We've been reviewing ANBERNIC handhelds for many years now, our first being the RG350 way back in 2020.
The company has evolved drastically over the last few years, making many mistakes along the way, but also crafting some of the best retro handhelds ever made. And because of that, picking one that fits your game style can be challenging.
ANBERNIC have released so many devices that it's hard to keep track, from clamshell consoles, 1:1 displays, and mini handhelds that fit on a keychain. Their strategy is typically quality over quantity, but as I like to say "1 in 10" ends up being superb.
Below are some of our personal favourites that we still use to this day.
This is an all-round great handheld for both newbies and experienced handheld enthusiasts to buy and one that won't break the bank either.
Play everything up to Nintendo 3DS on this device including PSP, GameCube, PS2, Dreamcast, and all the other usual suspects. It's one of Anbernic's most powerful handhelds and is extremely comfortable to use too.
The RG35XX delivers great performance for a handheld of this price and does what a lot of other handhelds from competitors in this price bracket simply cant
RG35XXSP
- Game Boy Advance SP Clamshell Design, super portable
- Beautiful, large, and bright display
- Great Battery Life (around 7.5 hours)
- Emulates up to PSP & Dreamcast
- We experienced some slight screen bleed from time to time
- The front-end user experience is a little frustrating
- Release Date: June 2024
- Price: $62.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RG35XXSP Review
A superb clamshell handheld for $63, the RG35XXSP is a fantastic device that can cope with games up to and including the Dreamcast. What's more, it looks like the GBA SP too and can be chucked in your pocket for gaming on the go. It has a 3.5″ IPS Display (640 x 480) and a 3300mAh battery, along with WiFi and Bluetooth compatibilities, meaning you can hook up a Bluetooth controller and a separate display and use the handheld as your own mini Retro Gaming powerhouse.
Inside the RG35XXSP is an Allwinner H700 1.5Ghz CPU, a Mali-G31 GPU, and 1GB of RAM. I've played Crazy Taxi on this handheld on many train journeys and fired up PSP emulation to play some God of War on it too and they've always played very well. And while you'll need to head into RetroArch's settings to change the D-pad to mirror the PSP's analog stick before playing, most of the things I tried on the RG35XXSP have worked well. Admittedly, PSP is a little hit-and-miss with some of the titles, so bear that in mind before purchasing if that's your sole purpose for buying a handheld emulator.
The OS is a little bland and the Games Room element of the handheld is disappointing, but it handles N64 games like Wave Race and Diddy Kong Racing very well. The screen is a tad small at times, but you get used to it. If you're looking to solely play NES/SNES or Mega Drive games on here, then you'll have no issues whatsoever.
The RG35XXSP has made modded GBA SPs feel a little redundant, especially because you can have every game ever made on this device without having to carry around all of your physical cartridges. Like the GBA SP, it has shoulder buttons, but the L2 and R2 buttons do need a little bit of a Hulk Smash-style push to get them registering on certain games. On the whole, this is an all-round great handheld for both newbies and experienced handheld enthusiasts to buy and one that won't break the bank either.
RG406H
- Plays some popular PS2/GameCube games and can upscale 5th generation content.
- It's comfortable to hold for long periods of time.
- The analog sticks are brilliant considering this isn't a handheld with a high price tag.
- It lacks power compared to other handhelds on the market at the same price.
- Its thicker design makes it harder to just stick in your pocket for portable play.
- If visuals are important to you, then this certainly isn't the best-looking handheld on the planet.
- Release Date: November 2024
- Pricing: $159.99
- Where To Buy: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RG406H Review
Let's get this out of the way first - the RG406H isn't the best-looking handheld in the world, but it has some great specs and can cope well with games up to those made for 6th-generation consoles. If you want to play GameCube or PS2 titles on the go, then you can definitely get them working well albeit without as much upscaling as those games from 5th-generation systems like the N64 and PS1.
Because of the analog stick and 4:3 4" IPS screen, it sort of feels like this could be the perfect handheld for playing all the consoles that were made to work with CRTs with no black lines at the side of the screens to put you off your game. NES, SNES, Game Boy, Mega Drive, and other older retro consoles will also work brilliantly and look great on the 720p screen.
Let's talk specs; the RG406H has a Unisoc T820 CPU, Mali-G57 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. It runs Android 13 and has WiFi and Bluetooth built-in as well as boasting a touch screen and USB-C port for fast charging.
