Retroid
Retroid Pocket Nova
- Price
- $252
- OS
- Android 13
- Released
- Jul 2026
- Up to
- Switch
- Screen
- 4.5 inch AMOLED
- Weight
- 255 grams
No reviews yet
5 collectors · 33 sessions
Device comparison
Retroid Pocket Nova vs. Anbernic RG Rotate
Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.
Compare
With
Shown to scale from each device’s real-world dimensions.
Quick verdict
- Best value
- RG Rotate
- Better screen
- Retroid Pocket Nova
- More portable
- RG Rotate
- Newer model
- Retroid Pocket Nova
Main differences
- Retroid Pocket Nova has stronger listed emulation coverage.
- Anbernic RG Rotate is about $164 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
- Anbernic RG Rotate is roughly 55% smaller and 35% lighter.
- Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on Anbernic RG Rotate.
- Retroid Pocket Nova runs Android 13; Anbernic RG Rotate runs Android 12.
- Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64, PS1; Anbernic RG Rotate is highlighted for DS, PS1, Genesis, GBA, SNES, Game Boy, NES.
Details
Anbernic
RG Rotate
- Price
- $88
- OS
- Android 12
- Released
- May 2026
- Up to
- PS2
- Screen
- 3.5 inch IPS
- Weight
- 167 grams / 204 grams
No reviews yet
4 collectors · 52 sessions
Most played
Most played on Retroid Pocket Nova
Specs
BetterWorse
| Spec | Retroid Pocket Nova | RG Rotate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $252 | $88 |
| OS | Android 13 | Android 12 |
| Screen | 4.5 inch | 3.5 inch |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1 |
| Resolution | 1280 x 960 | 720 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Panel | AMOLED | IPS |
| Chipset | Qualcomm QCS8550 (Dragonwing, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-class) | UNISOC Tiger T618 |
| CPU | Cortex-X3 / Cortex-A715 / Cortex-A710 / Cortex-A510 | Cortex-A75 / Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 740 | Mali-G52 MP2 |
| RAM | 8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5X | 3 GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | Internal 128 GB UFS 3.1, External MicroSD | Internal 32 GB, External MicroSD |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 2000 mAh |
| Weight | 255 grams | 167 grams / 204 grams |
| Dimensions | 169.9 mm x 84.1 mm x 15.6 - 26.3 mm | 80 mm x 80 mm x 21 mm |
| Video out | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes | No |
| Analog triggers | Yes | No |
| Touch screen | Yes | Yes |
Emulation
Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported
| System | Retroid Pocket Nova | RG Rotate |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Rotate 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 Rotate 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Retroid Pocket Nova GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- RG Rotate 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 Rotate 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 Rotate 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 Rotate PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost 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 Rotate PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Retroid Pocket Nova PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- RG Rotate 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 Rotate 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 Rotate Wii: Nintendo Wii: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Retroid Pocket Nova SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- RG Rotate 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 Rotate 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 Rotate Saturn: Sega Saturn: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- Retroid Pocket Nova Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- RG Rotate Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Retroid Pocket Nova Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- RG Rotate 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 Rotate 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 Rotate GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Retroid Pocket Nova Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- RG Rotate 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 Rotate?
- Retroid Pocket Nova has stronger listed emulation coverage. Anbernic RG Rotate is about $164 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Anbernic RG Rotate is roughly 55% smaller and 35% lighter. Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on Anbernic RG Rotate. Retroid Pocket Nova runs Android 13; Anbernic RG Rotate runs Android 12. Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64, PS1; Anbernic RG Rotate is highlighted for DS, PS1, Genesis, GBA, SNES, Game Boy, NES.
- Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Anbernic RG Rotate?
- The Anbernic RG Rotate is the cheaper of the two at around $88, roughly $164 less than the Retroid Pocket Nova based on catalog pricing.
- Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Anbernic RG Rotate?
- 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 Rotate?
- The Retroid Pocket Nova is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 5 collectors tracking it.
