Anbernic RG CubeXX GBAtemp review
Hardware
Product Information:
- Official Store: http://anbernic.com
If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for your retro-loving friend, the Anbernic RG CubeXX might be the device you’re looking for. In a sea of handhelds flooding the market, it’s hard to differentiate one from another, but the CubeXX stands out with its bold 1:1 square display. However, with less processing power than its stronger sibling, the Anbernic Cube, can it still prove to be a valuable device?
The CubeXX boasts a 3.95-inch IPS display with a 720x720 resolution, powered by the H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and dual-core G31 MP2 GPU, which are also found in Anbernic’s other XX devices. Given the familiar processor, you can expect similar performance to other Anbernic handhelds in the XX line, like the RG40XX or the RG35XXSP. With lower specs than the non-XX Anbernic Cube, this device runs on a custom Linux OS rather than Android, which some users may prefer for its simplicity and focus.
One of my favorite aspects of the CubeXX is its aesthetics. While it has a bigger footprint than some of Anbernic’s thinner handhelds, the larger grips make it more comfortable to hold, encouraging longer play sessions. The boxy yet rounded shape also reminds me of the Steam Deck, and I can’t help but think the CubeXX looks like a little brother. It's a cute design and I wish I had my hands on the grey color option as well.
Anbernic advertises 6.5 hours of battery life with a 3-hour charging time, and I’ve found this to be mostly accurate. Playing something lightweight like GBA games gives you long gaming sessions without stressing about battery life. However, issues arise when you put the device into "sleep" mode. The battery drain is faster than expected, and I’ve even lost progress due to this. Admittedly, Anbernic doesn’t seem confident in their sleep mode either, as it’s not enabled by default.
Emulation performance is on par with Anbernic’s other XX devices, as expected with the shared processor. Games up to PS1 run smoothly, and the square aspect ratio works well on retro titles. You wouldn’t want to play modern 16:9 games on this device anyways, as they feel cramped. My favorite system to emulate has been Game Boy Advance, which looks and runs fantastic on the CubeXX. Given the dual analog sticks, I tested the system with PSP and N64 games, but it struggles with most titles. GTA: Liberty City Stories was “playable” with frameskip but far from ideal, and Super Mario 64 was sluggish but passable for scratching that iitch. I do wish that there was an option to disable cardinal snapping on the analog sticks. I would have loved to use this as a remote streaming device with Moonlight but the cardinal snapping in addition to other bugs make it a annoying experience.
While most of my time was spent on GBA games, the CubeXX introduced me to the world of PICO-8. The 720x720 screen isn’t a perfect match for PICO-8’s 128x128 resolution, but games look and play wonderfully. For PICO-8 enthusiasts, this handheld is something to look out for, combining a comfortable form factor with a vast library of community-made games. Playing the original Celeste on the CubeXX was a treat, and I couldn’t blame my countless deaths on the buttons or D-pad, which is a great compliment to the quality of the buttons.
The CubeXX’s quirks mostly stem from its operating system. My advice to new users is to read the user manual before diving in. Familiarizing yourself with button shortcuts is essential to avoid issues, like accidentally loading an old save state and losing progress. I also experienced a problem where switching between games without resetting the CubeXX caused performance issues, making me mistakenly assume the CubeXX couldn’t handle lightweight games. Additionally, there were times when the device wouldn’t wake from sleep or even perform a hard reset. I had to “jump-start” it by briefly plugging it into power, a frustrating experience especially if you’re caught without a charger on a long plane ride.
The Anbernic RG CubeXX surprised me with its capabilities despite its lower performance compared to its non-XX counterpart. Initially, I thought its larger size didn’t match its performance, but I came to appreciate how the comfort of the design makes up for this trade-off. If you’re planning to gift the CubeXX for Christmas, I recommend setting it up in advance, especially for less tech-savvy recipients. While custom OS options are still in development, I found an early build of Knulli OS resolved many of my issues with the stock OS. With PortMaster in Knulli, I even managed to play a few levels of desktop Celeste, although the 16:9 resolution wasn’t an ideal fit for the square display. I recently went on a long plane ride and I didn't even consider bringing my Steam Deck and opted to bring this instead. The small but comfortable form factor makes it way more convenient. For only $67 USD, this is a great retro handheld that I can fully recommend to those who want to play a system that can fit well on the square screen but you have to be willing to spend a few hours setting it up.
Verdict
- Lightweight
- Sharp and Colorful Screen
- Comfortable Form factor
- Responsive D-Pad
- Customizable RGB
- Mini-HDMI Port
- Cardinal Snapping on Analog Sticks
- Buggy Stock Operating System
- Sleep Mode Battery Drain
- Slow Charging
