What you need to know
- Retroid has started teasing its next device, assumed to be the Retroid Pocket 6.
- According to the teaser image, more details will be revealed on October 27.
- Unfortunately, the image doesn’t provide any hint of what kind of device it will be.
It’s a fun time to be enthralled in the world of gaming handhelds, and it’s about to get even more fun. This morning, Retroid dropped a teaser image saying that “The Future is Now!”
Unlike what we see with various smartphone teasers, there’s really not much to discern from the image shared by Retroid. However, it’s probably safe to assume that this is the company gearing up to launch its next flagship handheld, the Retroid Pocket 6.
Retroid already confirmed its “next generation device” back at GDC 2025, at the same time as the Retroid Pocket Classic was introduced. The announcement was made in partnership with Qualcomm, with Retroid confirming it will be powered by the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2. Qualcomm claims it offers more than 2x faster CPU performance and almost 4x better GPU performance over the G2 Gen 1.
Beyond that, we really have no idea what Retroid’s next handheld could even look like. On one hand, it’s probably safe to assume that it will sport a traditional horizontal design. However, given the popularity of clamshell devices in 2025, we wouldn’t put it past Retroid to release a more powerful version of the Pocket Flip 2.
It’s not even outside the realm of possibility that Retroid could even go so far as to release both a new clamshell and a candybar handheld. But no matter what Retroid has planned, competition in the sub-$300 space has grown quite fierce in recent months.
AYANEO unveiled its KONKR branding, headlined by the Pocket FIT, which is powered by either the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 or 8 Elite, and starts at $239. Not to mention that the Pocket AIR Mini is now available for pre-order for less than $70. AYN released its first dual-screen handheld with the Thor, and the Odin 3 is expected to begin shipping sometime in November.
More recently, Anbernic has started teasing its own Nintendo DS Lite-styled handheld with the RG DS. Although we haven’t learned much in the way of specs, Anbernic did confirm that it will cost under $100, which is simply insane.
Needless to say, if Retroid wants to maintain its grasp on the mid-range handheld space, it needs to come out swinging. Thankfully, we only have to wait another week to learn more about what Retroid’s definition is of “The Future.”
Best for most
With so many different Android gaming handhelds to choose from, the Retroid Pocket 5 still manages to stand out from the pack. It just provides a great overall experience, and is more affordable than you might think.
