Russ, you are the most efficient content creator in this space. No fluff; no wasted commentary. You deliver all the pertinent info without being bland. You have found the perfect balance of being informative and entertaining.
Agreed, this really is a great way to summerize everything and even though it's subjective might be really handy for newcomers or for a quick check how a certain device compares to others for a special use case.
I can't grab a snack and/or drink because I'm prepping for a medical procedure 😭 Thanks for all your hard work, Russ, people like you make this hobby even more fun than it already is!
Probably gonna pick this one up over the bigger version. That screen is perfect for ps2 and gamecube. I would only want a larger screen if it had a 4:3 aspect ratio.
After watching this video, I decided to buy the 'Retroid Pocket 5.' Thank you for such a thorough and detailed analysis. It really helped me make up my mind!
Thanks for sharing and also commenting on all the games you did, especially for GCN, Wii, and PS2, as those are some of the best reasons to get this device IMO. I also enjoyed seeing the lesser known games you showed off (like the Sonic Racing games as opposed to... well, we won't talk about that...).
I think the RP Mini has been the handheld that I've been looking for all this time, I've been wanting a 4:3 handheld powerhouse that can do PS2/GC/maybe even some Wii for the longest time and it seems like this might be it. Thanks again for the informative review Russ!
I feel like an advantage to the small 4:3 display on a small form factor device is the benefit to ergonomics. You're able to have the analog sticks more towards the center than being inline with the face buttons / d-pad which leads to more natural hand postions.
Great review as always. As for the Retroid Pocket 5 ( I have it ordered ) we have to remember it's targeting a higher resolution so some of the newer systems might run slightly worse because of that alone, but the bump to android 13 and linux should improve things too. Also the table at the end was a great move, very easy to get an overview of things
It's worth remembering that almost all of the ScummVM library fits 4:3 nicely - as do many DOS titles. Don't sleep on those classic PC games for 4:3 screens!
Once again, all the questions I got are answered before even having to ask a thing. This, may just be what I have been needing for that dreamcast/saturn performance. Great vid, dude!
if you get the black one, because it has a glass front + AMOLED, the bezels are practically invisible whatever aspect ratio game you play. Biggest flex of this handheld in my opinion.
That part! They have to pick through, what's basically, screens previously meant for smartphones. There is nothing touching this & the difference between this & a 4 inch, is negligible. I have got the new Anbernic RG406V, which granted isn't OLED, is actually a damn nice LCD, but regardless of what screen technology they have, or could have had, size alone, the difference is hardly noticeable & I was playing Zelda: Echoes of Time, on mine last night & this thing only got warm, as to be expected & not hot at all.
I like these videos so much that i watch them even though I'll never buy another device with a screen this small, especially when its meant to play higher end systems.
Nah, I don't have the attention span to sit at a stationary monitor, but tablets feel too big. I think my switch lite has the perfect portability and comfortable grip for me. (Got the retroid flip but it's a bit chunky, was thinking of picking up the mini and giving the flip out as a prize for family Christmas games.)
This makes me want a RP5, a dock, and to set up a screen at my PC station just for it... and maybe to wait a month after launch for some tweaks with the OS they're working on.
Definitely grabbing the Mini. A highly portable handheld that can handle Dreamcast, PS2, and Gamecube? And it looks like a white Japanese Saturn? Perfection.
Good review! The Retroid Pocket Mini looks great. I already have a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro that I am more than happy with, so I will be passing on any additional retro handhelds for now. It is amazing how far the technology has come that you can comfortably play PS2 and GameCube games on a smaller device without breaking the bank!
I've been looking for a nice device to mostly play GBC/GBA and PS1 games and was really close to buying an AYANEO Pocket Micro, but I think the RP Mini will get far more support going forward. As much as I like the 3:2 screen and sleek design of the Micro compared to the bulbous design of the Mini, I can't help but feel like buying into the AYANEO business model would leave me feeling burned in the long run. Hoping the Mini's display being higher resolution and AMOLED will really elevate the experience in person. Ordered one in black so the bezels would disappear. Hoping it'll be my hands down go-to pocketable device, tired of always looking for the next best thing!
I'm starting the video right now but I just wanted to say to you, I really like your content and the making of your videos. Even though they are pretty long and some times I skip it through, I really enjoy discovering this new hobby with the help of you and your channel and your videos. Even though it doesn't come to mind, you are helping some people through tough times. You have a nice approach on this topic on this hobby and on this passion. Keep it up like that and thank you. Happy gaming
Actually cancelled my AYANEO Pocket Micro for this. I loved the micros premium build and shape, but I already spend plenty of time with my miyoo mini and have no complaints about how it handles lower end systems. I don’t need a glorious-looking brick which does the same thing as a handheld I already have. Meanwhile I have full confidence that I’ll love the pocket mini for its power and size. I have almost no interests in large, switch sized handhelds and just want something I could play on the train to work comfortably. Cannot wait for this.
You could add a rightmost column to the chart to tally the grades, I.e. 5 points for S, 1 point for D RP4: 63 points RP4 Pro: 67 points RP Mini: 62 points Ayaneo Micro: 42 points RP5: 75 points
I just can’t get over the size of the screen. Playing PS2 on the Odin 2 Mini is already difficult because of the screen size, and 3.7” just seems like an even further compromise. The only reason I’m comfortable reading text or playing games on the Odin 2 Mini is because most games will play natively at 16:9, and it has more room. Would’ve liked to see a screen comparison between the RPMini and the Odin 2 devices.
Thank you for your comments on NBA street volume 2! GameCube version it is for me then, also thanks for showing jet force gemini and then blast corps for N64 haha. Two of my all time favs.
