This little handheld console has been so great. My PC and Steam Deck must be so disappointed with me.
I had been following r/SBCgaming for a while and never felt the need to play very old console games. But now it seems that these consoles have really come a long way in what they can play. I saw reviews for the Retroid Pocket 5 and thought it looked amazing. Then I saw the prices of the Retroid Pocket 4 pro and it was a no brainer.
I bought the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro on eBay for £120 (probably could have gotten it cheaper, but I rushed to buy this). The fact that such a tiny and pocketable handheld can run Nintendo Switch games (less demanding ones) really blows my mind. I carry this with me everywhere. It fits in pretty snug trouser pockets and is only slightly bigger than my phone (although my phone is an S23 Ultra with a chunky case). I’ve had it for over 2 weeks and I’m still in the honeymoon phase and using this instead of my gaming PC or Steam Deck. I’m discovering consoles I never owned (3DS and Wii games). The fact that it plays Android games as well is such a great bonus (mainly Balatro with save game sync online) is such a great bonus. It has WiFi 6, hall effect analog sticks (much better than the Switch!), an IPS display, headphone port, analog triggers, bluetooth 5.2 and a decent battery. This this has no business being this good.
For anyone else interested:
· If you’re looking for an affordable, pocketable console with good performance then the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is amazing and I would recommend it. Buy this on eBay as people are unloading these to upgrade to the new console.
· If you want better performance then the Retroid Pocket 5 has a better SOC and much better screen, but is twice the price and much less pocketable. Order on AliExpress when there’s a sale/coupons.
· Buying a console like this is a bit like adopting Linux.... You’ve got to be willing to tinker and troubleshoot. It took me hours to set it up (use this guide) and I still haven’t sorted out Vita emulation.
This is a device I didn’t know much about and really didn’t expect to enjoy this much. If you haven’t come across these little consoles, definitely take a look! If you want to test the waters and see if this is for you, then starting with emulation on your phone will is a good way to start.
AliExpress is really good and reliable now. I get plenty of stuff off there. Linus Tech Tips even recommends it as one of the best places to pick up a bargain on a desktop CPU. They give you a refund if items are undelivered. I look for items with plenty of pictures and detailed descriptions and picture reviews, and I've never been disappointed.
The other thing is that lots of deals end up being discussed on HotUKDeals.com and forum users will report back (e.g. cuing a Crucial NVME drive for £30 and posting speed tests and that it's the real thing).
These plans for tariffs are going to affect Americans badly though. eBay is recommended in that case.
Don't get me wrong, I love Aliexpress, but it's like the wild west. I personally never buy anything unless it has reviews that describe what I'm actually buying. I was looking at a back seat cover for my dogs to ride in my truck. The only review that had a description was clearly about a dress. I did get a laugh thinking about that guys wife wearing a seat protector out to the club though.