I know what you’re thinking “Brandon, I only just got hold of a Retroid Pocket 3, now there’s rumours of a new upgraded version?”.
It could possibly be true, but these rumours come from a Chinese forum, and not from GoRetroid’s mouth so please take this information with a grain of salt.
The Retroid Pocket 3 was released to the public in early September of 2022, so not so long ago really, and since then not only have they revealed new Retroid Pocket 3 colours, but there’s also been some rumours that a new version of the device is in the works.
What Is The Retroid Pocket 3S?
According to a Chinese forum about handhelds, users have been sharing information of a leak that shows an image revealing not one but two new handhelds that go by the name of Retroid Pocket 3S and Retroid Pocket 3S Plus.
These devices are near identical to the original RP3 but come with some major internal differences that could take this device to the next level.
The Retroid Pocket 3S is rumoured to have the same shell, buttons and layout of the Retroid Pocket 3 but instead it will rock a very powerful MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset.
This CPU is strong enough too potentially emulate the best ps2 games and the best Gamecube games at great speeds, something even the Logitech G Cloud cannot do.
According to NotebookCheck:
The Mediatek Dimensity 900 is a fast mid-range SoC with an integrated 5G modem. It includes two fast ARM Cortex-A78 cores at up to 2.4 GHz and six power efficient Cortex-A55 cores at up to 2 GHz (Octa-Core with Heterogeneous Multi-Processing).
Furthermore, the chip integrates a 4 core ARM Mali-G68 MC4 GPU, a Wi-fi 6 modem, a LPDDR4x memory controller, a AI processing unit and video de- and encoding. The Dimensity 900 is manufactured in the modern 6nm process and should be very power efficient.
This processor is found in many high end smartphones from the likes of Oppo and Honor, it’s even the chip used by the popular AYN Odin Lite. So putting it in an Android Handheld like this, should do wonders to the performance, especially when it is classed as being “very power efficient”.
It also looks like the Retroid Pocket 3S will get some extra RAM, bumping it up to 4GB. It could be possible that they will offer it as a PCB upgrade too, just like the did from the 2 tot he 2+, this will make it cheaper to upgrade if you have already purchased the 3.
What Is The Retroid Pocket 3S Plus?
The Retroid Pocket 3S Plus is rumoured to be a little different. This leaked image shows no visuals of the device, and that’s because it will potentially to feature a slightly larger screen.
Traditionally the RP3 has a 4.7″ display, but the 3S Plus could in fact go as large as a 5.5″ 1080p display alongside 4GB’s of RAM and the same D900 chipset as the 3S.
This will directly compete with the AYN Odin if priced around the $200 mark, and if mass produced t will likely leave AYN in the dust while the struggle to ship all of their units out due to long manufacturing times.
It’s a great idea for GoRetroid, and they can see the specs work on the market already, but having it leak this early into the 3’s lifespan isn’t going to help them with Christmas sales, as many will read this news and “hold out” until deeper into 2023.
Update 4th November
As of the 4th November 2022, it has been officially revealed by GoRetroid that they are working on a Retroid Pocket 3+.
They revealed it through a trailer on their YouTube channel which you can see below, and it the leaks were trust, same shell, new chip, new colours.
Retroid Pocket 3S Release Date
As of now, there is no official information regarding the Retroid Pocket 3S release date.
Retroid Pocket 3S Pricing
As of now, there is no official information regarding the Retroid Pocket 3S pricing, but if we had to guess it’s going to be closer to $199 to compete with the AYN Odin.
We will update this article with more information once we receive it.
