Anbernic RG503

[akator]

My new Anbernic RG503 arrived a few days ago.  This is a much nicer device than all of the YouTube and online written reviews said.  I'm sure that when it was first released several months ago there were more issues but I'm not seeing any of that with mine.

 

The 960x544 OLED screen is amazing.  It's comfortable to play for hours.  I haven't had any significant issues playing Dreamcast.  N64 and PSP have more issues than Dreamcast, but most of what I've tested is still playable.  I guess the more recent OS releases have resolved some of the bugs and improved performance.

 

I'm not trying to shill for Anbernic, but the RG503 is a much better handheld than I expected.  Just saying in case someone else is interested.

[Cynicaster]

I've got an Anbernic RG351MP and I think it's awesome.  

On 11/5/2022 at 4:18 PM, akator said:

I'm not trying to shill for Anbernic, but the RG503 is a much better handheld than I expected.  Just saying in case someone else is interested.

This is what I've said over and over again about this device.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, the actual device far exceeded it.  I guess maybe I was expecting something on the quality spectrum closer to "cheap dime-a-dozen Ali Express" type of hardware rather than "high end, refined" hardware but the Anbernic is surprisingly far toward the latter end. 

 

Once the pandemic restrictions started easing and I started traveling for work again, this device suddenly had a good use case for me so I pulled the trigger.  Previously I had been playing games on my tablet using a USB controller - which is still a great solution, don't get me wrong - but having a small, all-in-one device is extremely convenient.  

 

I think it's best at 8- and 16-bit gaming because those games (to me, anyway) seem to translate much better to the small screen.  I mean, I can play Dreamcast and Playstation games too and they run great, but I struggle a bit with such games on a small screen.  

    

[Tanooki]

5 hours ago, Cynicaster said:

I've got an Anbernic RG351MP and I think it's awesome.  

This is what I've said over and over again about this device.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, the actual device far exceeded it.  I guess maybe I was expecting something on the quality spectrum closer to "cheap dime-a-dozen Ali Express" type of hardware rather than "high end, refined" hardware but the Anbernic is surprisingly far toward the latter end. 

 

Once the pandemic restrictions started easing and I started traveling for work again, this device suddenly had a good use case for me so I pulled the trigger.  Previously I had been playing games on my tablet using a USB controller - which is still a great solution, don't get me wrong - but having a small, all-in-one device is extremely convenient.  

 

I think it's best at 8- and 16-bit gaming because those games (to me, anyway) seem to translate much better to the small screen.  I mean, I can play Dreamcast and Playstation games too and they run great, but I struggle a bit with such games on a small screen.  

    

With you on those comments.

A week ago I got the 351p local for a steal in a nice accessory bundle with it.  I didn't think much of the thing reading comments, figured it could do 8bit and most 16bit as I saw genesis was ok, and ps1 supposedly was fine, but n64 was largely a joke.

 

The results came back better.  I got a majority of N64 games I tried to work and at great speed depending on the game vs engine.  Genesis, 32x, Neo Geo, SNES with hungriest of special chips, all nice, hybrid 16bit pce/tg is good, 8bit good too.

Trying to run pc ported doom and wolf3d I got to work with some struggle, removed them though, doom wouldn't run anything but one wad and both were bitchy about setting up controls like it wanted keyboard.  I decided having another version of doom and wolf3d around was not worth it.  I hate it, at least on the WADs a Heretic and Hexen would have been appreciated, the others (d1, d2, wolf have solid gba ports.)

 

The unit has good comfort, solid menu with amberelec, handy easy to hit up tweaks and tools per game/console-hheld wide, or device on the whole wide.  Battery seems average to a modern handheld so not awesome but not crap.  Audio and visuals are slick, nice and clear.  Can't say much too negative other than some stuff makes little sense and you can get trapped a bit but that's how stuff like this works and likely why it has that reset button on the bottom.  With how toxic priced old games are now I feel safer carrying this than something I'd want to puke over losing or having stolen like some multi hundred dollar handheld game like Kid Dracula.  $300 GB game vs $60 invested handheld.  TOUGH CALL.

[TheCoolDave]

I have a Steam Deck but it's too large to carry everywhere. I need something "pocketable" for the quick jobs (when I am stuck somewhere I would rather not be or waiting for something).  The RG353M just came out, I saw some reviews that make it look really good and I am looking for a device that about the same size as my Miyoo Mini. I do love the Mini but, it's too dam limited. It's up to PS1, no N64, no Dreamcast, or any of those.  After seeing many of the reviews for the Anbernic devices, I decided I need one of them... 

