For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, there is something of a retro renaissance currently underway in the gaming community. Retro games have always enjoyed a degree of popularity, inspiring modern classics like Shovel Knight and Undertale, but now, portable hardware purpose-built to play classic games is proliferating like never before. And Anbernic is leading this new wave of retro handhelds.
Anbernic has been making affordable handhelds since before 2020 and its RG35XX series is one of the most common entry points for old-school gamers and the retro-curious. The RG35XX first hit the market in December 2022. Since then, Anbernic has even released more remixes, like the 35XX H, 35XXSP, and the 35XX Plus. The RG35XX (2024) is the same system as the 2022 model, with the addition of the Allwinner H700 chip its siblings use. Given that it’s just $10 less than its in-house competition, is the 35XX (2024) worth buying today? Let’s dig in and find out.
Anbernic RG35XX (2024)
The RG35XX (2024) is Anbernic’s classic RG35XX updated with a 64-bit processor. It can now handle more advanced 32-bit systems, but otherwise, it’s the same hardware.
- Lightweight and portable
- Powerful enough to play most ?32-bit games
- Robust, easy-to-use stock OS
- No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- No analog sticks
- Steep learning curve if you want to customize it
Price, availability, and specs
The Anbernic RG35XX (2024) is listed for $50 on Anbernic’s site, but you can pick it up for $46 on AliExpress with free shipping. If you’re a financial masochist without any patience, you can grab one on Amazon for around $70, as well.
The primary selling point of the 35XX (2024) is its 1.5GHz, quad-core, Allwinner H700 chip. It has a 3.5-inch screen, a 2,600mAh battery, a USB-C port for charging and a joystick, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a mono speaker, two SD card slots, and a mini HDMI video-out port. Notably absent are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities.
What’s good about the RG35XX (2024)?
What’s not to love about retro gaming?
The best thing about the latest 35XX is just how many generations of video games it can emulate. The previous iteration of the 35XX was incapable of playing Dreamcast games with any fidelity, but from a performance standpoint, the (2024) version has no problems. Likewise, it plays PlayStation 1, PSP, and DS without problems. Emulators and games for all of these consoles are pre-installed on a 64GB SD card included with the device.
The RG35XX (2024) also feels really well-made for a device that’s just $40. It’s not perfect (more on that in a bit), but it doesn’t feel cheap. The buttons have decent tactility and, mostly, don’t feel mushy. The screen is bright, the sound is good (at least on the headphone jack), and the whole construction feels solidly built.
On the software side of things, Anbernic offers a decent stock OS. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that some of the custom firmwares have, but for an in-house OS that works out of the box (with emulators that match the best emulators on Android), I don’t have any complaints. The firmware scene for the H700 devices isn’t as developed as that for the original RG35XX, but with a little bit of technical know-how, there are at least three fully-featured OS options for you to choose from.
What’s bad about the RG35XX (2024)?
Cutting too many corners
Let me just reiterate that the RG35XX (2024) is a decent handheld, but it’s a device that doesn’t know what it wants to be. Take the H700 CPU, for example. It’s powerful enough to play PS1 and Dreamcast, but the 35XX doesn’t have analog controls, meaning there’s a big chunk of the 32-bit library that’s literally unplayable (unless you plug in a nice controller). And whereas the original RG35XX was the first in the series, every variation released since has had Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, something that this “upgrade” lacks and is sorely missing in a device released today. The lack of Wi-Fi–enabled retro achievements is something I particularly miss.
I mentioned that the RG35XX (2024) doesn’t feel cheap, but there are a few caveats to that opinion that need mentioning. The first is the shoulder trigger rattle. Gently shaking the device causes the R and L buttons to rattle around. The diagonal directional input is also finicky, making it a pain in the butt to aim in some run-and-gun shooters. Lastly, there’s a weird gap behind the screen where light from the backlight bleeds out. On their own, these issues are hardly worth mentioning, but they add up to an experience that may leave some with buyer’s remorse. In fact, you might be better off with something like the Ayaneo Pocket S.
I’m also frustrated by the lack of proper documentation. The RG35XX (2024) does include a tiny instruction booklet printed in Mandarin and English, but it’s riddled with errors and only covers the most basic functionality. If you want to know how to use your new handheld, you’ll have to get online and search third-party websites. That makes sense if you’re installing a custom firmware, but it should be easier to learn the ins and outs of the stock operating system.
Even though I like the stock OS experience, there are some quirks. The 35XX (2024) can either use Anbernic’s emulators or RetroArch. For the most part, I didn’t see a difference between the two, but I did find a few frustrating quirks. When using the stock emulator, I got an error message whenever I tried to save a game state. I didn’t have this problem with RetroArch, but loading a save state for an arcade game would cause the game to be unplayable. The stock emulator also wouldn’t save my arcade high scores, so all my arcade gaming also had to be on RetroArch. Fortunately, RetroArch was the superior experience of the two emulation options.
Should you buy it?
There are better options for the same price
The RG35XX (2024) is a decent device, and I’m having a blast playing games on it, but I wish I had spent $10 more and got the RG35XX H instead. For the extra Hamilton the 35XX H will cost you, you get two analog sticks (play more games), a more ergonomic design (play for longer), and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity (retro achievements and wireless file transfer).
Am I having fun with the RG35XX (2024)? Yes, absolutely, but I also regret not getting something with an analog stick or Wi-Fi. If you’re only interested in ≤16-bit gaming, there are more affordable systems available. And if you want to play games from the 32-bit generation, you’re better off getting something with an analog stick.
Anbernic RG35XX (2024)
The Anbernic RG35XX (2024) is a lot of fun and can play pretty much every sprite-based game ever made. Still, for a similar or slightly higher price, there are a lot of better devices out there. The RG35XX is fun, but you’ll be happier with something else.
