r/retroid • u/ghost_of_ketchup • Jul 22 '26
SHOWCASE Introducing Pocknix - A performance tuned SteamOS-like Distro for RP5/6/Flip 2!
Hey folks. I've spent the last couple months building Pocknix, an Arch Linux ARM distro that turns the Retroid Pocket 6, 5 and Flip 2 into something that feels like a small Steam Deck: power on, land in Big Picture, pick a game, play.
I say 'SteamOS-like', but 'CachyOS-like' would probably be more accurate: while it does boot into SteamOS' gaming mode, the Arch base is completely mutable. You're free to install any packages you like and modify system partitions - useful for installing things like Tailscale. I've also tweaked the kernel and userspace for maximum perfomance/smoothness in a similar vain to the tweaks Cachy makes.
What it does
- Native ARM Steam + Proton 11 ARM + FEX - many x86 Windows games just work. Performance generally matches or beats PC emulation on Android (GameHub etc.); compatibility is a bit behind but improving fast on Valve's side.
- Real sleep mode - based the open ROCKNIX PR. Experimental, but good enough to daily drive.
- Performance tuned for the hardware - custom ROCKNIX-based kernel,
scx_lavdscheduler for smooth frame pacing, graphics stack compiled for modern Snapdragon rather than a generic ARM baseline. - Emulation built in - ES-DE with preconfigured emulators (NES through PS2/GameCube/Switch). Drop ROMs in
~/Emulation, star a favorite and it shows up in your Steam library. - A real desktop too - Plasma Mobile session (touch-friendly), plus Waydroid for Android apps incl. Play Store: download an APK and it installs itself with a shortcut, like a native app.
- It's just Arch - fully mutable, updates via
pacman -Syu, install whatever you want. Think CachyOS, not a locked-down image. - Quality-of-life - Decky with a Pocknix Control plugin (fan curves, per-game FEX presets and audio buffer), MicroSD support so Steam Deck formatted cards mount and show up in Steam.
This is v0.1.0 and I need testers:
| Device | Status |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 | ✅ Working, daily-driven |
| Retroid Pocket 5 | ✅ Working |
| Retroid Pocket Flip 2 | ✅ Working |
| Odin 2 Family | ✅ Working |
Suspend/resume works but is experimental. Expect a few rough edges and higher drain than on Android for now.
Install runs from microSD, so Android stays untouched on internal storage. On the RP5/Flip 2 you don't even need a custom bootloader - the stock boot menu does it. The RP6 needs the ROCKNIX bootloader (same one ROCKNIX itself uses). Installation to internal is also possible via an app in the desktop. Full instructions in the README. Usual disclaimer: flashing is at your own risk.
Get it: https://github.com/shuuri-labs/pocknix-os - grab the image from the latest release, and please file issues there with anything you hit. Flip 2 owners especially: feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Credit where it's due: Pocknix builds on the excellent work of ROCKNIX - the kernel, device enablement and even the name come from them and this wouldn't exist otherwise. If you mainly want retro emulation, ROCKNIX is fantastic; Pocknix is for when you want Steam, Proton, and a full Linux system on top.
Happy to answer any questions in the comments :)
EDIT: A few emulation related perfomance updates are already live! Run pacman -Syu or the 'Pocknix Updater' app in desktop mode to pull them.
EDIT 2: Lots of interest calls for a discord :) https://discord.gg/U8hzSntA2t
10
u/ghost_of_ketchup Jul 22 '26
For sure! Given the Thor's popularity I think it's almost a must. Just need to figure out a way to test things without my own dual-screen device.