Anyone who has either of these? I could use some advice. I’ve never owned anything like this before mostly wanting to play psp and the occasional ps2 rpg or gc zelda if I can I honestly don’t know the capabilities of what I can and can’t play
I have a 3 upgraded to a 3+, but I think if I were buying a retroid for the first time and didn’t know any better, I would have found myself leaning towards the flip. This is because I adored my clamshell Nintendo handhelds back in the day, and I baby my devices enough to convince myself I might be able to avoid hinge issues. I would be really torn over the sliders, though. Truth is that you can’t really go wrong with either. I’ll list out the Pros and Cons for each that I know of. Maybe it can help you decide…
Flip
Positives
- Clamshell means safer and smaller in your pocket. (No need for a screen protector or case)
- Black bars on 3:4 content is less intrusive because the screen is separate.
- The dual analog sliders have room to be inset enough to be more comfortable.
- The analog triggers are good for gamecube and streamed games.
- The design makes the system feel more like a dedicated gaming device than a modified phone with buttons.
Negatives
- You have to be vigilant about not stressing the hinge.
- The hinge doesn’t bend as far as the DS or GBA SP did.
- The analogs are sliders, and I heard they don’t click unless centered.
- (my personal opinion, but) the M1, M2 buttons are kind of weird.
3+
Positives
- It’s got that PSP feel.
- The analog sticks are pretty good.
- If you get the grips for it, it’s actually pretty comfortable.
- You can take it apart and modify it pretty easily. (Not sure if the same applies to the flip.)
Negatives
- No analog triggers.
- Dual analog games can get uncomfortable pretty quickly without grips.
- You might want to get a screen protector and a sleeve/case.
- The start/select/sound rocker buttons are all pretty weirdly placed (though you can get used to it).