Enter: The Retroid Pocket Mini

Retroid has given the handheld community a fantastic surprise today, with the official reveal of its next device: the Retroid Pocket Mini. Get an early peek in the video below!

Retroid’s first new form factor will go smaller than the popular Retroid Pocket 3 and 4 devices, with a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen at a 4:3 resolution — down from the Pocket 3 and Pocket 4’s 4.7-inch 16:9 screens. That puts the size a bit closer to the many Anbernic devices with 3.5-inch screens, such as the RG35XX H, but substantially larger than the “micro” category of pocketable devices (such as the 2.8-inch RG28XX or Miyoo’s new A30).

As summarized by Retro Handhelds the design language of the new device looks like something of a cross between the RG Cube and the AYANEO Pocket Air, with rounded corners and some substantial hand grips around back. The renders in the teaser video also appear to show a flat glass panel across the entire front of the device, like last year’s AYANEO 2S. This helps to hide the screen bezel and gives the device a premium, glossy appearance.

Retroid hasn’t revealed the full specs for the Pocket Mini just yet, but the company’s Twitter account has confirmed that the 3.7-inch OLED panel has a resolution of 1280×960 pixels. That is sure to make fans of integer scaling happy (it’s a perfect 2x scale for the Dreamcast) … but hopefully without breaking the bank once the Pocket Mini’s price is announced.

The teaser video also shows the return of the Pocket’s much-loved, PS Vita-style D-pad; the Pocket 4’s improved analog sticks; dual front-firing speakers, stacked shoulder and trigger buttons; a USB-C port and 3.5 mm audio jack for your headphones; and a flap to cover the microSD card slot. The thumb sticks also have RGB lighting — a first for Retroid.

With Retroid we expect a handful of color options. The teaser shows a very pleasant (and RG Cube-esque) white device with red buttons and controls. Retroid has also posted the first image of a sleek black unit on Instagram:

What kind of power can we expect here? While we have to wait for Retroid to reveal the processor and other specs, a couple of things stand out here. There is clearly an air intake on the back of the Pocket Mini and a vent on the top of the unit, which means active cooling. The use of an OLED display also hints that the company might be targeting a price that is higher than the sub-$100 budget devices, so some solid performance is to be expected.

We’ll be watching for more news on the device, which hopefully will reach the market sometime this fall. In the meantime, enjoy these beautiful preview pics!