The Anbernic series has the best in hand feel for retro gaming. Definitely not the fastest or strongest UI, but the best handheld for anything PS1 and below. I had to get all the Anbernic consoles after I got the 351m, they are just so good.
As an old-school gamer I really could care less about aspect ratios. Just the fact that I can carry around all of these systems with a built-in screen and controller just blows my mind. I love it.
@@8-bitsteve500 or when a rapper says "I give a fuck about (insert something negative) implying that they don't care about it, but the sentence is actually saying that they do in fact care about it
I find it interesting that they have given a better screen to the RG351V as well as 2 SD card slots. This is something I would have thought they would have saved for the metal one.
I vastly prefer the screen of the RG351V, but the ergonomics of the RG351M (not sure why they changed the screen ratio and dropped HDMI compared to the RG350M). Maybe they'll come out with a RG352M which uses the RG351V screen, a slightly beefier SoC and adds HDMI out. That'd be my ideal. 2 SD card slots is also nice, but I'd prefer HDMI out.
I really don't get the love for the achievements thing on modern consoles, never mind adding them to old games. That being said, top review much appreciated.
Theres an ArkOS to this device (thumbs up, great system). 351elec is nice too. Today was released emuelec 4.0, I dont know if works with this device yet.
I feel like Anbernic is stagnating. They just keep re-releasing the same hardware with different materials and form factors, nothing really new is coming from them.
@@SilverReviews I wouldn't say garbage, they look like legit high quality machines, and they run well. They are a bit over priced, though. If they were able to pull off better PSP and NDS emulation I'd say they were priced appropriately.
@@Vandel212 I'd say I'm honestly satisfied with ds and psp performance on the rg351p. Of course it doesn't run 3d games that well, but rpgs like pokemon or persona and puzzle games run really well. My main gripe is N64 emulation, it really has a bit too much stutter for games to be enjoyable. Hopefully next gen chipsets fix all these issues.
Nicely done review video, thank you. The Anbernic isn't bad at all, but in my opinion the GPD XD+ is still the best portable retro hand held available.
23:56 What the hell is "Achievement unlocked"? Did the manufacturer modify Mario 3 to add that feature or could the OS somehow detect that Mario got the leaf? Both sounds very different to implement to me.
I just ordered my RG351M. I hope I enjoy this a ton. I bought to play some classic-ish rpg games while at work on break and down time and any other occasion. I don't know much at all, if anything really about these types of retro consoles with emulators and rom's. Pokemon, and Final Fantasy games ar really want I wanna play. The DS versions if possible, idk if they are.
If you want something that sometimes comes preloaded with games and you can play right out of the box, you want the the rg351m. If you want a more personalized experience and slightly better performance, with tinkering of course, the retroid pocket 2 is for you. As far as build quality, I only have rp2, but it seems like rg351m build quality is probably better
How is the anberports? I really wanna play the old skool FPS 'BLOOD' and kinda wondering should I get this or wait until one drops that can handle Dreamcast/n64 maybe ps2 or GCN. 🤔
I just tried Anberports on my RG351P but it won’t start. Copied the folder and .SH file over to the ports directory, restarted and it appears but when I try to start it just sits the about 5 seconds and returns to Emulation Station.. shame s as it looks great
@@majkati69 I’d need to check but it’s probably 4-5 weeks since I upgraded as I only got the RG351p then as well. If it’s been updated since I will give that a try. Thanks :)
Yes you can do these with the wifi USB dongle but you can also install a WiFi chip inside the device If you like. Check the Retro Game Corps RUclips channel for that and more
So they only thing I've noticed, and I point out in this video, is NE/SE diagonals on the dpad need to get broken in. It feels exactly like what my 351P went through.
