this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2026
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61
Hands On with the Anbernic RG SP; The Game Boy Advance SP Reimagined (gardinerbryant.com)
submitted 3 months ago by PerfectDark@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world
12 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

After spending time with Anbernic's new retro handheld, their RGSP, my hands-on review is now posted. Mine got super delayed because I have a ton of other things I've been working on, so I'm sure not much in here will be a surprise to anyone. But if you're a fan of written articles, then this might (at least) tick that nostalgia box for you.

Alongside the usual and typical review content in here (controls, ergonomics, stock OS, games) I spoke with Frysee, the lead developer of NextUI, and pvaibhav, who has been leading much of the H700/RG SP implementation, about what it takes to bring NextUI's firmware experience to Anbernic's latest clamshell effort. Frysee's dev unit arrived a good few days ago, so by the time you all have these in your hands, whatever tiny quirks will have been well ironed out.

Their takes on topics like boot times, display calibration, lid detection, feature parity with stock firmware, and the philosophy behind creating a true "pick up and play" experience was nice, and add a perspective.

I hope at least some of you here enjoy it :)

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[–] zeograd@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Thanks for the review. I ordered one after finishing reading it. It sounds like the kind of device I was missing in my life :)

[–] kahjtheundedicated@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Great review as always!

Might have to get one as a dedicated romhack machine, despite already having two perfectly functional SP’s. I think the display and speed up should be well worth the price of admission over either the PSP or 3DS that I keep alternating between.

But I am one of those people that find clicky buttons annoying. But seems like the tape mod is supposed to work pretty well?

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

I've had so many SP's, but I think while I adore the form factor so much, the modern conveniences of things like save states, fast-forwarding, the display and all the other bits make this the logical choice...for me.

Physical it feels exactly the same in my hands, a perfect little boxy box :)

But seems like the tape mod is supposed to work pretty well?

I wouldn't even call these the most clicky-clicky. They are a bit, but they're really fine. Two layers will dampen that totally though, and you'll have zero issues at all. I really can't recommend this one enough, if you're after GBA games as good as they can be!

[–] evilcultist@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The largest problem I have with the SP is that it doesn’t go into sleep mode.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This one solves that! Close the lid and it will suspend right there until you open it :)

And being Linux means that the battery life will be much better with that closed-lid suspension over what Android would manage!!!

[–] Xilence@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ooh, PD, that one I have to fight you on. My RGSP hemorrhages battery in sleep. It's fine for like, 10-15 minutes, but anything over an hour and you're seeing a 20% or more loss of battery. I've taken to saving and shutting down. That way, it lasts for days, instead of an afternoon.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Are you running stock, or NextUI? I've certainly not had that kind of battery loss!

[–] Xilence@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Stock. I tried one or two other ROMs(?), but the suspend seems borked for me.

[–] __Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Great review, very thorough. Good timing too since I need a new emulator. I had an rg40xxv that i really like, but i dropped it a little while ago and the screen is broken now. Would you recommend this one, or the rotate? The prices are close enough that either is fine, and I'm not going to play anything newer than psx. These both look like really nice form factors for me, since i usually use this on trips.

The rgsp has the same soc as the rg40xxv, so i know how that performs. The rotate looks like it should be more powerful, but does it matter? Is it powerful enough to use better crt shaders?

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Here's my own review of the Rotate, just for some context:

https://gardinerbryant.com/hands-on-with-the-anbernic-rg-rotate/

But yes, the RG Rotate is far more powerful. It'll run your PSX games upscaled. This one has 3GB RAM, which is a far cry from the RGSP's 1GB, so you'll have the benefits of:

  • Upscaling the PlayStation (or N64, or DC) games without an issue
  • Having enough overhead to run whatever shaders you like. I only tried a few, because shaders are just not my thing. But they'll absolutely be happier on the Rotate
  • Enough power in the to run some fun Android games. I know, you're looking for specifically retro, but it is nice to have options.
  • It is also beautifully unique. I love the rotating screen. I just had another delivered actually. Anbernic sent me the metal one to review back on release, but I just got the plastic version for a follow-up article I'm working on right now! My most recommended apps, programs and some physical accessories.

If GBA is your dream, you just can't beat the RGSP. If you want DC/N64/PSX without compromises? Then the Rotate is your answer. I do just love them both though, just for different reasons.

[–] Echo5@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Grabbed one recently. Put muOS on it and haven’t had any major issues besides an occasional volume glitch. Cool little system, cheap-ish intro to retro games for me.

[–] moonburster@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

I really want to switch to a clamshell for portability and nostalgia, but none of the clamshells supports usb c pd.... I don't want to bring around an a to c charger just for this device