Retroid Pocket Nova vs. Retroid Pocket 5

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

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Quick verdict

Best value
Retroid Pocket 5
Better screen
Retroid Pocket Nova
More portable
Retroid Pocket Nova
Newer model
Retroid Pocket Nova

Main differences

  • Retroid Pocket Nova has similar emulation coverage to Retroid Pocket 5.
  • Retroid Pocket 5 is about $53 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • Retroid Pocket Nova is roughly 9% smaller and 9% lighter.
  • Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz AMOLED Touchscreen on Retroid Pocket 5.
  • Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Saturn, Dreamcast; Retroid Pocket 5 is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, PSP.

Retroid

Retroid Pocket Nova

Details
Price
$283.39
OS
Android 13
Released
Jul 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
4.5 inch AMOLED
Weight
255 grams

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No reviews yet

9 collectors · 199 sessions

Retroid

Retroid Pocket 5

Details
Price
$200.16
OS
Android 13
Released
Nov 2024
Up to
Switch
Screen
5.5 inch AMOLED Touchscreen
Weight
280 grams

AliExpress

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No reviews yet

4 collectors · 56 sessions

Most played

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecRetroid Pocket NovaRetroid Pocket 5
Price$283.39$200.16
Screen4.5 inch5.5 inch
Aspect ratio4:316:9
Resolution1280 x 9601920 x 1080
Refresh rate120 Hz60 Hz
PanelAMOLEDAMOLED Touchscreen
ChipsetQualcomm QCS8550 (Dragonwing, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-class)Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
CPUCortex-X3 / Cortex-A715 / Cortex-A710 / Cortex-A510Cortex-A77 / Cortex-A55
GPUQualcomm Adreno 740Qualcomm Adreno 650
RAM8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5X8 GB LPDDR4x
Weight255 grams280 grams
Dimensions169.9 mm x 84.1 mm x 15.6 - 26.3 mm199.2 mm x 78.5 mm x 15.6 mm

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemRetroid Pocket NovaRetroid Pocket 5
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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket Nova PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket 5 PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • Retroid Pocket Nova PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glEF4b-GzSw
  • Retroid Pocket Nova Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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
  • Retroid Pocket 5 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 Retroid Pocket 5?
Retroid Pocket Nova has similar emulation coverage to Retroid Pocket 5. Retroid Pocket 5 is about $53 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Retroid Pocket Nova is roughly 9% smaller and 9% lighter. Retroid Pocket Nova has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, versus 60 Hz AMOLED Touchscreen on Retroid Pocket 5. Retroid Pocket Nova is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Saturn, Dreamcast; Retroid Pocket 5 is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, PSP.
Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Retroid Pocket 5?
The Retroid Pocket 5 is the cheaper of the two at around $199.00, roughly $53.00 less than the Retroid Pocket Nova based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Retroid Pocket 5?
The Retroid Pocket Nova is the newer model, released in 2026.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the Retroid Pocket Nova or the Retroid Pocket 5?
The Retroid Pocket Nova is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 9 collectors tracking it.

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