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RG506 vs Retroid Pocket 4: Best for Widescreen PSP UK 2026?
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RG506 vs Retroid Pocket 4: Best for Widescreen PSP UK 2026?

22 May 2026 22 min read

🏆 Editor’s Top Pick

Anbernic RG506

Best for: PSP purists wanting OLED

Check Price on Amazon →

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The Sony PSP was a revelation. In a world dominated by the Game Boy’s 4:3 aspect ratio, its glorious 16:9 widescreen felt like a slice of the future in your hands. Firing up Wipeout Pure for the first time was a genuine wow moment. The problem for retro handheld enthusiasts in 2026 is that most devices are still built around a 4:3 screen to best serve Nintendo and Sega’s 8-bit and 16-bit classics. Playing PSP games on them means accepting huge black bars or a stretched, distorted image. It just feels wrong.

This is precisely the problem the Anbernic RG506 and the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro aim to solve. Both are widescreen Android handhelds vying for your cash, specifically targeting those of us who yearn to replay the PSP’s stellar library. But they take dramatically different approaches to the task. Anbernic has opted for a stunning 5-inch OLED screen with a native resolution that is a perfect 2x integer scale of the original PSP, whilst Retroid has stuffed a far more powerful chipset into a more compact body. The question is, which is the better buy for a UK gamer looking for the ultimate portable PSP experience?

After thorough community testing of both, the answer isn’t simple. One is a master of a single craft, whilst the other is a jack-of-all-trades that happens to be superb at that same craft. This guide will break down the screen, performance, ergonomics, software, and crucially, the value for money of each device to help you decide exactly where your hard-earned £180-£220 is best spent.

ProductPrice (UK)Best ForScoreBuy
Anbernic RG506~£180PSP purists who prioritise screen perfection above all else.7/10Buy →
Retroid Pocket 4 Pro~£99.99Gamers wanting excellent PSP emulation plus the power for GameCube and PS2.9/10Buy →

The Screen Showdown: OLED Perfection vs IPS Versatility

On paper, this looks like a clear win for the Anbernic RG506. Its 5-inch OLED screen has a resolution of 960×544. For PSP fans, those numbers are magical. The original PSP’s screen resolution was 480×272. This means the RG506’s display is an exact 2x integer scale, both vertically and horizontally. Each single pixel from the original PSP game is rendered as a perfect 2×2 block of pixels on the RG506 screen. The result is an incredibly sharp, clean, and authentic image with zero scaling artefacts, shimmer, or blur. It looks exactly as you remember it, only crisper. Combined with the OLED technology, which delivers perfect inky blacks and incredibly vibrant colours, games like Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles or the neon-drenched tracks of Wipeout Pulse look absolutely spectacular. The contrast is phenomenal, making darker scenes in games like Silent Hill: Origins genuinely tense and atmospheric in a way that a standard LCD panel simply cannot replicate.

In comparison, the Retroid Pocket 4 and its Pro sibling use a 4.7-inch IPS LCD screen with a much higher resolution of 1334×750. This is a very good quality IPS panel – it’s bright, the colours are accurate, and viewing angles are excellent. However, it’s not a perfect integer scale of the PSP’s native resolution. This means the system has to use non-integer scaling algorithms to fit the 480×272 image onto its 1334×750 grid. Now, let’s be clear: with a resolution this high, the negative effects are minimal. Modern emulators like PPSSPP are very good at this, and the sheer pixel density helps to hide any minor imperfections. But if you have a hawk’s eye for detail, you might occasionally notice a very slight softness or shimmer on certain textures compared to the pixel-perfect presentation on the RG506. It is, for all intents and purposes, a non-issue for 99% of people, but for the purist, it’s a technical imperfection.

Where the Retroid screen claws back a major advantage is in its versatility. The higher resolution allows for much higher internal rendering scales. You can run PSP games at 3x, 4x, or even 5x their native resolution on the RP4 Pro, and the screen has the pixels to display that extra detail. This can make 3D models in games like Tekken: Dark Resurrection look significantly sharper and less aliased than on the RG506, which is limited to a 2x upscale. So you have a choice: the perfect, clean, but limited 2x scale on the RG506’s OLED, or a much higher, sharper, but technically imperfect scale on the RP4’s IPS. For PSP alone, my heart says the RG506’s screen is the more beautiful and authentic canvas. The OLED panel is just that good. But the head acknowledges that the RP4’s high-resolution upscaling offers its own compelling visual feast. For those who want the sharpest possible 3D graphics, the RP4 has the edge, even if the panel technology itself is less impressive.

