What convinced us less
- Uncomfortable outside 4:3 games
- Small, imprecise joysticks
- Extra top buttons almost useless
- Sound is fine, nothing more
- Import-only at the time of our test
Retroid Pocket NovaFull specifications
System
| Operating system | Android 13 |
|---|
Processor
| SoC | QCS8550 |
|---|---|
| CPU | 1× Kryo Prime @ 3.2 GHz, 4× Kryo Gold @ 2.8 GHz, 3× Kryo Silver @ 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 740 @ 680 MHz |
Memory and storage
| RAM | 8 / 12 GB |
|---|---|
| RAM type | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 |
| microSD expansion | Yes |
Display
| Panel type | AMOLED |
|---|---|
| Size | 4.5″ |
| Resolution | 960p |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
Battery
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh |
|---|
Dimensions
| Weight | Not disclosed |
|---|
Controls
| Stick technology | Hall 3D |
|---|---|
| Analog triggers | Yes |
Other
| Cooling | Active |
|---|---|
| Colours | GC, 16Bit, Black, Crystal, Ice Blue, Clear Purple, Watermelon |
Retroid Pocket NovaAvailable configurations
| Configuration | Colour | Price | Availability | See price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Go / 128 Go | — | $239 | In stock | See price 8 Go / 128 Go |
| 12 Go / 128 Go | — | $269 | In stock | See price 12 Go / 128 Go |
Retroid Pocket NovaCreator videos
Videos open on YouTube.
Visit the official store
Prices, stock and shipping change: the manufacturer's store is the reference.
Compare with
Other Retroid consoles
