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Review cover Anbernic RG SP GBAtemp review
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A homage to the Game Boy Advance SP, Anbernic's effigy is slim, small and impossible to put down.

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When it comes to retro emulation handhelds, there are a vast array to chose from in 2026. Whether it be beastly powerful Android-powered wrist-breakers, or highly-pocketable Linux-powered devices designed for ants, there are swaths of styles, sizes, prices, and abilities to choose from, but where do you begin?

As a devoted console gamer since the early 90s, I want to have a range of games to play and a vast array of emulated consoles at my fingertips. I never really got on with portable consoles until the PSP, anything prior to that never piqued my interest, but now, looking back, there are tonnes of games I missed playing on consoles such as the Game Boy, GBC, GBA, so when I spotted the RG SP, I was intrigued to see an emulation device taking on the form of the legendary Game Boy SP, I was excited to jump in and see what this thing could do.

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Technical Specifications:

  • Color: Platinum, Graphite, Pearl Blue, Pearl Pink
  • Screen: 3.4-inch IPS full viewing angle, OCA full lamination / 720 × 480
  • CPU: H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53, 1.5 GHz frequency
  • GPU: Dual-core G31 MP2
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Storage: 16 GB TF/MicroSD
  • System: Linux 64-bit
  • Wi-Fi/Bluetooth: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2
  • Multimedia: Video player supports formats such as WMV, AVI, RMVB, FLV, MP4, 3GP, ASF, MOV, MPG, MKV etc. Music player supports formats such as FLAC, MP3, WAV, APE, AIF, AIFF, OGG, WMA, AAC, M4A, M4R etc. File manager and E-book reader (supporting TXT format) supported, and the WiliWili online playback feature.
  • Games: Supports ported games and over 30 game formats.
  • Users can download games in supported formats.
  • Language: Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese
  • Speaker: High-fidelity speaker
  • TF card: Dual card slots, support TF Card expansion, maximum 512 GB
  • Battery:Polymer lithium battery 3300 mAh, lasting 6 hours
  • Charging: 5 V / 1.5 A, support C2C charger
  • Hall Magnetic Switch: Built-in strong magnets in the upper and lower covers, supporting the magnetic closure function; built-in Hall switch chip, features a sleep mode when the lid is closed
  • Other Functions:Supports 2.4 GHz wireless controller and wired controller connection, Bluetooth controller connection, HD connection to TV, vibration motor, online multiplayer via Wi-Fi, and streaming
  • Accessories: USB charging cable, Gift Box, User Manual, Screen Protector
  • Box Specification: Length 12.5 cm; Width 10 cm; Height 3.7 cm;Weight 0.285 kg
  • Console Specification: Length 8.3 cm; Width 8.2 cm; Height 2.39 cm;Weight 0.168 kg

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A Retro-Inspired Physique Packed with Modernity 

The RG SP provided for review was a pearl pink one, and though it's not the most flattering of hues for a man in his 40s, I can see the nostalgic decision making process behind bringing this colourway to the device. Available in platinum, graphite and pearl blue too, there is a nice selection of classic colours that mirrors the one originally available with Nintendo's 2003 "Special Game Boy Advance models.

The form factor is nigh-on identical to that of its original namesake. With startlingly similar features that one would assume surely borders on copyright infringement, but alas, Anbernic has skirted around this issue by utilising expired design documents and protections, thus making it perfectly legal.

While packing in a 3.4" 720x480 resolution laminated IPS screen, the console is a small but perfectly formed 8.3 cm x 8.2 cm cuboid when closed, and roughly 16.6 cm x 8.3 cm when flipped open and ready for use. The screen is bright, vibrant and has excellent viewing angles all round. It really is a fantastic screen on this device, which makes it ideal for extended sessions of playing your favourite games.

The hinge, speakers, face buttons, and LED positioning are all identical to that of the AGS101's, but where is deviates is with the modern functions such as the four (A,B,X,Y)  input buttons instead of two (A,B), four shoulder triggers instead of two, volume buttons instead of a slider, a headphone jack where the cartridge slot would have been, and, not one, but two, MicroSD card slots for transporting your games and media to the device.

It has to be noted that all of the buttons across the device have a brilliantly clicky and responsive manner to them, and that they feel great when in use. None of them appeared to have any form of input lag or dodgy ghosting when depressed. The D-pad is also well suited to this device and performed admirably across a variety of titles tested.

The RG SP comes in three flavours: 16gb ($64.99), 16gb+64gb ($79.99) and 16gb+128gb ($94.99), which means you can just purchase the base model if you have a spare <512gb MicroSD card laying about and a library of your own ROMs, else you can pick up the options that come with the second memory card, and that pack a wide array of games that have been curated for the system.

For those wondering, there are no AAA first-party Nintendo games included with the device, so you will not find any Street Fighter, Mario, Donkey Kong, or Pokemon titles on any of the systems, though you will find the likes of Animal Crossing, Wave Race 64, Kirby and even Zelda. This is to protect themselves even though these Chinese devices are almost entirely immune from western copyright infringement laws when it comes to ROMs.

