ANBERNIC RG DS

Good:
- Got a dud version at first with battery issues but Anbernic is reliable in that sense that they take care of support so after troubleshooting a new device was received free of extra charges.
- Device ergonomics, overall design is solid for the price point. This is my 4th Anbernic and probably wont be the last one either. They got this.
- Excellent device as a gift be it with vanilla OS or with customized. I put GammaOS on mine and customized the device towards target audience specific tastes. Perfect end result.

Con:
- Slightly underpowered so pay attention if you wish to go towards the higher end. half a star off if using stock OS as frame tearing or just low FPS can be an annoyance. Not a big deal but still...
- Non-linux based Stock OS is usable but clearly sub-par compared to the new OS that i can vouch to be very much good 'as-is' right from the start. Half a star off but might as well add it back if latest OS is in. The difference is major to me.

The newest firmware came installed on the supplied SD card, and isn't bad at all. That said, I switched over to ROCKNIX on a new Sandisk SD card (be careful you don't pick an incompatible type, I believe ones like the Sandisk Ultra series can't be used), and installed Advanced-Drastic.

Everything up to 3DS runs perfect. I was wondering if input lag would be an issue, but there's no perceptible latency with this setup. I've been playing Elite Beat Agents with no problem.

When you hit 3DS, then getting 60fps depends on the game. 80's Overdrive and Rune Factory run essentially perfect. Ocarina of Time 3D pauses to compile shaders for new areas, but otherwise also runs fine. Mario Kart 7 isn't playable, running around half speed.

For consoles, the limit is around the mid-Dreamcast era. Sword of the Berserk and Zombie Revenge run full-speed on Flycast-standalone when you tinker with the settings. More demanding titles like Echo the Dolphin are around 30-45fps, so no good.

I bought this as my son’s (4) first handheld to have all on his own. At first, I was impressed but I saw some minor issues with some of the systems I wanted to emulate. Then I learned about Gamma OS and Cocoon front end. There may be other ways to get there, but with the new OS and a dual screen front end, I’m actually kind of jealous seeing how sweet this thing is (especially for the price.) The RG DS is a great low-power everyday carry or introductory handheld. =)

Ich bin insgesamt wirklich sehr zufrieden mit dem Gerät. Die Verarbeitung, die Performance und das gesamte Nutzungserlebnis sind richtig gut gerade für Retro-Gaming macht es echt Spaß und fühlt sich einfach rund an.

Einziger kleiner Kritikpunkt ist der Bildschirm: Bei hellen Flächen sind leichte, helle Flecken sichtbar. Das ist nichts Dramatisches, aber es fällt auf und ist ein bisschen schade :(.

Trotzdem muss ich sagen, dass ich die Firma dahinter echt feiere... man merkt, dass hier viel Leidenschaft für solche Geräte steckt.

Abgesehen davon ist das Gerät aber top und ich würde es auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen!

This device is quite unique - my first impressions weren't great at all. It has pretty stiff hinges, squeaky screen panels as well as pretty loud trigger buttons. But for some weird reason I found that as a part of it's charm. It's just fun to use RG DS for anything DS/PS1 and below. Man, I love to play DS games on this thing more than on my Thor - it just feels more like the original console.
At the end of the day, despite it's flaws, I think it is a great device, which deserves some love.

Really have enjoyed using this, I got the white version and the black and red for my wife, we both find it concretely to hold and use, and Nds gaming is a lot of fun. Pushing the chip set as hard as I can with other systems and honestly yes I don’t mind the 4 hour battery life, for use at home or away. I love the hinge and the weight to it, feels premium and even like the joystick feeling, never played with those ps vita style sticks. I’d happily buy again for the use case it’s made for and yes you can game and watch YouTube!

For such a low price you get to play all DS games at 2x resolution and some 3ds games (including the pokemon). I hope this device succeeds so we get an RG 3DS in the future!

With handhelds reaching, and exceeding, the cost of a Steam Deck I wanted something within a reasonable price range. This looked promising being able to play all my NDS games as well as 1st through 5th gen consoles. It was exactly what I was looking for!
My hands do cramp, so I don't recommend extended play. Also it doesn't have a port to store a stylus so I found a work-a-round.

Works great for emulating DS and even *some* 3DS, as well as several other platforms. Great form factor, and still able to fit in one's pocket on the go.

honestly didn’t expect to fall in love with a handheld like this, but the Anbernic DS surprised me in the best way possible. It’s easily one of the most beautiful devices I’ve owned in a long time. The design feels solid, thoughtful, and just straight-up satisfying to hold and use.
Everything about it feels right—the look, the feel, the experience. It brings back that excitement of picking up a device and actually wanting to use it every day. I genuinely love it.
If I had the chance, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one as soon as I can. That’s how much I enjoy it.

Love mine and use it every day!

The build quality is premium. I love to relive the nds again. The price is unbeatable for a dual screen.

It's my second Anbernic Product, after the Rg34xx, and the first one with a Android Firmware, and I must say the out of the Box experience is great.
You install some roms onto your MicroSD Card or buy one directly here.
Put it in, and start the System, then press on the Android surface onto Drastic for DS Games or some other Emulator and start the Game, no need to Update, no need for internet, just start the game and have fun.
I don't think it's good for 3DS Games so don't buy it if you want to play Games like Fantasy Life, but for everything NDS and below it's a great system.

Absolutely love this RGDS, Pokémon Gold getting paid none stop.

Super fast delivery and the rg ds is a very great consoles for gaming but if the screen could be larger a bit that will be great

If you just want to replay NDS games, or other games of about the same system requirements, this device can't be beat. The only struggle I had was with Anbernic's own OS. Flashed it with Rocknix and all features work great. Devices is really solid, with easily 3 hours of playtime. A nice chunk of nostalgia. About the range as the RG40XXV, which play most of my retro games on. Now dual screen fit the NDS. Great, a no brainer!

Tank you soo much ANBERNIC !!

Incredibly accurate and better than original DS or DSI XL . Amazing screens and buttons.

Everything is perfect, I can play NDS game seamlessly

I like the linux versión, good job.

This is so fucking good how the actual fuck do you make something this good

I love the RG DS so much. I used to emulate games on my PC or phone. But nothing beats playing a classic DS or GBA game in bed on a handheld device, just like you did as a kid. And it emulates DS games flawlessly. On top of the games, it runs Android so you can do so many other things than emulate games. The one thing I wish to be different is to make a built-in stylus, it's hard to keep the stylus and DS together sometimes. Other than that, I am enjoying the device more than I thought i would.

For my nephew. He loves it

A product i do enjoy and use often but It does show the price.

Pros:
- surprisingly strong construction.
- buttons are well made.
- hinge is tight and seems well built so far.

Cons:
- speaker buzzing.
- size (large not ds lite size and bigger then my thor).
- os system dosnet run well so set up is difficult but after is fine.

The RG DS in my opinion is a great device, it has a premium feeling when held. Its size is just perfect and the buttons have nice feeling to it. Its really cool that RG DS has 2 USB-C ports. The emulation capabilities are up to ps1/n64/psp and maybe dreamcast. But i expected RG DS to have a bit more power, so really there isnt much use for both joysticks.
To sum up RG DS is a great way to experience nds games and other classic games from 1980s to 2000s.