Performance Under the Bonnet: Unisoc T820 vs Dimensity 900/1100

This is where the contest becomes brutally one-sided. The Anbernic RG506 is built around the Unisoc Tiger T820 chipset. This is a perfectly respectable mid-range processor, roughly in the same ballpark as the Snapdragon 855 from a few years ago. For the vast majority of the PSP library, it’s more than enough. You can comfortably run most games at a 2x resolution with a rock-solid 60 frames per second. Titles like Lumines, Patapon, and LocoRoco play flawlessly and look fantastic on the OLED screen. It’s a very satisfying experience. However, the PSP has a handful of notoriously difficult-to-emulate games, the so-called “killer apps” that pushed the original hardware to its absolute limit. I’m talking about Ready at Dawn’s masterpieces: God of War: Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta.

On the RG506’s T820, these games struggle. To get a playable frame rate, you’ll often need to drop the rendering resolution to the native 1x and potentially enable a touch of frameskip during intense combat scenes. It’s playable, absolutely, but it’s a compromise. You’re not getting the silky-smooth, high-resolution experience you might be hoping for. Similarly, racing games like Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition can see performance dips when the screen is full of traffic and effects. The T820 is ‘good enough’, but it has a clear ceiling.

The Retroid Pocket 4 and 4 Pro, on the other hand, smash through that ceiling with force. The base model Retroid Pocket 4 uses a MediaTek Dimensity 900. This chip is a significant step up from the T820, allowing you to run the entire PSP library, including the God of War titles, at a comfortable 3x or even 4x resolution without a single dropped frame. It’s a completely smooth, premium experience from start to finish. But the real star is the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, which packs a Dimensity 1100. This is a powerhouse. It’s so far beyond what PSP emulation requires that it’s almost comical. You can crank up the rendering resolution to 5x, apply demanding post-processing shaders to mimic CRT scanlines or enhance colours, and it will not break a sweat. The performance is, for all intents and purposes, flawless and absolute. There isn’t a single game in the PSP’s catalogue that can trouble the RP4 Pro.

This power differential has huge implications for the overall value of each device. With the RG506, you are buying a machine that is very good at emulating most of the PSP library. With the RP4 Pro, you are buying a machine that has definitively conquered the entire library and has enormous performance reserves left over. This makes the RP4 Pro not just a great PSP device, but a gateway to emulating more demanding systems, a topic we’ll explore later. For pure PSP performance, the RP4 Pro is the undisputed champion. Verdict: 9/10Check price on Amazon UK →

Build Quality and Ergonomics: The Feel in the Hand

A handheld’s performance is irrelevant if it’s uncomfortable to hold for more than twenty minutes. This is an area where both Anbernic and Retroid have honed their craft over many generations of devices, and both the RG506 and RP4 are well-designed machines, though with different philosophies.

The Anbernic RG506 is the larger of the two devices, primarily to accommodate its 5-inch screen. It has a fairly traditional horizontal layout with a D-pad and an analogue stick on the left, and face buttons with another stick on the right. Anbernic has used Hall sensor analogue sticks, which is a fantastic choice as they are immune to the dreaded ‘stick drift’ that plagues consoles like the Nintendo Switch. The D-pad is good, though perhaps a little stiffer than I’d personally like for fighting games, but it’s accurate and reliable. The face buttons have a satisfying, slightly soft press. The most notable ergonomic feature is the sculpted grips on the back of the device. They fill the palms nicely and make the RG506 feel secure and comfortable during long play sessions, which is essential for engrossing RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. The shoulder buttons are inline, which isn’t as comfortable as a stacked layout, but they are large and easy to press. The overall build is a high-quality matte plastic that feels solid and doesn’t creak or flex.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is a more compact and pocketable device. It feels denser and more ‘engineered’ than the RG506. Retroid’s design language is less about overt comfort grips and more about efficient packaging. Despite its smaller size, it feels great in the hands. The analogue sticks are also Hall sensors, putting it on par with the Anbernic. Where it pulls ahead significantly is the shoulder buttons. The RP4 Pro features a stacked layout (L1/R1 and L2/R2 are separate, one above the other), which is infinitely more comfortable and intuitive for games that use all four, especially when playing GameCube or Dreamcast titles. The face buttons are clickier and have less travel than the Anbernic’s, which is a matter of personal preference. The D-pad is excellent, one of Retroid’s best, perfect for platformers and retro classics. Because it’s smaller, those with very large hands might find it a little cramped, but for most, it strikes a near-perfect balance between portability and comfort.

