When it comes to retro gaming, there are not a lot of dedicated handheld consoles to choose from. The market for classic games remains a niche, which is why the few standout consoles deserve all the attention they can get.
Such is the Anbernic RG350 (short for Retro Gaming 350), which came out in 2019. Anbernic is a Chinese brand that has a variety of retro gaming consoles, but the RG350 is one of the few that is based on open-source Linux UI.
Coming in at $79.99, it is considerably more expensive than the likes of the BittBoy Pocket Go and LDK Horizontal. Regardless, it blows most handhelds under $100 out of the water.
Here are the specifications:
| Anbernic RG350 Specs: | Details: |
|---|---|
| CPU | 1.0 GHz |
| RAM | 512 MB |
| Storage | 16 GB (Micro SD Card) |
| Battery | 2,500 mAh |
| Display | 3.5-inch IPS LCD with 320 x 240 resolution |
| Ports | HDMI, USB C, SD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack |
Pros:
- Great build quality for an $80 handheld.
- Impressive performance
- Reliable display
Cons:
- Cannot emulate N64 games
- Awkward joystick placement
- Bad branding
Screen:
The RG350’s IPS display is one of the best in its class. It is easily one of its biggest selling points thanks to its clarity and sharpness when compared to the competition. Although the screen is reflective instead of matte, it is still quite pleasant on the eyes even with extreme viewing angles.
The screen is bright and vivid enough for easy viewing while playing older games. Also, the 320 x 240 screen resolution is more than enough for most retro titles.
There is little to no screen-tearing for the most part, but a select few games like Pokémon Crystal on the GBA emulator do suffer from a bit of tearing, but it is barely noticeable.
Build Quality
As soon as you take the handheld out of the box, you can tell that it isn’t your typical cheap Chinese gaming device. The premium build is instantly obvious compared to other consoles in the same price range. Even though it’s mostly made out of plastic, it does not feel cheap or flimsy.
The buttons do not feel mushy and the L and R shoulder buttons have a nice click to them, almost like a mechanical keyboard. The D-Pad feels a lot like the classic SNES consoles and the analog sticks feel like the Nintendo Switch Lite, which is high praise for a console under $90.
However, given the $90 price point, the RG350 could have easily used better materials instead of plastic. For instance, a matte finish on the back would have served it well.
In terms of design, the joystick placement is a bit awkward and can be troublesome for people with large hands. Your thumb can press against the right joystick if you’re constantly pressing the B button, which could be a minor annoyance to some.
In short, the joysticks are a few millimeters too close to the D-Pad and XYAB buttons, though this is fixed in later models.
Performance
Thanks to the JZ4770 CPU running at 1 GHz with 512MB RAM, the RG350 can handle almost anything you throw at it with ease. However, it does not claim to play N64, PSP, or Dreamcast games.
As for the consoles it can run, it supports a wide variety of emulators and titles including GB, GBC, GBA, MAME, FBA, NES, SNES, Genesis, Wonder Swan, PS1, and Neo Geo. It can run almost all games incredibly well and running a Pokemon game on the Gameboy Emulator feels like you’re playing on a chunky Gameboy Advance.
The only emulators that suffered minor FPS drops were for the SNES and the PS1, but even those were hard to notice. This should not affect gameplay quality at all.
It even handles larger PS1 games with ease such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, both of which had over 50 FPS consistently.
As for battery life, the console can easily last a few days thanks to the 2,500 mAh battery, but this does depend on the type of games being played.
Ease of Use
Once you boot up the RG350, you are greeted with a simple UI that is split between different tabs for games, applications, emulators, and system settings. You can navigate around the UI with the D-Pad, the joysticks, and the L and R shoulder buttons.
It does come with a plethora of pre-installed games and emulators and it’s also easy to add your own. Since it is based on open-source software, you will have a collection of ported emulators and game titles to choose from thanks to volunteer developers. This also means that the software is constantly improving due to countless hours of hard work from these developers. But this also makes it kind of illegal, so it is best that you only play games that you already own.
Verdict
The Anbernic RG350 is one of the best retro handheld consoles under $100. The Bittboy Pocket Go V2 came out shortly after the RG350, but Anbernic’s offering is the clear winner in terms of build quality.
Its performance is the best in its class. You can easily play most of your childhood PS1 games on it, and that is quite impressive for an $80 handheld.
Overall, this is a highly recommend handheld for those looking to relive their favorite retro games on the go.
FAQs
Where can I get the RG350?
You can easily grab the RG350 from Anbernic’s own website. It ships from China, Russia, and Spain and is available in a range of color schemes including Black, White, Grey, and Transparent
Do I have to add the games myself?
The RG350 comes preloaded with several games and emulators, but you can always grab your own through a variety of websites. These websites will let you download emulators as well as ROMs for your games
Is it illegal to download ROMs?
The legality of downloading game files (ROMs) has never been tested in court, but if you already own a game, then it is perfectly acceptable to download a backup copy for your games. Although this is not something you will have to worry about, even if you do not own a game already.
Do I need an external SD card?
The RG350 comes with an internal card already configured to 16GB. This is more than enough for running different applications and games. But it is good to have a back up card in case something happens to the software.
