Anbernic RG35XXSP review: A nostalgic design for an excellent retro handheld

There’s a huge world of retro gaming handhelds out there, and many of the best ones are from companies like Retroid, Miyoo, and Anbernic. We’ve already reviewed the Miyoo Mini+ and the Anbernic RG35XX, and both are incredibly retro gaming handhelds that can handle a ton of what you throw at them. Now Anbernic is here with the RG35XXSP, and the form factor might look a little familiar.

The Anbernic RG35XXSP is a clamshell gaming handheld that packs the same specifications as both the RG35XX Plus and the H variant. It can run all the way up to PSP games (though those are very hit-or-miss) and, as always, has incredible custom OS support. Anbernic has been working hard to add new features to its default OS as well, and while I had a brief stint with custom firmware during the review period, I switched back to a custom version of the stock OS for now.

If you’re looking to play some retro games on the go with a handheld that imbues nostalgia, then the Anbernic RG35XXSP is well worth a look. It knocks practically everything out of the park for a retro gaming handheld and even adds experimental support for the likes of Nintendo 64 and PSP emulation.

About this review: XDA purchased the Anbernic RG35XX for the purposes of this review. Anbernic did not have any input into the contents of this review.

Anbernic RG35XXSP

$58.99 $64.99 Save $6

The Anbernic RG35XXSP combines retro and innovation while paying tribute to the classics. With 30+ supported emulators up to the PSP era, you can play all the classic retro games you played as a child.

Pros

• Nostalgic design
• Powerful
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
• Good stock OS

Cons

• Some consoles can be hit or miss
• Can get a bit warm

Pricing and availability

The Anbernic RG35XXSP can be purchased globally from resellers and the official Anbernic website. It retails around $60, though exchange rates and other costs may cause it to fluctuate slightly.

Design and build quality

A well-made plastic beast

The Anbernic RG35XXSP is an all-plastic build with a beautiful 3.5-inch 640×480 IPS screen. It cuts back on weight thanks to being entirely made of plastic, and the clamshell mechanic makes it easy to carry around in your pockets. All of the buttons on this device are tactile, though the front buttons are especially clicky. While it doesn’t bother me, they actually are quite loud, and that may be a mark against this device for some.

Going over the buttons, there’s a set of ABXY buttons, a start and select button, and a menu button, too. On the back are a set of two R buttons and two L buttons, and on the bottom is a headphone jack and two microSD card slots. The top has a USB-C charging port that doubles up as USB OTG, and beside it is a mini HDMI output. While it may be USB-C, it’s limited in what it supports for charging. It only charges at 5V 1.5A, or 7.5W.

The mini HDMI port can be used to output the display to a TV or monitor, though that requires you actually to carry around an HDMI cable of course. With the USB-C port also supporting USB OTG for controllers, you could feasibly bring a HDMI cable and an Xbox controller with you and game on the go. This particular unit even has Bluetooth support, so you could also connect a controller wirelessly.

The Anbernic RG35XXSP is easily pocketable, though it is a little bit on the thicker side. It’s a small bit thicker and bigger overall than a Game Boy Advance SP, so that gives you an idea if you’ve ever had one of those. The controls are perfectly spaced out for my usage, and it’s a comfortable handheld to play for longer periods of time. Finally, we don’t recommend using the included SD card, though we’ve had no problems with this particular unit.

Related

Best PC gaming handhelds in 2024

Play your favorite PC games anywhere with these PC gaming handhelds.

Gaming

Relive the GBA SP days

The RG35XXSP is a fantastic retro gaming handheld, and it packs specifications that match the RG35XX Plus. That means the H700 SoC, which has four 64-bit

Cortex-A53 cores, a Mali G31 GPU, and it comes with 1GB of DDR4 RAM as well. It’s significantly more powerful than the original RG35XX, which is why it can offer Nintendo 64 and PSP emulation, along with near-flawless Nintendo DS emulation, too.

For what it’s worth, I’d suggest taking this as a gaming handheld that can do as far as the Dreamcast, and take any console released after it as a bonus. While Nintendo 64, PSP, and Nintendo DS work, both the N64 and the PSP will have games that it struggles with. Plus, the lack of an additional analog stick is troublesome, even if there is a setting that can turn the D-Pad into an analog input.

On top of those consoles, you get full compatibility with PlayStation 1, NES, SNES, Game Boy Advance, ScummVM, and a ton of other emulators, just to name a few. There’s a real-time clock here that you can use for those games that require it, and thanks to built-in Wi-Fi support, you’ll get proper time synchronization built in. Even better, there’s Moonlight support too, so that you can stream games from your PC to it.

With games that are emulated through Retroarch (most games except for those on Nintendo DS and PSP), you’ll be able to enable a Quick Shutdown feature. This feature will allow you to press and hold the power button for a second and it will automatically create a save state in Retroarch and entirely shut down the device. The next time you turn it on, it will launch the most recent game and restore the save state. It’s better than just putting it in sleep mode because I found that sleep mode drained quite a significant amount of battery.

Anbernic’s stock OS works perfectly fine for gaming, and I don’t really have anything negative to say about it. Booting up takes about 20 seconds, but that’s all for complaints that I have. There are a lot of different custom operating systems you can try on it, so you can try something else if you’d like. For what it’s worth, right now, the stock OS seems to be the best option for most people.

Should you buy the Anbernic RG35XXSP?

These retro gaming handhelds are quite hard to find fault with, and that’s because they’re built to achieve one thing, and they do that one thing very well. The Anbernic RG35XXSP is no different, It’s a fantastic handheld that you can play any game from the supported library on, and the only negative I’ve experienced is the charging speed and the warmth that it generates. Even then, it’s not exactly generating a lot of heat, so I don’t really mind.

I love that Anbernic is embracing custom software builds for its handhelds, especially given that there are MinUI, MuOS, GarlicOS, and more on other

You should buy the Anbernic RG35XX if:

• You want to enjoy retro games on the go
• You want to play Pokemon ROM Hacks on what feels like official hardware
• You want to play Nintendo DS games
• You want a handheld with a nostalgic design

You shouldn’t buy the Anbernic RG35XX if:

• You want faster charging
• You want to play newer systems on the go

Anbernic RG35XXSP

$58.99 $64.99 Save $6

The Anbernic RG35XXSP combines retro and innovation while paying tribute to the classics. With 30+ supported emulators up to the PSP era, you can play all the classic retro games you played as a child.