RetroArch on Retroid Pocket Duo: setup and compatibility
Frontend for libretro emulator cores and game engines, available on Android and many other platforms.
- Systems
- Multiple systems
- Newest checked release
- v1.22.2Nov 20, 2025
- Two-screen support
- Not confirmed
- Duo support
- Not confirmed yetAndroid builds are available.
On this page
Recent reports
Individual reports; versions and hardware may differ.
A Retro Game Corps review slide lists Duo battery life at 50% brightness and volume: Shadow of the Colossus in NetherSX2 Classic at 2x, 3 hours 2 minutes; Pokemon Ultra Sun in Azahar at 3x, 3 hours 42 minutes; TimeSplitters 2 plus YouTube in Dolphin at 2x, 5 hours 33 minutes; Phantom Hourglass in WatermelonDS at 4x, 6 hours 40 minutes; Golden Sun in RetroArch with Simpletex and run ahead, 16 hours 40 minutes. An owner says the 3DS test used fast forward and estimates 4 to 5 hours in normal play.
From Duo reviews
Reported settings and results. A tested build may differ from the latest release.
Russ’s Nova CRT preference is GDV Mini Ultra Trinitron, with Y curvature 0 and saturation 1.1.
- preset
- crt/crt-gdv-mini-ultra-trinitron.slangp
- curvature y
- 0.00
- saturation adjustment
- 1.10
- retroarch version
- 1.22.2, visible in selected footage
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- The preset name, curvature and saturation menus appear at 49:20, 50:13 and 50:38.
Russ compares LCD3x with Simpletex LCD and prefers Simpletex’s lighter Nova appearance for Game Boy and Game Boy Color.
- presets
- handheld/lcd3x.slangp,handheld/simpletex_lcd.slangp
- simpletex darken grid
- 0.2, as described
- simpletex darken colours
- 0.25, as described
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- Shader names match the official shader library. The parameter values are as the reviewer gave them.
For GBA, Russ loads NSO GBA Color and appends LCD3x in the Nova starter guide.
- ordered presets
- handheld/color-mod/NSO-gba-color.slangp,handheld/lcd3x.slangp
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- Libretro says directory and game presets are core-specific, so a saved preset will not follow a game to a different core.
For their OpenGL N64 setup, Russ uses GLSL CRT Geom rather than the Slang CRT preset.
- renderer context
- N64 OpenGL setup in this recording
- preset
- GLSL crt-geom
- curvature
- Disabled, as described
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- This does not mean OpenGL renderers cannot use Slang presets: Libretro lists OpenGL Core among the renderers that support Slang.
Russ compares Pixel AA and Sharp Shimmerless for pixel scaling; the video’s warnings about combining shaders may be out of date.
- preset options
- pixel-art-scaling/pixel_aa.slangp,pixel-art-scaling/sharp-shimmerless.slangp
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- The video description later updates the Pixel AA compatibility information. Preset names match the official shader library.
Russ favours GDV Mini Ultra for pixel systems and CRT Royale for 3D; CRT Geom Deluxe is an alternative.
- preset options
- crt/crt-gdv-mini-ultra-trinitron.slangp,crt/crt-royale.slangp,crt/crt-geom-deluxe.slangp
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- Their saturation preference changes between videos.
Show 3 more from reviews
The final Nova GBA example combines GBA Color, Sharp Shimmerless and Simpletex LCD.
- ordered presets
- handheld/color-mod/gba-color.slangp,pixel-art-scaling/sharp-shimmerless.slangp,handheld/simpletex_lcd.slangp
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- The broader GBA chapter starts at 31:11; the final combination is summarized at 59:58.
- The video description now says Pixel AA has gained compatibility with Simpletex.
The video description now says Pixel AA works with the handheld shaders in both Slang and GLSL, including Simpletex.
- reported update
- Update the matching shader pack through RetroArch Online Updater
More detail
- Russ’s picture preferences on a Nova, not tried on a Duo.
- Read on 2026-11-01. This replaces the video’s earlier warning that the two do not work together.
- The shader names match the official libretro/slang-shaders repository. The correction comes from the video’s publisher, with no new test shown.
Black frame insertion in RetroArch flickers too much for WULFF DEN, slightly less so on the top screen.
Version and support notes
Core availability and second-display behaviour vary from core to core.
