{"id":1190373,"date":"2026-02-17T07:41:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=566693"},"modified":"2026-02-17T07:41:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:41:37","slug":"ive-never-used-a-more-versatile-handheld-than-the-retroid-flip-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/ive-never-used-a-more-versatile-handheld-than-the-retroid-flip-2\/","title":{"rendered":"I’ve never used a more versatile handheld than the Retroid Flip 2"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When it comes to handheld gaming, you could drown in the number of options to choose from. The best way to narrow things down is to consider what you\u2019re looking for out of a handheld. Do you want something palm-sized that can easily slip into a front pocket? Or are you cool with something larger that can be tossed in a bag, while still being viable for daily use? It\u2019s fair to say that the ROG Ally<\/a>, for example, is not exactly something you want to lug around constantly, but its raw power makes up for those drawbacks.<\/p>\n

But what if you\u2019re looking for something that can act as a jack-of-all-trades, capable of running a wide swath of games without the huge footprint of a Steam Deck<\/a>-like? One of the best options on that front is the Retroid Pocket 5<\/a>, but even that critically-acclaimed device has some drawbacks. The all-glass front means that you really need a bulky case to keep the device safe in a bag, and its ergonomic design makes long-form dual-analog gaming pretty awkward. Well, Retroid is back and seems to have tackled some of those issues with the Retroid Flip 2.<\/p>\n

The Retroid Flip 2\u2019s internals, screen, and buttons are identical to the much-loved Pocket 5. But it\u2019s the externals that have gotten the most attention. It is, after all, a clamshell. The design obviously hearkens back to the Nintendo DS, and like that device, there\u2019s no real need for a separate protective case for the Flip 2. In my two weeks of testing, I\u2019ve tossed this thing in my bag with nary a concern that the screen would get messed up. It\u2019s great for peace of mind, while also ensuring that I don\u2019t need to carry around a ton of bulk.<\/p>\n

The clamshell design offers another benefit. Because the entire lower half of the device is dedicated to housing the Flip 2\u2019s buttons and sticks, there\u2019s way more room to make everything more ergonomically reachable than on the Pocket 5. Most smaller handhelds usually excel at either analog or D-pad gaming, but the Flip 2 is the first smaller device I\u2019ve used where I\u2019m able to easily bounce back and forth between the analog sticks and D-pad in the middle of a game. The off-set controls are a huge relief compared to the almost-vertically stacked controls of the Retroid 5.<\/p>\n

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