The KTR2 has been announced but will start as a crowdfunding effort due to costs for parts being higher than initially expected.

The KTR1 was initially positioned as a rival for devices with the T618 chipset but with notable opportunities for various modifications. The position of the d-pad and analog sticks could be swapped, and immediately available metal and plastic versions.

Alongside these choices, gamers could pick from a varying degree of RAM and on-board storage configurations ranging from 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage to 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage.

Now, the effort to create the sequel to the KTR1 has started.

The KTR2 aims to utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. This is the same chipset that was commonly found in high-end Android phones just last year, 2023. It’s also the same SoC that you’ll find in the AYN Odin 2 and Odin 2 Mini.

The costs for this chipset are higher than expected for KT Pocket, so they are using crowdfunding to gauge interest, and also decide if it’s worth the monetary investment the company would have to put forth to bring the device to mass production.

The crowdfunding approach would give those who pledge more rewards the higher their pledge goes, but details on what those perks would be are still unknown.

On the announcement page for the crowdfunding effort, KT Pocket has detailed expected spec configurations for the device. The options are shown in the table below.

KTR2 Configuration Options

It is worth noting that KT Pocket is offering these details as an estimation — what they expect to be options should they reach their funding goal.

Part of the announcement also includes the mention that those who opt for the 4G option may have to wait a fair bit longer, but without it, you lose camera and GPS functionality — not something most gamers have particular interest in.

On the opposite end, KT Pocket has said that if they are unsuccessful in reaching their goal, they will instead attempt to use a Dimensity 1100, which would still offer improvements over the current KTR1 but would not be nearly as powerful or expensive as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. If anyone pledges before the company is defaulted to the Dimensity 1100, they would receive the option of either taking a full refund or switching their order.

The Dimensity D1100 is the same chipset found in the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, one of 2023’s strongest handhelds. The D1100 offers relatively decent emulation for GameCube, Wii, and PS2 games, but not perfect compatibility with their entire respective libraries.

In comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, as we see it in smartphones, is routinely thrown and tested against Switch emulators and games. The Switch is an aging console, but it is one of the markers of a device’s power if it can handle its games well.

In either case, either the D1100 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 would be an upgrade from where the KT R1 currently is, but still, gamers would obviously want the better of the two options.

In a retro handheld landscape with the Odin 2 Mini, Retroid Pocket 5 and Mini, and even the monstrously-able Steam Deck, the desire for stronger handhelds grows with each passing day. Hopefully, this crowdfunding effort can push KT Pocket to create the best possible version of the KTR2.

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