Retroid Pocket Duo and Duo Lite: Specs, Price, and Everything You Need to Know

The Retroid Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite have been officially revealed, with the company continuing to release tidbits of information before preorders open. We’ll continue updating this piece as more information is provided, offering a “landing point” for those looking to find out more information about Retroid’s first dual-screen handheld.

Retroid Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite: Price and Availability

As is usually the case with a new device launch, Retroid is offering a limited-time discount for both the Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite. Preorders opened at 9:30 PM ET on September 11, directly from Retroid’s website.

The Pocket Duo retails for $269, but you can save $20 and get it for just $249 when using the code DUO at checkout. Meanwhile, the Duo Lite retails for either $149 or $169, depending on what configuration you decide. However, this price is dropped down to $135 and $155, respectively, when using code DUOLITE at checkout.

Shipping for the Pocket Duo Lite will begin on September 17, while the Pocket Duo will begin shipping sometime in “Mid-October.”

NOTE: If you plan on preordering both the Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite, you’ll need to be sure to enter both discount codes at checkout.

-7%

Retroid Pocket Duo

Retroid

Retroid Standard $269.00 $249.00

Code: DUO

-9%

Retroid Pocket Duo Lite

Retroid

Retroid 4GB/64GB $149.00 $135.00

Code: DUOLITE

Retroid 6GB/128GB $169.00 $155.00

Code: DUOLITE

Available Accessories

Retroid Official Grip wih Stylus for Duo

Retroid

Retroid Standard $15.00

Retroid Official Grip with Stylus for Duo Lite

Retroid

Retroid Standard $15.00

Retroid Pocket Duo and Duo Lite Carrying Case

Retroid

Retroid Standard $10.00

Retroid Pocket Duo Lite Screen Protector

Retroid

Retroid Standard $6.00

Retroid Pocket Duo Screen Protector

Retroid

Retroid Standard $6.00

Retroid’s First Dual-Screen Handheld

Rumors about such a device began cropping up back in July, after screenshots of a conversation claimed Retroid would be releasing a dual-screen device in the “second half of the year.” At the time, we posited that it would be called the Pocket Flip 3, but that was debunked as soon as the Pocket Duo was first teased.

On September 7, Retroid released its first teaser trailer for the Pocket Duo, showing nothing more than a silhouette of a handheld, while strongly implying it would be a dual-screen device. Fast forward a few hours, and Retroid followed it up by revealing the first Pocket Duo render, confirming it is indeed a dual-screen handheld.

Not only that, but the teaser poster confirmed that the Duo would be using dual-120Hz displays. The top screen will feature a 16:9 aspect ratio, while the bottom screen is equipped with a 4:3 panel. Lastly, Retroid will only be releasing the Pocket Duo with a “D-pad top” controller layout. This differs from the other flagship dual-screen handhelds, as both the AYN Thor and AYANEO Pocket DS both feature a “Joystick top” layout.

Early on September 8, another teaser image was shared by Retroid, revealing that the Pocket Duo is powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-7790, while promising “flagship performance.” This is the first time that we’ve seen the Q-7790 in an Android handheld, and after a bit of investigating, we learned that it’s using the same architecture as the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4.

The Q-7790 is paired with Qualcomm’s Adreno 722 GPU, and is said to be 30% faster than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. Many have come to the conclusion that the Q-7790 rests somewhere in between the Snapdragon 865 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Choosing this processor should help Retroid keep prices low without sacrificing too much performance.

Retroid’s next update regarding its first dual-screen handheld was a doozy, as it actually revealed a second handheld. The Pocket Duo Lite was not on anyone’s bingo card, but it is officially joining the Pocket Duo at launch.

Not long after that, we learned about pricing, which was arguably the most interesting tidbit considering the popularity of dual-screen handhelds.

In order to live true to its “Lite” moniker, Retroid had to make a few interesting choices, starting with the processor. Sticking with Qualcomm, the Pocket Duo Lite is powered by the Dragonwing QCS6125, which has since been discovered as being most similar to the Snapdragon 662. The SD662 is the same chip found in the MANGMI Air X, which is a fine handheld in its own right, but does struggle a bit with 3DS emulation.

To help calm nerves, Retroid then released a Game Demo video using a Pocket Duo Lite “Engineering Prototype.” The handheld is shown playing some Mario Kart via Azahar at a 2X resolution, and it doesn’t appear as though there are any serious slowdowns.

In the wee hours of this morning, Retroid dropped another video for the Pocket Duo Lite with even more gameplay footage. However, the video also operated as a showcase for Retroid’s new “Official Grip with Stylus” that will be available for both the Pocket Duo and the Pocket Duo Lite.

Retroid Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite Specs