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Music, Games and Videos

When it comes to emulation, this 64-bit Linux-based handheld packs in PSP, PSX, NDS, N64, OpenBOR, Dreamcast, Atari 2600, Atomiswave, CPS1/2/3, FB NEO, Famicom, Game Boy, GBC, GBA, Game Geaer, Game and Watch, MAME, Mega Drive (Genesis), Mega-CD  (Sega CD), MSX, Naomi, PC Engine, PCE-CD, Pico, Saturn, 32X, SNES, Master System, "Varcade" (vertical arcade games), Virtual Boy and WonderSwan, as well as having dedicated categories for homebrew and ports.

Gaming across these systems is generally extremely good, but when you reach PSP, Sega Saturn and N64, aka, any heavily 3D 5th generation games, you begin to notice the limitations of this device. Firstly, there is no analogue stick, which restricts the flow of anything in a three dimensional space. Secondly, and crucially, the system does not handle these demanding systems optimally. Whereas Sega's Dreamcast (and Naomi) and Sony's PS1 have been emulated to an exceptionally high standard and almost made to run well on anything potato or better, the PSP emulation scene, amongst others, has not seen this level of optimisation. As a result, Saturn, PSP and N64 games, for example, do not run well on this system unless they're far less intensive 2D titles, or less complex to emulate 3D titles.

This is a shame because the system packs 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM but the Quad Core Cortex A53 is not exactly a powerhouse. But this is what a pocket-sized $65 system gets you. Limited by the CPU and the dual-core ARM Mali-G31 MP2, I would highly recommend this system for 4th generation consoles and below. Handhelds like the Game Boy Advance run spectacularly, especially with the 3:2 screen ratio and the 3x upscaling, but NDS gaming is finicky and fiddly due to lack of raw horsepower and there only being one screen too.

GBA specific titles such as The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Super Mario Advance 4, Advance Wars and Metroid Fusion look and play superbly, with gorgeous popping colours, smooth scrolling graphics and a bright crispness that allows you to play indoors or outside.

In fact, MAME games like Alien: The Gun, Atomiswave's Dolphin Blue, Naomi's Toy Fighter, Dreamcast's The House of the Dead 2, CPS3's Red Earth, SNES's Yoshi's Island, PSX's Crash Bandicoot, and the various included ports (Cave Story, Dinothaw, Quake, Wolfenstein) all look and run fantastically. It's tough to find a game from these systems that don't run correctly, but bear in mind that you can add your own ROMs and ROM hacks, and adjust resolution as well as tweaks like frame skipping, so mileage may vary depending on the complexity and CPU/GPU demanding nature of the games at hand.

The RG SP, as with most Anbernic devices, also features media players capable of watching movies (albeit in 3:2 ratio/bordered), listening to music, and even casting your screen to another mirror-capable device, or connecting via HDMI out,  to project whatever you have going on on the big screen. Combining this with Bluetooth controller connectivity, means you can essentially "consolise" the handheld too, making it great for multiplayer gaming too.

Final Thoughts

The most important thing about this device is that when in use, it is comfortable and user-friendly. With those boxes ticked, it's very easy to get fully engrossed in the 30+ systems on offer with a device that lasts up to 6 hours on one charge, and that can fit easily in your bag or pocket.

Overall I think the RG SP is a great budget-friendly device that, while it won't blow your mind wide-open, doesn't hold back with it's charm and ability to run 2D handheld games, various 16-bit console games, and even matured emulators like DC, PSX, FBA and MAME with a wonderfully vibrant and crisp display.

I wish that Anbernic would curate their software and remove any systems that run badly, focusing on just the systems that run well, Instead of touting "30+" systems that will run with varying degrees of success. Being that you can add or remove ROMs and systems, it should be pre-set to perfection for a more tuned and honest hit of nostalgia.

 

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Two Micro SD card slots for media and OS.
  • Comfortable, responsive, face and shoulder buttons.
  • Bright vibrant 3.4" 3:2 ratio screen with 6hr battery.
  • Excellent for most included emulators.
What We Didn't Like ...
  • No analogue inputs for 3D gaming.
  • Useless for intensive N64/Saturn/PSP emulation.
  • Why include emulators that won't perform well?
8
out of 10

Overall

I great love letter to the original SP hardware, and a fantastically pocketable, modernised and comfortable version of the device to have on your person on a daily basis.
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Scarlet
Surprised it only lasted six hours. The original SP model I looked at could manage around 8 running GBA games with the screen on maximum brightness. Were you running a more demanding system for your testing?
 
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KiiWii
Scarlet said:
Surprised it only lasted six hours. The original SP model I looked at could manage around 8 running GBA games with the screen on maximum brightness. Were you running a more demanding system for your testing?
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The 6hr stat is from the Anbernic site and it holds up as the average I noticed.

I was running a lot of GBA and DC, mainly outdoors in the sun. If I was indoors more running lower brightness I could see it lasting longer, as you say.
 
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