Retroid Pocket Nova: first gameplay footage shows off GameCube, PS2, and 3DS

Retroid released on July 15, 2026 the first gameplay footage filmed directly on its new handheld, the Pocket Nova, marketed as the first retro handheld with a 4:3, 120Hz AMOLED display. The videos, shot by a Retroid employee, show the device running God of War II, Outrun 2006, and Burnout Revenge on PlayStation 2, Panzer Dragoon on Saturn, Dead or Alive 2 on Dreamcast, and F-Zero GX on GameCube.

Technically, the Pocket Nova packs a Qualcomm QCS8550 chip under active cooling paired with a 4.5-inch AMOLED display at 1280x960, a resolution chosen to respect the original aspect ratio of 2000s home and portable consoles without ugly black bars.

The handheld also supports Retroid's Dual Screen add-on, which connects a second display to properly run Nintendo DS and 3DS games, two platforms notoriously difficult to emulate comfortably on a classic single-screen handheld.

Pre-orders for the Retroid Pocket Nova have been open since late June on the manufacturer's official website, starting at $229 for the 8GB RAM / 128GB storage version, available in seven colorways, with shipping expected in the coming weeks.

Source: Time Extension