As someone who isn't tech savvy and doesn't have any of there own rooms at the moment. Would this system still be a good buy? And I'd the stock OS good or do you recommend Arkos across the board? And do you have a video just showing how to download that and set it up. I know you go over it a bit in here. But I didn't know if you had a more in depth video. Thank you
I just received the device for the first time and installed ArkOS in one go, it’s pretty simple, just download ArkOS from github. Backup the bios folder from the original sdcard. Use a different sdcard, format it as ntfs, extract the ArkOs.img file into that sdcard. Insert the sdcard into the device, power it on and it’ll do all the installation for you. After installation is done you can take out the sdcard and put back the old bios folders, and add whatever games you want. When you are in a game, press together Select + Start + L + R to go into the setting menu.
So I just got my order in for the 351m and want to know, do the usb-c ports work with flash drives? And does it read files off of them. Also, is it possible to go back to stock after installing ArkOS? (Edit, so if I use a new sd card, the old sd card boots it up into stock?) I'm not this stupid I swear..
I think it’s possible to go back to stock after installing arkos but I imagine it’s really complicated. There hasn’t been a guide or anything about it, but I know that the stock os won’t work if you have arkos installed already. As for reading usb drives, it doesn’t you need to manually use the sd card. Hope I answered your question.
@@ОлегЖданов-ъ1д it is technically "running" though. it is a bad experience with only like 10-15fps and shittons of audio stutter but the game IS running on the device
The PS Vita is your best option for portable GoW gaming. You get GoW 1 and 2 with the God of War Collection, and PS Vita does PSP games natively so you can play Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta with no glitches or frame skipping at all. It runs perfectly.
Are there any folks such as yourself who can do all this for a customer if one would pay the extra fee to have it done. Personally I would like to just purchased this with say a better SD and have it all loaded with everything. Talk to me here 🙋🏻♂️
@@ThePhawx thank you for your feedback. I appreciate When you talk about Arkos I remember all my old devices from the pionneer Archos such as the Jukebox20 (I was proud in 2002 to have a "media player" of 20Gb when Apple came with the first Ipod of 1Gb) the PMA400 or Archos500 - it was from 2000 until 2010 more or less and even if they are almost in bankruptcy today it was technicaly one of the most advanced devices at that time :-) Anyway, thank you very much for your hardwork, it's always a pleasure to watch your videos !! Be safe
you should put a capital M and P in the device name in the title, it's hard to find your video over the other not as good reviews! btw: will you compare ArcOS and the updated ELEC?
They need drop the rk3326 or any rockchip for that matter. And just use mt8183 mt8192 or unisoc t618 so that we can run android 10 or variant of emuelec 4.0
Great video! :) 👍 In addition to the RG351P i have now also tested the RG351M (ArkOS/351ELEC). I would be happy if you stop by 👋 I'm really excited about the metal version 😍
I love retro gaming, have the RG351P and it’s a great handheld. I reviewed the 18S Pro on my channel, would be great if you checked it out and shared it.
i had 350m.. touching the floor in his case and screen went blinking..this piece of junk has no durability quality at all. that modern tech crap can't hold a small drop.. maybe this model is better.. but i doubt it .just another chinese piece of crap
So much wasted time..just get to the point. It’s a handheld. We know it has card slot volume shoulder buttons etc. takes nearly 10 minutes before you even turn it on. Answer is no, it’s not worth it
I like how he breaks it down into sections. He also answers most obscure questions that someone may have when not being able to see one of these devices in person before purchase.
The Anbernic series has the best in hand feel for retro gaming. Definitely not the fastest or strongest UI, but the best handheld for anything PS1 and below. I had to get all the Anbernic consoles after I got the 351m, they are just so good.
As an old-school gamer I really could care less about aspect ratios. Just the fact that I can carry around all of these systems with a built-in screen and controller just blows my mind. I love it.
I couldn't have said it better myself
Grammar 101: "Couldn't care less". if you could care less then you are saying you care even a little. smh
@@8-bitsteve500 or when a rapper says "I give a fuck about (insert something negative) implying that they don't care about it, but the sentence is actually saying that they do in fact care about it
@@ChodyRay True.
