The RG 40XXV is a handheld emulator, released by Anbernic in August 2024. It was 1 of 11 handhelds released by the company this year and I could forgive anyone for feeling Anbernic fatigue. They seem to churn devices out like they bought a surplus of parts and needed to get their money’s worth. The results have varied and left people with a Catsup vs. Ketchup conundrum over which handheld to get, or whether they should get one at all if a new one is just round the corner. But, for me, they hit a sweet spot with the RG 40XXV and it’s my new favourite handheld.
Table of Contents
Tech specs
| Criteria | Specs |
|---|---|
| CPU | H700 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53, 1.5GHz |
| GPU | Dual-core G31 MP2 |
| RAM | LPDDR4 1GB |
| Storage | 2 SD card slots, capacity up to 512GB |
| OS | Linux |
| Connectivity | WiFi: 2.4/5GHz WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth: 4.2 HDMI: micro HDMI |
| Battery | Li-polymer battery 3200mAh |
| Colours | White, transparent black, and indigo blue |
| Dimensions | 13.9cm x 9.2cm x 2.2cm (L x W x H) Weight: 0.216kg |
If you’re not familiar with their naming conventions:
- RG stands for retro gaming
- 40 represents the screen size (in this case, it’s 4.0 inches; their 35 series of handhelds have 3.5 inch screens)
- XX means it will have the same chip as all their other ‘XX’ devices (thanks, Redditor)
- V is for vertical
What I like about the RG 40XXV
Price
The RG 40XXV retails at $66.99 which is a good price for what you get and you’ll find discounts on AliExpress if you keep an eye out for the sales. This places it in the high end of the sub-$100 budget section and it’s arguably the best of that bunch.
Chipset and performance
The H700 chipset will play everything up to PS1 and Nintendo 64 with no issues but your mileage may vary with Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and PSP. It also plays Nintendo DS which might sound odd given the screen size but it performs well enough to mention. That leaves with you a hefty selection of retro games and some newer games so you shouldn’t be too disappointed.
So far, I’ve tried the Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, PS1, N64, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance and only had an issue playing Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast (some frame skipping and slowdown). If you have similar problems, you can reduce the settings and get a decent experience.
Regarding the battery, Ambernic says it lasts up to 6 hours which sounds about right as long as you don’t play anything graphics intensive on a “newer” system.
Screen
The screen is brilliant. At 4 inches, you get a lot more real estate than you might expect compared to a 3.5 inch screen. I loved playing PS1 games like Breath of Fire IV and even Game Boy and Game Boy Advance were pleasurable with integer scaling.
Storage
The dual-microSD card slots means you can put all the OS files on one and have a huge library of games on the other. And with its micro HDMI port at the top you can play games on your TV.
Custom firmware
You have 3 choices for custom firmware on the RG 40XXV. You could opt for something like Knulli (a fork of Batocera), muOS if you want more customisation, or MinUI if you’re into something more minimal. They all perform really well so it’s down to personal preference and prior experience. I use muOS as I like having the ability to customise my Retroarch configuration without any issues and I use a MinUI theme with it because it looks amazing.
Overall
But the thing I love the most about the 40XXV is the form factor. I prefer verticals to horizontals for most of the games I like to play and this nails it. You know what it reminds me of? The Analogue Pocket. It’s clean and it’s about the size of an original Game Boy DMG which is big but still pocketable.
And, yes, the joystick isn’t great or far reaching as other handhelds, but I don’t mind it there for regular movement. Which brings me onto the D-pad: it’s perfect. It doesn’t hurt my fingers to press over time and it has a nice feeling when you press down. The same can be said for the buttons.
What I didn’t like about the RG 40XXV
Rear triggers
I’ll be honest: there wasn’t much I disliked. The one annoying thing was accidentally pressing the L+R buttons at the back. They don’t have a lot of travel so you could position your fingers round the back and press down, which can be frustrating if you trigger a shortcut that, say, loads a save state and overwrites what you’ve spent ages on. It’s okay, I’m over it now. Also the click of the buttons may bother some people if you’re playing it in a quiet place with someone else. Not something I’ve encountered as I live alone and if I play it outside the house, I’m on public transport.
Hand fatigue?
Now, this isn’t something that has bothered me as I don’t play on it for long periods but I can see how the ergonomics of the RG 40XXV could lead to hand fatigue. The back of the unit is flat with wide grooves in the bottom half but your fingers can’t really slot into them.
Conclusion
Here’s the thing: Anbernic releases too many devices and they contribute to market saturation. I don’t think it’s good from a consumerist perspective and could lead to growing e-waste. But I can’t blame this single device for those issues as I’ve seen from other reviewers. Anbernic are going to do what they want and it has to be up to consumers to pick and choose what they want in a handheld.
The RG 40XXV covers all the bases I need in a handheld. Great screen, great form factor, plays all the retro games I could ever want, and my OS of choice (muOS) is superb on this thing. And I feel joy when I play on it because it looks good and reminds me of the Analogue Pocket at a fraction of the price. Call it mediocre or superfluous if you want but most handhelds are at this point. If you can’t afford an Analogue Pocket but want a similar experience in terms of game access, this gets my recommendation.
