TL;DR
- Retroid has announced new color options for its Pocket 5 handheld.
- Despite being marketed as new, Retroid appears to be using leftover stock from Pocket G2, which was recently discontinued.
- Thankfully, the handheld’s new colors come without any price increase.
The ongoing RAM and storage shortages have affected all electronics-related ventures, but the segment of Android gaming handhelds appears to be among the hardest hit. In recent months, we’ve seen numerous examples of companies making Android handhelds halting production of certain models or completely discontinuing even their best-selling products. One company, however, appears to be making the best use of the circumstances.
Retroid, a leader in the category, recently announced on X that it was bringing new color variants for its Pocket 5 handheld, including yellow and turquoise. These new colors add to the Pocket 5’s existing tally of color options, including black, white, and the two classic options.
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The interesting bit here, as RetroDodo pointed out, is that these new colorful shells weren’t intended for the Pocket 5, but rather the Pocket G2. While the Pocket 5 came in September 2024, the G2 arrived only in October 2025, offering the same design as the Pocket 5 but with some spec upgrades and a more appealing price of just $219.
The G2, however, was discontinued last month due to rising memory prices, potentially leaving some components unused. So bringing new shells to the older console appears to be a measure to use up those unused components.
The Pocket G5 with refreshed color options is now listed on Retroid’s website for $199, which is the same as its launch price. Whether it makes sense to buy one is a different question altogether.
That’s because the Pocket G5 comes with an age-old Snapdragon 865. Meanwhile, its successor, the Pocket G6, features a much more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a smoother 120Hz AMOLED. Even with Pocket 6’s 12GB memory model now discontinued, you can get substantially more performance and a wider range of emulation options by paying around $45 more.
Still, opting for the Pocket 5 only makes sense if you’re on a strict $200 budget and want the handheld sooner.
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