The analogue sticks are responsive and feel great for a console in this price range, and the handheld is comfortable to hold for long periods of time. It is a little thick as I've said previously, so whereas you can chuck the RG35XXSP in your coat and forget it's there, you'll definitely know this brick is in your jeans pocket if you try to sit down.
If anything, it would be great if it had a little more power so that it could cope with some of the more demanding PS2 and GameCube games, but it will be perfect for most gamers looking to revisit their favourite old titles.
RG35XX Plus
- Great power & portability at a price tag that not many competitors can copy
- Emulates all consoles up to Dreamcast flawlessly (excluding PSP)
- The outer shell is sturdy and feels great to hold for such an affordable console
- PSP emulation is hit-and-miss
- UI and front-end are pretty poor
- Release Date: November 2023
- Price: $54.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RG35XX Plus Review
As you can see from the image above, the RG35XX is a really nice size and has an incredible 3.5” IPS Display screen. With its 1.5Ghz H700 Quad-Core ARM Cortext-A52, Dual-Core G31 MP2 CPU, and 1GB RAM, it delivers great performance for a handheld of this price and does what a lot of other handhelds from competitors in this price bracket simply can't.
There are no prizes for guessing that ANBERNIC have taken inspiration from the original Game Boy for this one; the purple buttons are super nostalgic and they've even included the speaker grill from the original DMG on here too. The speakers aren't great which is sadly a by-product of this design choice, but it's by no means a deal breaker.
There's a mini HDMI output for connecting the device up to a TV and Bluetooth to hook up a wireless controller like many of the other consoles in this list - ANBERNIC love the hybrid nature of their consoles.
So what can you play on the RG35XX Plus? Well, it can play all of your favourite Dreamcast games with ease as well as the other 'CRT' friendly home consoles and handhelds up to the Nintendo DS. PSP games do work on here but to be honest, the screen ratio isn't right for them as they use a 16:9 format, so you're not going to get the best experience with them on this handheld. There was also a little bit of laggy gameplay with some of the larger titles.
My main gripe with this handheld is the user interface; getting to the games and playing with settings is tiresome and the interface could have been thought out a lot better. Once you get into the games, however, it works brilliantly.
RGCUBEXX
- Incredibly Comfortable
- Niche 1:1 Display
- Bright Crispy Display
- Reasonably Priced
- Poor UI
- Over-Flexible DPAD
- Release Date: November 2024
- Price: $66.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
The RGCUBE XX is basically a less powerful, more affordable version of the original Cube, and arrived a few months later too. The reason I am putting this above the original, however, is because it provides far more value for your money, starting at $67 compared to the original's mighty $150+ price tag.
This handheld is great for those who want a superb 1:1 display handheld that has great ergonomics, a remarkably bright screen, and some fancy Hall-joysticks. Yeah, I know it's niche... but that's why I dig it.
The lower price sacrifices power, but in all honesty that 1:1 display means most higher-end emulation just isn't enjoyable. I found myself playing most consoles up to Nintendo DS and N64; never did I want Gamecube or PSP emulation on here, and I'm certainly not going to pay more for it.
It's a great all-round 1:1 handheld and one of the best on the market. It's comfortable, lasts most of the day on a single charge, and looks modern. But again, the UI and overall user experience are outdated. If you can get past that, however, then this is a great handheld to snag.
RG NANO
- Sturdy build quality with a sleek metal shell
- Emulate all retro consoles up to and including PS1
- Uses the same OS as the Funkey S
- Stunning IPS display with great pixel density
- Uncomfortable to play for longer than an hour
- Speakers aren't very powerful
- Release Date: June 2023
- Price: $39.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RGNANO Review
The RG NANO is a great talking piece and a fun little handheld, but it's certainly not the most practical way to play retro games unless you're related to ants (or Paul Rudd). Still, I can't deny that it's an impressive handheld with a lovely metal shell, making it durable for throwing in a pocket. ANBERNIC do have a great reputation with metal handhelds, so that's really not surprising.
Realistically, you're only going to get 20 or 30 minutes play time with the NANO before you put it down and put your hands on something warm and soothing to ease all of the aches and pains you'll have. It's the definition of a 'pick up and play' handheld, just one that you won't play for very long.
Still, if you are looking for a tiny handheld, you definitely won't be disappointed with the NANO, especially with the fact that you can play everything up to PS1 with it. Games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot (let's face it, they're two of everyone's most wanted games) run really well, and our NANO had them and many other games pre-installed on it when it arrived.