 

I just sent my wife a link (good price on the OEM site) for the RG353M.... A good Xmas gift for me, I will be very happy with my new portable

[Flojomojo]

These little unofficial handhelds keep getting better all the time. I have more of them than I should, they're great. My current favorite is the Miyoo Mini which is less powerful but a lot smaller than the Anbernic, a truly pocketable toy. I'm tempted by the RG503 but I know that if I can hold out a little longer, there's usually an even better revision a few months later. 

[Cynicaster]

19 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

These little unofficial handhelds keep getting better all the time. I have more of them than I should, they're great. My current favorite is the Miyoo Mini which is less powerful but a lot smaller than the Anbernic, a truly pocketable toy. I'm tempted by the RG503 but I know that if I can hold out a little longer, there's usually an even better revision a few months later. 

 

Yeah, I was in that mode of "if I wait, I'll get a better deal on something more capable" for many months until I finally realized that my gaming needs do not require "more capable" so I might as well just go ahead and buy something if it looks good.    

 

[Tanooki]

@Cynicaster That's right there where I was on it too.  I was hoping, thinking, I could wait another 1-2 years from when the 351 came out that something retroid pocket go2+ style would hit which could do Gamecube, I would love that on the go.  But what Anbernic went and did was make a very expensive set of handhelds which have glitches and underperform, but have a price thats toxic enough you're better off eating the $300+ shit sandwich for an Odin which I completely refuse to jump up to.  $300 for a handheld better be a Switch or something better, not that.

 

That's when I saw that post locally for $60 on the gently used 351p+64GB card+3d printed grips+usb c charge+usb c wifi dongle+case and I was all over that because I knew where it stopped at, and with custom firmware can be coaxed to do at least 2/3 of the N64 library quite nicely if not perfect(near perfect.)  I don't regret it.

 

I've since put AmberELEC on it the latest build from June and the additional drivers/emulators package is fantastic.  I've been able to coax more than a few chuggin' N64 games up to full frame or just short of it game depending.

[Cynicaster]

Yes, AmberElec is a great upgrade that I did almost right away.  Don’t even remember how I did it, but I know it was straightforward.  

[Tanooki]

Well it seems since it can detect stock or old versions you toss the TAR file into the root then boot it and it sets itself up, then cleans up the mess when its done too.

 

I was happy to find added Retrorun+Parallel64 as that gave a good compatbility and obvious speed boost.  F-Zero X went from unstable and dodgy to full speed all out on the track.  Various others picked up too.  A few dumb ones that had trouble with even N64 emulators 15 years ago+ such as Mystical Ninja64(adventure not platformer) where it chugs to a 5fps crap fest using most engines, they added this mupenSA+rice combo and bam...it's up to speed too.  I'm kind of surprised, also if YOU are curious or anyone else with a 351 that isn't quite perfect for it, I found this fantastic (but not amber elec) up to date yet one that gives the old compatibility and it's fairly solid.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQrnqN-SW5xPtu9Apk9qw5jcROI4f0ibio_KxkwPKk4JK5O_I6qwBbmnxNz7FDNkZ32yplxzJjD8hu8/pubhtml

 

Guy isn't going to update the list anymore as I had asked, but, it's a good starting point with the whole library at least as far as total lost causes go.

[Flojomojo]

2 hours ago, Cynicaster said:

Yes, AmberElec is a great upgrade that I did almost right away.  Don’t even remember how I did it, but I know it was straightforward.  

That’s the other nice thing about these things. Once you set them up, generally you’re good to go for the life of the device; since there’s no networking, there are no updates to fuss with. I almost enjoy setting them up and optimizing them more than actually playing old games on them. 

[Tanooki]

Yeah the massaging the thing to make another N64 game run, better yet run nearly/totally bug free and at full speed adds some level of satisfaction.

 

I took some major rom dumps I have in league with the consoles and handhelds I still own and popped them on there as it fit with good room to spare, but now I'm thinking I might want to shoot for less is more.  Perhaps just the games I actually own only, a few exceptions for dupes in english or a few hack/boot carts I own.  I think it would be a bit more rewarding, but the turn on that would be removing a few things I really can't reliably use anymore.  It's overkill as it sits.