Putting them side-by-side, the choice comes down to priorities. The RG506’s larger size and pronounced grips make it feel like a dedicated home-use handheld; it’s supremely comfortable for long sessions on the sofa. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro feels more like a premium, do-anything portable device. Its stacked shoulders give it a clear ergonomic advantage for a wider range of systems, and its compact form factor makes it a much better travel companion. For PSP gaming alone, the RG506 is arguably slightly more comfortable due to its size, but the RP4 Pro is the better ergonomic design overall.

Software and User Experience: Android Frontiers

Both the RG506 and the RP4 Pro run on versions of Android, but the out-of-the-box experience is night and day. This is an area where Retroid has consistently outclassed Anbernic for years, and the trend continues here. Software polish is a critical, and often overlooked, factor in how enjoyable a device is to use day-to-day.

The Anbernic RG506 ships with a relatively stock version of Android. It does come with a basic game launcher, but it’s clunky and not particularly attractive. For the most part, you are left to your own devices. This means you’ll be navigating a standard Android interface, downloading emulators like PPSSPP from the Google Play Store (which is thankfully included), and configuring everything yourself. You’ll need to point each emulator to your ROMs directory, map your controls, and tweak performance settings. For a seasoned enthusiast, this is second nature and offers maximum flexibility. For a newcomer, it can be an intimidating and frustrating process. Anbernic devices often feel like a collection of parts that you, the user, must assemble into a cohesive gaming machine. The hardware is solid, but the software feels like an afterthought.

Retroid, in stark contrast, treats the software as an integral part of the product. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro comes with an excellent setup wizard that guides you through the initial steps of connecting to Wi-Fi, signing into your Google account, and, crucially, downloading and pre-configuring a suite of recommended emulators. It also includes the excellent Retroid Launcher, a slick, console-like frontend that automatically scans your game library and presents it with box art and descriptions. It makes the device feel less like a souped-up phone and more like a proper, dedicated gaming console. This user-friendly approach significantly lowers the barrier to entry. You can be up and running, playing your favourite games, within minutes of opening the box.

Furthermore, Retroid has a much better track record when it comes to software support. They frequently release Over-The-Air (OTA) updates that fix bugs, improve performance, and add new features. This ongoing support adds tremendous long-term value to the device. Anbernic, historically, is more of a “what you see is what you get” company; firmware updates are rare and often need to be flashed manually. In 2026, this difference is stark. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro offers a polished, professional, and continuously supported software experience that is simply in a different class to the Anbernic RG506. For anyone who values their time and wants a device that “just works,” Retroid is the clear and undeniable winner.

Price vs. Performance: What’s the Real Value in the UK?

Let’s get down to the brass tacks: the money. In the UK market, the Anbernic RG506 typically retails for around £180. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro lands at a slightly higher price point, usually around £220. That £40 difference is the crux of this entire comparison. Is the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro worth the extra investment, or is the RG506 the better value proposition?

For its £180, the Anbernic RG506 offers a unique and compelling package for a specific user. You are paying a premium for that 5-inch OLED screen and its perfect 2x integer scaling for PSP. There is no other device at this price that delivers that specific visual experience. The performance from the Unisoc T820 is, as we’ve established, adequate for the vast majority of PSP games. If your primary, or even sole, reason for buying a handheld is to play PSP games as beautifully as possible, and you can live with some performance compromises on the absolute toughest titles, then the RG506 represents fair value. You are buying a specialist tool that excels at its one designated job.

