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
1 collector
Device comparison
Retroid Pocket Nova vs. Pimax Portal
Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.
Compare
With
Not shown to scale. Real-world dimensions are missing for one or both devices.
Quick verdict
- Best value
- Retroid Pocket Nova
- Better screen
- Pimax Portal
- Newer model
- Retroid Pocket Nova
Main differences
- Retroid Pocket Nova has similar emulation coverage to Pimax Portal.
- Retroid Pocket Nova is about $47 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
- Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 144 Hz LCD Touchscreen on Pimax Portal.
- Retroid Pocket Nova runs Android 13; Pimax Portal runs Android 12.
- Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64, PS1; Pimax Portal is highlighted for 3DS, Wii, GameCube, Saturn.
Details
Pimax
Pimax Portal
- Price
- $299
- OS
- Android 12
- Released
- May 2023
- Up to
- 3DS
- Screen
- 5.5 inch LCD Touchscreen
- Weight
- Unknown
No reviews yet
0 collectors
Specs
BetterWorse
| Spec | Retroid Pocket Nova | Pimax Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $252 | $299 |
| OS | Android 13 | Android 12 |
| Screen | 4.5 inch | 5.5 inch |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 16:9 |
| Resolution | 1280 x 960 | 3840 x 2160 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 144 Hz |
| Panel | AMOLED | LCD Touchscreen |
| Chipset | Qualcomm QCS8550 (Dragonwing, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-class) | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 |
| CPU | Cortex-X3 / Cortex-A715 / Cortex-A710 / Cortex-A510 | Kryo 585 Prime (Cortex-A77) / Kryo 585 Gold (Cortex-A77) / Kryo 585 Silver (Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 740 | Qualcomm Adreno 650 |
| RAM | 8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5X | 8 GB |
| Storage | Internal 128 GB UFS 3.1, External MicroSD | Internal 128 GB / 256 GB, |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Weight | 255 grams | Unknown |
| Dimensions | 169.9 mm x 84.1 mm x 15.6 - 26.3 mm | ? |
| Video out | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes | No |
| Analog triggers | Yes | Yes |
| Touch screen | Yes | Yes |
Emulation
Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported
| System | Retroid Pocket Nova | Pimax Portal |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Retroid Pocket Nova GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal PS3: Sony Playstation 3: RPCS3 was recently ported to ARM (2024/12/9), so please leave a comment if you know how well this device can handle PS3
- Retroid Pocket Nova PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Retroid Pocket Nova SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
- Retroid Pocket Nova Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal Switch: Nintendo Switch: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Retroid Pocket Nova Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal 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
- Pimax Portal GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Retroid Pocket Nova Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Pimax Portal 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 Pimax Portal?
- Retroid Pocket Nova has similar emulation coverage to Pimax Portal. Retroid Pocket Nova is about $47 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 144 Hz LCD Touchscreen on Pimax Portal. Retroid Pocket Nova runs Android 13; Pimax Portal runs Android 12. Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64, PS1; Pimax Portal is highlighted for 3DS, Wii, GameCube, Saturn.
- Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Pimax Portal?
- The Retroid Pocket Nova is the cheaper of the two at around $252, roughly $47 less than the Pimax Portal based on catalog pricing.
- Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Pimax Portal?
- The Retroid Pocket Nova is the newer model, released in 2026.
- Which is more popular on retroshelf, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Pimax Portal?
- The Retroid Pocket Nova is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 1 collector tracking it.
