I KEEP picking this RETRO HANDHELD up, here's WHY...

NOTE: Alot of people are going to comment, saying that the 4:3 projected screen can be fixed in developer settings but this also has it's own quirks. I have tried numerous times and the mouse mode doesn't work correctly so there is no way of navigating the device in desktop mode (which is what allows you to have a 16:9 screen.

Steamdeck accessories:

00:00 - I keep picking it up!
01:07 - Humble brag
01:40 - Why am I picking it up more?
03:04 - Ergonomics are better than the RP5
05:37 - Sips tea...
05:46 - Cool streaming setup
06:11 - Lays down...
07:57 - It IS expensive
09:28 - Main problems with the Retroid Pocket Mini
10:14 - The worst quirk of them all

[adinwalls]

IMPORTANT:
1. For some reason my device didn't pick up on the latest update which fixes my last negative point about the device - 16:9 video out (there's a problem with the server and Retroid are working on it)
2. I said the Retroid Pocket 5 was CHEAPER... It isn't, it's $20 more expensive. I had a total Mandela effect there!
3. Some people are VERY concerned that I never mentioned the MASSIVE screen issue... If you squint your eyes, stand on your head, look through the screen as if trying to see one of those 3d images from the 90's, then you'll see an issue with adding shaders to games. Retroid are working on a fix.

[TechDweeb]

I love the couch time chat! Feels like hanging out with my buddy :D

[retropulse]

The Streaming is undervalued.
You can set most PC games to 4:3.
I have been playing Spider-Man Remastered and Ghost of Tsushima on it.

[Chairemy]

The retroid pocket mini isn’t getting the love it’s deserves. I paired it up with 4 8bitdo micro controllers and can whip out local coop on the tv anytime.

This is the device I always wanted.

[snapkrr]

Nobody is talking about this but if you connect the Mini to a Firestick and use game streaming apps like Luna or XBOX you can use the Mini as a controller with triple A titles you can also use it with regular pc game streaming as well and use it as a controller while the game is on your tv then when you wanna stream on the go just switch back to the minis screen

[retropulse]

"That's what she said"
Caught me off guard and got a real laugh.

[TheConfiteor]

I love my RP Mini. The only reason I don’t use it more is because I’m waiting for GoRetroid to fix the screen scaling issue that breaks CRT and LCD shaders.

[jordandickerson]

i have been trying to tell people that the mini is so underrated and when it comes to features, power and size, there is no competition. we just need android 13 to come out on it! THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE WHERE YOU CAN TOGGLE FROM 4:3 TO 16:9 WHEN USING DISPLAY OUT WHICH IS GAME CHANGER! it is the swiss army knife of android devices and balances everything really well! when it comes to screen size, i just get the black model and it blends in with the shell so well, i cannot even notice it and that's the difference for me!

[malcolmbranch]

No mention of the shader/display stretching issue. Its a big one imo...

[juzuvloke]

Would be damn near perfect if the screen was just a hair bigger! Love the pair of these retroid devices though...

[turnbasedtoddy]

It was a tough decision for me between this and the 406H but the bigger screen on the 406H and the better face buttons is what put it over the top for me. to me, nobody does buttons and pads like Ambernic. In a funny twist, I’ve been playing my trimUI brick more than anything though, which has really surprised me! I just love that little thing

[intenseretrogaming]

For me, the RP Mini has a very serious problem: frame pacing issues and choppiness, in Dolphin, NetherSX2, and DuckStation. I lost two days trying to figure out why games like F-Zero GX don't run smooth when compared to the RP5, which has the same chipset. In Dolphin, there's no visible setting to fix it! Also, I'm sensible and notice the problem right away in any game. It's more noticeable in games with a lot of camera movement.

It's a problem with hardware Vsync not being enabled in Android 10 for some reason, and in Dolphin it requires editing configuration files by hand to enable the hardware Vsync setting. And even more strange: even though all units suffer from this problem (due to it being a software issue), nobody is talking about it, as if most people played on Retroarch where the problem doesn't present itself. I'm hoping an upgrade to Android 13 will fix it. The last update didn't fix it.

The Vsync fix is described in this video:


It's a lot of work to enable that setting per game in Dolphin. Try it and see the difference for yourself, starting with F-Zero GX.

[TakunHiwatari]

I love the Mini, it's basically the endgame for 4:3 handhelds. My only real gripe with it is how it doesn't automatically boot into Linux if you have your MicroSD set up with Rocknix.

[Jaweatherford]

The RP Mini is a great device that was hampered by being released a month before the RP5, and in what felt like an incomplete state. If they would have waited a few months after releasing the RP5 and worked out all the kinks, including having Android 13 from the jump, the Mini might have been better received. It's been my go-to device for 4:3 retro content lately.

[matrioshkabrainn]

I couldnt agree with you more Adin. Ever since I purchased the Odin Pro a few years back, I realized it was too big to carry around. I even felt the same with the RP4P. When it came down to it, I always chose portability over everything else. I'm faily certain, if the screen was 4" - it would be more revered than the RP5

[Setzer]

The one thing I like more about the Mini is that they offset the analog stick and moved it closer towards the screen instead of it being directly below the D-Pad like on the RP5.

If Retroid had put a screen in it that was .5" bigger I probably would have purchased it over the RP5 but for $20 more there's no reason not to get the RP5.

[SomeRandomDood]

Same. My RP5 is mostly something i use during my lunch break at work (I get an hour) and my RP mini is what i mostly use at home. I really hope they update to Android 13 soon. It's honestly my only complaint.

[mrburns]

I like the dpad being above the left analog stick because I'd mostly play retro content with the dpad

[supergooglelee]

There is infinite room for hardware improvement for 16:9 handheld devices, as long as publishers keep pushing out new games in this format. But for 4:3 content, Retroid Pocket Mini and Ayaneo Pocket DMG could just be endgame.

[wsmith]

TRULY this is such an insanely hard (that's what she said) choice to make, I was really deliberating on the mini vs the larger 5 for many reasons, but ultimately it came down to you, a man with all the choices of retro consoles, to state he chooses this particular device to all the rest.

Any larger than the mini and I think you're truly coming away from the core of what a person might want out of a pocket device, I think the larger 5 really comes away from that for me, people saying its alot smaller than a switch lite etc, its just not. The mini can do all you possibly need, and yeah, I guess if the screen was a TINY bit bigger that'd of been great, but hey, nothing is truly perfect.

Excellent review, thank you!