Anbernic RG35XXH Retro Gaming Handheld

22nd July 2024 - By David Law (@myretrogamehub) 

Reading Time: 4 minutes 

Anbernic RG35XX H: A Gamer's Best Companion 

I'm excited to share my experiences with the Anbernic RG35XX-H, a handheld emulator that I absolutely love. From reading and watching several reviews on Google and YouTube, I finally pulled the trigger and got one. After spending the last two weeks playing around with it, I'm totally hooked!

Whether I’m stuck waiting outside my kids’ piano lessons, swimming practice, basketball training, or tuition sessions, this little device is always by my side for some quick gaming. It’s a blast playing retro games all the way up to the PSP, Nintendo DS, Dreamcast, and PlayStation 1.

This little device has made waiting around something I actually look forward to.

Design & Screen

The RG35XX-H stands out with its landscape orientation, a significant change from its predecessors, the RG35XX and RG35XX-Plus. This Switch Lite-style design offers a much more comfortable grip than the traditional GameBoy layout. The shoulder buttons are conveniently placed for easy access, and the dual analogue sticks significantly enhance the gaming experience, especially for Dreamcast games.

The RG35XX-H features a 3.5-inch, 640x480-pixel IPS screen, providing a clear and vibrant display perfect for gaming on the go. It also comes equipped with two MicroSD card slots, two USB-C ports, a Mini-HDMI port, and a 3.5MM headphone socket, making it incredibly versatile and user-friendly.

One of the main reasons I decided to go with this device was its function to be able to connect to the TV with its Mini-HDMI. I hooked it up to my trusty 2010 LG LED 55" TV, and it worked perfectly with no lag or frame rate issues that I noticed. This functionality, combined with the Bluetooth controller, allows me to play games on the TV just like I would with a Nintendo Switch. Not all Anbernic models have this feature, but the RG35XX-H does, and it was a major selling point for me.

Performance & Gameplay

Powered by an H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53, the RG35XX-H handles emulation impressively. It smoothly runs PlayStation games and earlier systems, with Dreamcast and PSP games also quite playable. The device supports 'TATE' mode for arcade games, adding even more variety to your gaming options.

The 3300mAh battery offers around eight hours of playtime, though actual usage might vary depending on factors like screen brightness and volume. While the pre-installed software is simple, the community often enhances it with unofficial software upgrades for an even better experience. If you're into upgrading, this can improve performance, but I've found the stock software perfect for my needs.

Regarding gameplay, with the NES, we get a 2x upscale, as expected, everything runs flawlessly. While this may not be the most powerful handheld out there, it's capable of handling NES and less demanding systems, so let's move on to something more challenging.

For the SNES and Mega Drive, the 2x upscale looks fantastic on this display, and performance was flawless across all the games I tested, including demanding titles like Donkey Kong Country. Moving on to more hardware-intensive systems, let's start with the PS1.

This is where the L2 and R2 buttons come into play, which might feel awkward due to their inline placement, but since most games don't rely heavily on them, it's not a big issue. The performance is surprisingly impressive, with a perfect 2x integer scale that fills the screen due to the PS1's native resolution. Thanks to the dual analog sticks, this device stands out as the best RG35XX option for PS1 games, offering improved control and gameplay for certain titles.

The N64's analog stick makes the RG35XX H's form factor ideal for playing N64, PS1, and Dreamcast games. However, some demanding N64 titles may struggle, so playing them at native resolution could boost performance. If these systems are your focus, this is the model to choose.

The Dreamcast pushes this device to its limits, but the screen's native resolution offers a perfect integer scale that looks fantastic. While occasional performance issues exist, they're less frequent than expected. I enjoyed playing Crazy Taxi, with only occasional framerate slowdowns that didn't significantly impact the fun. N64 and Dreamcast games are highly playable, while PS1 and earlier systems run flawlessly.

The Nintendo DS runs surprisingly well but sticks to games that mainly use a single screen and minimal touch controls. The screen is too small for both displays and lacks touch functionality. Titles like Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart play great on this device.

The PSP is a mixed bag on this device. Its 16:9 aspect ratio forces you to either letterbox games or zoom in, compromising image quality. Additionally, it struggles with more demanding titles like GTA: Liberty City Stories and MediEvil: Resurrection, making it less ideal for PSP gaming.

On the other hand, the Game Boy Advance shines on this device, with a 2.7x upscale that, while not an integer scale, still looks fantastic. The slight black bars are barely noticeable, and the form factor feels like an original GBA, making it a natural fit for this device.

Recently, Anbernic released a new firmware v1.1.4 update for this device on their website. 

Since I'm not tech-savvy, I'm not great with these updates. 

Conclusion

The Anbernic RG35XX-H is a superb handheld emulator and a significant upgrade if you still use older models. I highly recommend it for its excellent design and performance. As someone who enjoys gaming during spare moments, I believe this device is a must-have for any retro gaming enthusiast.

You can check out the Anbernic RG35XX-H and other cool products in our online shop. I only share items I personally use and enjoy, and this handheld is definitely one of them. It’s available in three colours and comes with two SD cards, a 64GB and 128GB (Total 192GB) loaded with over 10,000 games. 

Give it a try, and let it become your go-to gaming companion!

You'll find an exclusive discount offer for the handheld inside the "Blast From The Past" guide below. 

If you're outside of Australia, check out this link—special discounts and offers on the Anbernic are available on AliExpress, potentially saving you on shipping costs compared to shopping on my site.

You can check out my other Retro Gaming product here in My Retro Shop.

Stay Retro!

David - My Retro Game Hub

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