However, the moment you look beyond PSP, the value proposition of the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro becomes impossible to ignore. For that extra £40, you are not just getting a small performance bump; you are getting a quantum leap. The Dimensity 1100 chip is vastly more powerful than the T820. This doesn’t just mean flawless PSP emulation; it means excellent performance across other demanding systems. It elevates the device from a great PSP/Dreamcast machine into a very capable GameCube and even a competent PlayStation 2 machine. This is a huge deal. Being able to play not just God of War: Ghost of Sparta but also Metroid Prime, F-Zero GX, and Final Fantasy X on a single portable device is a game-changer. Our guide to the best handheld for Saturn emulation under £200 in the UK for 2026 shows just how important this level of power is for notoriously tricky systems.

When you factor in the superior software experience, the ongoing OTA updates, and the more comfortable stacked shoulder buttons, that £40 premium for the RP4 Pro starts to look less like an expense and more like an incredibly shrewd investment. You are buying a much more capable, more polished, and more future-proof device. While the RG506 offers good value as a PSP specialist, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro offers phenomenal value as an all-round emulation powerhouse. For the vast majority of buyers, stretching the budget by that extra £40 will pay dividends for years to come in the form of a vastly expanded playable library and a frustration-free user experience.

Beyond PSP: Which Handheld is the Better All-Rounder?

While the focus of this comparison is PSP, most of us want a device that can handle more than just one system. A £200 handheld needs to be a versatile passport to our gaming past, and this is where the performance gap between the RG506 and RP4 Pro becomes a chasm.

The Anbernic RG506, with its T820 chip, is a very competent machine for everything up to the 32/64-bit era. NES, SNES, Mega Drive, and PlayStation 1 are all flawless. It also handles Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast very well. You’ll be able to play most of the library for both systems with upscaling and good performance. However, when you step up to Sega Saturn, performance can be inconsistent. More demanding titles will require frameskip or other compromises. And when it comes to GameCube and PlayStation 2, the T820 simply runs out of steam. Only the very easiest 2D games and simplest 3D titles are even remotely playable. The 16:9 screen is also a disadvantage for older 4:3 systems, forcing you to play with significant black bars on the sides of the image to maintain the correct aspect ratio.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, powered by the Dimensity 1100, is in a completely different league. It chews through everything the RG506 can do without breaking a sweat. N64, Dreamcast, and Saturn emulation are largely perfect, often allowing for significant resolution scaling. As we’ve detailed in our guide to the best handhelds for Dreamcast emulation under £200, this level of power makes a huge difference. But the real story is its performance with GameCube and PS2. The RP4 Pro can handle a huge portion of the GameCube library, including demanding titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Resident Evil 4. Performance isn’t always perfect on the most demanding games, like the struggle to beat the Omega Pirate in Metroid Prime, which can still cause slowdown, but the fact that it’s playable at all is incredible. For PlayStation 2, it can comfortably play a wide range of lighter titles and 2D games, such as ICO, Okami, and Gradius V.

Beyond raw power, the RP4 Pro also offers superior connectivity, including support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, and crucially, video output via a USB-C to HDMI cable. This allows you to dock the device and play your games on a big-screen TV, effectively turning it into a home console. The Anbernic RG506 lacks this feature. When you consider the entire ecosystem of features and the sheer breadth of the playable library, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro isn’t just a better all-rounder; it’s one of the best all-round emulation handhelds on the market today.

Who Should Buy the Anbernic RG506?

So, who is the ideal customer for the Anbernic RG506 in 2026? This device is not for the person who wants the absolute best performance for their money. It’s not for the tinkerer who wants to push the limits of emulation across GameCube and PS2. This handheld is for the purist. It’s for the gamer who holds the Sony PSP in the highest regard and wants a device dedicated to recreating that specific experience as faithfully as possible.

You should buy the Anbernic RG506 if:

  • Your number one priority is playing PSP games. Other systems are a distant second.
  • You value screen quality and authenticity above all else. The idea of a 5-inch OLED with perfect 2x integer scaling excites you more than a 5x resolution upscale.
  • You want the most vibrant colours and deepest blacks possible, making games like Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth look like a work of art.
  • You mostly play RPGs, strategy games, and 2D titles on the PSP, and aren’t overly concerned with getting a locked 60fps at high resolution in God of War.
  • You prefer a larger, more comfortable handheld for long sessions at home and don’t mind its reduced pocketability.
  • You are confident with setting up Android and emulators yourself and don’t need a polished, hand-holding software experience.

