Retroid Pocket Nova vs. Anbernic RG Cube

Specs, emulation, community reviews, ownership and play history, side by side.

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Retroid Pocket Nova
Retroid Pocket Nova
RG Cube
RG Cube

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

Quick verdict

Best value
RG Cube
Better screen
Retroid Pocket Nova
More portable
Retroid Pocket Nova
Newer model
Retroid Pocket Nova

Main differences

  • Retroid Pocket Nova has stronger listed emulation coverage.
  • Anbernic RG Cube is about $82 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • Anbernic RG Cube is roughly 8% smaller and 2% lighter.
  • Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz IPS Touchscreen on Anbernic RG Cube.
  • Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Saturn, Dreamcast; Anbernic RG Cube is highlighted for Saturn, Dreamcast, N64, Game Boy.

Retroid

Retroid Pocket Nova

Details
Price
$209.00
OS
Android 13
Released
Jul 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
4.5 inch AMOLED
Weight
255 grams

AliExpress

$209.00with code
View on AliExpress: Retroid Pocket Official Store

We’ll email you when it drops. No account needed.

Usually $259.00 · Lowest $259.00

No reviews yet

24 collectors · 414 sessions

Most played

On the Retroid Pocket Nova

  1. 1

    Vampire Survivors

    1 player · 13 sessions

  2. 2

    Super Mario World

    2 players · 6 sessions

  3. 3

    Super Mario Bros.

    3 players · 4 sessions

RG Cube

No one has logged play time on the RG Cube yet — the other device just has a head start.

Own one? Add it to your shelf

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecRetroid Pocket NovaRG Cube
Price$209.00$115.86
Screen4.5 inch3.95 inch
Aspect ratio4:31:1
Resolution1280 x 960720 x 720
Refresh rate120 Hz60 Hz
PanelAMOLEDIPS Touchscreen
ChipsetQualcomm QCS8550 (Dragonwing, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-class)UNISOC Tiger T820
CPUCortex-X3 / Cortex-A715 / Cortex-A710 / Cortex-A510Cortex-A76 / Cortex-A55
GPUQualcomm Adreno 740Mali-G57 MP4
RAM8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5X8 GB LPDDR4X
StorageInternal 128 GB UFS 3.1, External MicroSDInternal 128 GB UFS 2.2, External MicroSD
Battery5000 mAh5200 mAh
Weight255 grams260 grams
Dimensions169.9 mm x 84.1 mm x 15.6 - 26.3 mm153 mm x 86.3 mm x 18

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemRetroid Pocket NovaRG Cube
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 Nova DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • RG Cube PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket Nova PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube Wii: Nintendo Wii: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • RG Cube 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 Nova Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube Switch: Nintendo Switch: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • RG Cube Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the Retroid Pocket Nova and the Anbernic RG Cube?
Retroid Pocket Nova has stronger listed emulation coverage. Anbernic RG Cube is about $82 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Anbernic RG Cube is roughly 8% smaller and 2% lighter. Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz IPS Touchscreen on Anbernic RG Cube. Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Saturn, Dreamcast; Anbernic RG Cube is highlighted for Saturn, Dreamcast, N64, Game Boy.
Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Anbernic RG Cube?
The Anbernic RG Cube is the cheaper of the two at around $170.00, roughly $82.00 less than the Retroid Pocket Nova based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Anbernic RG Cube?
The Retroid Pocket Nova is the newer model, released in 2026.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Anbernic RG Cube?
The Retroid Pocket Nova is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 24 collectors tracking it.

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