In this open source handheld space, Anbernic has a reputation of being a very hit or miss company. When they hit, it’s pure magic. But when they blunder, it’s usually very avoidable mistakes. Most of the time it’s not something dealing with hardware. Their two Achilles heels are software and internals. They have very poor software that has to be bailed out by community support/Custom Firmware or the internals are underpowered for the task. Recently Anbernic released three handhelds that all fall through these trappings in someway. These were avoidable pitfalls. They are not new kids on the block. They have been in this space for quite a few years at this point.
Then came the RG 476H and RG 477V. Back-to-back home runs. Even though the 477V uses a Dimensity chipset, it still powers through and brute forces emulation up to the Switch—territory that should be out of reach. These two devices are striking. But more importantly, they live up to the promise. They deliver on what they were designed to do. The price to performance was competitive and fair. The combined silicon with the gorgeous design made these devices great.
Then came the RG DS. It was supposed to be a budget dual-screen device—a cheaper option to the gold-standard Ayn Thor. Upon launch, it was a complete mess. Most reviews were terrible. Russ from RetroGameCorps gave it scathing review. It was patched soon after, but it’s still rather rough. The chipset choice baffles me. Why use an old RockChip RK3568 from yesteryear when better options exist? And if this was a cost-saving measure, why does the later RG Vita get the more powerful T618 from the RG505? MelonDS is out of the question. Can the RG DS play DS games? Yes…but not exceptionally well. It’s adequate. It’s serviceable. It’s decent. What’s the point in just good enough? Why bother creating a DS clone to be just okay at DS emulation?
Then Anbernic launched the RG Vita and RG Vita Pro. The specs were not great. The RG Vita uses the same aging T618 from the RG505. Definitely won’t play many—if any—PS Vita games. Perplexing choice: the Rockchip 3576 in the Pro model. ‘Pro’ suggests crushing Vita emulation. But Vita3K is built for Snapdragon chipsets. It needs Adreno drivers. The RK3576 was destined to fail. Whoever chose this chipset did not understand Vita emulation. At $150, the price-to-performance is horrendous. A device called ‘RG Vita’ that cannot play Vita games is a recipe for failure. And this was avoidable. Look at the Mangmi Air X. Sub-$100. Modest Snapdragon 662. But custom drivers let it punch above its weight—DS, some 3DS, even Vita games. Mangmi understands emulation. Anbernic seems allergic to Snapdragon chips despite them being optimal for Android emulation. Stubbornness? Set in their ways? Either way, it’s damaging. Better idea: shelve the RG Vita name if you’re stuck with Unisoc. Give the RG DS the T618. Make the RG505 successor with Dimensity if you must. Or just admit the design language is ‘Vita-inspired’ and call it anything else.
I want to keep rooting for Anbernic. The 476H and 477V proved they know how to deliver. But these three devices—especially the RG Vita and RG DS—feel like steps backward. Beautiful steps, but backward nonetheless.
Stop naming devices after systems they cannot run. Stop treating Snapdragon chips like they’re radioactive. And please, start matching your exceptional designs with internals that deserve them.
The community has shown you what’s possible. The Mangmi Air X exists. The bar is set. It’s time to step over it.
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