Good point, it is kind of in a weird spot where its main visual advantage over the RP2+ is the large/wide screen for PSP emulation, but the Vita can do that better for some of those harder-to-run games. And like you said, for streaming it's great. I still think it's the best single handheld you can get under $150 right now, just not sure if it's worth the upgrade from the RP2+ for those who already have it!
Russ, you're right in your conclusions. Sparing that there's no QC issues, it offers the best value in the market. I don't think it's worth it for RP2+ owners, unless they're able to sell their old unit and not lose too much depreciation. But anyone with a less capable machine like the RP2, RG 351p, RGB 10 max1... those are safe bets to make the upgrade to the RP3. Again, sparing any QC issues.
I think the RP3 is the perfect sweet spot when it comes to the current market. Any device more powerful seems to be minimum twice the price with little gains to what they can emulate (except steam) and aren't pocketable. Anything decent below the RP3 starts around $60 and peak at smooth ps1 emulation. Lastly since it runs android it should have a RTC so all the gameboy pokemon games should work fine without any hacks.
totally, if the RP3+ is just a bit more powerful with little price increase itll be the benchmark tho. having PSP is a nice bonus to all the other things.
You can switch from gesture only to having Home, back and multitask buttons on the bottom of the screen by swiping up. It's in the home screen settings.
@@KenamiShoty Just a difference in preference. I hated the dpad on the rp2. I'm playing mostly games that use the dpad so i prefer the rp3 for that well I'd use an odin or something else for thumbstick games. the problem I had with the rp2 it mainly only ran dpad games but had the layout for thumbstick games.
@@minifluff201 w8 a minute. I'm playing on dpad only in games like pokemon but for me rp2 has perfect layout like razer kishi. Right now i'm using Poco F3 (8/256) snap 870 amoled 1300 nits so my handheld is a way ahead but my controller is missing the dpad Ipega 9217b
RP3 feels like a Jack of all trades. The power is more in line with older games, yet it has analog sticks and a widescreen aspect ratio. I just want a retro handheld that’s perfect for SNES, genesis, PS1, etc. and also one with an oled screen
Phawx - Now that the Retroid Pocket 3+ has been announced with the T618 chipset, with all else being the same, I would what your opinion on it would be
If they could make one of these that played psp games at 2x resolution without compromise, I'd buy it in an instant. As it stands, I'll keep my actual psp and ps vita to play those games.
Fair point, it's on a weird spot, anyhow for the price it is still quite a decent purchase, I already got a steam deck and have an old smartphone with a gamesirx2 controller so I'm covered on emulation device for home and going outside, but I do want to get my hands on a dedicated device that can play DC and PSP and comes on a compact form factor so I am actually considering getting one but still on the fence between the retroid pocket 2 plus or this one or maybe just wait this handhelds pop out like every 3 seconds ahhahaha.
I'm interested in getting this just for stream Game Pass. How's the latency on it, is it comparable to streaming xCloud from any other device, or is it worse?
Is this a good option for those that want to play retro games (pre-PS3 era) on their living room TV? I'm looking for something plug & play, decently well made, and low cost. RP3 seemed good for $120.
It's okay, but not great. Depending on where you live, you should be able to buy a PC that's better for the task. Something like a Mini PC is okay, but I would look for an AMD r7-6800u build, and they're just not around or affordable. You could build a Full-Tower Desktop PC, but it's pretty clunky in a living room. My solution to this problem was to get an ex-office computer, upgrade some parts, and use a controller. Look for the Dell OptiPlex 9010 SFF, with a Core i7-3770, then put a GTX 1650-LP inside, upgrade it to 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. It should play everything. But since the above option is hard to find these days (GTX 1650-LP), I think the best solution is for you to get a refurbished laptop and attach it to the back of the TV. Get something with decent performance and you should be golden.
