Retroid Pocket Nova: pre-order date announced along with a surprise discount for Pocket Mini V1 owners

Retroid has finally launched the Pocket Nova, revealing its full specs and pricing details. However, the announcement didn't include a date for when the device will be available to buy. Retroid has now revealed that info along with a video that shows how the handheld performs.

According to a post on its social media channels, Retroid says pre-order for the Pocket Nova will open today, June 26 at 9 PM EST. It will also be available to pre-order in China on June 27 at 9 AM BJT. While there's no info on when the device will begin to ship, the pre-order page has some good news for some buyers.

First, all those who pre-order the Pocket Nova will get a free tempered glass and ergonomic back shell. In addition, there's a special offer for those who purchased the infamous Retroid Pocket Mini V1. Buyers who fall under this category will be able to save $3 when they purchase the Pocket Nova by adding the coupon code V1SAVE3 at checkout.

However, the caveat is that the Retroid Pocket Mini V1 must be in your order history on Shopify i.e. purchased directly from the GoRetroid website. This means those who bought the Pocket Mini V1 from other stores or third-party retailers will not be able to claim the discount.

The Retroid Pocket Nova starts at $229 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This price is for the Black, 16 Bit, and GC color options. Those who want the translucent colors but with the same 8GB RAM + 128GB configuration will have to pay $234. The price goes up to $269 for the 12GB RAM + 128GB version in Black, 16 Bit, or GC colors, while the translucent colors have a $274 price tag.

Retroid has also uploaded a hands-on video of the Pocket Nova, albeit an engineering prototype. The video shows the handheld running a handful of games such as God of War, The King of Fighters XI, Contra, Ultimate Ninja Storm, Metal Slug, etc.

The video also shows the Pocket Nova works with the Retroid Dual Screen Add-on accessory, which adds a second display above the handheld. The accessory is shown in use with games such as Shovel Knight and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War with the main game running on the secondary display while the Pocket Nova's screen shows important info.