Discover what the internet is saying about Anbernic.
Yay or nay?
Upgraded Reviews scanned the web to find out what real users are saying about Anbernic.
See the highlights below and decide for yourself!
Table of contents
- ✅ Pros
- ❌ Cons
- ⚖️ Summaries
- 💸 Top Discount
✅ Pros
“It has good build quality.”
“It has an amazing battery life.”
“It also packs a hefty 2GB RAM.”
“It runs a few different firmware options.”
“The resolution is 960*480 which is plenty big for the games I’m going to play.”
“It offers great retro performance and customizability.”
“It has exquisite aluminium shell build.”
“It has an easy firmware updating process.”
“A power step up from previous generations of Anbernic handhelds, adding libraries like the N64 and Dreamcast makes for a compelling value upgrade for those that have been loving their 351V but wanted a bit more.”
“It is incredibly easy to set up and use.”
“Build quality is nice.”
“It is a thinner device.”
“It has hall effect-based joysticks.”
“It has solid build quality.”
“On the face of the handheld, you are greeted with two thumb-sticks, which are well placed and allowed my index fingers to sit in such a position that allowed me good control of the console.”
“It has wonderful screen.”
“Compatible custom firmware is available.”
“All in all, it’s a pretty nice setup.”
“Anbernic’s signature build quality is predictably on offer here, with high quality plastics and responsive controls.”
“You’ll be able to use pixel-perfect integer scaling to increase the resolution of even the oldest systems while minimizing the black borders that surround games not designed for high resolutions.”
“It also features LPDDR4 2GB of RAM and Android 32GB high-speed eMMC 5.1 and Linux 16GB TF memory.”
“There’s a larger, higher-resolution screen available, as well as more powerful internals.”
“The buttons are excellent quality, with a very satisfying click when you press down on them.”
“The 3.5” IPS touchscreen display has a resolution of 640 x 480, which looks stunning.”
“It is a great feeling handheld for the price.”
“It has great screen.”
“It’s also beautiful to look at.”
“Expect to get up to 6 hours of battery life from the RG353V, depending on what you’re playing.”
“Hall effect sensor analogue sticks are available.”
“The colours are vivid, the black levels are deep and inky, and the viewing angles are broader than you’ll need for regular solo gaming.”
“It has an excellent build quality.”
“The ANBERNIC RG353M is powered by an RK3566 Quad-Core 64-bit Cortex-A55 CPU.”
“It has excellent build quality.”
“It offers excellent performance for 2D and PlayStation games.”
“You have control over brightness with the top small button in the middle of the front and I find it plenty bright even at 25% for normal gaming.”
“There is ongoing development for the foreseeable future.”
“I was surprised to see USB-C on a $50 device and the cord that comes in the box works well for charging and transferring data.”
“Your older games like Gameboy, NES, PS1 and other will work well on here too.”
“Both have R3/L3 functionality.”
“Kodi, Netplay, and Retroachievements are supportted.”
“It is affordable.”
“The device also supports TF cards up to 512GB (not included) and comes with a preinstalled 256GB TF card with 35000 games.”
“The screen itself is bright, highly sensitive to touch which is good.”
“3500mah battery can last around about 4 – 5 hours on a single charge depending on what consoles that you are emulating.”
“Faster processor brings improved performance across emulators.”
“It has comprehensive and well thought out controls (for the most part).”
“It runs on Android 12.”
“A dual-boot system and plenty of built-in tools to make this a very flexible and customizable experience for numerous tastes.”
“It costs a fraction of the Analogue Pocket, with the Pocket coming in at an intimidating $199 and the RG 300 squeaking in at $50.”
“It is an ideal screen for Game Boy Advance games.”
“It feels solidly built too.”
“Google Play Store is available.”
“It has a comfortable design.”
“It has a compact design.”
“In terms of connectivity, the RG353M features 2.4/5G WIFI 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.2.”
“When I took it out of the box, I was surprised by how well it fit into the palm of my hand, making it far smaller than the RG353P.”
“The screen is a 3.5” IPS 640 x 480 touch-screen display.”
“It has a punchy screen.”
“Buttons and controls work well.”
“Buttons feel good.”
“It is diminutive enough to carry around with you.”
“It handles a decent range of consoles.”
“There are two flash media slots for additional storage options.”
“The Anbernic RG552 is reasonably priced.”
“It has vivid and colourful IPS panel.”
“The ANBERNIC RG353M supports a wide range of game formats.”
💸 Top Current Discount
❌ Cons
“Performance on newer systems could be better.”
“It needed stacked shoulder buttons.”
“Non-GBA games must be stretched or pillarboxed.”
“Emulators take a little setting up.”
“Mono audio and a questionably placed headphone jack can make the audio experience of the device less than stellar.”
“The four rear buttons are probably my least favourite part of the RG353V. They feel awkwardly placed, and compared to the rest of the handheld, they have a cheaper feel to them.”
“Price is borderline too high for some.”
“There is no built in wifi.”
“No Google Play is installed on the Android OS.”