@@javontedonuts1034 Nah, not worth it. He wants the higher end systems. Also he wants it to use on the couch and TV, like a Home Console. There's the Nvidia Shield but that can't do it, it's old. There's newer and faster TV Boxes but they don't fare much better. A MiniPC is the better option, but everything is overpriced (aka Intel NUC). Surprisingly the Apple M1 Mac Mini is a good value, but you don't get much emulator and game support on it. There is also the Xbox (XB1, XB1X, XSS, XSX) which can get "Developer Mode" and play RetroArch, but it isn't perfect and kinda broken. The PS4 and PS5 have been recently hacked, but not good options. An actual Windows PC is the best option. You can emulate from Atari upto NDS fairly easily with weak hardware (Cortex A35/Atom) and bump up to Dreamcast and PSP (Cortex A55/Atom). The next level is PS2, 3DS, GameCube, and Wii (Cortex A76/Core-M/Zen1). But stepping up to Xbox and PS Vita is better done on x86 hardware (Core-i5/Zen2). And going beyond for Xbox 360, PS3, WiiU and Switch (Core i9/Zen3). We currently can't do emulation of XB1, PS4, PS5, XSX yet but they will be exclusive x86 emulators as well. Again, the best option is to get a refurbished Laptop. A Desktop PC is too clunky, and a SFF Refurb is no longer viable. A laptop should be very efficient for HTPC reasons, and have significantly more performance than alternatives, like the Valve SteamDeck that stays docked. But if he is thrifty enough he can pick one up very very cheaply. And the great thing is, a PC has unlimited backwards compatibility... you can stay on that platform for ages and upgrade when you want to. Whilst a dedicated console like PS5 will eventually need upgrading as the platform gets obsolete and discontinued. Case in point; I helped a friend with the same issue, managed to get a Laptop that was smashed (broken screen, speakers, touchpad and keyboard) but it was only USD $400. It had an AMD 4800H CPU and GTX 1660Ti GPU, which is a great combo, just below the PS5 performance. It is taped behind the TV, hooked up directly to his Media Centre, and works really well with a Wireless Keyboard, Mouse, and Gamepad (or wired when he feels like it). Emulation wise, it does everything at a minimum 720p/30fps but most things can get Enhancements like Widescreen Mode and x4-x16 resolution bump. Whilst it still plays AAA-Games set to 1080p/60fps/Medium Settings. edit: spelling
@@ekinteko Yeah, my main concern is placing it in my living room. I have a cheap dell laptop now, but there isn't really a proper place for it. To be frank, I have to consider my wife's desire for an uncluttered living room too. Building a $200+ mini to play Goof Troop and Breath of Fire doesn't seem worthwhile if I can just buy an RP3 for $100, plug & play. Mostly instested in 8 and 16 bit era games. I'm an old dude. I don't go in for those new 32 bit games and N64s. Lol
The RP3 fixed the weakness of the RP2+, which is the screen size/resolution. Regarding the PSvita comment - that's a tricky one because you're assuming availability of old tech that's second hand, and also I'm not sure of the capability of the device for emulating games. To me the RP3 is actually very easy to recommend if you DON'T already own a RP2+, which would be a sizeable amount of people. The RP3 has a similar use case the the AYN Odin, but without Gamecube/PS2 at less than half the price. It's a streaming beast that can comfortably run up PSP/N64 emulation if you want it to.
The vita is super easy to find used. All over ebay for 80-120 bucks. with an oled screen. Emulates pretty much anything 32 bit or further back, about 50% of the n64 library is playable, 100% of the psp and ps1 library work, and of course it plays vita games which includes several ps2 and ps3 ports.
Rp3 upgrades - better screen, more screen play, more hi Def gaming, better streaming, option to play small or big screen. Buttons are better, analog is better no cruddy slider analog, better button layout (excluding select start 🤦🏿♂️) easier and more comfortable to hold, overall better and only $20 more. Literally everyone - it's all the same thing. No different whatsoever, buy the rp2+ instead.
This can do some ps2 and gamecube, so better in that respect. But the vita has its own library with some ps3 games and ps2 ports as well as a few exclusives so....I'd choose a vita, then later get a steam deck
For a few extra bucks one could get a *MUCH* better Odin Lite, that also rocks the SNES look better. Also the posittioning of the left stick (which I use for everything) is awful. So yeah, it's pretty bad.
