I scoffed at the Retroid Pocket Classic when it was first announced. The off-center buttons and bright colors? I couldn’t care less when I saw that. I had the AYANEO Pocket DMG, and I was happy. Something changed, though, and I ended up pre-ordering the bundle with the Flip 2 the night of release.

Goodbye DMG, Hello Pocket Classic

Well, what changed? I thought about how silly the Classic looked, and the price wasn’t too bad. It also had the same screen as the AYANEO Pocket DMG. I loved the DMG, but I was babying that thing. I spent so much on it and did not dare put it in my pocket. The Classic, though? I could throw that around with a lot less remorse.

The purpose of these devices is to play them, and with my DMG in a big, bulky case, I was not playing it that much. I made the tough decision of selling my DMG and getting the Classic. I told myself that the extra money could go towards another tattoo or the Switch 2 to make it a little less cumbersome.

The colors were there to kind of replicate the Game Boy Color, which I was a big fan of as a kid. Since the motherboard isn’t the same white, though, my beloved atomic purple did not hit that nostalgia for me. I was between Berry and Kiwi. I just got a new Xbox controller color that had a similar color to the berry, so I decided Kiwi was the play.

After debating about getting a Miyoo Flip, Brick, or Miyoo Mini Plus, I was excited to finally get a new pocketable device. I have bigger hands, and those devices seem perfect, but they do start cramping my hands after a while. This though? It is much bigger and I feel better. Will these be my new champ for vertical handhelds?

Retroid had some issues getting my beloved Kiwi shell in time for US customers, so I changed to the 6-button one. I then panicked all day because I have ZERO nostalgia for Sega, and I didn’t love the color layout. After much debate and the time running out to order, I got the PKM color because it looked so good in Stubbs’ video below. Though you should be able to get a Kiwi now in the US.

Retroid Pocket Classic Specs

• Display: 3.92″ AMOLED
• Aspect Ratio: 31:27 (10⅓:9)
• Resolution: 1240 x 1080
• Processor: Snapdragon G1 Gen 2
• RAM: LPDDR4X 4GB or 6GB @ 2133Mhz
• Storage: 64GB or 128GB + MicroSD card slot
• Connectivity: WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
• Battery: 5000mAh
• Dimensions: 138 x  89 x 26mm
• Colors: teal, kiwi, berry, retro, atomic purple, PKM yellow, classic 6
• Extras: Optional 6-button layout, sloped back triggers, headphone jack
• Price: $119 USD (4GB + 64GB) | $129 USD (6GB + 128GB)

First Thoughts

The Retroid Pocket Classic feels great in the hands. The buttons are clicky, but I think quieter than the RP5. The start/select are really clicky, though, as are the shoulder buttons. For the shoulder buttons, I do like how they are placed. They fit my fingers really well. The D-pad is the Vita-style, and it is my favorite to use. People rave about the Pocket DMG’s D-pad, but I actually prefer this.

The device has a nice matte feeling on the plastic, and it is much more my preference than the smudgy, smooth feeling of the Pocket DMG. I love the color combination of yellow, blue, green, and red. It is truly a unique color scheme that I know I will not replicate.

The screen is truly the star of the show on this one. It is absolutely gorgeous playing my games on a small OLED screen at such an affordable price. I love how the blacks disappear with the black bezels on the screen. It is truly a great time to be playing these devices.

I added some great overlays created by SkyWalker541. You can download those here. So far, they have options for both black and white lines. I applied the black to the GBC and they look really great in my opinion. They even completed some for Game Boy Advance as well.

Performance

I got this device purely for my NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy, GBA, and things in that range, but let me tell you…this is fully capable of more. I decided to toss on a few GameCube games, then I put on Mario Kart because I thought it would be fine to play without a stick, and it worked great at native resolution. It did chug a bit when I boosted it to x2. This is all bonus, though. I had no idea this would work!

I then switched to add some Wii games and bam! Super Mario Bros. Brawl was working like a charm at native resolution. Again, your options are limited because of the lack of stick. I consider this all extra, though, because I did not get this device for that. The battery life has been fantastic as well. I haven’t tested it with raw numbers, but I felt like I could play this for hours, and it loses very little in sleep.

Final Thoughts

Honestly, I love this device. It is my favorite vertical, and I don’t miss my DMG. I prefer the D-pad, plastic feel, color, and lack of guilt I have for taking it places to play. It isn’t as powerful, of course, but I don’t miss that aspect because I was not using the device for things too powerful. I have been using it a ton over the last week since I got it, and I can’t wait to keep using it in the future.

Some people may be frustrated by the lack of an analog stick, but I am happy without it. I can shove this in my pocket without the worry of it snagging on my pocket. I even ordered some Game Boy stickers on eBay that I am excited to decorate this with. The lack of video out is frustrating as well for some, so keep that in mind! This is my favorite release of the year so far! Get your own at the link below.

Retroid Pocket Classic

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