TL;DR
- Retroid revealed a new vertical handheld called the Retroid Pocket Classic.
- First teased in February, it’s the first vertical handheld from Retroid since 2020.
- It features a Game Boy-like design with a square screen and no joysticks.
Retroid has been incredibly active this year, announcing the clamshell Retroid Flip 2 and a mysterious vertical handheld last month. Now, the company has finally given us a look at that mysterious vertical handheld, and it looks like a colorful return to a simpler time in gaming.
Called the Retroid Pocket Classic, it features a Game Boy-like design, with a massive (almost) square screen and no joysticks to be found. The lack of joysticks, aspect ratio, and, well, name, indicate that it’s primarily for older retro games.
Alongside the overall design, Retroid showed off seven colorful design options. These include bright solids, retro DMG, and a transparent option reminiscent of Nintendo’s Atomic Purple. That’s far more color options than Retroid offers for its other gaming handhelds, which could be a major selling point.
The large (almost) square display and interesting colorways are major selling points.
We still don’t know what chipset the Classic will have, so it’s difficult to tell what price range Retroid is targeting. The company’s handhelds have steadily increased in power and price over the years. The last vertical handheld was 2020’s Retroid Pocket, the company’s very first handheld. It was priced under $100, so if the Pocket Classic follows suit it could compete with other budget verticals like the TrimUI Brick and Miyoo Mini Plus.
It’s also possible that it follows the template of the AYANEO Pocket DMG and targets a more premium market. At the very least, the screen appears to be the same size, so if it is the same 3.9-inch OLED panel that would indicate a higher price point. The Pocket DMG has been praised for its incredible build quality and performance, but the vertical form factor doesn’t lend itself well to more modern games, limiting what you can do with all that extra power.
The Pocket Classic and Flip 2 are slated for a Spring release, so we shouldn’t have to wait long for more information. Retroid has been drip-feeding news week by week, so expect to learn more about the chipset and specs in the coming weeks.
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