In what’s felt like one of the fastest releases for Retroid in a long time, pre-orders for the Retroid Pocket Nova are officially open, with prices starting at just $229.
Admittedly, it’s been a bit of a rocky six months for Retroid, as RAMpocalypse continues to rear its ugly head at every corner. Due to rising costs of components, the Retroid Pocket G2 was retired from the lineup of available handhelds, with the Pocket 5 resuming its place as the alternative to the Pocket 6.
However, after a turbulent launch, Retroid ended up retiring the 12GB Pocket 6 variant, leaving only the 8GB model in its stead. Earlier this month, Retroid surprised many of us by re-introducing the 12GB model, albeit only with 128GB of storage.
Nevertheless, Retroid is determined to make 2026 as good as it possibly can, introducing the Retroid Pocket Nova earlier this week.
What to Expect
First and foremost, the Retroid Pocket Nova is just the latest handheld to be powered by the Snadpragon QCS8550 (aka the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.) It’s paired with either 8GB or 12GB of storage, and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable with a microSD card.
You can check out the full spec sheet below and check out our Retroid Pocket Nova overview article.
| Hardware | |
| CPU | Qualcomm QCS8550 |
|---|---|
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 740 |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5X, 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Cooling | ✅ |
| Display | |
| Screen Size | 4.5-inch |
| Resolution | 1280 x 960 |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3 |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| PPI | 355.56 |
| Storage | |
| Internal Storage | 128GB UFS 3.1 |
| External Storage | microSD |
| Battery | |
| Battery Capacity | 5000mAh |
| Charging Speed | 27W |
| Connectivity | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Ports | 3.5mm Audio Jack, microSD, USB-C |
| Video Out | Yes |
| Controls | |
| Sticks | Hall Effect |
| Triggers | Analog |
| Shoulder Layout | Stacked |
| D-Pad | Top Left |
| Audio | |
| Speakers | Stereo |
| Speaker Location | Front-facing |
| Headphone Jack | Yes |
| Physical | |
| Dimensions | 169.9 x 84.1 x 15.6mm |
| Weight | 255g |
| Form Factor | Horizontal |
| Software | |
| Operating System | Android 13 |
Retroid Pocket Nova Accessories
Retroid Pocket Nova Price and Pre-Order Deals
With pre-orders now available for the Retroid Pocket Nova, let’s talk quickly about pricing. Here’s how everything shakes out, depending on what configuration you decide on:
- 8GB/128GB
- Black/16 Bit/GC: $229
- Ice Blue, Crystal, Watermelon, and Clear Purple: $234
- 12GB/128GB
- Black/16 Bit/GC: $269
- Ice Blue, Crystal, Watermelon, and Clear Purple: $274
Retroid also confirmed that it is including a “FREE Bumped Back Shell + Tempered Glass Screen Protector” with every pre-order. Not only that, but if you own a Retroid Pocket Mini V1, you might be eligible for a discount.
If you purchased your Pocket Mini V1 through Retroid’s website directly, use code V1SAVE3 at checkout to save another $3. You will need to be signed into the same account that you bought the Pocket Mini with, and it needs to appear in your Order History. Otherwise, your account won’t be eligible for the discount.
Let us know in the comments whether you plan on buying the Pocket Nova, and what configuration you decided to get!
