ANBERNIC RG 35 Review: The Overlooked $38 Handheld That's Worth Every Penny

I was a little shocked when ANBERNIC randomly announced this little fella, not only because it was completely shadowdropped with zero teases beforehand but also because of the ridiculously low price of $38. Very rarely does a handheld of this quality release under $50 like this. Yes, there have been cheap ones such as the R36S that is similarly specced and priced, but that feels like it was designed to be placed inside of a cereal box, crammed with bugs, terrible buttons and a lack of customer service.

The ANBERNIC RG 35, however, pairs ANBERNIC's great buttons, a decent display, and a good-quality shell into a price that is less than a visit to the cinema with your kids. It's not perfect, but it's damn good for $38, a price that certainly allows you to overlook some of its limitations and creates a handheld that allows newcomers to the scene for an affordable price while experiencing low-level Linux emulation that's ready to go out of the box.

• Release Date: September 2026
• Pricing: $37.99
• Where To Buy: ANBERNIC.com

ANBERNIC RG 35 Specifications

• Display: 3.5" IPS - 640 × 480
• CPU: Rockchip RK3326, Quad-Core 1.5GHz
• GPU: Mali-G31 MP2
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 32GB
• OS: Linux
• Battery: 3,200mAh
• Dimensions: 128 × 81 × 22mm
• Weight: 191g

Build Quality & Handheld Design

The RG 35 is a pocketable device, close to the size of a typical smartphone, although much thicker because it houses a 3,200MAH battery alongside large shoulder buttons. It comes in three different colours: transparent black, grey, and transparent pink. The grey is my personal favourite because it has some subtle nods to the original GAME BOY, such as the coloured action buttons, a grey bezel around the display and the embossed speaker grill (that isn't actually a speaker grill).

The face of the device is jam-packed; some would say with too much, and it makes it a little overwhelming, and I somewhat agree if it wasn't for the fact I use every button on here bar the second joystick (most of the time). The display takes up 50% of the face, respectfully, leaving enough space for all of the buttons you'll need to pair with this RK3326 chipset.

And in ANBERNIC fashion, the buttons are very good quality. The DPAD is thick, chunky, with a great sense of direction that collaborates with fast-paced games efficiently, and the high-gloss action buttons sit high out of the shell to give it that nostalgic feeling without much noise or clickiness to it, to not annoy your partner in bed at night. Between them, an easy menu button that opens up emulation settings in games, alongside a classic start and select button.

Then below that, your dual-joysticks; admittedly, I only really use one, and so will you because of the processor's limitations and the fact that very little Playstation 1 games use them. I do wonder why they added two joysticks, because this cannot emulate Nintendo GameCube games at all, but maybe it is indeed for those PS1 nerds who are seeking that niche dual-joystick gameplay?

Around the edges you'll find a speaker on the bottom, centred nicely so that your resting fingers don't get in the way; on the right, your on/off switch, an SD-card slot (this one is used for your own ROMs) and a reset button. Up top, a USB-C port for charging, and a headphone jack. Then on the left, your volume buttons and another SD card slot (this one is in use, with your firmware installed on it).

Visually, it's a standard-looking vertical handheld with a 3.5" display. There's nothing fancy about it, no LED lights, no metal, just the standard needs with a textured shell that feels thicker and sturdier in comparison to its cheap competition. This doens't feel like a Kinder Egg; it feels far more durable, which is one of the good points about this. It'll be able to take some wear and tear, that's for sure.

Is A 3.5" Display Enough?

Just about; any smaller and you're moving into squinting territory. 3.5" is a very popular size when it comes to retro handhelds, but it allows for portability in a form factor that is portable; any bigger and it becomes a handheld that requires a satchel or a bag, so actually this screen size is perfect, and from a business perspective is a cheap one to manufacture, allowing ANBERNIC to price this as affordable as possible.

It's not HD, and it doesn't need to be, coming in at 640 x 480, which is the perfect 4:3 ratio and resolution supported by many retro game consoles such as PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast, the very consoles you will explore on here, taking full advantage of every inch of the display, naturally.