@@Whatsup_Abroad does it work well on all games? i tried ge patch and it only work on some games but also has alot of graphical glitches making the gameplay experience worse than the original graphic.
I imagine the CEO of Retropocket after a big party with a lot of beers : Hey guys, I have a great idea ! I have found the new place for the Start Select buttons ! Let me draw it for you and just do it ! ... ... ... Designers : really ??? Ok he's the boss...
Most important feature would be the screen aspect ratio for playing classic retro games, in this aspect retro 3 doesn’t really fit. They also are selling as much as a Nintendo switch lite. I really think they aren’t worth more than 75 dollars.
PSVita isn't in prodution anymore. It's only possible to buy used consoles. Because of that, they usually don't have good battery. Specially if you take an old model like the one you showed in the video. Yeah, I have a PSVita, too, I bought almost 10 years ago and I still use it. However, its battery life isn't that great anymore, and it takes ages to be changed. Other thing is, PSVita doesn't have modern wi-fi connection, it only has 2G, and because of that, it's not as good for streamming. Also, the Retroid Pocket 3+ just released, it has a better chip and can handle PSP emulation way better than the original Retroid Pocket 3
My Vita works fine but it has charging issues as well, sometimes it will fully charge and sometimes it won't. With a new handheld you don't have to worry about it not charging or not.
@@jamiemorgan3649 batteries are consumable items that have a lifespan. with 10 years of use, most certainly, we have already used all the cycle of our Vita batteries. The battery don't stop working after that, but its capacity decreases. It's sad...
This thing will be dead in the next Three to Six months. The RG505, Powkiddy X28, OGU (Odroid Go Ultra), KT R1, and maybe the Miyoo P60 will completely outclass this Handheld.
*I couldn't care less If you "could care less" that means you care a certain amount and you're telling the other person you could indeed care less. If you couldn't care less, it means you don't care at all, because you can't care less than not caring at all.
I think you can't form an opinion on whether or not to recommend this product because you are adding too many factors into making the decision. Don't have an RP2+? Get the RP3 Have an RP2+? Don't get it unless you HAVE to have a wind screen format. Why is there a PS Vita in this video? No wonder you're so confused Keep it simple with fewer gadgets to balance It's not that hard...
Good point, it is kind of in a weird spot where its main visual advantage over the RP2+ is the large/wide screen for PSP emulation, but the Vita can do that better for some of those harder-to-run games. And like you said, for streaming it's great. I still think it's the best single handheld you can get under $150 right now, just not sure if it's worth the upgrade from the RP2+ for those who already have it!
Russ, you're right in your conclusions. Sparing that there's no QC issues, it offers the best value in the market. I don't think it's worth it for RP2+ owners, unless they're able to sell their old unit and not lose too much depreciation.
But anyone with a less capable machine like the RP2, RG 351p, RGB 10 max1... those are safe bets to make the upgrade to the RP3. Again, sparing any QC issues.
And it's not under 150 most places are asking £200 for it .
I think the RP3 is the perfect sweet spot when it comes to the current market. Any device more powerful seems to be minimum twice the price with little gains to what they can emulate (except steam) and aren't pocketable. Anything decent below the RP3 starts around $60 and peak at smooth ps1 emulation. Lastly since it runs android it should have a RTC so all the gameboy pokemon games should work fine without any hacks.
RP1 and RP2 were perfect. They ruined it in RP3 by d-pad. Such a great idea! -.-
@@KenamiShoty how? I prefer the dpad up top.
totally, if the RP3+ is just a bit more powerful with little price increase itll be the benchmark tho.
having PSP is a nice bonus to all the other things.
You can switch from gesture only to having Home, back and multitask buttons on the bottom of the screen by swiping up. It's in the home screen settings.
Love the montage of handhelds in the back
Retorid Pocket 3 is my most prefered handheld for emulation so far. One reason I prefer it is because of the d-pad placement.
