Which retro handheld should you buy: Retroid, Odin or Anbernic?

Which retro handheld should you buy? For most people, the Retroid Pocket 6. It costs $244 on Retroid's own store (8GB model, read November 3, 2026), runs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with active cooling, and has a 5.5-inch 1080p 120Hz AMOLED screen. Pay more for an AYN Odin 3 ($369) if you want the newest chip, a bigger battery and a 6-inch screen. Pick the Odin 2 Portal ($259, black base model) if you want a 7-inch OLED for less. Pick Anbernic if you want a 4:3 screen (RG 477M), a 16:9 AMOLED from a different maker (RG 557), or something cheaper. A Steam Deck isn't needed for any of this.

Which one should most people buy?

The Retroid Pocket 6. Retroid's store lists the 8GB model at $244 and a 12GB model at $279, both with 128GB of storage plus a microSD slot (read November 3, 2026). The spec list on that page: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with an Adreno 740 GPU, a 5.5-inch AMOLED at 1080p and 120Hz, active cooling, a 6000mAh battery, analog L2/R2 triggers, Hall sticks and Wi-Fi 7. You also choose the layout. "DPAD_TOP" puts the D-pad above the stick, like a PlayStation pad. "STICK_TOP" puts the stick on top, like a Switch or Xbox pad.

Held Games compared it with the Odin 3 (updated October 1, 2026) and summed up the trade this way: "For everything up to PS2, both devices are excellent and you will rarely notice a difference. The gap shows up at the top of the difficulty curve, in heavy GameCube, demanding PS2, and Switch 1." For a buyer who mostly plays NES through PS2 and PSP, that gap costs $125.

Our pick for most people

Retroid Pocket 6

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a 5.5-inch 1080p 120Hz AMOLED and active cooling. Also sold on Amazon: compare the price with Retroid's own store before you buy.

Best for: NES through PS2 and PSP, plus most GameCube, without paying Odin 3 money.

Check price on Amazon

Today's price shows on Amazon

Retroid, Odin or Anbernic: how do they compare?

These are the maker's own figures from each store page, read November 3, 2026. The Odin 2 Portal's chip and screen come from launch spec reports by Notebookcheck and Liliputing, because AYN's store page for it carries no spec text.

The pattern: the 8 Gen 2 is the proven chip with years of driver tuning behind it. The Odin 3's chip is newer and faster. The Dimensity 8300 is what Anbernic uses in place of a Snapdragon in its higher-end models.

When is the AYN Odin 3 worth the extra $125?

AYN's store lists the Odin 3 from $369 (8GB/128GB) up to $529 (16GB/512GB), sold as "Batch 8 Pre-order" (read November 3, 2026). AYN describes it as a 6-inch 120Hz AMOLED handheld with a Qualcomm Dragonwing Q8 chip, Android 15, an 8000mAh battery, Hall sticks and a 390g weight.

It's worth the money if you play the hardest systems. Held Games says the Odin 3 "has more headroom" in heavy GameCube, demanding PS2 and Switch titles. The same review adds an honest asterisk: "in the most demanding open world Switch titles an 8 Gen 2 device can still match or slightly beat the Odin 3 despite the newer silicon", because 8 Gen 2 drivers are more mature. The battery gap is real: 8000mAh against the Pocket 6's 6000mAh, both per the makers' pages.

Prices have also moved. Held Games reports that AYN raised Odin 3 prices three times, from a $329 launch price to $369, and that Retroid moved the 8GB Pocket 6 from $229 to $244. It blames the DRAM and flash shortage driven by AI datacenter demand. Retroid's own store data still shows $229 as the old reference price.

Is the AYN Odin 2 Portal still worth buying?

Yes, if you want the biggest screen for the least money. Only the base model is still listed as in stock, in black, at $259. AYN shows it against a crossed-out $329, and the Pro and Max tiers are crossed out (ayntec.com, read November 3, 2026). Launch spec reports list a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a 7-inch OLED (Notebookcheck) running at 120Hz (Liliputing), so it uses the same chip as the Pocket 6 with a much bigger panel. The trade-off is size. Notebookcheck lists it at 257mm wide and 415g, so it won't go in a jeans pocket.

Its successor, the Odin3 Portal, is now on AYN's store from $399 (12GB/128GB). It has the Odin 3's Dragonwing Q8 chip, a 7-inch 120Hz AMOLED, a 9000mAh battery and a 450g weight, and AYN says "Shipping starts in early November" (read November 3, 2026). It's too new for long-term reviews.

Which Anbernic should you buy, and which should you skip?

Anbernic sells far more models than Retroid or AYN, and the chip decides what each one can do. Prices below are from anbernic.com on November 3, 2026, where several US-warehouse options showed as unavailable. Check the shipping origin at checkout.

• RG 557, $267.26 (8GB+128GB). Anbernic lists a Dimensity 8300 and a 5.48-inch 1920x1080 AMOLED. This is Anbernic's answer to the Pocket 6. Held Games calls it "the most well rounded Android handheld Anbernic has shipped to date" and says it is "Comfortable at 1.5x and often 2x native" for PS2.
• RG 477M, $264.99 (8GB+128GB). Same Dimensity 8300, but with a 4.7-inch 1280x960 LTPS screen at 120Hz in an aluminum body (Anbernic's spec list). A 4:3 screen fits NES-to-GameCube games without black bars. On a 16:9 screen those games are pillarboxed, which Held Games calls "the eternal trade off of any 16:9 retro device".
• RG556, $174.79. It has an older Unisoc T820 with a 5.48-inch AMOLED. Held Games' review sums it up: "Unisoc T820 delivers solid PS2 performance, with GameCube limited to lighter titles." It's a good price for a big AMOLED, but don't buy it for demanding GameCube or Switch games.

What about smaller or dual-screen Retroids?

Retroid's store has two more options worth knowing about (read November 3, 2026):

• Retroid Pocket Nova, from $239. It uses a QCS8550 chip with the same Adreno 740 GPU at the same 680MHz as the Pocket 6, in a smaller body with a 4.5-inch 960p 120Hz AMOLED and a 5000mAh battery. Buy it if pocket size matters more than screen size.
• Retroid Pocket Duo, $269. It has two AMOLED screens (5.5-inch and 4.5-inch, both 120Hz) on a Dragonwing Q-7790 chip. Its GPU is an Adreno 722, a step down from the Pocket 6. It's built for DS and 3DS games. If those are what you play, read our Retroid Pocket Duo vs AYN Thor comparison first.

What does a retro handheld not do for you?

• It doesn't come with games. AYN's Odin 3 listing says plainly: "There are no games preinstalled in Odin 3." Before you load anything, read where game emulation stands legally.
• It isn't plug and play. All of these run Android. Held Games estimates "a few hours" to set up emulators, game folders and a front end on the Pocket 6. Our emulator for every console guide covers which apps to install.
• Prices aren't stable. AYN has raised Odin 3 prices three times since launch (per Held Games, October 2026), and both AYN and Retroid sell many models as pre-orders. Treat every price here as dated November 3, 2026.
• Shipping isn't in the price. Retroid's page says shipping is "calculated at checkout". Check the shipping cost and any import charges before you pay.
• We haven't run these devices ourselves. The performance notes above are quoted from the reviews in the sources list. The specs and prices are the makers' own.

If you also want to play PC games, a handheld PC like the Steam Deck covers that, at a higher price.