Retroid will raise the base memory specification of its handheld Android game devices Pocket 5 and Flip 2 and increase prices. It will upgrade memory for existing buyers at no extra cost, while raising the price by $10 for new buyers.

IT outlet Engadget reported on July 9 that Retroid said it will upgrade orders for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage models that have not yet shipped to 12GB RAM models at no additional cost.

Pricing for new buyers will also change. Current prices will remain in place until July 14. After that, Pocket 5 will start at $209 and Flip 2 at $219.

The core of the change is not a simple price increase but a reshuffle of the base product configuration. The existing entry-level 8GB RAM specification will effectively disappear, with 12GB RAM becoming the new baseline. Existing pre-order buyers will receive the higher specification without a price increase, but new buyers will have to pay more.

Pocket 5 and Flip 2 are not Retroid's newest products. The company is preparing its next model, Pocket Nova, but the two devices are still seen as representative models that support classic console emulation such as GameCube and PlayStation 2 using the Snapdragon 865. With RAM increasing from 8GB to 12GB, more headroom for multitasking and running emulators is expected.

The industry, however, sees the move as a strategy to effectively phase out the low-priced model. By adding 4GB of RAM while raising the price by $10, it has the effect of eliminating the lowest-priced option.

Retroid has not officially explained the reason for the price adjustment. The industry has raised the possibility that the impact of rising DRAM prices has been reflected as demand for memory has surged with the spread of AI. Microsoft, Apple and Framework have also adjusted product prices or changed specification configurations amid recent memory price increases.

The analysis is that Retroid, like Samsung Electronics or Apple, is not a manufacturer with large-scale parts purchasing power, and could therefore be relatively more affected by fluctuations in memory prices. With limited bargaining power with suppliers, raising the base specification and adjusting prices together is also being interpreted as a realistic response.

The change has also altered consumers' choices. To buy at the existing price, orders must be placed before July 14. After that, buyers will have to choose the 12GB RAM base model at the increased price.

The industry assessed the move as an example showing that rising component prices are directly affecting product configurations and pricing policies in the handheld game device market as well. Retroid aims to minimise consumer backlash by offering free upgrades to existing buyers, while securing profitability going forward with a product strategy that makes higher memory configurations the standard.