There's something just charming and elegant about the RG405M. I hope whatever shortcomings it has be ironed out in future releases while maintaining that beautiful design.
I do think they respond to reviewer feedback and address them quickly. There's one review by Adin Walls complaining of rattle but there's no such thing with my device. Also the plastic face buttons scratching on the aluminum chassis seems like a recipe for disaster but so far there are no scratches on my buttons and most definitely no sticking due to friction.
I have been planning to get a 405m but read a lot of people have problems with the shoulder buttons going out as well as the screen coming unglued. @@poiXquared
I was buying a lot of these retro handhelds until I got the Flip (RP3 was the pick prior) and now it just wins over all others. Would be nice to see a Flip+ or Flip 2 or Flip DS with 2 screens (niche, I know), good sticks (not sliders) and the same processor in the Odin 2. Though none of that is not likely to happen, but a guy can dream lol
You seem to like to Flip for a lot of the same reasons I like my RP3+. That being said, I put switch sticks on my RP3+ and I use the 2 in 1 Grip/case from EpicPrintingShop which alleviated a lot of the concerns I had with ergonomics on the RP3+. I really wonder how you would of felt about the RP3+ with a plastic shell and that 3d printed grip. It made such a difference for me. Btw you've been killing it with the videos lately keep it up!
Zero regrets with the RG405M, 100% meeting my expectations and more. Personally I wanted to stick with 4:3 display... and as you noted PSP is playable/enjoyable on this (though that would shine on a 16:9 screen). The analog triggers of the RP2S did interest me a little, as someone who loves Dreamcast racing games, but outside of that it has limited usage in retro emulation (Gamecube for the small handful of racing games you may get working on this device)... and the smaller screen (but bigger overall footprint) of the RP2S is what killed that option for me.
Bro I’ve been deadlocked trying to decide between these two FOREVER and ur comment just did it for me! Analog sticks would def be nice (and I love that green case on the RP2s) but yea I rly wanted something more pocketable for this device and I can’t get over how nice that sleek premium metal body is on the RG405M! Plus the slightly bigger screen. And I do love that mint green looking color it comes in almost equally as much as the other green. So that does it then, I’m going with the RG405M! Thank you dude! That’s like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders bc I’ve been struggling to choose between these 2 on and off for probably over a year now and each time I’d get exhausted n give up after going back and forth between the two, watching videos and reading positive n negative reviews on each. But you summed it up perfectly for me in what I’m looking for and I rly appreciate it! My dude right here.
I’m a Retroid Pocket 3+ guy. It and my Switch Lite are what I play everything on even though I also have an XBox Series S. I also wouldn’t mind picking up a Steam Deck if I could find one used for under $250-$275
I've been going back and forth between the 2s and 3+ for about a month now. In the end, I just went with the Odin 2. I don't want to be sad when the pocket 4 comes out in a few [days/months] and have to buy all over again. :)
I have the RP2+, 405M and the Flip and I have to agree with all the points. I have to admit though that when I got my 405M, I preferred it more than my Flip just because of the easiness of GammaOS on 405M and weird enough, the metal feel is something very comfortable in extended use. The heat does transfer a lot so I'm only talking about extended use on easier emulators. After having to use the Flip with a grip though, it was game over. Lol and I love the sliders. Having to finish Rogue Galaxy on it, I can attest it's really good.
Also to add I got my 405M for $93 before shipping due to Aliexpress’ I think back to school sale or something like that not too long ago. I couldn’t pass it up
Ironically you sold me the 2S over the Flip since most of what the Flip is good for I'm not that interested in, while the stuff that the S2 excels at I'm actually really interested in. I mostly want to play 4:3 games, and aside for PSP, I already have other consoles that can play the stuff that's not ideal to play here. Android games are not an issue, either, so... I think I'll go for the 2S.
I love my rg405m, good weight, feels very premium, buttons and controls are great, size is very pocketable. I sold my flip due to me getting cramps while using it.
Yes, Retroid discontinued it because of the bad hinge quality, meaning that many people who bought a Flip reported cracking with the hinge and all. So sadly you can No longer buy it from the Retroid website directly 😥
Flipping my shit right here. Nuh uh Joey I’m not flipping flopping on this one! 2s for me! 😂. Also I can confirm that the rp2s and rp flip have the same analogue triggers.
If Retroid did a 2S flip, I would get that one. Thing is, for me price to performance is kind of where it's at so the 2S is basically unbeatable. For a little more money over the flip I could get a RP 4 or 4 Pro which will demolish the flip performance wise. I think Retroid made too good a product with the 2S. If only they fitted a 4 inch screen in it...
I don't have a positive or negative view to aluminum vs. plastic, but the DS/PSP is a completely different scenario as one has the screen for it and the other doesn't.
