Recalbox 11 Is Coming to the Retroid Pocket Nova, Anbernic RG35, and RG35XX Pro

Following the Steam Deck, Recalbox is hitting the road with handheld consoles again: the Retroid Pocket Nova, Anbernic RG35 and Anbernic RG35XX Pro have recently become playable, and we’re working to make them even more enjoyable to use.

These ports are available in Recalbox 11, which is currently reserved for our Patrons. They’re the first to test it and share their feedback, helping us refine every detail. Don’t worry: these new features will be available to everyone in Recalbox 11 when the stable release is ready.

Retroid Pocket Nova: a mid-to-high-end handheld

On the Retroid side, the Retroid Pocket Nova sits in the mid-to-high-end segment. It features a QCS8550 chip (one Kryo Prime core at 3.2 GHz, four Kryo Gold cores at 2.8 GHz, and three Kryo Silver cores at 2.0 GHz), an Adreno 740 GPU, 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable via microSD card. Its 4.5-inch 4:3 AMOLED display has a 960p resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It also features active cooling, a 5,000 mAh battery, analog L2/R2 triggers, and Hall effect sticks. It sells for around $240.

We’re working to make all of its buttons compatible with Recalbox, including the brightness and volume controls. We’re also working on joystick LED support: they’ll be able to glow in the same color as the screen, Ambilight-style, or indicate the battery level. Docking is supported too, Switch-style: you can instantly switch from handheld mode to HDMI mode without restarting Recalbox or even the game you’re playing. As for playable systems, we’re currently completely satisfied with performance up to GameCube, but development is ongoing—stay tuned. We covered this work in a YouTube video a few weeks ago, when the port was still in its alpha phase.

Anbernic RG35 and RG35XX Pro: entry-level handhelds that stand out

On the Anbernic side, these are entry-level devices—but don’t let that fool you: they offer very respectable hardware for the price. The RG35XX Pro is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 H700 processor, with 1 GB of RAM, two microSD card slots, and a 3,200 mAh battery that provides around 7 hours of battery life. It sells for about $49. The RG35 features a 1.5 GHz quad-core RK3326 processor and 1 GB of RAM, along with the same 3,200 mAh battery, at an even lower price.

What sets these two handhelds apart? The RG35XX Pro has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and an HDMI port. At these prices, we’d point you straight to the Pro for its extra features and added convenience. If your budget is tighter, go for the standard RG35: aside from those features, it makes few compromises compared with its bigger sibling.

We’ve tested these handhelds and found them to be well made. Their 3.5-inch 4:3 IPS displays, with a resolution of 640 × 480, really impressed us, and the build quality felt solid. Recalbox runs very well on both the RG35 and RG35XX Pro, and we’re continuing to optimize the experience. In terms of playable systems, we’re currently very satisfied with performance up to PlayStation 1.

HDMI support for the Anbernic RG35XX Pro is also confirmed. Just connect the handheld to a screen via HDMI, and Recalbox will automatically switch from the handheld display to the TV—and back again.

What’s next?

All three handhelds are now playable with Recalbox 11, which has been rolled out to our Patrons so we can gather their feedback. We’re continuing to fine-tune everything before making these ports available to the entire community. We’ll keep you updated on our progress, and we’d love to hear your feedback on Discord.

Manufacturer websites: Retroid Pocket Nova, Anbernic RG35XX Pro, Anbernic RG35

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