Device comparison

Retroid Pocket Mini V2 vs. PowKiddy X18S

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

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Retroid Pocket Mini V2
PowKiddy X18S

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Quick verdict

Best value
PowKiddy X18S
Better screen
Retroid Pocket Mini V2
More portable
Retroid Pocket Mini V2
Newer model
Retroid Pocket Mini V2

Main differences

  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 has stronger listed emulation coverage.
  • PowKiddy X18S is about $26 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 is roughly 8% smaller and 30% lighter.
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 has a 60 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on PowKiddy X18S.
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 runs Android 13; PowKiddy X18S runs Android 11.
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 is highlighted for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA; PowKiddy X18S is highlighted for Game Boy, NES, Genesis, GBA.

Retroid

Retroid Pocket Mini V2

Details
Price
$199
OS
Android 13
Released
May 2025
Up to
3DS
Screen
3.92 inch AMOLED
Weight
215 grams

No reviews yet

1 collector · 27 sessions

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

Community signal

Collectors
Retroid Pocket Mini V21
PowKiddy X18S0
Rating
Retroid Pocket Mini V2No reviews yet
PowKiddy X18SNo reviews yet
Logged play
Retroid Pocket Mini V21 player · 27 sessions · 53h 7m
PowKiddy X18SNo logged sessions yet

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecRetroid Pocket Mini V2PowKiddy X18S
Price$199$173
OSAndroid 13Android 11
Screen3.92 inch5.5 inch
Aspect ratio31:2716:9
Resolution1240 x 10801280 x 720
PanelAMOLEDIPS
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 865UNISOC Tiger T618
CPUCortex-A77 / Cortex-A55Cortex-A75 / Cortex-A55
GPUQualcomm Adreno 650Mali-G52 MP2
RAM6 GB LPDDR4x4 GB LPDDR4X
StorageInternal 128 GB UFS 3.1, External MicroSDInternal 64 GB eMMC,
Battery4000 mAh5000 mAh
Weight215 grams308 grams
Dimensions165.28 mm x 77.62 mm x 16.5 - 29.3 mm152 mm x 92 mm x 22.5 mm
Hall effect sticksYesNo
Analog triggersYesNo

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemRetroid Pocket Mini V2PowKiddy 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 Mini V2 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 Mini V2 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 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 Mini V2 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 Mini V2 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 Mini V2 PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • PowKiddy X18S PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 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 Mini V2 Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S Wii: Nintendo Wii: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 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 Mini V2 Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glEF4b-GzSw
  • 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 Mini V2 Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without 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 Mini V2 Switch: Nintendo Switch: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • PowKiddy X18S Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 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 Mini V2 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 Mini V2 GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • PowKiddy X18S GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket Mini V2 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 Mini V2 and the PowKiddy X18S?
Retroid Pocket Mini V2 has stronger listed emulation coverage. PowKiddy X18S is about $26 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Retroid Pocket Mini V2 is roughly 8% smaller and 30% lighter. Retroid Pocket Mini V2 has a 60 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on PowKiddy X18S. Retroid Pocket Mini V2 runs Android 13; PowKiddy X18S runs Android 11. Retroid Pocket Mini V2 is highlighted for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA; PowKiddy X18S is highlighted for Game Boy, NES, Genesis, GBA.
Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket Mini V2 or the PowKiddy X18S?
The PowKiddy X18S is the cheaper of the two at around $173, roughly $26 less than the Retroid Pocket Mini V2 based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket Mini V2 or the PowKiddy X18S?
The Retroid Pocket Mini V2 is the newer model, released in 2025.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the Retroid Pocket Mini V2 or the PowKiddy X18S?
The Retroid Pocket Mini V2 is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 1 collector tracking it.

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