I keep debating getting a 405m, but it's quite expensive since I've got an rg35xx for the easier emulation. I don't know if there's anything that's a must buy for me right now
I opted for a RG35XX as my first retro handheld. And i swear none of the other ones seem to justify the purchase except the Odin 2 for that perfect GC/PS2 emulation. But at that price point, i'd rather spend a bit more money and get a handheld pc like a steam deck or something. The RG35XX with GarlicOS is just too much value for your money. The RP2S may be the only one i might consider because it's also great value while being an android device with hall sticks, 4:3 screen and d-pad centric design. And does almost the same thing as the 405M for half the price.
I’ve been on the fence about trying the Flip since I’ve been using the 405m and (mostly) loving it. Honestly, if the 405m was dpad centric, then I really wouldn’t look elsewhere. Something about the screen on mine and the feel of the metal is just very satisfying for me. But I’ve heard enough love for the Flip that I’ve got one on order. I loved my DS back in the day and I need the dpad in the right place for my retro gaming. So let’s see how it goes. 🤣
Idk man I’m RLY hesitant to buy another flip device after my GPD XD+‘s hinge broke outta nowhere a couple of years ago.. and I take rly good care of my electronics too and I nvr dropped it or even rly used it all that much tbh and still got a crack in it! And that one was supposed to be “reinforced” too compared to the reg XD. At this point I’d rly just like something more pocketable this time around which is why I’m considering the RP2+ and RG405m. (Or even the RP4+ for not that much more money, but then it’s like I might as well just go for an Odin or something. But no just wanna keep it simple for my retro stuff. And at first I was gonna get the Miyoo Mini+ and the RG35XX+ to compare but ultimately decided I wanted something w a little more power). So, so far I’ve still got my eye on the RG405m I think. I just love that sleek compact premium metal body and the all around form factor looks like it’d be more comfortable to me and I heard it’s heavy too which I like. Even so there’s just something about the RP2+ that keeps me coming back to it.. (esp that clear green n64 color w the famicom colored buttons 😍). But again it’s plastic and just kinda seems clunkier in some ways so idk. I’m notoriously indecisive so it’s still rly a toss up at this point. I also procrastinate a lot too evident in the fact I’ve alrdy been looking at both of these on and off for over a year now, so will it ever happen? Who knows. It’s just such a tough choice for me and I’m also rly cheap too so I wanna make sure I pick right. What to do.. 🤔
considering the fact retroid just launched the new retroid pocket 4 pro and wanting to use the console to play a decent amount of ps2 and gamecube titles, would you buy a rg405m/v or the new pocket 4 pro? And why, if I can ask?
It was definitely a close battle for the 2S vs the 405M for me, the Flip was way more expensive than the 405M from where I live. My buying points were ease of use and pocketability. Knowing that the RP2S needed setup with it being my first android retro device I was off to a better start with the 405m with it coming shipped with games and Gamma OS already set up. I'm coming from both the Miyoo Mini Plus and 35XX The charm of having such pocketable devices were a big plus for me so the slimmer form factor of the 405m was another good point. I must admit the sticks and the speakers on the RP2S makes it really nice but the pocketabilty outweighs those benefits. From where I live, the RP2s comes in at $135 with shipping and with no games, so I have to shell out a couple bucks for extra storage. Meanwhile the 405m being more premium is only $30 more coming in at $160 with discount vouchers and also comes with a genuine 128Gb Sandisk card and with GammaOS already set up. In my situation the 30 dollar difference is more value. Oh yeah and the 3.5 inch screen is getting old for me with all the 3.5 inchers like the MMP and 35XX, I had to try out a bigger but at roughly the same footprint. So yeah I got the 405M much thanks to your reviews as well as the other retro game channels on the Tubes.
It's a bit weird to say you wouldn't even consider playing PSP on a 4:3 screen then say you prefer a bunch of 4:3 games on the Flip's 16:9 regardless of the black bars lol.
They are 3 beautiful consoles, but one thing i didn't understood: there is a secure way to identify / buy a Retroid Flip 2.0 with stronger hinges? Many thanks in advance
Only way is buying straight from Retroid. No other visible way to tell. Or, buy a watermelon colored of any generation, they didn't have the hinge issue.
Ps1 is 4:3 and psp is 16:9 so no device will show both systems without compromise. Is your focus is psp, i'd say pick the retroid pocket 3+, it looks like a psp and does everything a psp does but better
2s or 405v? 2s seems more refined per reviewers while the 405v has better specs, thermals, battery, bigger screen (notwithstanding the over sharpening issue). Plan to play ps and psp games maybe ps2. Also already have 35xx+ if that matters.
