# Anbernic

Anbernic is a Chinese handheld gaming console company founded in 2017 in Shenzhen by Shenzhen YangLiMing Electronic Technology Co.
The company is known for producing devices that emulate video game systems from the first five generations, such as the NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, SNES, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64, as well as more recent consoles from the seventh generation, like the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS. More recent handhelds are able to play some games from later handhelds and 6th generation consoles.

## History

The Anbernic trademark was registered in 2017 by Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen YangLiMing Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, which released its first handheld console, the Retro Game (RG), that same year. The brand gained prominence after launching a series of popular retrogaming devices, including the RG351P, RG353V, and RG35XX models.
In December 2018, American rapper Soulja Boy launched the emulator console SouljaGame Console, which was actually a rebranded version of existing consoles developed by Anbernic. The project was shut down less than a month after its release.
Over the first seven years, the company has released an average of 4-5 models per year.

## Software

The devices typically run on Android or Linux-based operating systems and allow users to play classic video games through software emulation.
Due to their popularity, several open source projects provide custom firmware for these devices, offering additional features and extended support. These include ArkOS, AmberElec, ROCKNIX, and muOS.

## Reception

Its systems have consistently received acclaim and are considered among the best retro gaming devices.
In 2020, Begina de Miguel of El País praised the RG350 model, stating that it "combines high performance with excellent gameplay," and named it the "best retro handheld console" for under 100 euros.
In 2023, Billy Givens and Harry Rabinowitz of Popular Mechanics praised Anbernic's user-friendly interfaces, selecting the RG351P model as the "best handheld game system for emulation." However, they warmed that "loading old games into emulators and then selling them in this way is legally questionable in the United States," though consumers are "protected from the illegal nature of these emulations" since the company is based in China.
In 2024, Jordan McMahon of The Strategist described the Anbernic RG35XX as the "best handheld gaming console for retro gaming," while Keith Stuart of The Guardian referred to Anbernic consoles as "unofficial handhelds" that "play thousands of games –as long as you don’t mind about the shady legality of homebrew emulators and downloadable rom files."

## List of devices

| Model | Release Date | SoC | CPU | GPU | Form Factor | Operating System |
| RG351P | Sep 2020 | Rockchip RK3326 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A35 | ARM Mali-G31 (2 Execution Engines) | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Linux |
| RG351M | Jan 2021 | Rockchip RK3326 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A35 | ARM Mali-G31 (2 Execution Engines) | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Linux |
| RG351V | Feb 2021 | Rockchip RK3326 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A35 | ARM Mali-G31 (2 Execution Engines) | Vertical w/ Single Analog | Linux |
| RG552 | Dec 2021 | Rockchip RK3399 | 2 * 2.0 GHz Cortex A72 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-T860 MP4 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Android 11 & Linux |
| RG353M | Jun 2022 | Rockchip RK3566 | 4 * 1.8 GHz Cortex A55 | ARM Mali-G52 (2 Execution Engines) | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Android 11 & Linux |
| WIN600 | July 2022 | AMD Athlon | AMD Athlon Silver 3050e Dali APU | AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Windows 11 |
| "RGXX" Allwinner H700 Lineup |||||||
| RG35XX Plus | Nov 2023 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Vertical w/ no Analog | Linux |
| RG35XX H | Jan 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Linux |
| RG28XX | April 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Horizontal w/ no Analog | Linux |
| RG35XXSP | May 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Clamshell (GBA SP) w/ no Analog | Linux |
| RG40XX H | July 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Linux |
| RG40XX V | Aug 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Vertical w/ Single Analog | Linux |
| RG CubeXX | Oct 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Linux |
| RG34XX | Dec 2024 | Allwinner H700 | 4 * 1.5 GHz Cortex A53 | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 | Horizontal (GBA) w/ no Analog | Linux |
| Unisoc T820 Lineup |||||||
| RG Cube | Jun 2024 | UNISOC T820 | 1 * 2.7 GHz Cortex A76 3 * 2.3 GHz Cortex A76 4 * 2.1 GHz Cortex A55 | ARM Mali-G57 MC4 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Android 13 |
| RG 556 | 2024 | UNISOC T820 | 1 * 2.7 GHz Cortex A76 3 * 2.3 GHz Cortex A76 4 * 2.1 GHz Cortex A55 | ARM Mali-G57 MC4 | Horizontal w/ Dual Analog | Android 13 |

## RGXX lineup

Identified by the inclusion of "XX" in their model name, this line of Anbernic handhelds are powered by the same Allwinner H700 chipset. Beginning with the RG35XX Plus, these devices are relatively cheap (35-70 euro) and low-powered compared to other emulation handhelds. Emulation ability tops out at PS1, with most N64 games and Dreamcast games playable at full-speed.
The only difference in these handhelds are available controls and form factor. For example the 35XXSP is a clamshell device with no analog sticks, while the 35XXH is a horizontal handheld with sticks.
Custom firmware is usually compatible across the entire lineup. Sometimes this may require a small update from the firmware developers.