In essence, the RG506 is a specialist’s instrument. It’s a beautifully flawed device that does one thing with more aesthetic grace than its more powerful rival. If you see yourself in the description above, you’ll be absolutely delighted with it. Our Score: 7/10Check price on Amazon UK →

Who Should Buy the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro?

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro appeals to a much broader audience. This is the device for the pragmatist, the value-conscious gamer who wants the most power and versatility for their money. It’s for the person who loved their PSP but also has fond memories of the Dreamcast, GameCube, and PS2, and wants a single device to rule them all.

You should buy the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro if:

  • You want one handheld that can play a massive library of games, from 8-bit classics right up to a significant portion of the GameCube and PS2 catalogues.
  • Maximum performance is your goal. You want to upscale games to high resolutions and enjoy smooth, consistent frame rates, even in the most demanding titles.
  • You value a polished, user-friendly software experience and want a device that’s easy to set up and use straight out of the box.
  • You want features like ongoing software updates, excellent connectivity, and the ability to output video to a TV.
  • You want the best possible performance-per-pound ratio available in the UK handheld market in 2026.
  • While you love PSP, you’re happy with an excellent, high-resolution emulation experience on a great IPS screen, even if it’s not a pixel-perfect OLED.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is, quite simply, the smarter purchase for almost everyone. It offers a fantastic PSP experience whilst also opening the door to thousands of games that are completely out of reach for the Anbernic RG506. That extra £189.99 buys you a different tier of emulation capability. For its price, it is arguably the best value retro handheld on the market today. Our Score: 9/10Check price on Amazon UK →

The Verdict: A Specialist Tool vs a Masterful All-Rounder

After extensive testing, the conclusion is clear. The Anbernic RG506 is a beautiful and highly specialised device that provides the most authentic and visually pleasing PSP experience you can get, thanks to its superb OLED screen and perfect integer scaling. It’s a joy to use for its intended purpose. However, its mid-range processor acts as a leash, holding it back from true greatness and limiting its capabilities beyond the PSP and Dreamcast era. It feels like a product designed for yesterday’s performance expectations.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, by contrast, is a device built for today and tomorrow. It sacrifices the screen-purist’s dream of a native-resolution OLED for something far more valuable: raw, unadulterated power. The performance of the Dimensity 1100 chip is so far ahead of the RG506’s T820 that it’s not even a fair fight. It delivers a flawless PSP experience and then asks, “What’s next?” before proceeding to tackle GameCube and PS2 games that the RG506 could only dream of booting.

When you add in the superior software, the better ergonomics of stacked shoulder buttons, and the future-proofing that comes with OTA updates, the decision becomes a simple matter of logic. The Anbernic RG506 is a device you buy with your heart, for the love of one specific console. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the device you buy with your head. For a modest £40 extra, you are getting a machine that is exponentially more capable, more polished, and ultimately, a much better long-term investment. For 9 out of 10 people reading this in the UK, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the one to buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Anbernic RG506 powerful enough for God of War on PSP?

The Anbernic RG506 can play both God of War: Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, but it requires compromises. To maintain a playable frame rate, especially during intense combat, you will likely need to set the rendering resolution to the native 1x and may need to enable a light frameskip. It’s a playable experience, but you won’t get the smooth, high-resolution performance that a more powerful device like the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro can offer. If these two games are your absolute priority, the RG506 might leave you feeling a little underwhelmed.

Is the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro worth the extra money over the base model?

For most people, yes. The base Retroid Pocket 4 with its Dimensity 900 is a great performer for PSP and Dreamcast, but the Pro’s Dimensity 1100 and extra RAM are what unlock playable performance for a significant portion of the GameCube library and some lighter PS2 titles. The price difference is usually only around £189.99-£50, and for that small increase, you are getting access to entire new console libraries. Unless your budget is incredibly tight, the Pro model offers far better long-term value and is the recommended choice.

Which handheld has better battery life, RG506 or RP4?

Both devices have similar 5000mAh batteries, and in practice, their battery life is very comparable when playing PSP games. You can expect around 4-6 hours of continuous gameplay from both, depending heavily on screen brightness, Wi-Fi usage, and the demands of the game being emulated. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro might drain slightly faster when playing very demanding GameCube or PS2 games, but for a like-for-like PSP comparison, neither has a significant advantage over the other.