As I've said in the Pros and Cons section above, the OS is brilliant... and that's because ANBERNIC have ripped it straight from the Funkey S. It's a cheeky move, but at least I'm not writing 'the UI is poor' again. It works really well and because of the built-in clock will allow you to get the full experience from games that require a playable clock like Pokémon Gold & Silver.
RG34XX
- A GBA Clone that plays GBA games better than the original.
- Emulates lots of PS1 and N64 games though some tinkering with settings may be required.
- Very comfortable to hold
- Linux OS makes it a pick up and play console with a great UI
- Slight issues with SNES integer upscaling
- It would be great if it was more powerful, but it emulates the consoles it can very well
- Release Date: December 2024
- Price: $69.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RG34XX Review
Obviously, we need to start off with some comparisons to the GBA because at first glance, they could be the same console bar the extra face buttons. It's the same size as the original GBA but boasts an incredible 3.4" IPS Display (720 x480) which far surpasses the original 2.9" 240 x 160 display.
The biggest difference is that you won't be putting any cartridges in this handheld as it plays ROMS from an SD card like the other consoles in this list. You'll also find L2 and R2 buttons on the back which make 99% of all the PS1's library work on this handheld. PS1 games on a GBA - what a mixture!
Without an analog stick, some games just won't run well at all, however, so there will be a bit of trial and error involved when you're picking ROMs. It won't require any AA batteries either thanks to the USB-C charging port and 3500 mAh battery. Other than that, everything else feels identical right down to the D-pad.
The RG34XX uses a Linux operating system that we actually love - it makes it much easier for people who have never used a handheld emulator before to pick up and start playing by preloading certain settings for certain consoles. If you do want to do some tinkering to add your own settings to games, then make sure to pick 'RA Game' instead of 'Game Rooms' to utilise the settings in the Retro Arch interface.
In terms of other specs, the RG34XX has a 1.5GHz H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU, Dual-core G31 GPU, and LPDDR4 1GB RAM. It's certainly powerful enough to make PS1 games playable and can even get N64 and Dreamcast games going, but you'll need to make some changes in the settings to swap the D-pad inputs to analog stick inputs. Honestly, you won't get that same level of control from a D-pad anyway, so I would stick to older Nintendo and Sega consoles for this one - do you really need any other games if you've got Mario Kart Super Circuit anyway?
RG556
- Incredible OLED Display
- Comfortable to hold for long periods
- Emulate up to GameCube & PS2
- LED Joysticks are a nice touch
- Unfortunately the OS an user experience leave little to be desired
- Takes a while to set up - not something for beginners wanting 'pick up and play'
- Shell gets slippery when your hands get sweaty
- Release Date: February 2024
- Price: $184.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RG556 Review
Putting aside the fact that the handheld comes with a blue-tinted display as a standard setting which can be changed in the settings, the 5.4" AMOLED touchscreen on the RG556 is phenomenal. It's comfortable to hold and also has some nice grips that make long gaming sessions a breeze.
I'm a big fan of the L1 and R1 triggers even though they're a bit noisy (they sound nostalgic to me so I don't have a problem with that at all). They're also big enough for your fingers to sit on comfortably unlike the RG28XX further below. Thank goodness it's got some great features because (surprise surprise) the UI is lousy on this again. I don't know why ANBERNIC can't get this problem sorted without having to rip an OS off the Funkey...
Anyway, let's get onto some stats. Inside the crystal shell, you'll find a Unisoc T820 CPU, Mali-G57 GPU, 8GB RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. There's also a 5,000 mAh battery too giving you tonnes of play time off a single charge.
In terms of emulation, you'll be able to play everything up to Nintendo 3DS on this device including PSP, GameCube, PS2, Dreamcast, and all the other usual suspects. Rob goes into a little more detail about the results he found when upscaling titles in our review above, so make sure to check that out if you're thinking about getting an RG556.
RG405V
- Emulates up to GameCube, PSP, and Dreamcast
- Despite being a large console, it's comfortable to hold
- Up to 8 hours of gameplay on one charge
- The shoulder buttons are annoyingly sensitive
- The fan makes an odd noise like an angry wasp from time to time
- Text can be very small for some games
- Release Date: September 2023
- Price: $129.99
- Available From: firm choice
- Our Review: R6405V Review
Brandon described this handheld as looking a little like a cross between Barney the Dinosaur's big toe and a skateboard. It's definitely an odd-looking handheld, but it's very comfortable to hold and I'm a big fan of the positioning of the analog sticks. Would it have been better with rubber grips on the back? Yes, especially for that price, but I digress.
