This looks to be the last handheld review I'll be doing for the near future at least. I did have the TRMUI Brick Pro on the way...but they've delayed that release with no confirmed date yet (I suspect the RAM woes play a big-big part in that), so for now it is what I suppose is the ultimate nostalgia machine - AKA the Retroid Pocket Classic.
Remember the Nintendo Game Boy Color Pokemon special edition? Well, you'll no doubt see where Retroid's inspo came from. Not that they hide it with the 'PKMN Yellow' name for it.
^ the screens have improved over time
- Super powerful with 6GB/128GB on the model they sent me
- Chunky plastic that makes you feel like you're in a Toys-r-us dream
- Perfect-perfect-perfect for systems like GB/GBC/GBA and things like Game Gear (I played Game Gear games for the very first time on this one!)
- The display kicks all kinds of AMOLED butt, you really can't beat it
- Nostalgia is a clear selling factor for this one
If you're interested in my Retroid review, as ever you can read through it here. Or you can ask me whatever you might be interested in here if you don't wanna read through. Clicks don't bother me, we don't run ads on the site so there's no scramble to get people over.
Although this is posted last thing at night on my side of the world, so it might be morning when I wake up and respond to you if you do have any questions!
Link is here:
https://gardinerbryant.com/hands-on-with-the-retroid-pocket/
So I do casually follow the handheld emulation stuff. I've always thought android sucks as a platform for gaming in general, but shouldn't all of those retroid problems apply to the ayn thor? My assumption is that people are in love with that thing, but maybe the boot times are just better or they did a better job of the driver/power management?... or maybe the marketing is just on point.
I have a deck so I don't really see a point to having another handheld, but I still want to understand why x vs y.
Also am full time linux on desktop os at home and work and I can definitely see how the boot and sleep state times would be much better just in general on a properly tweaked distro.
The Thor is more like a mini Steam Deck replacement instead of a Gameboy replacement. So the limitations of boot times and standby time aren't seen as a problem when the alternative is a laptop.