Device comparison

Retroid Pocket 3 Plus vs. PowKiddy X18S

Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.

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Retroid Pocket 3 Plus
PowKiddy X18S

Shown to scale from each device’s real-world dimensions.

Quick verdict

Best value
Retroid Pocket 3 Plus
More portable
Retroid Pocket 3 Plus
Newer model
Retroid Pocket 3 Plus

Main differences

  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus has similar emulation coverage to PowKiddy X18S.
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is about $24 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • PowKiddy X18S is roughly 7% smaller and 34% lighter.
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is highlighted for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA; PowKiddy X18S is highlighted for Game Boy, NES, Genesis, GBA.

Retroid

Retroid Pocket 3 Plus

Details
Price
$149
OS
Android 11
Released
Nov 2022
Up to
Saturn
Screen
4.7 inch IPS
Weight
230 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

PowKiddy

PowKiddy X18S

Details
Price
$173
OS
Android 11
Released
Sep 2021
Up to
Saturn
Screen
5.5 inch IPS
Weight
308 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecRetroid Pocket 3 PlusPowKiddy X18S
Price$149$173
Screen4.7 inch5.5 inch
Resolution1334 x 7501280 x 720
RAM4 GB LPDDR4x4 GB LPDDR4X
StorageInternal 128 GB eMMC,Internal 64 GB eMMC,
Battery4500 mAh5000 mAh
Weight230 grams308 grams
Dimensions184.65 mm x 81.38 mm x 24.23 mm152 mm x 92 mm x 22.5 mm

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemRetroid Pocket 3 PlusPowKiddy X18S
Classic systems
Game Boy
NES
Genesis
GBA
SNES
PS1
Mid-generation systems
DS
N64
Dreamcast
PSP
Saturn
Sixth-generation systems
GameCube
Wii
PS2
Modern systems
3DS
Switch
Wii U
PS3

Emulation source notes

  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • PowKiddy X18S 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • PowKiddy X18S PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • PowKiddy X18S PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Wii: Nintendo Wii: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • PowKiddy X18S Wii: Nintendo Wii: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Cemu for Android is only compatible with Adreno GPUs and Android 11-14, so any device with a Mali GPU will not run Cemu.
  • PowKiddy X18S Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Cemu for Android is only compatible with Adreno GPUs and Android 11-14, so any device with a Mali GPU will not run Cemu.
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Saturn: Sega Saturn: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S Saturn: Sega Saturn: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • PowKiddy X18S Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • PowKiddy X18S GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket 3 Plus Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus and the PowKiddy X18S?
Retroid Pocket 3 Plus has similar emulation coverage to PowKiddy X18S. Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is about $24 cheaper based on catalog pricing. PowKiddy X18S is roughly 7% smaller and 34% lighter. Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is highlighted for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA; PowKiddy X18S is highlighted for Game Boy, NES, Genesis, GBA.
Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus or the PowKiddy X18S?
The Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is the cheaper of the two at around $149, roughly $24 less than the PowKiddy X18S based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus or the PowKiddy X18S?
The Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is the newer model, released in 2022.

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