Surprise! As if not to be outdone by the Anbernic RG405 leak earlier this week, a new Retroid Pocket Vertical console has leaked online.
Specs are yet to be revealed (I reached out to Go Retroid and will update should I get a response), but we do have a pretty solid idea of what the console is.
Most interesting is the inclusion of two thumbsticks. That rules out the idea that the Retroid Pocket Vertical will be purely an old-school retro handheld. Dual sticks indicate this device will be capable of at least PS1 emulation.
How further above PS1 will the Retroid Pocket Vertical reach? That’s the question. If we’re going by the Retroid Pocket 3, which was three times more powerful than the Retroid Pocket 2, things could change quite drastically.
The Retroid Pocket 3 makes use of a PowerVR GE830 GPU with 3GB of RAM. If Go Retroid decides to go with similar specs for the Retroid Pocket Vertical, we could be seeing a vertical handheld that’s capable of both N64 and Dreamcast, which would be quite nice.
Images from Roland on the Retro Handhelds Discord (via RetroDodo)
Price-wise, as it’s a leak, no one knows yet, though it will all come down to specs. The Retroid Pocket 3 came in at $119, so I’d expect similar pricing. Of course, if the specs are lower, then so should the price.
Another factor that’s worth considering, Go Retroid is in everyone’s bad books at the moment due to the company’s handling of the Retroid Pocket 3 and 3 Plus. If you haven’t heard this, strap in, it beggars belief.
The first problem was that the Retroid Pocket 3 was withheld from sale for too long due to some issues with the hardware. Go Retroid fixed the issues in hardware revisions, but didn’t have enough time to fix every single console. The solution? Sell them anyway. That’s at least according to YouTuber Taki Udon.
To make matters worse, within just a few short months of releasing the Retroid Pocket 3, the same company release the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus – an upgraded version of the same console. To say people weren’t happy is an understatement. Whether Go Retroid will make it up to those is yet to be seen.
In more positive news, have you seen the Retroid Pocket 3 grip accessory? It’s made from TPU and comes in three colors and could be a solid way to protect your handheld from scratches.