The mini was the handheld I wanted but it seemed like it needed more time to cook, especially for Linux support, back during the preorder window with discounted prices. I ended up going with the RP5 for that reason and the extra RAM which should be better with A13. Lots of potential and I agree it's nice seeing a handheld that can emulate most PS2 games for a reasonable price. Also screen wise from other manufacturers, it would be nice to see a 1:1 AMOLED handheld like the Blackberry Q10 did years ago. Wish some company still had a production line going for those screens.
I think you should swap those colours in your final slide. Red is always bad lol on first glance my brain says Red and orange = worse. Green is good. Green is go. Green is a tick and yet green is a C. I'd say Blue should be S, Green should be A, B yellow, C orange and D red.
I used the color scheme established by tiermaker.com, since I used their tier ranking, which has been a pretty solid tier standard for several years in many gaming circles. But I agree, I considered using my own natural color scheme as well.
Hey I think you misunderstand what ambient heat is. The word ambient means "relating to the immediate *surroundings* of something", so when you brought up ambient heat I thought you were going to talk about how the warm weather at your location could be a challenge for smaller devices, since the cooling potential of a device lowers the warmer the ambient temperature is. E.g someone in the Sahara dessert is going to deal with overheating much quicker than someone in Norway. When you do temperature testing on a device, you are supposed to control and measure the ambient temperature (this is quite easy if you have AC) given this influence on the cooling potential, or your data can't be compared across reviews or even different tests in the same review. A couple degrees of ambient temperature can have a pretty big impact, especially if the cooling is inadequate. Sorry if it's a bit pedantic, but as a reviewer you should definitely understand this concept. I think a better term would be "exterior temperature" or something similar.
Thanks for answering my display output question btw. I already realized even if Android is limited in this capability, at least in Batocera you can customize it to your heart's content.
I have never bought a retroid yet. I have a 35xxsp since it fits in my front pocket at work and also own a steamdeck. I believe if they make a RP5Flip that’s the sweet spot for me. I can always have those two portables and just upgrade to steamdeck 2 whenever if comes out.
Excelent review, I’ll Stay With my RG Cube because DS and 3DS are Important to me, but My God I really enjoy your channel and all your work, thanks man!
Thanks Russ, I was waiting for your opinion on this one specifically. I think I will wait for your review of the RP5 before making a purchase. Please use the "table" again, it made a comparison very easy to visualise. At this point in time, I think RP4 Pro might be what I want, but RP5 also might be as well. Also, thank you very much for your work. I live in Australia, so the exchange rate kind of kills buying multiple devices for me (eg. RP5 Mini is about $500 + shipping. The Odin 2 is like $800?). But as you can see it can get very expensive very fast.
Kind of wish you had done a way more in-depth battery life section :( like running PS2 and Gamecube emulation at 2x upscaling on the Mini/RP4/RG Cube until battery ran out. Since the stress test you provided doesn't really reflect the power savings from Snapdragon Optimizations and screen power drain.
I just bought it last night. I love my 40xx but there were some arcade games it was struggling with and I really want an all in one 4:3 device that can play all my retro games. Anything before GameCube. Been enjoying Linux so dual booting could be fun on it.
Great review of a great device. Can’t wait to get mine. The 5 looks superb but I already have a SD OLED so can’t justify another non-pocketable device.
Good to see Tales of Symphonia being shown. I still think the gamecube version is the best version as its 60 fps. You probably can use the HD texture pack on this as well.
Yes, the RP5 will have more RAM. That won’t have much of an impact of emulation outside of some Switch (and possibly Cemu) titles, but it’ll help with Android games.
Should've made A or S tier green, or just used a gradient from green to white to red, for the chart at the end. A bit hard to read at a glance. But yeah that chart is why I'm going to go with the rp5, A and S across the board (except GB), should be an amazing all-rounder.
Thanks for the feedback, I used the standard tiermaker color scheme from their website! I agree that if I did this with my own color scheme I would have used a logical color gradient.
You maybe know this, Russ, but Tales of Symphonia has that audio glitch when a battle starts in Dolphin regardless of your hardware. The Odin 2 does it. A high-end gaming PC does it. I really hope the devs find a fix someday because it bothers me enough to prevent me from replaying the game. Ha
i see a russ video i click edit: dude batocera looks so crazy cool on here. it's going to be tough holding out an order but i'll be waiting for development and guides for all of this stuff. especially ebcause i've never done xbox emulation before. the only bummer with batocera is having to mess with config files to change the freaking hotkeys.
I loved the section on use as a home console, I'm holding out for another year or so to replace a Samsung S20FE my kid is using as a portable+console emulator
this is wild that somebody already has this system running Xbox Halo. I guess getting that to run well is the last step before we have the perfect 4:3 retro emulation system.
if this thing can run linux one day it will become my go to 4:3 GBA/SNES device. gonna wait till then. Hope to see you make an update video when it happens! :D
The chart at the end is very helpful but like you mentioned you didn’t take pocketable into account. For me, being comfortable in my pocket when I’m out and about it as important as performance. So I’m going with the Mini over the RP5 solely because of that. Having a PS2 in my pocket is better than having a machine that plays everything but I have to carry it in a bag or just leave it at home.
This is really cool. I just got my first device, an RG556. I really have been enjoying yours and other retro emulation focused creators. I’m in Florida and about to get slammed by a hurricane, so I really appreciate you all right now as I am furiously downloading some roms to try out. I really hope the big N backs off. It’s really disappointing. Makes me want to not buy another N system ever again.
