2026-03-22

Retroid Pocket G2 Temporarily Discontinued, Anbernic Reveals Specs for New 'RG Vita Pro'

In mid-March 2026, the portable gaming PC and retro handheld market is seeing notable trends in hardware price adjustments and production ends. Retroid has announced that the 'Retroid Pocket G2' is temporarily discontinued and has raised prices on existing models, causing ripples in the market. Meanwhile, anticipation for new devices is growing as Anbernic has released detailed specifications for its new PlayStation Vita-inspired Android handheld, the 'RG Vita Pro'. Additionally, the evolution of Android emulators continues, with community efforts toward running original Xbox games gaining attention.

Retroid Pocket G2 Temporarily Discontinued and Retroid Pocket Classic Price Hike

Amidst rising hardware manufacturing costs, Retroid has announced some tough news for the community. The company revealed that the "Retroid Pocket G2" has been temporarily discontinued and has implemented a price adjustment for the "Retroid Pocket Classic."

Starting March 16, the 6GB/128GB model of the Retroid Pocket Classic saw a $20 price increase, bringing its direct-sale price to $149. This follows the announcement just a few weeks ago that the 12GB version of the "Retroid Pocket 6" had been discontinued, and with competitor AYN also raising prices on the "Odin 3" and "Thor," it highlights the difficulty of maintaining price points across the industry.

However, it has been confirmed that the flagship "Retroid Pocket 5" model remains unaffected and will continue to be sold. As the retro handheld market has long been defined by its affordability, users are increasingly concerned about how these companies' pricing strategies will evolve.

Anbernic 'RG Vita Pro' Specifications Revealed

Continuing its streak of new device launches, Anbernic has released the final specifications for its upcoming Android handhelds, the "RG Vita" and the higher-end "RG Vita Pro." As the name suggests, it features a design reminiscent of the PlayStation Vita, with a form factor that prioritizes a balance between portability and ergonomics.

Key specifications for the Pro model are as follows:

Display: 5.5-inch IPS touchscreen (1920x1080 resolution)
SoC: RockChip RK3576 (Octa-core, up to 2.2GHz)
Memory/Storage: 4GB RAM / 64GB internal storage
Battery: 5000mAh (supports 18W fast charging, approx. 8 hours of battery life)
OS: Android 14

Running on Android 14, the device also supports modern communication standards like Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. With the inclusion of the RockChip RK3576, mid-range emulation performance is expected. While recent handhelds have trended toward larger sizes, this form factor, which pays homage to a classic, is likely to be an attractive option for many retro gaming fans.

Progress on Original Xbox Emulator for Android and Dolphin Update

With the evolution of hardware, emulator development on Android devices has entered a new phase. In early March, it was reported that a community port of the PC-based original Xbox emulator "Xemu" is making original Xbox emulation on Android a reality.

While performance varies by game, the proliferation of high-performance Android handhelds like the "AYN Thor" is helping to drive verification testing for such resource-intensive emulators. The ability to run hardware generations previously considered difficult for Android is being hailed as a significant technical milestone.

Additionally, the GameCube and Wii emulator "Dolphin" released its latest progress report (Release 2603) on March 12. This update includes improvements for NAS environment convenience and continuous optimizations, such as doubling the performance of Rogue Squadron III. With hardware performance improvements and software maturation working in tandem, the portable gaming experience continues to grow richer.