LOL RP2 and RP1 has perfect spot for dpad and they were perfect. I won''t buy RP3 just because of that fucking DPAD.
@@KenamiShoty Just a difference in preference. I hated the dpad on the rp2. I'm playing mostly games that use the dpad so i prefer the rp3 for that well I'd use an odin or something else for thumbstick games. the problem I had with the rp2 it mainly only ran dpad games but had the layout for thumbstick games.
@@minifluff201 w8 a minute. I'm playing on dpad only in games like pokemon but for me rp2 has perfect layout like razer kishi. Right now i'm using Poco F3 (8/256) snap 870 amoled 1300 nits so my handheld is a way ahead but my controller is missing the dpad Ipega 9217b
I agree. It’s in a very weird spot. PSP screen like yet can’t play PSP games that well
RP3 feels like a Jack of all trades. The power is more in line with older games, yet it has analog sticks and a widescreen aspect ratio.
I just want a retro handheld that’s perfect for SNES, genesis, PS1, etc. and also one with an oled screen
Maybe the RG503 is a good device for what you want. Or a PS Vita.
Would love to see your video on the RP3+
Apart from Stardew valley what were the other games that you featured in the video?
Phawx - Now that the Retroid Pocket 3+ has been announced with the T618 chipset, with all else being the same, I would what your opinion on it would be
how would a 360 controller perform in that joystick test?
If they could make one of these that played psp games at 2x resolution without compromise, I'd buy it in an instant. As it stands, I'll keep my actual psp and ps vita to play those games.
I’m ready for your video of the GPD WIN 4
Fair point, it's on a weird spot, anyhow for the price it is still quite a decent purchase, I already got a steam deck and have an old smartphone with a gamesirx2 controller so I'm covered on emulation device for home and going outside, but I do want to get my hands on a dedicated device that can play DC and PSP and comes on a compact form factor so I am actually considering getting one but still on the fence between the retroid pocket 2 plus or this one or maybe just wait this handhelds pop out like every 3 seconds ahhahaha.
Waitting for your win 4 review
Great review!
What is the name of the first PS2 game at 14:40?
Can you use xcloud in a different location other than your house with this? Looking for something to take with me and play anywhere with wifi
I'm interested in getting this just for stream Game Pass.
How's the latency on it, is it comparable to streaming xCloud from any other device, or is it worse?
Is this a good option for those that want to play retro games (pre-PS3 era) on their living room TV?
I'm looking for something plug & play, decently well made, and low cost. RP3 seemed good for $120.
It's okay, but not great.
Depending on where you live, you should be able to buy a PC that's better for the task. Something like a Mini PC is okay, but I would look for an AMD r7-6800u build, and they're just not around or affordable. You could build a Full-Tower Desktop PC, but it's pretty clunky in a living room.
My solution to this problem was to get an ex-office computer, upgrade some parts, and use a controller. Look for the Dell OptiPlex 9010 SFF, with a Core i7-3770, then put a GTX 1650-LP inside, upgrade it to 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. It should play everything.
But since the above option is hard to find these days (GTX 1650-LP), I think the best solution is for you to get a refurbished laptop and attach it to the back of the TV. Get something with decent performance and you should be golden.
@@ekinteko or just get a Odin lite
I would go with an Nvidia Shield TV but I'll probably be about 30 to $40 more I haven't checked the prices on them in a while
@@javontedonuts1034 Nah, not worth it. He wants the higher end systems.
Also he wants it to use on the couch and TV, like a Home Console. There's the Nvidia Shield but that can't do it, it's old. There's newer and faster TV Boxes but they don't fare much better. A MiniPC is the better option, but everything is overpriced (aka Intel NUC). Surprisingly the Apple M1 Mac Mini is a good value, but you don't get much emulator and game support on it. There is also the Xbox (XB1, XB1X, XSS, XSX) which can get "Developer Mode" and play RetroArch, but it isn't perfect and kinda broken. The PS4 and PS5 have been recently hacked, but not good options. An actual Windows PC is the best option.
