Retroid Pocket 2S in-depth REVIEW

Buy this device: bit.ly/3sBSodY
Daijisho: github.com/TapiocaFox/Daijishou
Community Spreadsheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
00:00 - Intro
00:18 - Looking at the RG350m and how far we've come
00:46 - The 2S changes the game
01:03 - Stand-out features
03:38 - Critical Flaws
04:37 - I really wish they had changed this...
05:29 - Weird sleep mode quirk
06:05 - Buttons...
06:22 - Storytime
06:51 - It's all very clackety clack?
07:29 - Trigger buttons
08:57 - The glorious joysticks
09:43 - Sacrifices were made for ease of use
10:15 - THE SHAKE TEST!
11:56 - Compared to the RG353P screen
15:34 - Testing pocketability in my sweatpants HAHA
16:18 - Audio test compared to Retroid Pocket 3+ and RG353P
18:14 - The Retroid Android build
19:23 - Fix the sleep mode
20:34 - Streaming test
21:05 - Aesthetics of Retroid Pocket 2S
22:15 - Ergonomics and the grip
24:36 - Setting up the 2S
26:11 - Specially tweaked Gamecube Emulator by Retroid
26:52 - Setting up triggers for Daijisho menu navigation
27:40 - M1 mappable button
28:16 - Recommended SD card size
28:39 - Daijisho sync entire library
28:57 - Getting the best performance
29:56 - Game performance testing
34:19 - Worth the money?

[@nelliocalypse]

Is it weird I enjoy watching multiple reviews of this thing? With that said you are doing a fantastic job.

[@adinwalls]

Thank you!

[@mitchthepreacher1512]

LOVE the clear back, can't wait for mine to arrive! Great video!

[@adamkane7513]

I agree, if it had a 4 inch 4:3 screen it would be amazing.

[@adinwalls]

Yes it would have catapulted it to god-tier

[@gutyourtrust]

4 inch 1:1 aspect 👌

[@IS414H]

Great video. This was the review that finally tipped me over the edge and will make me buy it! Thanks for all the attention to detail.

[@adinwalls]

Thanks so much!

[@estebanurcuyo2258]

I ordered mine last week and I can’t wait to get it in my hands! Thank you for the in depth review, even more excited for it now

[@adinwalls]

Ah cool. It’s a winner for sure. Picked up my Powkiddy X28 and while I live the big screen, it has nothing on the build, buttons, and even performance in some regard on the RP2S

[@ceenos]

did u get it yet? just ordered mine!

[@STR82DVD]

Retroid is the new $100 standard. Period.

[@adinwalls]

Agreed

[@derekcurtis818]

I would love to get one to play more than my Miyoo mini can. I don’t have a pc so that’s the only reason I haven’t gotten one yet. Wish they came preloaded but it’s all good. Just subbed to your channel. I’ve been loving the Miyoo mini plus. I got it July 3 and have been having a blast

[@STR82DVD]

@@derekcurtis818 Agreed. The Miyoo Mini is an awesome little device and they just came out with v4 of the unit in new color choices. Brilliant stuff.

[@robiboom4]

​@@derekcurtis818 just ask a friend for help or get a usb for your phone

[@Altus97]

Very detailed! Great review. Thank youu!!

[@NeoSpartan117]

Love the passive-aggressive dig on the RP3+ Start and Select buttons. 😂 Great review, absolutely love your visual style! Also, track pants and blazer, new definition of business casual.

[@adinwalls]

Haha. Yes I am all about the business casual 😊

[@STR82DVD]

@@adinwalls I suggest a mullet - business in the front, party in the back.

[@bigal4349]

Great video! I really like the clear and clean presentation.

[@adinwalls]

Thank you

[@theminimalistgamer4201]

What a great, clear video! Thank You for telling it as it is. I've been using my 2+ since release and I like what Retroid have done here, but I'm going to upgrade when I can have a bigger screen, which will probably be the 3S or something....

[@adinwalls]

Okay yes I think the screen is the only thing that will a lot of people back

[@fairlyBread]

Wow amazing review! Thank you!

