We have some bad news for people hoping to pick up the Retroid Pocket 6.
Yesterday, Retroid announced on social media that significant changes are on the way to the handheld's pricing and availability, citing "ongoing shortages and sharply rising costs for both RAM and storage." This includes a price rise for the 8GB model of the device, which will now cost $15 more starting from today (bringing the total to $244), and the discontinuation of its 12GB configuration.
According to Retroid, the decision to discontinue the 12GB model is due to memory prices reaching a level that the company is "unfortunately unable to absorb", meaning it can no longer sell the 12GB version at a "reasonable price." Fortunately, it appears this won't impact those who have already placed an order, though, with all pre-existing 12GB orders remaining unaffected by these changes, per the statement Retroid released.
Here's Retroid's written statement in full:
"We want to share an important update regarding the RP6 lineup.
Due to significant changes in the global memory market - including ongoing shortages and sharply rising costs for both RAM and storage - we will be adjusting pricing on the RP6 8GB model. Beginning Monday, March 2nd 2026, the price of the 8GB version will increase by $15.
At the same time, the RP6 12GB model will have to be discontinued. The recent surge in memory pricing has reached a level that we are unfortunately unable to absorb. Under the new supplier costs, we cannot continue offering the 12GB configuration at a reasonable price.
All existing 12 GB orders that have not yet shipped will remain unaffected. We will of course honor the original pricing, and we will fulfill every order that has already been placed.
This is not a decision we take lightly. We have worked hard to shield our community from market volatility for as long as possible, but the current conditions leave us no alternative. We remain committed to delivering the best possible products, at the lowest costs possible.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
- Team Retroid"
Notably, as you may recall, this isn't the first time RAM shortages have altered Retroid's plans for the Retroid Pocket 6.
Back in December 2025, Retroid announced it had ended its usual pre-order pricing period early for the handheld due to RAM shortages. Shortages, which sites like PC Gamer, attribute to factors such as the "unprecedented scale of investment in AI" and AI servers requiring "an astronomical amount of storage and memory."
This prompted us to speculate that AI's insatiable demand for RAM could "play havoc with the emulation handheld industry in 2026", leading "any emulation handheld you purchase [...] to be held back by low RAM or increased pricing."