Anbernic RG350M Review
The retro gamer’s handheld
I am 36 years old, and gaming has been a part of my DNA since I was 5. From that tender age, I can remember most of the amazing moments in video games throughout the years. I remember Sony walking out and saying $299. I remember exploring Peach’s Castle in Super Mario 64. I screamed as Sephiroth plunged his sword through Aeris’ (Aerith’s) back. I’ve also seen games that I love become harder and harder to play on new systems. This led me to search for a portable classic gaming solution. There are a lot out there, but I think I found the one that works for me: the Anbernic RG350M.
What is it?
The RG350M is a handheld that allows you to take along any ripped games wherever you go, utilizing onboard emulation. Yes, these are what you would call ROMs, and they’re a legal gray area. The distribution of them is illegal, as it is an infringement of copyright. Know what you’re doing. I don’t condone any illegal activity when it comes to this.
If you’re looking for some systems that will play old cartridges, not to worry! I have you covered in this article:
Now that that’s out of the way, the system has a pretty slick interface, allowing for multiple different emulators. You’re even able to add your favorites in case they’re missing. The most advanced console that the system can emulate well is the original PlayStation, which is excellent for me. I love anything from the NES, SNES, Genesis, and on to the PS1, so this thing is tremendous. You can even load portable emulators, such as the Game Boy Advance and such to give you the ultimate portable feeling.
What are the features?
The screen is a super bright IPS display at 3.5". It may not seem too large, but the screen is just right. The brightness of the screen is perfect, and the quality is amazing.
It’s powered by a dual-core 1GHZ processor and 512MB of DDR2 RAM (fine for something like this). For storage, the sky is the limit with MicroSD card storage. You’ll also have about 4–6 hours of battery life with the 2500mAH rechargeable battery.
This charges via a USB-C cable, and also can transfer data over one as well (I was having an issue with this, but the MicroSD card transfer worked fine). You have a jack for a headset and a mini-HDMI port that did not work for me. I don’t think it does in this model.
Look and feel
This thing feels perfect in the hands. A nice amount of heft, and perfect spacing for the buttons and sticks. The buttons feel great and responsive. The metallic body is solid and it has no-slip grips right on the back for when it’s placed down on a surface.
The analog sticks feel great and are perfect for any PS1 games you decide to play with this thing.
One downside: any portable console usually hurts my hands after a while. That’s not necessarily the RG350M’s fault, but understand that you could experience some fatigue from holding it.
It looks like there are multiple colors, I chose the titanium, but rose gold and black appear to be options, as well.
Price
This is difficult because it’s hard to get one right now. I ordered mine off of eBay for $159 USD, but that was from a US seller instead of ordering from China and waiting a month or two. You might be able to find a better deal now, as things are opening up a little bit more. You can always check Amazon, but that’s a little iffy as well.
I’d side on going with eBay at this point, and find a seller within your country.
Bottom line
If you travel, or just want a device that will play more than the classics that the Nintendo Switch has to offer, the RG350M is a perfect solution. The ability to play original PlayStation games (I have a huge library of them) is just so awesome.
The price is a little steep to play older games, but considering I’ve spent on average $190 for an Analogue console, this isn’t too far off.
Next year, when things (hopefully) start opening up, I’ll be taking it everywhere!
Let me know if you own one, if you like it, or if you plan on getting one!