[@CellPhish]

Great depth on this review. I love my RP2S. Top 5 for devices I own.

[@adinwalls]

Same here! And thank you

[@bellytelevision]

Great video--my budget for retro handhelds in 2023 is all gone but my only solace is I get to vicariously experience the new drops through adin walls' beautiful youtube vids

[@adinwalls]

Haha awesome

[@thatren7179]

The design gives off some Neo Geo Pocket vibes. Great looking device, just wish they had made it a 4inch screen. But hey, can just add that to the wishlist for the 2s+ 😅

[@retrohandhelds]

Really enjoyed this one, great review! Stubbs

[@adinwalls]

Hey man thank you 🙏

[@hogtrick]

Love your videos. You bring a new perspective that others reviewers sometimes leave it aside. One small advice I would like to give is to use a new color for the text. It's hard to read. I love the color tbh but maybe using a less saturated pink would be more readable

[@adinwalls]

Thanks for the tip! I will take a look for the next video. Maybe just darken the video behind the text?

[@hogtrick]

​@@adinwallsthat's a good idea too! Maybe add a shadow outline in the font instead

[@adinwalls]

Ya I will see what works 😊

[@drogba6487]

inertness is actually a decent, if secondary, quality indicator in electronics. I like the shake test.

[@CelinavanOs-ru8gx]

I got one and cant wait 👾

[@BingbongRecto]

Great vid, your style reminds me of watch review channels

[@adinwalls]

Watch review channels? I’m not familiar

[@senorsombrero]

Your device is probably going to the "task manager" rather than into daijisho straight away due to the task killer settings you're using to save battery. Mine did the same. You need to put daijisho on the whitelist of devices not closed in the background.

[@adinwalls]

Ya it dawned on me while uploading that I may have enabled that while testing and forgot. That’s I will do that.

[@NeroVingian40]

The rattle test! Nice, that’s something you don't see much anymore in tech reviews these days. It's one of those things where it actually doesn't matter as much, but it always sticks to the back of your mind, and the voice in your head is always telling you "it could've been better" lol

[@adinwalls]

Exactly!

[@Brucedoos]

Great video mate, bit bigger screen would have made this device amazing

[@adinwalls]

Yes it would hey

[@s18cyt]

Might have already been pointed out, but you’re getting the home menu issue when unlocking the device because of your change for sleep mode. When you turn on the setting and have it clearing background processes on lock, it will clear Daijisho assuming it’s a background process as well. Then you unlock and it has nothing open until you back out or click home. If you go into that Handheld setting and click the “Ignore packages” option within there, you can go in and select Daijisho so it clears all the background processes except for the Daijisho menu.

[@adinwalls]

Thanks. I have since discovered this. And I think pinned a comment regarding this.

[@CjShino91]

Love your review Adin, you made me actually purchase the pocket 2s, in the same color too. Even though I already have the RP3+ I like the 2s better.

[@adinwalls]

Hey man thank you. Yes this has surpassed the RP3+ in many ways (just not performance and screen size). Although the screen is tiny, it streamed some Steam games really well.

[@aishacs]

How long did it take to arrive with 4px?

[@exklimexklim]

I just encounter your channel and I feel like Tim Cook CEO talking about Retro handhelds with honesty

[@adinwalls]

I’ll take it!

[@GamingForSpeed]

Hi, May I know if it can play moba games like mobile legends？ Edit: My first and only retro handheld is rg350, should I still buy this？

[@postplays]

A slightly larger screen would be the ultimate deal breaker for me. I plan to stick to the RP3+ for a while. Cool review. Thanks.

[@adinwalls]

Thanks for watching!

[@dmys143]

It's not too difficult of a set up process if your familiar with android. Setting up one of the front ends was a bit of a learning curve but, not worth the extra 50% on the rg405m price tag. At that point just get the rp4 for and save $20-30 or spend an extra $20 for the 4pro. Hell they've even had the og Odin marked down to $200 for a hot minute now. I prioritize performance:cost over build quality though (in regards to the premium cost for the metal editions)

[@kyleforeman4201]

Just bought one

[@wylelias]

Any chance we could see how the hdmi output handles on some of these?

