The new Retroid Pocket Nova looks like a retro gaming handheld from the future

If you’re looking for a compact gaming handheld in the near future, it might be worth holding your horses for the Retroid Pocket Nova. While the brand’s Mini and Mini 2 handhelds might have had a tricky time of it, due to display issues and discontinuations, this fresh design could right their wrongs. It combines a nostalgic form factor, similar to the GBA, with an OLED display for glittering in-game visuals.

Retroid revealed the Pocket Nova via Discord and social media, but the details are pretty scarce at the time of writing. All we know for sure is that, like the Retroid Pocket 5 from our list of the best retro handhelds, it boasts that OLED screen, and it offers a 4:3 display. That last bit is pretty important, as a lot of the best retro games were designed for 4:3 screens, which should make gaming on the Pocket Nova feel more authentic and nostalgic.

Unfortunately, the teaser image doesn’t give us the best look at the Pocket Nova, but you can make out the 4:3 screen, shoulder buttons, and a volume rocker on top of the handheld, much like the Switch 2’s volume rocker. That means we’re currently in the dark about the d-pad placement, which has proven controversial among Retroid users before. Still, if this handheld is following in the footsteps of the Mini and Mini 2, we’d expect a d-pad on top, with an analog stick underneath.

At the time of writing, we’ve got no indication of how much the Retroid Pocket Nova might cost or when it’ll officially launch. Given the Nova’s compact form factor and 4:3 aspect ratio, it’ll be in direct competition with the 64GB Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini, which currently retails for $129.99. However, this handheld could be a little more expensive, given both its OLED display and the ongoing RAM and storage availability issues, which have led to rising prices for some of the best handheld consoles in recent months, including the Steam Deck OLED. For now, we’ll have to wait for further details.

If previous Retroid reveals are anything to go by, we’d expect the brand’s social media channels to feature more teasers from now on, likely revealing the rest of the Pocket Nova’s specs, including its processor, battery details, and button layout. As ever, we’ll be sure to cover any major developments, especially when we get confirmation of a price and release date.