Compare ASUS ROG Ally (280×113×39 mm, 7" 16:9) vs Retroid Pocket Nova (169.9×84.1×15.6 mm, 4.5" 4:3) side-by-side at true 1:1 millimeter scale.
Silhouettes and screens to true relative scale (mm). Inner rectangle represents the physical screen.
ASUS ROG Ally
Panel 16:9 with native resolution 1920x1080.
Retroid Pocket Nova
Panel 4:3 with native resolution 1280x960.
Physical Dimensions & Thickness: The ASUS ROG Ally has a horizontal bar chassis measuring 280 × 113 × 39 mm, while the Retroid Pocket Nova uses a horizontal bar chassis measuring 169.9 × 84.1 × 15.6 mm. In width, the ASUS ROG Ally is 110.1 mm (64.8%) wider than the Retroid Pocket Nova. In height, the ASUS ROG Ally is 28.9 mm (34.4%) taller than the Retroid Pocket Nova. In chassis thickness (depth), the ASUS ROG Ally is 23.4 mm (150%) thicker than the Retroid Pocket Nova (39 mm vs 15.6 mm).
Footprint Area & Weight: Calculating surface footprint (width × height), the ASUS ROG Ally occupies 31,640 mm² (316.4 cm²), compared to 14,289 mm² (142.9 cm²) for the Retroid Pocket Nova—a footprint difference of 17,351 mm² (121.4%). On the scale, the ASUS ROG Ally weighs 608g versus 255g for the Retroid Pocket Nova, representing a 353g (138.4%) weight difference (Retroid Pocket Nova is lighter).
4:3 vs 16:9 Effective Viewable Screen Size: For classic 4:3 retro games (PS1, SNES, N64, Dreamcast), the ASUS ROG Ally's 7" (16:9) panel yields a 5.72" effective diagonal (75% active screen area with vertical pillarbox bars on the sides (native 16:9)), while the Retroid Pocket Nova's 4.5" (4:3) panel yields a 4.5" effective diagonal (100% full screen without black bars (native 4:3)). This gives the ASUS ROG Ally a 1.22" larger active 4:3 diagonal (61.6% more active display area). For 16:9 widescreen content (PSP, Switch, streaming), the ASUS ROG Ally delivers a 7" effective diagonal (100% screen usage) versus 4.13" (75% screen usage) on the Retroid Pocket Nova, making the ASUS ROG Ally larger by 2.87" (+187.2% active 16:9 area).
| Specification | ASUS ROG Ally | Retroid Pocket Nova | Difference / Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 280 × 113 × 39 mm | 169.9 × 84.1 × 15.6 mm | Retroid Pocket Nova is 81.9% smaller by volume |
| Width | 280 mm | 169.9 mm | 110.1 mm (64.8% vs Pocket Nova) |
| Height | 113 mm | 84.1 mm | 28.9 mm (34.4% vs Pocket Nova) |
| Thickness (Depth) | 39 mm | 15.6 mm | 23.4 mm (150% vs Pocket Nova) |
| Footprint Area (W × H) | 31,640 mm² (316.4 cm²) | 14,289 mm² (142.9 cm²) | 17,351 mm² (121.4% diff) |
| Chassis Volume | 1234 cm³ | 222.9 cm³ | 1011.1 cm³ (453.6% diff) |
| Weight | 608 g | 255 g | 353 g (138.4% diff) |
| Form Factor | Horizontal Bar | Horizontal Bar | Both Horizontal Bar |
| Native Screen Diagonal | 7" | 4.5" | 2.5" (55.6% larger on ROG Ally) |
| Native Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 4:3 | 16:9 vs 4:3 |
| Display Technology | IPS | AMOLED | IPS vs AMOLED |
| Native Resolution & Density | 1920x1080 (315 PPI) | 1280x960 (356 PPI) | 41 PPI sharper on Pocket Nova |
| Effective 4:3 Screen Size (PS1, SNES, N64) | 5.72" (75% area, pillarbox) | 4.5" (100% native, no bars) | +1.22" (+61.6% area) on ROG Ally |
| Effective 16:9 Screen Size (PSP, Streaming) | 7" (100% native, no bars) | 4.13" (75% area, letterbox) | +2.87" (+187.2% area) on ROG Ally |
| Effective 3:2 Screen Size (Game Boy Advance) | 6.19" (84% area, pillarbox) | 4.33" (89% area, letterbox) | +1.86" (+104.5% area) on ROG Ally |
| Processor (SoC / CPU) | AMD Ryzen Z1 / AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (QCS8550) | Different architecture |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB LPDDR5 (6400 MT/s) | 8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5X | 16 GB LPDDR5 (6400 MT/s) vs 8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5X |
| Battery Capacity | 5,195 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 195 mAh larger on ROG Ally |
| Operating System | Windows 11 | Android 13 | Windows 11 vs Android 13 |
The ASUS ROG Ally measures 280 × 113 × 39 mm (footprint: 31,640 mm² / 316.4 cm²), whereas the Retroid Pocket Nova measures 169.9 × 84.1 × 15.6 mm (footprint: 14,289 mm² / 142.9 cm²). Compared to the Retroid Pocket Nova, the ASUS ROG Ally is 110.1 mm (64.8%) wider, 28.9 mm (34.4%) taller, 23.4 mm (150%) thicker, and 17,351 mm² (121.4%) larger in footprint area. In weight, the ASUS ROG Ally is 353g (138.4%) heavier (608g vs 255g).
The ASUS ROG Ally delivers a larger active 4:3 image by 1.22" diagonal (61.6% more active display area) than the Retroid Pocket Nova. Specifically, the ASUS ROG Ally has a 7" 16:9 IPS screen (1920x1080) that yields a 5.72" effective 4:3 diagonal (75% active screen area with vertical pillarbox bars on the sides (native 16:9)). The Retroid Pocket Nova has a 4.5" 4:3 AMOLED screen (1280x960) that yields a 4.5" effective 4:3 diagonal (100% full screen without black bars (native 4:3)).
For 16:9 widescreen gaming (PSP, Switch, and game streaming), the ASUS ROG Ally provides a larger viewable image at 7" effective diagonal compared to 4.13" on the Retroid Pocket Nova (+2.87", or 187.2% more active widescreen area). On 16:9 content, the ASUS ROG Ally operates at 100% full screen without black bars (native 16:9), while the Retroid Pocket Nova operates at 75% active screen area with horizontal letterbox bars on top and bottom (native 4:3).
No, the Retroid Pocket Nova is more compact and pocketable than the ASUS ROG Ally, with a smaller overall chassis volume (222.9 cm³ vs 1234 cm³). The ASUS ROG Ally uses a horizontal bar form factor (280 mm wide × 39 mm thick, 608g), whereas the Retroid Pocket Nova uses a horizontal bar form factor (169.9 mm wide × 15.6 mm thick, 255g). Overall, the Retroid Pocket Nova is easier to carry in a pocket due to its slimmer 15.6 mm profile and smaller physical footprint.
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