You can emulate from Atari upto NDS fairly easily with weak hardware (Cortex A35/Atom) and bump up to Dreamcast and PSP (Cortex A55/Atom). The next level is PS2, 3DS, GameCube, and Wii (Cortex A76/Core-M/Zen1). But stepping up to Xbox and PS Vita is better done on x86 hardware (Core-i5/Zen2). And going beyond for Xbox 360, PS3, WiiU and Switch (Core i9/Zen3). We currently can't do emulation of XB1, PS4, PS5, XSX yet but they will be exclusive x86 emulators as well.
Again, the best option is to get a refurbished Laptop. A Desktop PC is too clunky, and a SFF Refurb is no longer viable. A laptop should be very efficient for HTPC reasons, and have significantly more performance than alternatives, like the Valve SteamDeck that stays docked. But if he is thrifty enough he can pick one up very very cheaply. And the great thing is, a PC has unlimited backwards compatibility... you can stay on that platform for ages and upgrade when you want to. Whilst a dedicated console like PS5 will eventually need upgrading as the platform gets obsolete and discontinued.
Case in point; I helped a friend with the same issue, managed to get a Laptop that was smashed (broken screen, speakers, touchpad and keyboard) but it was only USD $400. It had an AMD 4800H CPU and GTX 1660Ti GPU, which is a great combo, just below the PS5 performance. It is taped behind the TV, hooked up directly to his Media Centre, and works really well with a Wireless Keyboard, Mouse, and Gamepad (or wired when he feels like it). Emulation wise, it does everything at a minimum 720p/30fps but most things can get Enhancements like Widescreen Mode and x4-x16 resolution bump. Whilst it still plays AAA-Games set to 1080p/60fps/Medium Settings.
edit: spelling
@@ekinteko Yeah, my main concern is placing it in my living room. I have a cheap dell laptop now, but there isn't really a proper place for it. To be frank, I have to consider my wife's desire for an uncluttered living room too.
Building a $200+ mini to play Goof Troop and Breath of Fire doesn't seem worthwhile if I can just buy an RP3 for $100, plug & play.
Mostly instested in 8 and 16 bit era games. I'm an old dude. I don't go in for those new 32 bit games and N64s. Lol
Is there anything this size that plays PS2 games 60fps well?
I despise assymetrical for a bar shaped handheld, so they did fine making it symmetrical. They should have done it Wii U style though.
What is the game at 24:00? Very interested
comes in build in games? how many games in there?
If it had a more powerful SOC hen it could be a winner as is.
Can you play from your local Xbox streaming to this handheld?
The RP3 fixed the weakness of the RP2+, which is the screen size/resolution.
Regarding the PSvita comment - that's a tricky one because you're assuming availability of old tech that's second hand, and also I'm not sure of the capability of the device for emulating games.
To me the RP3 is actually very easy to recommend if you DON'T already own a RP2+, which would be a sizeable amount of people. The RP3 has a similar use case the the AYN Odin, but without Gamecube/PS2 at less than half the price. It's a streaming beast that can comfortably run up PSP/N64 emulation if you want it to.
The vita is super easy to find used. All over ebay for 80-120 bucks. with an oled screen. Emulates pretty much anything 32 bit or further back, about 50% of the n64 library is playable, 100% of the psp and ps1 library work, and of course it plays vita games which includes several ps2 and ps3 ports.
They have ads in their settings menu?
Rp3 upgrades - better screen, more screen play, more hi Def gaming, better streaming, option to play small or big screen. Buttons are better, analog is better no cruddy slider analog, better button layout (excluding select start 🤦🏿♂️) easier and more comfortable to hold, overall better and only $20 more.
Literally everyone - it's all the same thing. No different whatsoever, buy the rp2+ instead.
What’s the name of the first PS2 game you emulated?
You can't convert the buttons visually for Xbox layout. Each buttons have different notches.
Does anyone know if R2/L2 are moddable into ANALOG?
Retroid Pocket 3 is worth every penny. 👍
I really like both rp2+ and 3 in terms in review but both device in my country is over price like 2x price thats why i cant buy it lol
where did u buy it?
