Just one day after the handheld community put the pieces together based on a cryptic image shared by GoRetroid about a new handheld, we now have the official reveal of the Retroid Pocket 2S.
And it is looking just about as glorious as we had all expected. So let’s not waste any time with intros; Let’s take a look at the brand new Android handheld coming from GoRetroid.
Update July 19, 2023: Well it didn't take long for yet another update. This time we got the coloways coming to the Retroid Pocket 2S. Metal is still "TBD".
Retroid Pocket 2S
Now that everything is official, what did the community get right and what did they get wrong?
Well, we certainly put the pieces together correctly in our assumption that GoRetroid intended to bring back the Retroid Pocket 2 design with upgraded specs.
But with only a sneaky photoshopped teaser image to go by, it left us all wondering what upgrades might be included.
The safest bet was that GoRetroid would take from their current model, the Retroid Pocket 3+, and put the T618 CPU inside the RP2 model’s shape.
While the new video posted on Youtube does confirm that the RP2 form factor has returned, it still doesn’t really answer those big questions about what’s inside.
So we are all still dying to know what is this mystery unlabeled CPU that is featured in the video?!
What Is Different?
We can see that the D-pad has been relocated, as we spotted in the teaser image. And its shape is more similar to the design used on the RP3.
And the joysticks are clearly very different. If they did what is right, those will be the new hall sensor sticks that are becoming a standard.
We also have two new buttons on the top and a relocated LED.
It seems that GoRetroid has opted for a more stealth look with no text or logos on the face of the console. Which is absolutely something we love.
We cannot tell what material the RP2S will be, but even in the render it does look a bit metallic. Obviously that would be something we’d love to see, but impossible to tell.
One detail that I got wrong was the screen dimensions changing in the new model.
Comparing the two models side by side, we can see that it is an identical form, just with a few adjustments and additions – no major reshaping happening here.
So it looks like we are getting another 3.5 inch screen on this one. A great screen still, but we were all hoping for a 4 inch as a nice upgrade.
What’s Next?
The new Retroid Pocket 2S is absolutely stunning in the teaser video.
GoRetroid did an amazing job with the teaser, showing us all of those gorgeous details and really making this thing look tasty.
But there is still a lot to be left to the imagination. Clearly, everybody wants to know what the heck is inside this thing.
Is it a T618 CPU?
That’s what 99% of us are guessing. Of course there are still those hoping for an RK3588. But I just don’t see that happening.
But like I said in our previous article, we are just happy to see an upgraded Retroid Pocket 2, even if it is a T618 chip.
We know people have grown tired of that one. But there really isn’t anything that pairs better with the form factor of the RP2 without the need for even further modifications, like active cooling.
We’re entirely satisfied with what we’ve seen so far in the new Retroid Pocket 2S and can’t wait to hear some solid details about it as soon as possible.
Anthony has been a video game lover ever since he can remember. He became a fulltime nomad in 2018, living throughout most of Asia. He focused his passion in retro gaming and began creating a game for the Game Boy Color while living in Nara, Japan during the 2020 pandemic. He is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he spends most of his time gaming, going on long walks and meeting as many stray dogs as possible.
