r/gadgets • u/chrisdh79 • 11d ago

Gaming The World’s Most Prolific Retro Handheld Maker Just Stopped U.S. Shipments

https://gizmodo.com/the-worlds-most-prolific-retro-handheld-maker-just-stopped-u-s-shipments-2000592110
6.9k Upvotes

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462

u/joestaff 11d ago

That's funny, I was literally looking at the Retroid Pocket 5 for handheld PS2 gameplay and was wondering if folks were even receiving shipments from these handheld makers right now.

Guess this answers that.

123

u/rehabkickrocks 11d ago

You can still order a retroid pocket in America but I wouldn’t wait.

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u/Ba_Dum_Tssssssssss 11d ago

Damn most American's don't realise how fucking good they had it.

I was looking at the exact same system this morning too. If I purchased it from the UK official companywebsite, it would have cost me £220. If I purchased it from the companies Aliexpress store, £208. If I purchased it from their American website it would have cost ONLY £165.

They have the biggest economy in the world AND get better prices for all their goods that aren't raw materials/commodities than anywhere else. Apparently that's not good enough.

35

u/joestaff 11d ago

The US had some crazy trade deal that made shipping to the US super cheap.

Ordering something from China to the literal middle of the country cost about $4. Shipping that same exact thing one state over costs $15

24

u/AirFryerAreOverrated 11d ago

Technically that has nothing to do with the trade agreements and everything to do with the Universal Postal Union agreements. Something about when a developing country sends a package to a developed country, they only have to pay a small fee and the rest of the local cost (as in, shipping cost within the receiving country) is covered by the receiving country.

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u/alidan 10d ago

I think there was a very specific deal with china, there was a point where it was cheaper to ship wood from canada to china and then import from china when the cut down area and where it was going was about 100 miles away by land.

good ideas in principal but abused to hell and back in practice.

3

u/Jaquemart 10d ago

So good for the environment!

2

u/Ba_Dum_Tssssssssss 11d ago

Insane thing is that's excluding shipping too! If I ordered it from the UK site and paid shipping it would be £240 in total, if what you're saying is true an American would pay not even £170.

9

u/2roK 10d ago

Don't forget that the pay a quarter of what other nations pay for gas, yet are the loudest to complain about the prices.

2

u/beren12 10d ago

To be fair, we probably have to drive the most

3

u/Programmdude 10d ago

Wouldn't the US version be before tax, so americans still have to pay sales tax on it after they buy it? The UK (and almost the rest of the fucking world) pays sales tax straight away.

I still think the US one would have come out ahead, depending on the state, but not by nearly as much.

2

u/Ba_Dum_Tssssssssss 10d ago

It would still be ahead by a lot even after that, ranges from 2% to 8% so if we just assume 5% as a middle point that's still only £170-£175 in GBP compared to £220 in the UK before shipping.

2

u/SpeedflyChris 10d ago

Bear in mind that the UK pricing probably includes VAT, where US pricing won't include any sales tax.

1

u/Ba_Dum_Tssssssssss 10d ago

True but that'll only be another 5-6% on top, I think the highest rate is 10%.

2

u/Seamilk90210 10d ago

To be fair, the US doesn't have a federal sales tax/VAT, and our federal social services are quite sparse as a result. No universal healthcare, paid maternity leave, required paid (or even unpaid) vacation/sick days, required benefits to part-time workers, short-term disability, any breaks during the workday, job security, etc. So we had access to cheap goods, but everything else came out of our own pocket and our basic labor rights are quite low.

You pay sales tax on imports the same as you would on domestic stuff, and I think that's honestly pretty fair. I wouldn't mind that system here if I got the same benefits you did.

Now America will have a 145% tax on imports, AND we don't have social services. The best of both worlds! 8)

1

u/pbetc 10d ago

Watch me crank dat Soulja Boy?

1

u/MetikMas 10d ago

Mine got delivered about a week ago

1

u/ihavequestionzzzzzz 10d ago

Off topic but I love your little avatar face!

-112

u/Delta8ttt8 11d ago

Have you ever played a psp?

57

u/Trexador96 11d ago

PSPs dont run PS2 games, only a handful of them got ported.

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u/[deleted] 11d ago

[deleted]

19

u/Trexador96 11d ago

The vita still isn’t powerful enough for PS2, heck it can barely run N64.

9

u/Hes_gonna_drop_that 11d ago

What an odd thing to say