Retroid, a maker of Android-based emulation handhelds, is upgrading the entry-level versions of its Retroid Pocket 5 and Flip 2 devices from 8GB to 12GB of RAM, while simultaneously raising their prices by $10 after 14 July. Anyone with an unfulfilled order for the 8GB/128GB models will receive the RAM upgrade at no extra cost, but new buyers face the higher price once the deadline passes. The move matters because it effectively removes Retroid's cheapest configurations, reflecting wider industry pressure as soaring memory costs ripple through consumer technology.

After 14 July, the Pocket 5 and Flip 2 will start at $209 and $219 respectively, meaning the extra 4GB of RAM comes bundled with a mandatory price rise rather than as a free perk. Both devices run on the Snapdragon 865 chip, capable of emulating consoles as recent as the GameCube and PlayStation 2, though they sit below Retroid's forthcoming Pocket Nova. Retroid has not stated its reasons, but the article links the change to surging RAM prices driven by AI companies' demand for memory, which has already pushed firms such as Microsoft, Apple and Framework to raise prices or cut low-cost tiers.