Can the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro play PS2 games?

Yes, but with caveats. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is powerful enough to play a decent number of less-demanding PlayStation 2 games. This includes many 2D titles, RPGs like Final Fantasy X, and iconic games like ICO and Shadow of the Colossus (with some tweaks). However, it is not powerful enough to play the entire PS2 library. Highly demanding games like Gran Turismo 4, God of War II, or Metal Gear Solid 3 will not run at a playable speed. Think of it as a bonus feature rather than a primary function.

Is the OLED screen on the RG506 really better than the RP4’s IPS?

For viewing PSP games specifically, the RG506’s OLED screen is arguably superior. The combination of perfect 2x integer scaling for a crisp, artefact-free image and the infinite contrast and vibrant colours of OLED technology makes games look stunning. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro’s IPS screen is very high quality, brighter, and its higher resolution is better for upscaling 3D games, but it can’t match the perfect blacks and “pop” of the OLED panel. For pure visual fidelity on PSP, the RG506 has the edge.

Which is easier to set up for a beginner in the UK?

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is significantly easier to set up for a beginner. It comes with a guided setup process, a pre-installed and polished game launcher (Retroid Launcher), and a system for easily downloading and pre-configuring the best emulators. The Anbernic RG506 requires a much more manual, hands-on approach, treating it like a standard Android device where you have to find, install, and configure everything yourself. If you’re new to the emulation scene, the Retroid provides a much more welcoming and frustration-free experience.

Where is the best place to buy the Anbernic RG506 or Retroid Pocket 4 in the UK?

For UK buyers, the most straightforward and reliable option is typically Amazon UK. Whilst you can sometimes find them slightly cheaper by ordering directly from the manufacturers’ websites in China, this often involves longer shipping times, the risk of import fees and VAT, and more complicated returns processes. Buying from Amazon UK gives you fast delivery, clear pricing with no hidden charges, and the protection of Amazon’s excellent customer service and return policy. For peace of mind, it’s the recommended route. You can check the latest price on Amazon UK here →

What to Read Next

If you found this comparison useful, here are a few articles that will help you get the most out of your new handheld:

✓ Recommended by Lucy Parker

Recommended based on community testing data, benchmark results, and verified UK pricing — we only link products that earn it.

  • Anbernic RG506Best for: PSP purists wanting OLED

    Buy →

  • Retroid Pocket 4 ProBest for: The best all-round performance

    Buy →

  • Retroid Pocket 4Best for: A powerful budget alternative

    Buy →

  • PPSSPP GoldBest for: Essential PSP emulation software

    Buy →

  • SanDisk Extreme 256GB MicroSDBest for: Crucial storage for ROMs

    Buy →

RetroInHand earns a small commission from qualifying Amazon UK purchases at no extra cost to you.

Conclusion

Choosing between the Anbernic RG506 and the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is a classic battle of the heart versus the head. The heart is drawn to the RG506’s gorgeous OLED screen, a perfect canvas for the PSP’s library that feels purpose-built for nostalgia. It’s a device that excels in its narrow, specialised niche. The head, however, does the maths and sees the overwhelming value of the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. For just a little more money, it delivers not only a top-tier PSP experience but also unlocks the worlds of GameCube and PlayStation 2 in a polished, user-friendly package.

For our money, and for the vast majority of UK retro gaming fans in 2026, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the undeniable winner. It represents the pinnacle of what’s possible in this price bracket, offering a level of performance and versatility that makes it the smarter, more capable, and more future-proof choice.

Now that you’ve hopefully settled on which widescreen champion is right for you, the next exciting step is filling it with games and optimising the software. The question is no longer “which handheld to buy?”, but “which version of PPSSPP is best and what are the optimal settings for God of War?” The journey into portable retro perfection never truly ends.

📚 Related: Browse the full HDMI & Display Fix Hub — all UK retro gaming guides in one place.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the editor. See our Editorial Standards.

Ben Rawlinson

Written by

Ben Rawlinson

Founder & Editor of RetroInHand. Research and recommendations are grounded in community testing data, benchmark analysis, and expert sources.