Retroid Pocket Nova
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Retroid Pocket Nova is a horizontal Android 13 handheld slated for 2026, built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with an Adreno 740 GPU and up to 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory. Its 4.5-inch 120 Hz AMOLED touchscreen runs at 1280 x 960 in a 4:3 format behind laminated tempered glass. Hall Effect sticks, analog triggers, active fan cooling, WiFi 7 and USB-C video out make it a versatile emulation machine, covering everything from Game Boy and NES up to PlayStation 2, GameCube and even more demanding systems.
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Retroid Pocket Nova is a horizontal Android 13 handheld slated for 2026, built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with an Adreno 740 GPU and up to 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory. Its 4.5-inch 120 Hz AMOLED touchscreen runs at 1280 x 960 in a 4:3 format behind laminated tempered glass. Hall Effect sticks, analog triggers, active fan cooling, WiFi 7 and USB-C video out make it a versatile emulation machine, covering everything from Game Boy and NES up to PlayStation 2, GameCube and even more demanding systems.
The platform list spans practically the entire history of handheld and living-room gaming: Game Boy, NES, Sega Genesis, SNES and PlayStation, then Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP and Saturn, all the way to GameCube, 3DS, Wii and PlayStation 2. At the top of the list are Nintendo Switch, Wii U and PlayStation 3, where results depend on the game and emulator. A cooling system with a heatsink, fan and ventilation cutouts helps sustain performance during long sessions.
The 4.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen runs at 1280 x 960, with roughly 356 ppi and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The 4:3 aspect ratio is a perfect match for classic consoles, while games from widescreen systems will be shown with black bars. OCA-laminated tempered glass delivers a clean image and extra protection.
On the controls side, Nova offers symmetric Hall Effect dual thumbsticks with L3/R3, an upper cross D-pad, four face buttons, L1/R1 and analog L2/R2 triggers, plus extra M1/M2, Back and Home buttons and dedicated volume keys. The console measures 169.9 x 84.1 x 15.6–26.3 mm, weighs 255 g and uses a plastic body.
The 5000 mAh battery charges over USB-C, which also supports video output to a TV or monitor. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack, front-facing stereo speakers, WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, while 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage can be expanded with a microSD card.
Android 13 gives you the freedom to install your preferred emulators and frontends, and the touchscreen is handy for menus and touch-driven games.
Ideal for: players who want a powerful handheld for emulation up to PlayStation 2, GameCube and beyond, with a smooth AMOLED screen, Hall Effect controls and the option to play on a TV.
- Manufacturer
- Qualcomm
- SoC
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Model
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Architecture
- 1x Cortex-X3, 2x Cortex-A715, 2x Cortex-A710, 3x Cortex-A510
- Cores
- 8
- Threads
- 8
- Frequency
- 2.0 - 3.2 GHz
- Instruction Set
- ARM
- Chipset
- Qualcomm Adreno 740
- GPU Cores
- 1
- GPU Frequency
- 680 MHz
- Capacity
- 8 GB / 12 GB
- Technology
- LPDDR5X
- Size
- 4.5
- Technology
- AMOLED, Touchscreen
- Resolution
- 1280 x 960
- Refresh Rate
- 120 Hz
- Pixel Density (PPI)
- 355.56
- Aspect Ratio
- 4:3
- Lens
- Tempered Glass (OCA Laminated)
- Capacity
- 5000 mAh
- Analog Sticks
- Dual thumbsticks with L3/R3
- Stick Technology
- Hall Effect
- Stick Placement
- Symmetric
- D-Pad
- Cross
- D-Pad Placement
- Upper
- Shoulder Buttons
- L1, R1, L2, R2, Analog Triggers
- Shoulder Orientation
- Vertical
- Extra Buttons
- Back, Home, M1/M2 Shoulder Buttons, Power, Volume +-
- Speaker Type
- Dual Stereo
- Speaker Position
- Front facing
- Wi-Fi
- WiFi 7
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Charge Port
- USB-C
- Charge Port Placement
- Bottom facing
- Video Output
- USB-C video out
- Video Output Placement
- Bottom facing
- Audio Output
- 3.5mm Headphone
- Audio Output Placement
- Bottom facing
- Internal Storage
- 128 GB
- Card Support
- UFS 3.1, microSD
- Operating System
- Android
- OS Version
- 13
- Dimensions
- 169.9 mm x 84.1 mm x 15.6 - 26.3 mm
- Weight
- 255 g
- Body Material
- Plastic
- Cooling
- Heatsink, Fan, Ventilation cutouts
Nintendo · 12 platforms
Sega · 3 platforms
Sony · 4 platforms
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 performance
- 120 Hz AMOLED touchscreen
- Hall Effect sticks with analog triggers
- active fan cooling
- WiFi 7 and USB-C video out
- up to 12 GB LPDDR5X
Cons
- 4:3 screen letterboxes widescreen systems
- 128 GB base storage
- brightness adjustable only via menu
- plastic body
- thick grips up to 26.3 mm
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