The Retroid Pocket Mini and Pocket 5 have been around for a while now, as they were released in September. Both devices share similar hardware, but the Pocket Mini fell behind the Pocket 5 at launch due to its outdated software.
Software Discrepancy
Surprisingly, Retroid chose to install Android 10 on the Pocket Mini, while the Pocket 5 came with Android 13. This decision resulted in the Pocket Mini having older software than the Pocket 4 and Pocket 4 Pro (currently $199 on Amazon), even though it was released nearly a year later.
Impact of the Software Version
This software difference might seem minor, but it prevented the Pocket Mini from running certain emulators or games that require newer Android versions—some of which Google released over five years ago. Fortunately, Retroid has fixed this issue by updating the device to Android 13, which users can download from its Discord server.
Upgrade Concerns
However, there are significant drawbacks at the moment. For example, the upgrade process completely wipes the device, instead of keeping the existing software. Additionally, there are several reports of bugs in the current Android 13 version. Therefore, Retro Handhelds advises users to hold off on upgrading their Pocket Minis to Android 13 unless it’s absolutely necessary.
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