The R6405V has a 2.0GHz Unisoc T618 Octa-core CPU, Mali-G52 GPU, and 4GB of RAM. It comes with Android 12 pre-installed and has a lot of programs available to tap into from the off. The T618 chipset is a firm choice for emulation and allows you to play GameCube, PS2, Dreamcast, and PSP games with virtually no trouble. As always, not all of your games will run smoothly, but most of our favourites were playable.
Another cool feature is that game streaming is possible on the RG405V. Sometimes game streaming on emulators like this can be a little ropey, but Game Pass works well and allowed us to run some of our AAA titles.
The 4" IPS touchscreen display has a 640 resolution, meaning it's not as crispy as some of the other displays in this list, but games still look great on it. As I wrote in the Pros and Cons section, the text can come up a little on the small side for some games, but my eyesight is still alright right now so I'm not having too much trouble (that might change in 10 or so years!).
The shoulder buttons look great and look like they should be pretty sturdy, but they're incredibly sensitive. The fan also makes a weird noise from time to time that might make you feel like the handheld is eating itself, so prepare yourself for that.
RG28XX
- Works for both horizontal and vertical-orientated games
- An affordable handheld under $40/£40/€40 that emulates up to PS1
- Very portable
- Excellent user interface
- Shoulder buttons are terrible
- Plays PSP games but only a handful work
- It's great, but it's too small to be your main handheld
- Release Date: April 2024
- Price: $39.99
- Available From: ANBERNIC
- Our Review: RG28XX Review
I'm a big fan of the RG28XX because of how portable it is. Yes the shoulder buttons should be thrown into the nearest ocean and it's not big enough to be your main handheld, but for under 40 notes, it's an absolute bargain and something that everyone should have in their backpack or bag for gaming on the go.
Like the the Rg34XX, this handheld uses a Linux operating system and is really easy to just turn on and play. The screen is only 2.83" making it one of the smaller ones on this list and it only has 1GB of RAM, but it plays everything up to PS1 very well. I spent hours playing Crash Team Racing on this thing and the 3100 mAh battery didn't let me down.
This handheld already had an SD Card installed with more games than I could ever possibly complete pre-loaded on it. I would say that it excels with games for older consoles like the SNES and GBA, but you can get Dreamcast titles running on here that do work after a little tinkering with the settings. It does advertise that you can play PSP games, but I would disagree - it's just not set up properly for PSP titles and there are many more handhelds on this list that can do it better.
The handheld itself only measures 15mm deep, and because of the space limitations, it doesn't have the space for amazing speakers. The sound quality is pretty poor, but it's fine when playing with headphones plugged in.
One cool feature is that this handheld works for horizontal games too; just flip it around and use the A & B buttons for firing in horizontal shooters etc. It's a versatile little handheld for such a cheap price that you really can't afford not to give it a go!
RG40XX V
- The 4" screen is perfect for most games
- It has an affordable pricetag
- Both the outer shell and the face buttons feel great
- Flawless emulation up to and including PlayStation 1 and Nintendo DS.
- The front-end experience is lousy
- The Select and Start buttons stick very easily
The analog stick might look a little out of place on the RG440XX, but the rest of the handheld has a nice design with a large screen 4″ IPS 4:3 Display (640 x 480). The colours look brilliant through the glass display and games like Crash Bandicoot look superb. This handheld emulates up to PS1 in consoles and Nintendo DS in handhelds, so if you're looking to get your Spyro or Nintendogs fix, then this could be the handheld for you.
Looking at other stats, the RG40XX V has a 1.5Ghz Mali H700 CPU, Mali G51 GPU, and 1GB of RAM. The battery is a little bigger than the RG28XX coming in at 3200 mAh and it also has a Mini-HDMI Out and a Wifi/Bluetooth capabilities.
The start and select buttons are incredibly sticky as I mentioned in the Pros and Cons section above, but the other face buttons are great. I love the D-pad on this handheld (I'm just ignoring the analog stick) and it works well with most of the games you'll encounter.
The RG40XX V can cope with N64 and Dreamcast games pretty well and they look amazing on that screen, but PSP is a little hit-and-miss due to the console's low power. Still, it is only $66.99, so I guess you can't expect miracles from it. Oh, and while it might look good, it still has the same UI problems that many of the other handhelds in this list have. It might not matter necessarily if you're not into customising your settings, but for seasoned emulator fans, it will be pretty annoying.
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