Retroid Announces Linux Support for Pocket 6, Nova and Duo Handhelds

Mainline Linux support for Retroid Pocket devices is now available with Linux Kernel 7.3. The kernel works with handhelds including the Pocket 6, Pocket Nova, and Pocket Duo.

Retroid is known for making retro handheld consoles. These devices typically run Android as their operating system, and there are good reasons for that.

Android offers extensive customization, delivers strong emulator performance, and lets players run their favorite Android games with graphics settings turned all the way up.

Even so, Linux fans have asked for support on the company’s devices for years, and until now Retroid had given no real sign that it would happen.

Mainline Linux support for Retroid Pocket devices is now available as Linux Kernel 7.3. For now, it works with the following consoles: Retroid Pocket 6 (QCS8550), Retroid Pocket Nova (QCS8550), and Retroid Pocket Duo (Eliza). The following currently works:

Touchscreen and gamepad (RSInput), RGB stick lighting (RP6 / Nova), GPU, and video decoding and encoding.

Audio: speakers, headphones, built-in microphones, headset microphone, and audio over DisplayPort (RP6 / Nova).

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (WCN7850 on RP6 / Nova, WCN7750 on Duo).

USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode support, UFS storage and microSD, and a PWM fan with thermal control.

Installing it will require some technical knowledge. Retroid shared all the download links through GitHub, including the kernel (branch retroidpocket/v7.3), the audio topology (branch retroidpocket/v1.0.5), and the UCM configuration (branch retroidpocket/v1.2.16). Retroid stated that both the topology and the UCM configuration must be installed for audio to work.