[@adinwalls]

I never included this but it does work fine

[@PacersFan]

A used switch lite and this are the same price, which one would you prefer I can only choose one to get

[@adinwalls]

Hmm this is a tough choice. The Switch has a bigger screen and the satisfaction of legally buying games. But the 2S could actually be better hardware and unlimited games. I guess it’s down to the screen?

[@k.mustafa5455]

Great review! Have you yet run into any limits with the lower, 3gb RAM model you got?? I don’t plan on doing any android gaming…can you foresee any gaming limits with that lower spec model, given the types of consoles this chip can emulate?? Thanks!!

[@adinwalls]

Hey there. I pick this device up often and constantly impressed by its performance (and quality) compared to the competition. Every now and then something will take a second to load. But that’s about it. I am using Sonic Generations 3DS as a performance limit test and I may be imagining it but it seems to do better than the RG405V.

[@k.mustafa5455]

@@adinwalls thank you! That’s great to hear! I’d love to pick up the option that’s actually sub $100, but always worry about feeling limited and wishing I just spent the extra $20

[@puguk]

Does anyone know what Lock Screen image is being used at the 20:09 mark and which daijisho theme is being used?

[@adinwalls]

It’s just a random pic I found. Theme: not sure man I like the bb dark one

[@puguk]

@@adinwalls thank you!

[@lengwei4864]

Waiting for rps'plus,be able to run ps2 and Gc smoothy

[@LeSanglierQuiRit]

would love to see a comparison between the 2s and the RGB30

[@adinwalls]

Yes specifically the screens. I do have one on the way

[@LeSanglierQuiRit]

@@adinwalls outstanding! 👏👏

[@zharfanzhariq6799]

Can i say 2s 3gb ram is perfect for run psp 100% ? Or still need at least 4gb ram?

[@adinwalls]

I want to do more testing and release a video but as far as I have seen, everything runs. I played God of War PSP with no issues. Also Need for Speed ran.

[@TimKapow]

How much is it all in to get this to South Africa?

[@adinwalls]

Hey man the shipping and import duties are almost prohibitively high. However the 2S is worth it if you have the money. Also see if it’s maybe cheaper to use GoGameGeek. I generally don’t pay import duties with them.

[@chloetv1]

testing gamecube's F-Zero GX is one of the best test you can do to see if a handheld can handle demanding games

[@KevinAdams06]

Would love to see you make an EDC video. I am a SAK man myself. Do you think that extra gig of ram would make a difference on the game cube emulation? Or is ram not a bottle neck, and it just comes down to the processor?

[@adinwalls]

EDC for me is my phone! 😂 not sure what you mean by SAK. I’m not seeing much of a performance issue on the 3gb.

[@KevinAdams06]

@@adinwalls SAK is the knife enthusiast acronym for Swiss Army Knife. Not a huge knife person, but I have started carrying a Swiss Army on me recently, and have found it much more useful than I would have ever expected.

[@adinwalls]

Yes when I am in the habit of carrying the knife I use it a lot.

[@Zen.bassoon]

Been considering if I should get this one or the 405V 😂

[@adinwalls]

405 has more power but the RP2S is a near perfectly crafted device

[@mikeryan1043]

Oh boy. The RP2S with a larger 4" 4:3 screen and the T618 like the 405M would be the perfect device for me. So far, I'm torn between the RP2S and the RG405 series. The RG353 series is another contender but probably too weak. Does anyone know of the performanxe difference between the T610 and the T618 is noticable in GC and PS2 games?

[@adinwalls]

Yes the performance is definitely noticeable but not extreme.

[@Guitario666]

Rp2s with grip or pk x28? Difference of $25

[@adinwalls]

I picked the X28 up last night. Personally I love the big screen and I am willing to sacrifice controls and build quality for it.