“There is no HDMI output.”
“It has inconsistent Nintendo 64 emulation.”
“It is still based on the ageing RK3566 processor.”
“It has restrictive 3.5” screen for the emulation of more demanding systems.”
“It is lacking power when compared to other devices of this kind.”
“D-pad and left analogue positions should be swapped.”
“D-pad and ABXY protrude too high from the shell for my taste.”
“The only complains I have about controls are the weird coloring and font choice for the X Y A B buttons.”
“There is no Wi-Fi or HDMI out.”
“Default software isn’t that great.”
“The default UI is terrible.”
“Higher resolution panel would have been nice.”
“Volume levels can behave strangely with Kodi.”
“If you’re buying it for a kid, it may be a little overwhelming and a bit too big.”
“It is expensive.”
“Some ergonomic compromises can limit what types of games will be comfortable to play on this device.”
⚖️ Final Say
Read the summaries of what reviewers think about Anbernic below.
“Overall, a very good performing retro gaming handheld with hall effect sensor analogues, Android 12, Google Play Store and easy firmware updating. Anbernic are finally heading in the right direction again!”
“Overall, the RG353V is a really nice looking handheld, which is also pocket-friendly and offers a fantastic screen and image quality. With perfectly located facial buttons, it is one great handheld for travelers.”
“In conclusion, the ANBERNIC RG353M Handheld Game Console is a great choice for anyone looking for a retro gaming experience on the go. The build quality is also very solid and it is able to run games smoothly. Overall, the ANBERNIC RG353M Handheld Game Console is a great option for anyone looking for a portable retro gaming experience.”
“The Anbernic RG351P is a fun, Linux-based, retro gaming handheld that isn’t quite as powerful its Android-based competition, but it’s much easier to use.”
“Anbernic brings back its premium metal shell with the RG353M along with some welcome improvements, despite still milking that RK3566 processor.”
“It looks like a Gameboy Color, it walks like a Gameboy Color, but it doesn’t quite quack like a Gameboy Color. If you’re looking for a modern spiritual successor of the Gameboy Color, the 353V is a good candidate for the position.”
“The Anberinc RG552 will be a revelation if you’ve never played with a vintage handheld before. It’s a customized time machine for accessing the best titles from four decades of gaming, with a build quality to rival the Nintendo Switch. It takes some tinkering and setup prowess to get it operating properly, so it’s best suited for folks who appreciate both a project and a good time. However, once configured to your preference, it shows itself to be a near-complete doorway to all kinds of gaming experiences, ranging from 8-bit oldies to current streaming delights.”
“With a premium build quality, a gorgeous screen and dual-booting OS, the Anbernic RG552 is an excellent option for those looking for a dedicated handheld device to enjoy gaming generations of old – and some lighter Android fare. However, more powerful alternatives wait just over the horizon.”
“I recommend the RG353P for those that have a RK3326 handheld and want a little power bump with a cool new shell. Should you buy this primarily for the touchscreen? No, absolutely not I barely use it even if it is a niche feature. They’ve also designed the product well too, packaging up good build quality, with great comfortability, average battery life and new processor that can handle N64 and most Dreamcast games.”
“It has become my most used device and one that I’ve really started to look forward to enjoying on the train or bus. It is so good, I’m not sure I’m going to buy an Analogue Pocket anymore, which is surprising to me considering my level of enthusiasm. Strongly recommend picking one up, especially at the $50 price point.”
“If retro gaming is your thing, the Anbernic RG351V a really good device for the price you pay. But also keep in mind that this is a handheld only device. There’s no HDMI out, so playing on a big screen isn’t a possibility unless someone can get that USB-C to output to a TV somehow.”
“In my opinion the RG350 represents the best that we currently have coming out of China. It’s a solid effort all round with only a few drawbacks, of which some are personal preference. The design and execution is outstanding and it’s obvious that a lot of thought and attention to detail has been given to this device during research and development.”
“All and all, this is fantastic little device and certainly one of my favorite new toys to have in the office for when I feel like revisiting an old classic but don’t want to track down my other handhelds. I’m anxious to see if we can get more of these retro devices to play with and provide you guys with more coverage of these types of devices in the coming months.”
“The Anbernic RG503 manages to pull off some impressive feats for a budget handheld. It’s packed with enough extra features to compensate for the lack of Android and is rocking a beautiful Samsung OLED screen with decent battery life. The only slight problems you could have would be the poor PSP performance and the lack of an ability to connect through USB for internal file tomfoolery, but neither of these are deal breakers.”
“Like so many of Anbernic’s entry-level offerings, the RG35XX is best viewed as a solid starting point for either a casual player or someone who is younger and is merely looking for a simple means of playing some classic games. Seasoned emulation experts might find it useful as a travel companion but are almost certainly going to be better off spending a bit more cash and going for a handheld with a higher spec – the RG353P, perhaps. Having said that, the RG35XX’s form factor is a real selling point, so if you’re looking for a second ‘daily driver’ emulation device, you could do a lot worse.”