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’re 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’s fair to say that the ROG Ally, for example, is not exactly something you want to lug around constantly, but its raw power makes up for those drawbacks.
But what if you’re 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-like? One of the best options on that front is the Retroid Pocket 5, 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.
The Retroid Flip 2’s internals, screen, and buttons are identical to the much-loved Pocket 5. But it’s 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’s no real need for a separate protective case for the Flip 2. In my two weeks of testing, I’ve tossed this thing in my bag with nary a concern that the screen would get messed up. It’s great for peace of mind, while also ensuring that I don’t need to carry around a ton of bulk.
The clamshell design offers another benefit. Because the entire lower half of the device is dedicated to housing the Flip 2’s buttons and sticks, there’s 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’ve used where I’m 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.
That said, there are drawbacks to the clamshell design that prevent it from being more comfortable than, say, a Steam Deck or a traditional controller. Because the device needs to actually close on itself, the analog sticks need to be recessed in little divots, which make them feel a little less precise. Despite the divot, they have the same range of motion of a standard, raised analog stick, but there does seem to be a slight drop in accuracy. If you’re not worried about competitive play with this device, though, you shouldn’t have too much trouble here.
The other ergonomic issue you may run into is that the Flip 2 is, like the DS, mostly flat on its back, which is simply not as comfortable to hold as something that molds a bit more to your hands. I ran into similar issues the first time I picked up a Nintendo Switch 2, for example. But compared to the hand-cramping I experienced trying to get analog gaming to work on the Retroid Pocket 5, I found the Flip 2 to be far more comfortable.
I also probably won’t know for quite some time whether the hinge on the Flip 2 is capable of withstanding hundreds, if not thousands, of opens and closes. The hinge on the Nintendo DS eventually got a telltale wobble when the consistency of its plastic started to wear down. Retroid does have experience with clamshells, and reworked the original Retroid Flip after serious durability issues, so I’m hopeful that the Flip 2 will last several years at the very least.
Unfortunately, several years might be how long I’ll have to wait before I test another handheld made in China, where Donald Trump’s tariff policies have made this device absurdly expensive for those living in the U.S.. But for everyone else, you’ll be pleased to know that the clamshell heyday is back in a big way.
