While it has yet to have a proper full announcement, the Retroid Pocket 5 sounds like a nice device for those of you who love retro gaming and for the first time it will have proper Linux support too. Along with the Retroid Pocket Mini too.
As confirmed in a post from the official account on X / Twitter, they posted this image:
The image notes it will have official support for Batocera and Armbian, with an "open Linux kernel for community developers".
Details they have revealed about it so far include a 5.5" 1080p AMOLED 16:9 screen, with DisplayPort 1080p 60Hz, a 5000mAh battery and it's size is said to be 19.9*7.8*1.56cm. With a weight of 280g too so. Looking at the previous version, it's not too much bigger than the Retroid Pocket 4 but clearly an upgrade. Going from the pictures and teaser videos the thumbsticks will have some form of lighting as well.
We also know it will be available in a few different colours, along with a customizable back shell for DIY options:
They've been teasing it for only a couple of days, so hopefully a full announcement isn't too far off, but it's really nice to see more hardware vendors look to get Linux working nicely on their devices. Going by another social media post it will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865.
It's not just the Retroid Pocket 5 that will have Linux support though, the also recently revealed Retroid Pocket Mini should also have Linux support as they confirmed in a reply to someone. Since they're using the same chipset, that's not too surprising.
See more about their devices on their store.
Looks like another company I'll have to keep a closer eye on.
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If I were planning to pick up a non-FPGA-based handheld strictly for emulation purposes (I have a Deck, which is one major reason I watch this site) I'd probably go with something from Retroid; the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the first sub-$300 handheld to do PS2/GC well and I expect the 5 line will be even better.
ShadowXeldron Sep 5
Still, I wouldn't mind having access to another non-Android ARM device, especially one that means I don't have to move a ton of cables around to use it. What's Armbian like?
Yet another interesting looking gadget that I probably won't get because I already have a Steam Deck, a MiSTer, a PSP and a 3DS.
Still, I wouldn't mind having access to another non-Android ARM device, especially one that means I don't have to move a ton of cables around to use it. What's Armbian like?
ARMbian is a nearly-stock Debian experience derivative targeting ARM SoCs. The only major issue with it is that the project lead has a weird idea on how dist-upgrades should be handled.
Hopefully Linux support will also mean support for Portmaster games and native PICO-8 on these devices.
Last edited by Relsre on 26 October 2024 at 9:40 pm UTC
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