![Anbernic RG345XX H](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/3c0fd02f379ce/anbernic-rg345xx-h.900x.jpg)
We reviewed the Anbernic RG35XX Plus a short time ago, and found it to be a solid emulation handheld capable of playing all the way up to the PS1 and Dreamcast era.
Now, the Chinese company returns with yet another member of the same family (the 'Plus' was an interaction on the bog-standard RG35XX), this time with a landscape orientation which calls to mind the glory days of the RG350 and RG351, the company's breakout hardware hits.
Does the Anbernic $75 RG35XX H match its forerunners in terms of design, build quality and portability? Join us as we find out.
Anbernic RG35XX H Review: Design & Screen
Unlike its siblings, the RG35XX and RG35XX Plus, the RG35XX H has a landscape form factor. Depending on your personal preference, this might be a massive improvement; we personally prefer how this device feels to use when compared to the other variants. Your fingers tend to overlap on 'Game Boy' style handhelds, whereas, with the RG35XX H, it feels like there's more room to grip.
Another big advantage of this configuration is that the shoulder buttons are much easier to use; on the previous RG35XX models, they were frustratingly awkward to reach. Here, they're nestled neatly on the top corners of the device and rest directly under your fingers.
The other most obvious improvement the RG35XX H has over the other models is the inclusion of dual analogue sticks, which makes playing Dreamcast games much more appealing. For all of the other inputs, things are largely the same; the cross-shaped D-pad is good, while the four face buttons are responsive and clicky (although the glossy nature of the buttons can make them slippy when your fingers are clammy).
Two MicroSD card slots are available, and you get two USB-C ports as well. There's also a Mini-HDMI port for hooking the device up to your television and a 3.5MM headphone socket. On the back, there are two rubber pads which improve grip and mean you can lay the RG35XX H down on a table without scratching its rear panel.
The 3.5-inch, 640x480 pixel IPS screen is decent, with solid viewing angles and reasonably good colour balance. It's not an OLED panel, so darker areas tend to look a bit grey, but at this price point, it's hard to grumble.
Anbernic RG35XX H Review: Performance & Battery Life
Like the RG35XX Plus, the RG35XX H has an H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 running the show, and things are largely the same in terms of emulation performance.
Dreamcast and PSP are at the upper end of the device's skillset, and while neither is perfect (we noticed frame drops and audio skipping on some games), both are perfectly playable. PlayStation emulation is more solid, and anything prior to that – including consoles, handhelds and arcade games – is also rock-solid. The device has a section for 'TATE' mode arcade games, too – these can be played by holding the device in a portrait orientation.
The RG35XX H has the same 3300mAh battery as its relative, which offers around eight hours of use, depending on factors such as what you're emulating, screen brightness and volume.
As has been the case with quite a few of Anbernic's handhelds lately, the software it comes pre-installed with is straightforward to use but feels a little half-baked; we've seen the community solve this with unofficial firmware in the past, so we hope the same thing happens with the RG35XX H and it gets a software experience to match the polished hardware experience.
Anbernic RG35XX H Review: Conclusion
A third iteration on the same device might seem overkill, but in the case of the RG35XX H, the third time's a charm.
Software cripes aside, this is an excellent refinement of a decent formula. The inclusion of analogue sticks makes playing Dreamcast games a much more attractive proposition, and it's capable of handling pretty much every system released prior to that.
If you already own an RG35XX Plus then you might want to mull over the purchase before handing over your cash, but for those of you who are still rocking older Anbernic devices and are looking for an upgrade, this is definitely worth a look.
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Thanks to Keep Retro for supplying the unit used in this review.
Comments 3
GarlicOS is being worked on which should make this device even better to use!
I want to pick one up as a replacement for my RG35XX, which I like but I really could do with the extra power/ram and analogue sticks.
Ugh I just got a PS Classic for all my PS1 gaming needs and I also have my Analogue Pocket for all else.
I don’t know, this one is tempting. I love my pocket and all but I like this form factor too. I also understand, this is pure software emulation vs the pocket with FPGA but still, I really dig this.
I might actually get this as my traveling console and keep the pocket for all other home usage.
The mini HDMI out is my deal breaker. I just need to read again/more if I can pair a wireless controller (I likely missed that above!)
EDIT: for those interested, according to the website at the buy link above, it supports Bluetooth and shows using a wireless controller with HDMI connection.
I’m kind of sold on this. 😬
Every time a review comes out, I wonder about the market for these handheld emulation devices. It feels as though, ever since the release of the Switch, about 20 of these have been released each year. From a practical perspective they all do exactly the same thing: emulate retro games up to around the PS1 / N64 / DC level. The only difference is varying levels of tech specs and physical layout.
So what I want to know is: are retro-heads buying and re-buying and re-buying these things? Does the typical consumer own a cupboard full of these things as if they were a professional tech reviewer? I'd think that having just one would be enough, if it did the job properly. And if it didn't do the job properly then surely it would sour people's enthusiasm to throw more money at the next moderately-tweaked spec version. Unless version 2 could all of a sudden solidly run all PS2 and Gamecube games, any upgrade would surely be almost pointless.
Unless of course the draw with these things is in the initial setup and experimentation, with few people actually sinking hours into them long term to actually play them...
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