How does emulation performance compare to a PS Vita?
This can do some ps2 and gamecube, so better in that respect. But the vita has its own library with some ps3 games and ps2 ports as well as a few exclusives so....I'd choose a vita, then later get a steam deck
For a few extra bucks one could get a *MUCH* better Odin Lite, that also rocks the SNES look better.
Also the posittioning of the left stick (which I use for everything) is awful. So yeah, it's pretty bad.
The Odin Lite will be at LEAST $100 more after shipping and will probably be 4-6 month wait. Not really comparable in my opinion.
One thing about psp games on vita is that Vita cant upscale resolution so psp games are somewhat blurry on vita.
Actually it can, 2x integer scaling on hacked vitas.
@@Whatsup_Abroad does it work well on all games?
i tried ge patch and it only work on some games but also has alot of graphical glitches making the gameplay experience worse than the original graphic.
@@Whatsup_Abroad are u talking about xy scaling in adrenaline setting?
It doesnt upscale the resolution bro its only for aspect ratio
Odin lite?
It's cool.
Loki Pro?
@@dizzyneurin4654 where?
But what about the retroid pocket 3+
I imagine the CEO of Retropocket after a big party with a lot of beers : Hey guys, I have a great idea ! I have found the new place for the Start Select buttons ! Let me draw it for you and just do it !
...
...
...
Designers : really ??? Ok he's the boss...
Most important feature would be the screen aspect ratio for playing classic retro games, in this aspect retro 3 doesn’t really fit. They also are selling as much as a Nintendo switch lite. I really think they aren’t worth more than 75 dollars.
i have the vita..dont know how to mod it..
Im just gonna sell my rp2+ when i get my rp3 i honesty always knew the rp2+ was an in between device
It's a shame they put the same chipset. I don't ask for gamecube emulation but at least perfect psp emulation.
does it feel like cheap plastic?
i wish i could still get the 2+ for $99.
PSVita isn't in prodution anymore. It's only possible to buy used consoles. Because of that, they usually don't have good battery. Specially if you take an old model like the one you showed in the video. Yeah, I have a PSVita, too, I bought almost 10 years ago and I still use it. However, its battery life isn't that great anymore, and it takes ages to be changed.
Other thing is, PSVita doesn't have modern wi-fi connection, it only has 2G, and because of that, it's not as good for streamming. Also, the Retroid Pocket 3+ just released, it has a better chip and can handle PSP emulation way better than the original Retroid Pocket 3
My Vita works fine but it has charging issues as well, sometimes it will fully charge and sometimes it won't. With a new handheld you don't have to worry about it not charging or not.
@@jamiemorgan3649 batteries are consumable items that have a lifespan. with 10 years of use, most certainly, we have already used all the cycle of our Vita batteries. The battery don't stop working after that, but its capacity decreases. It's sad...
a step in quality of life improvement but almost non existent performance wise
Once it can play ps2 im getting one
This thing will be dead in the next Three to Six months. The RG505, Powkiddy X28, OGU (Odroid Go Ultra), KT R1, and maybe the Miyoo P60 will completely outclass this Handheld.
I can't wait for your review of the 3+... you're gonna destroy it... If this is hard to recommend, that one will be "avoid at all cost" 😂
*I couldn't care less
If you "could care less" that means you care a certain amount and you're telling the other person you could indeed care less.
If you couldn't care less, it means you don't care at all, because you can't care less than not caring at all.
... .. I could care more 😋
Putting the Start and Select buttons on the top is such a stupid design decision.
now there 200.00
Samsung galaxy epic 4 g :)
I think you can't form an opinion on whether or not to recommend this product because you are adding too many factors into making the decision.
Don't have an RP2+? Get the RP3
Have an RP2+? Don't get it unless you HAVE to have a wind screen format.
Why is there a PS Vita in this video? No wonder you're so confused
Keep it simple with fewer gadgets to balance
It's not that hard...
Tiny
360p gang