There’s undoubtedly a lot of hype surrounding the most recent Retroid handheld to be announced, as the Pocket Nova is currently available for pre-order. However, that doesn’t seem to be the only handheld we’ll see from Retroid in 2026, as the Pocket Flip 3 might have been confirmed.
This comes from @SrLinguicaVIVE on X, who shared a screenshot of a conversation on a social media platform. One person asked about whether there was “Any progress on the dual-screen device”, to which the “Retroid Pocket Handheld” account replied with “Second half of the year.”
There have been rumblings about Retroid working on a dual-screen handheld for quite a while, with anticipation building for months. The anticipation only intensified following the release of the Retroid Dual Screen Add-on, essentially allowing you to turn any compatible handheld into a dual-screen device. While convenient, it’s not quite exactly the same experience that you would find with the AYN Thor, AYANEO Pocket DS, or even the Anbernic RG DS.
It’s all just pure speculation at this point, but it’s interesting to think about what the Retroid Pocket Flip 3 would have to offer compared to the competition. Seeing as the Pocket Flip 2 relies on the Snapdragon 865, we don’t see Retroid moving beyond the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is mainly because high component costs would result in a price that’s a bit higher than normal for Retroid’s lineup.
At the same time, the 8 Gen 2 is the same chip found in the AYN Thor, with the exception of the Thor Lite, which uses the Snapdragon 865. So if Retroid were to release the Pocket Flip 3 with the 8 Gen 2, it would likely immediately cannibalize sales of the AYN Thor.
Then again, since AYN and Retroid are “sister” companies, maybe this is a sign that an AYN Thor 2 is in the works, which would almost have to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make too much sense, unless Retroid had other plans in mind for the Pocket Flip 3’s processor.
