Retroid Pocket Classic

The Retroid Pocket Classic is a love letter to the Game Boy Color. It has that iconic vertical form factor and a gorgeous OLED screen, and it comes in a variety of nostalgic colorways that bring you straight back to the ‘90s.

The 3.92-inch square-ish screen is the star of the show here. The unique aspect ratio makes it a perfect match for Game Boy and GBC emulation. It also looks great for classic home consoles like the SNES and PS1. What surprised me the most is GBA. Despite the GBA's widescreen aspect ratio, the black bars blend in nicely with the black bezel, and the 3.6-inch play area is slightly bigger than many

and a massive step up from the original 2.9-inch GBA screen.

The 5000 mAh battery is a beast. If you’re playing for one or two hours a day, you can easily go a week without charging. Couple that with Android’s excellent sleep mode, and you have a handheld that’s super easy to pick up and play for short sessions, and set aside without worrying about the battery draining. And despite having only one speaker, its sound is punchy and clear, arguably some of the best audio in retro handhelds.

In terms of controls, it features Retroid’s signature “Vita-style” D-pad. It’s clicky and precise. The face buttons are slightly loud. I’m not a big fan of the shoulder buttons (L1/L2 and R1/R2) as they’re arranged in a straight line and have very short travel distances.

Under the hood, this device is surprisingly powerful. It technically has enough muscle to run some GameCube and PS2 games, but it lacks analog sticks which makes playing 3D games a bit tricky. This omission is a “love it or hate it” design choice. Personally, I think it's a fair trade-off. It makes the device more pocketable and doubles down on its true strength: a dream machine for 2D gaming, including the Sega Saturn. Retroid is well-aware of this, and made 6-button variants for Saturn fans.

If there’s a catch, it’s the ergonomics. The "chin" (the area below the screen) is pretty short. It feels a bit cramped because the bottom doesn't quite rest in the middle of your palm. You can buy 3D-printed grips to help with this, but that adds bulk. You can also tuck your pinkies under the device to help support it. It’s not a deal breaker for me because I rarely play longer than an hour in a session, but it’s something worth noting if ergonomics are a priority.

So is this the ideal device for you? If you have a soft spot for the Game Boy look but want a premium OLED screen for everything up to the PS1, this is a fantastic pick. It’s also one of the only options if you specifically want that 6-button layout for Sega games.

Other options to consider:

• Anbernic RG-40XXV
  : A great budget-friendly alternative.
• Anbernic RG-477V
  : If you want a much bigger screen.
• Ayaneo Pocket DMG
  : The high-end "luxury" choice, if budget isn't an issue.