2026-03-23

Retroid halts production of some models due to soaring memory costs; Anbernic leak reveals rotating screen device

The portable gaming market in mid-March 2026 highlights how global spikes in memory prices are directly impacting hardware manufacturers. Retroid has made the difficult decision to halt production and raise prices on several models. Meanwhile, a leaked video of a new device from Anbernic, featuring a unique gimmick reminiscent of past feature phones, has stirred the community. In the software sector, Nintendo's crackdown on Switch emulators has intensified, leading to ongoing tensions with developers.

Ripple effects of rising memory prices: Retroid announces temporary production halt for 'Pocket G2' and price hikes for existing models

On March 17, 2026, Retroid announced via official social media and other channels that it would temporarily halt production of the 'Retroid Pocket G2'. The decision is attributed to severe fluctuations and spikes in global memory prices. The RAM shortage, triggered in part by the expansion of AI data center demand, has become a serious challenge for retro gaming console manufacturers, whose primary market is the low-price segment.

Rising hardware manufacturing costs are also directly affecting the pricing of existing models. On the same day, Retroid announced a price revision for its vertical model, the 'Retroid Pocket Classic,' increasing it from $129 to $149 starting March 20. Earlier in early March, the company discontinued the 12GB model of the 'Retroid Pocket 6' due to the difficulty of absorbing costs and raised the price of the 8GB model by $15 to $244.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the current 'Retroid Pocket 5' model will not be affected by this price revision and will continue to be sold for $199. Concerns are growing within the community that the premise of Chinese handhelds offering high performance at affordable prices is beginning to crumble, and attention is focused on future price trends across the market.

Unannounced Anbernic Android device leaked, featuring a 'rotating screen' gimmick reminiscent of the Motorola FlipOut

Amidst the buzz over rising hardware prices, rumors of a unique new model from Anbernic have emerged. Around March 16, a video of what appears to be an unnamed new Anbernic model was posted by user Qink001 on the massive overseas community Reddit (r/SBCGaming).

The device's most notable feature is a special mechanism where a nearly square touchscreen rotates (swivels) 90 degrees, revealing a D-pad and ABXY buttons underneath. This design strongly evokes mobile phones from the past, such as the 2010 'Motorola FlipOut' or the 2009 'Nokia 7705 Twist.' The video shows Android running, with icons like the Chrome browser visible, and the Anbernic logo is engraved on the back.

Anbernic announced the 'RG Vita' (5.46-inch 720p screen, Android 12) and the 'RG Vita Pro' (5.5-inch 1080p screen, Android 14/Linux dual OS) over a month ago, but they have yet to be officially released. It is currently unconfirmed whether this leaked device is merely a concept model (prototype) or a product intended for retail, but the community is exchanging various opinions on both its practicality and its nostalgic appeal.

Nintendo's mass DMCA filings against Switch emulators and the defiant stance of some development teams

Parallel to developments in the hardware market, legal tensions surrounding emulators continue in the software sector. Since the development of 'Yuzu' and 'Ryujinx' was forced to end in 2024, numerous derivative (forked) emulators have appeared on GitHub, but Nintendo has carried out large-scale DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown requests against them.

Targets include 'Citron,' 'Kenji-NX,' 'MeloNX,' 'Sudachi,' and 'Suyu,' among others. While many repositories have complied with the requests and ceased public access, the development team for 'Eden,' a fork of 'Yuzu,' has shown a stance of refusal. In mid-to-late February, a few days after the takedown request, the Eden development team intentionally published the latest build, 'v0.2.0,' on GitHub, signaling a stance of total resistance.

With the footsteps of the next-generation Switch 2 approaching, some view Nintendo's move to dismantle the foundation of existing emulator development as an attempt to delay emulation development for the next-generation console. This endless conflict between manufacturers enforcing strict rights protection and the backlash from the open-source community is expected to continue in various forms.