Pimax Portal
Pimax · Released May 2023 ·
The Pimax Portal is a 5.5" LCD handheld from Pimax powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2. It launched at around $295.
Pros
- +Powerful enough for high-end emulation
- +High-resolution display
- +Really high screen refresh rate (144Hz)
- +Access to mobile games and apps
- +Can be connected to a larger display
- +Big 4000 mAh battery
- +The touchscreen is useful for navigation and touch/stylus-based games
- +Very smooth navigation thanks to 8 GB of RAM
- +Hall Effect analog sticks are more durable and precise
Cons
- −Black bars when playing older retro systems
- −Older Android version, less compatibility with the Play Store
What can it play?
Emulation performance by platform, based on real-world testing.
Full specifications
Hardware
- Chipset (SoC)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
- CPU
- Kryo 585 Prime, 8 cores, 1.8 GHz - 2.84 GHz
- GPU
- Qualcomm Adreno 650, 900 MHz
- RAM
- 8 GB
- Storage
- 128GB Internal
- Weight
- 0 g
- Dimensions
- 225 x 89 x 14.2 mm
- Cooling
- Active (fan)
Display
- Size
- 5.5″
- Resolution
- 3840 x 2160
- Panel
- LCD
- Refresh rate
- 144 Hz
- Touchscreen
- Yes
Battery & Connectivity
- Battery
- 4000 mAh
- Real-world life
- ~0 hours
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6e
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.1
- Ports
- USB-C, Video out, 3.5mm headphone, microSD
- Expandable storage
- Yes (microSD)
Controls
- Analog sticks
- 2
- D-pad
- Yes
- Face buttons
- Yes
- Analog triggers
- Yes
- Gyroscope
- Yes
- Hall effect sticks
- Yes
Software & custom firmware
Ships with: Android 10
Also plays natively: Android
No third-party custom firmware tracked for this device.
Our verdict
The Pimax Portal is a 5.5" LCD handheld from Pimax powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2. It launched at around $295. It carries 8 GB of RAM and runs Android 10. Highlights include: Powerful enough for high-end emulation; High-resolution display; Really high screen refresh rate (144Hz); Access to mobile games and apps. Trade-offs to note: Black bars when playing older retro systems; Older Android version, less compatibility with the Play Store.