[@morrisguinn6868]

Cool review as always I’m sorry it’s almost 2024 and we are fortunate to have a large variety of handhelds In my opinion every brand should be borderless It can’t be that much more expensive to make that the standard moving forward

[@Raphtor13]

Hmmm...that is a device I avoided - I have the Retroid Pocket 2 and the 2+ as well as the Ambernic RG351P and the RG350M - although these are kind of old at this point, they were all pretty equivalent. Of the newer devices I find I'm liking the Powkiddy RGB30 the best since I play mostly GB, GBC and GBA games - all of which work well on any of these devices but the look the best on the RGB30 due to the unique 1 to 1 720P screen. I have really gotten away from Ambernic and Retroid though build quality on both is usually pretty good.

[@nickcangiarella7042]

I had just got an Arc D because I was a Sega kid, but got drawn into Dreamcast games, which can run on it fine but there's no sticks, so I went searching for a Dreamcast machine and settled on this. Patiently waiting just ordered it yesterday using tbe 4PX not the DHL

[@adinwalls]

Ah cool yes. Screen is a bit small but will do dreamcast well

[@nickcangiarella7042]

@@adinwalls yeah I would have liked bigger but I'm on a budget. And this will be my fourth. I got my Arc D which I would like a lot more if there was some decent CFW, I have my 35XX+ with MuOS which I like but I prefer the feel of the Arc. While the screen is a bit small (I was debating getting an Anbernic Cube instead) I like how it looks, I picked the 16 Bit because it reminded me of a Dreamcast. And I figure I can still play some Dreamcast on my Arc for games that run good and don't need sticks. Oh and I have my oLed Switch which hasn't gotten no love from me lately since I started with the rest 😂

[@naber-1984]

I like your Videos 😊 very good

[@adinwalls]

Thank you!

[@SLE3PR]

Yeah, it's definitely not a $99 device. If you get the 4GB model, it's $119 and then the case and grip are another $25, and then shipping is $15 to America. Still, that's about $150 which in my mind is very fair. I'm really looking forward to getting mine (I just ordered three days ago) and tinkering around. I'd love to have a portable version of Wind Waker since Nintendo doesn't want to make a Switch port. The 2S can actually emulate a ton of Zelda games if you think about it - it can run a lot of 3DS and N64 stuff as well.

[@adinwalls]

Yes I have been enjoying New Super Mario 2 on 3DS. Also played Sonic Generations but it’s a bit glitchy.

[@9unslin9er]

I hope I can alleviate a bit of your OCD with my OCD. I bought a Logitech "silent" mouse because I figured my wife would be annoyed by the clackiness of my old warhorse M100, But in reality, clicking is basically white noise for her, but mouse clicks are actually pivotal for my personal computer experience. I like the crisp mouse click feel, noise and all. Likewise, I think the "clickiness" of the Nintendo 3DS XL d-pad and face buttons are the best feeling we're ever going to get (not to mention the most precise).

[@adinwalls]

Hehe ya that’s very true.

[@MoreTechSir]

The competition is heating up. Been here since the original RP. I am really waiting for a shift in the market. I feel alot of devices these days are just a redesigned shell and some new aesthetics. Which is where the market currently sits.

[@jessragan6714]

Dude looks like he should be making gadgets for Daniel Craig.

[@RichFromQueensNY]

I agree if they just come out with an updated version with slightly bigger screen I would be all for this but at this stage in the game entering 2024 screen needs to be a little bit bigger if they just would have filled the whole screen it would have been beautiful I would have bought it right now. So now my Hunt is worth something with the amazing controls like this with a slightly bigger screen not asking for anything more. I prefer Android as it's very customizable.

[@gutyourtrust]

Damn, you cut any demonstration of case/grip compatibility. Assuming it won’t fit if the case with the grip on

[@soaremicheledavid6020]

How do you play Gamecube games on such a small screen? And is one of the worst quality screen ever used in a handheld, looks more like a TN panel. Maybe Nes/Snes to Gb/A.

[@adinwalls]

Carefully 😂 but I disagree. There are handhelds with far worse screens. This screen has rich colours and good detail, it’s just small.

[@senorsombrero]

Adin incorporating the russ endorsed crotch shot for those devices we don't pocket 😉

[@adinwalls]

Hahahaha

[@soniczero532]

Is the 3 plus better?