A couple of months ago I was debating whether to pickup the RG405M or a Retroid Pocket 3+, I ended up ordering the Retroid pocket flip SNES version, and it’s awesome. One thing to note that was left off the video is that the pocket flip has a larger battery at 5000 mah. I purchased the flip for many of the reasons in the video, the clam shell protects the screen, the device has a decent weight that makes it feel like a premium device. Yes it has its cons as stated on the video but it’s stuff that I can workaround. The screen is fantastic, great for PS5 streaming, android game apps and emulation. It does use a T618 however it seems with all the updates it receives it gets better and better in that I’m able to play a large number of PS2 and Wii games. Even 3DS works very well with little to no configuration tweaks. Lastly I was concerned about the sliders but it works very well after awhile.
Comparing the 2s to the flip or the 405m is like comparing those last two to an ayn odin or even a discounted steam deck moneywise. A comparison per price tier would be more fair. The 2s would win the sub 100 dollars tier hands down!
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds My own personal dilemma at the moment is between rg35xx, miyoo mini+, rgb30 and rp2s 😔 I already have a steam deck so I'm content with a 4:3 screen and up to gen 5 or 6 emulation.
Bro can you please please please make a quick video like a short of what GBA Pokémon fire red looks like on all the handheld retro consoles, I’ve been watching all videos but not one displays GBA Pokémon??
My Retro Pocket 2S Freezes When you exit an app guaranteed it locks the playstore for some odd reason and I can't close it im not expecting iPhone os smoothness or anything but man it makes the thing feel cheap or not well optimized and for those reasons IM Out. I'll take my money and throw it at the flip and hopefully I can flip it later on.
Joey, I support you and follow your contents with high interest, but I feel a little bit disappointed by this video for several reasons. When I was about to open it I was really excited to see someone, and you in particular, pointing out a deep comparison between RG405M and RP2S: a video titled like this made me expecting a deep dive into performance, materials (plastic and metal), and controls. I am happy to having seen at least the last of these three topics, by the way, even if I think more could be said in this regard. The RP Flip is totally intrusive, in my opinion, because of a different price, the screen aspect ratio, and the overall kind of device which puts it in another category: in summary, it steals the space that the comparison between RP2S and RG405M really deserves. By the way, there's an element that the RP Flip could had evoked: the video output. This function, absent in the RG405M, would have been a good topic for a comparison between this two Retroid devices. In summary, I feel this video is off topic, because the title promised something different. By the way, it has been interesting to having watched your video and having listened to your opinion 😊
Hey, appreciate the feedback. The Flip addition was additive, not subtractive. You would have received the same video, but without the extra parts that the Flip added. That could be seen as a lack of content issue I suppose, but given I think this is now the third or fourth video I've compared the RP2S and RG405M in different ways, I would just be rehashing previous comments for the most part. I do not think the Flip is in a different category at all. It's cheaper than the RG405M and if you look at it as my substitution for the 3+, it completely fits in line with these two devices. But you are proving my point as to why it's the best option of the three, as you've stated a few reasons in your comment as to why it's better and that's exactly why I made this video the way that I did. TLDR - You got the video you wanted, but with more added.
In the end it all comes down on your use case, if youre going to play more PSP and DS on purpose on your handheld, then why the F would you buy the 4:3 screens anyways, thats on you, the buyer, i have retroid pocket 3+ and Rg505, but i mostly play my 405V on 4:3 games, because playing 4:3 games on wide screen, while doable and okay for some, just doesnt look good too, its too small, specially if you apply integer scaling too. The same way i wont play PSP or any widescreen games on purpose on my 405v, i get that its an all around device, but thats the price you pay for it being "all in one" device. playing DS games on 405v if games that dont use 2nd screen is cool too since its box type ratio anyway, but theres no better way to play ds and 3ds games than a 3ds. so gauge yourself when buying these products, what will you mostly play on it, since its a retro handheld most of the games you play on it are in 4:3, if not then get the widescreen, the only passable thing for me that playing 4:3 games on a widescreen device is if its on 6inch and up display, because that will be big even with borders on the side.
Black borders are mainly an issue for one reason. LCD displays don't turn lights off to save power like OLED panels; so you're essentially wasting battery life to display darkness, which an OLED display wouldn't do. I dislike big borders, hence why I say 16:10 is superior to 4:3 and 16:9 since it scales better to both, but if we had an OLED panel or bigger batteries, I could deal with borders.
What I got out of the video: The Flip has horrible buttons, horrible sound, etc, but the screen is nice so it wins. It's almost like they are paying you to shill the Flip out. lol For me personally, as a DS owner for years, I always preferred using the bottom screen where the buttons are to play my GBA games. It feels and looks more natural to me, and I'll fold the top screen down a bit to block the sun when I'm outside. Looking up to play GBA while the controls are on the bottom is a bit weird to me. My favorite way to play GBA is the ol' RG351P. It's perfect. You don't need no fancy schmancy new 2023 device to enjoy GBA games.