Anbernic RG353P (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
Anbernic’s latest retro handheld is the RG353P, equipped with the same Rockchip RK3566 chip found in their RG503 handheld and a very familiar design among retro gaming enthusiasts. Starting at $140 on the official Anbernic website and AliExpress store (if you want an additional SD card or a carrying case, the price goes up), you’ll find the following items out of the box:
- Anbernic RG353P console
- USB-C charging cable
- Screen protector
- User manual
Specs details of the handheld can be found below:
Image courtesy of Anbernic
The most striking visual feature of the RG353P is likely its design that is unashamedly inspired by the classic SNES controller. And it’s not just the design but also the colour palette of the casing and buttons. While it might be seen as a Frankenstein monster-esque replica of an SNES controller, I don’t think there’s a better way to echo nostalgia than a retro controller inspired handheld emulation console. In fact, Anbernic isn’t the first one to do so as we’ve seen the likes of the SupaBoy and, more recently, the BittBoy PocketGo S30.
Anbernic’s RG353P is closer to the latter in terms of design and layout but packs wholly better hardware as is expected from the company. No rattling or internal wobbling to be seen and there are two down-facing speakers for a more balanced soundscape. There are also two analogue sticks instead of one, allowing for additional button mapping based on your preference. The weight of the internals is also well distributed, making the device feel good in the hands. Anbernic also included two rubber pads at the back of the device which adds to the overall nice feeling of holding the device as well as provides some extra grip. As for the overall build, it feels sturdy and of high quality.
As is characteristic of Anbernic’s devices, the face buttons feel great, with the membrane underneath delivering satisfying feedback while making button presses smooth. A striking feature of the RG353P is the inclusion of stacked shoulder buttons, making this device the first from Anbernic to adopt this layout. The device’s shape and thickness allow for such an inclusion and it is very much a welcome one; the L1/L2 and R1/R2 buttons are large and easily accessible and I hope the company sticks to this layout from now on.
Also new regarding button layout is the location of a Function button and the power button on the front of the device, next to the D-pad and A/B/X/Y buttons respectively--these are easily reachable with the thumbs. The top of the device bears a reset button (handy to go back to the main emulationstation menu in Linux OS) and a volume rocker. I found the volume rocker to require some reach to access and would prefer if it were located on the side of the casing, but it’s a minor inconvenience rather than a deal-breaker.
Unlike the OLED RG503 which features the same RK3566 processor as the RG353P, the latter’s display is a smaller, 3.5 inch IPS display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Nevertheless, images are still crisp, with vibrant colour output and I like that the display is flush with the device’s body, unlike the RG503’ recessed screen. In addition, the RG353P’s display supports multi-touch input which is handy when navigating Android OS (touch control isn’t available on the Linux side).
Yes, unlike the RG503, this device has 2GB of RAM and supports dual boot (Android and Linux). It’s a welcome feature if you prefer the UI of certain Android emulators or even want to play certain Android games on the system or access cloud gaming. However, given that this is a 3.5” screen, it is not totally appropriate for games that warrant more immersion through a larger screen like PS2 titles or Android games like Genshin Impact. Other titles like Dead Cells on Android could fare better but I found that the menu and text aren’t very legible. In addition, Dead Cells wouldn’t recognise the physical controls for some unknown reason. As for Android games that don’t natively support physical controls, Anbernic has a handy mapping tool that comes pre-loaded in the RG353P’s Android 11 version. On the downside, Google Play isn’t accessible out of the box on the device but there is a workaround to root it and install the store.
Given that the device runs on Android 11, it can also run the PS2 emulator, AetherSX2. In fact, this emulator comes preloaded on the device but don’t expect the RK3566 chip to do wonders on PS2 emulation front. Shadow of the Colossus runs around 12fps with stuttering audio. It surely runs but isn't really playable. Given the screen size and the processor, I don’t think the RG353P is the best way to play Android games or to emulate PS2, but it’s more appropriate to play N64 or even Dreamcast, and of course, SNES. For this reason, I’ve stuck with the Linux OS on this device.
Luckily, the Linux OS has more support from the community and within a day of the device’s release, custom firmwares were already available. This is because of the fact that the RG353P uses the same chip as the RG503 for which custom firmware was already developed. I’m using JELOS and it offers a much better UI than the stock firmware as well as improves the performance of some emulators. It also offers online updates and tools like box art scrapping which are nice to have on the device itself rather than doing so manually. There is some learning curve with the controls, especially the hotkeys to access menus but that’s practically expected with these emulation devices.
The RG353P’s 4:3 aspect ratio and 3.5” display makes it perfect for emulating older systems without a hitch such as NES, GameBoy and SNES. Also well playable are N64 games and Dreamcast titles. F-Zero X and Star Fox 64 on the N64 would both play at a steady 60 fps while the Dreamcast’s Crazy Taxi 2 would perform at 40-50 fps and Soul Calibur at 60 fps.
Beefier systems like the PSP and DS are also playable but the performance will depend on the title. For PSP, I would get Tekken 6 to play at 30fps and GTA Vice City Stories 15fps. As for the Nintendo DS, Aliens Infestation 35fps but with crackling audio. This might be addressed in future firmware updates but emulating DS and PSP games feel restrictive on the RG353P’s 3.5” screen and I wouldn’t recommend getting the device solely for playing those systems’ games as they should mostly be considered as nice-to-haves. If you want to play PSP or DS games in addition to other retro systems, you might as well consider getting an actual PSP or DS and mod them to emulate older consoles.
What the RG353P has going for it though is its ability to play systems up to N64 and Dreamcast titles while bearing a nostalgic design with a quality build. It’s a worthwhile upgrade if your last device was a JZ4770-based device like the excellent RG350M, but this would depend on your needs and preferences.
Given the nomenclature of the RG353P (paying attention to the P suffix), I am even hoping that Anbernic releases an M or metal shell version of the device. And if they do, I hope they offer an option that bears a compact, rectangular form factor like the JZ4770 devices as their pocketable aspect was really a highlight and I also hope they stick with the stacked shoulder buttons. But if they decide to keep the larger form factor, I hope that they move towards adopting an asymmetrical layout of the joysticks which would make for a more ergonomic use of the sticks.
Purchase link
If you’re looking for an RG353P of your own, you can purchase one via the following links:
Verdict
- Hardware quality
- Custom firmware available for better performance and UI
- Dual OS support
- Buttons mapping feature on Android
- No Google Play store installed on stock Android firmware
- 3.5” screen isn’t very suitable for PSP and DS emulation
- RK3566 chip struggles with beefier systems