[@adinwalls]

Yes

[@soniczero532]

@@adinwalls I'm sold on the 2s because of the official grips. The rgb30 I really like the layout of.

[@adinwalls]

@@soniczero532 3 plus also has a grip.

[@conandude76]

you're puting this over the x55?

[@conandude76]

x55 also has raised thumbsticks, giving it that nice larger range of motion, 7 inch or so screen, with great brightness and color reproduction. It also has a usable start button, which comes in handy on nes and snes, that have many games that use it (mike tyson's punchout star punch for example) 89 if you win the handheld lottory and get a ver 1.1 or 1.2 or later, you're set. If not, prepare to send it back a few times will you do in order to avoid the battery charger controller and sd slot malfunction that plagued those first two revisions.

[@adinwalls]

Apart from the smaller screen this device is better than the X55 in every way. So it’s a decision of quality vs a big screen. Which is a valid point to argue.

[@The_Invisible_Man]

Cost 150 euro in Europe so a tad too expensive

[@limonsoda]

Is not easy to setup beacuse you are configuring daijishio. The retro launcher setsup itself and is the best self installing android frontend out there. Most just leave you on your own. also, it should NEVER come with the games. That is just illegal. :-) Great video anyway.

[@adinwalls]

From a newcomers perspective I just don't think the Retroid Launcher is easy to setup. With a video guide etc it is simple BUT I am always considering these things from the perspective of a new user - especially for a device like this. Anbernic has an easy setup with their preinstalled games but as mentioned, it's sketchy at best.

[@senorsombrero]

The retroid launcher is poor compared to daijisho. There's any amount of guides out there for beginners on setting it up including one but adin.

[@Senda688]

This is Mario Kart Double Dash. Mario Kart 7 is a 3DS game.

[@BrentonBold]

Rg353m is most compacted on the market

[@mimivrc4148]

no atomic purple?! 😱

[@adinwalls]

Nope

[@ScrubsWasTaken]

Loved the video but I have to disagree with the roms part, setting the device up is very easy even without it coming with pirated games which I think is great because when these companies ship the sd card with roms they always have something wrong with them and you'll end up not playing most of them. I think it's very important of newbies to learn how to build their own collection instead of paying a premium on sites like esty and buy a rp3+ for nearly twice it's original price.

[@adinwalls]

Hey there, for non-tech people setting up an Android gaming system is not easy. It just isn’t. However I will make a video testing this “easy” theory out 😀

[@ScrubsWasTaken]

@@adinwalls definitely looking forward to it 👍

[@uncaringbear]

If it had a larger screen and used the T618, that would a dream device.

[@adinwalls]

Retroid Pocket 4? 😊

[@B3nG420]

this would be a great handheld for a child...

[@jadehonee1328]

not a android issue

[@B3nG420]

decent handheld for the price, but face buttons feel very cheap and thunky.

[@pipedream690]

I recently purchased mine new from eBay with 2 screen protectors, a case, and grip for £90. Absolute bargain!

[@rushmore3927]

Out of "principle", the space wasting bezel dings it big for me. Pure waste of space. Yes, repeated the same thing, since this bezel is a waste! ..... Three times now!

[@japyoo2248]

Shame that it is android.

[@adinwalls]

Not a fan?

[@japyoo2248]

@@adinwalls Linux better performance

[@adinwalls]

Ya that is true for most things I suppose. But the performance on this RP2S is very good.

[@mikeryan1043]

​@@japyoo2248I believe that shouldn't matter. For the RG353V/M N64 performance is overall better on Android. All the older systems should run perfectly fine on Android anyway. But I agree that it's nicer to have one UI instead of another handler layer.

[@patrickhydar]

“aging design” shush mate

[@bluelion1995]

Not available for 99 dollars! Add RAM, shipping and taxes and you are closer to 150. That‘s what I paid for the RP3+.

[@adinwalls]

Ya... watch the vid...

[@senorsombrero]

Use 4px shipping for no tax for most countries

[@pintobeans994]

100 bucks , they did a superb job ! Nice video ! Thumbs up all the way

[@adinwalls]

Thank you. And yes. It’s a top device for 2023