What I like most about this IPS panel is the fact that it's very bright, allowing it to be easily visible outside, on a bus or on a train. Though this display might be cheap, it packs a punch, and it transforms this handheld into a beautiful-looking device that feels high quality too thanks to the glass panel and non-reflective display. It has minimal borders, zero light bleed and great colour saturation. I am very impressed with the display.

OS & User Experience

Like any Linux-based handheld, it often doesn't have the most pleasurable user experience. They're not designed that way; they're set up for quick gameplay, and the UI typically feels outdated. The same goes for the RG 35; it's a simple selection of consoles, which, when clicked, opens up a text-based library of ROM files that you can explore while checking out box art or screenshots.

It uses EmulationStation or RetroArch as a frontend that is reliable and offers minimal customisations, but the magic is in its simplicity, making it an easy-to-gift retro handheld that anyone can pick up and play. You can change filters, sort games by name, change gamelist viewing styles, sync your RetroAchievements account, NetPlay, and sort favourites too, but that's about it, all in a text-based list format that feels a little dull.

But that said, that's what I expect on a $38 device. If you read my other reviews of ANBERNIC handhelds in the $100 price range, I mention that they need to do better in regards to their UI because competitors make far more compelling software for their devices at the same price. But because this is so cheap, I can let that slide because this isn't targeting enthusiasts; it's targeting newcomers who just want to play games.

And I also want to mention that this is one of the first times in years that ANBERNIC has pre-loaded my review sample with retro games, which is a big no-no and could get ANBERNIC in trouble, seeing as they're selling this device with intellectual property. I have no idea if customers will get pre-loaded games.

Emulation Performance

When you finally get into your games, that's where the magic happens. You feel the good button quality and decent screen bring your games to life in a way that makes you delighted that you paid less than $40 for this thing. And you know how I write my emulation parts of my reviews; I get straight to the point. This can emulate up to and including PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 games.

Though Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast are its limits, you'll notice a select few Nintendo 64 games and Dreamcast games work okay, but not all of them. The larger games on those platforms will show plenty of slowdown and lowered frame rates, alongside the device getting a little on the warm side if pushed too much.

I had more pleasure exploring my library of PlayStation 1, SEGA Mega Drive and GAME BOY Advance games over everything else. These consoles ran at great frame rates, sounded good on the speaker, were bright, colourful and comfortable to use due to the controls. There's also something nice about exploring hundreds of incredible Pokémon ROM hacks on a console that cost less than a single modern Pokémon game. It's a common theme that you're seeing; somehow, the fact it's so cheap increases the joy I get from this because in the past, many years ago, I would have spent over $100 for something similar, but modern tech and more affordable solutions bring this enjoyment to gamers with a smaller budget. It's joyous, to say the least.

So, if you stay away from the "larger" consoles, you'll likely never come across any hiccups; everything runs smoothly. I know that's a very small ammount of select consoles, but in all honesty, those consoles below Nintendo 64 offer thousands of games to explore if you have the ROMs, and that's the beauty in this device. Reliable, cheap emulation for a handful of great retro consoles. Though the specs can only take you so far, for Nintendo 64 and beyond you'll need to cough up some more dollars.

Battery Life

Because it can only power smaller consoles, it doesn't require a lot of power, which means longer battery life, coming in at anywhere between 5 - 7 hours of gameplay on a single charge, making it a great device to chuck in your bag or pocket for the weekend without the need to charge it.

Overall Opinion

It looks bland. It doesn't have powerful specs. It doesn't have the best display, and it has the user experience of a 90's mobile phone. But that's okay as long as it emulates well, and it does.

The ANBERNIC RG 35 is the best sub $40 retro handheld I have ever reviewed, and only ANBERNIC could have pulled off something like this due to their supply chain, manufacturing experience and large volumes of units being sold. It's the device I will now recommend to friends and family who want their first retro handheld, or ones they want to give to their children for the first time because it will do a good job at doing just that, blandly, and you won't be in pain if and when it breaks years down the line.

ANBERNIC has subtly made a remarkable device here that has flown under the radar because everyone is looking at these new fancy dual-screen devices. If you're on the market for your first handheld emulator, I really advise taking a shot at this one before investing in any of the more expensive Android devices, just to see if you actually like the retro handheld market. It's the perfect beginner handheld.