@@ChodyRay Why specifically a rapper lmao
Ambernic really needs to beef up the performance, we need a newer chip or something.
@Ronald Alexis Why would you even want to do that?
@Ronald Alexis Stfu bot and your other account
I find it interesting that they have given a better screen to the RG351V as well as 2 SD card slots. This is something I would have thought they would have saved for the metal one.
I vastly prefer the screen of the RG351V, but the ergonomics of the RG351M (not sure why they changed the screen ratio and dropped HDMI compared to the RG350M). Maybe they'll come out with a RG352M which uses the RG351V screen, a slightly beefier SoC and adds HDMI out. That'd be my ideal. 2 SD card slots is also nice, but I'd prefer HDMI out.
I really don't get the love for the achievements thing on modern consoles, never mind adding them to old games. That being said, top review much appreciated.
25:49 Can't you play it with vertical bars to eliminate the squished aspect ratio?
now this is what i call a review!
The screen is really great. Have mine at 40% brightness, and it's better in the sun then my 3ds at 100% brightness
Theres an ArkOS to this device (thumbs up, great system). 351elec is nice too. Today was released emuelec 4.0, I dont know if works with this device yet.
Just purchased one based on your review. Looking forward to playing some Pico 8 on it.
This video is very nice… Great job on describing how to get the ArKOS on there, … I want to get one of these.
if you get the new 351elec 2.0 it has RGA scaling on by default & it will fit the graphic glitches in all your games
I feel like Anbernic is stagnating. They just keep re-releasing the same hardware with different materials and form factors, nothing really new is coming from them.
It's called dragging it out to make as much money possible because everyone knows they make the best quality retro handheld, for now
That's why competition is needed
Yeah anbernic is overpriced rehashed garbage tbh
@@SilverReviews I wouldn't say garbage, they look like legit high quality machines, and they run well. They are a bit over priced, though. If they were able to pull off better PSP and NDS emulation I'd say they were priced appropriately.
@@Vandel212 I'd say I'm honestly satisfied with ds and psp performance on the rg351p. Of course it doesn't run 3d games that well, but rpgs like pokemon or persona and puzzle games run really well. My main gripe is N64 emulation, it really has a bit too much stutter for games to be enjoyable. Hopefully next gen chipsets fix all these issues.
Nicely done review video, thank you. The Anbernic isn't bad at all, but in my opinion the GPD XD+ is still the best portable retro hand held available.
I agree but they are not robust enough , I am careful with mine and had to replace the screen link twice , poor design, otherwise great unit IMO
I feel like the analog sticks ARE critical if you plan on playing PS1 games. I'm glad they are there.
Any reasons you do not adjust the screen to 4:3 for the NES, SNES, etc?
23:56 What the hell is "Achievement unlocked"? Did the manufacturer modify Mario 3 to add that feature or could the OS somehow detect that Mario got the leaf? Both sounds very different to implement to me.
I think it's built into retro arch but I could be wrong sorry if I am wrong
it's a feature in retroarch
MY 7YR. OLD ANBERNIC RG351M FREEZES ON LOAD SCREEN..HELPPP!!! CANNOT GET PAST THAT..VIBRATES WHEN POWER LOADS UP..THEN FREEZES ON DONE SCREEN.
What did the kid want at 22:54?
Just tablet related stuff haha
I just ordered my RG351M. I hope I enjoy this a ton. I bought to play some classic-ish rpg games while at work on break and down time and any other occasion. I don't know much at all, if anything really about these types of retro consoles with emulators and rom's. Pokemon, and Final Fantasy games ar really want I wanna play. The DS versions if possible, idk if they are.
Retroid pocket 2 vs rg351m?
If you want something that sometimes comes preloaded with games and you can play right out of the box, you want the the rg351m. If you want a more personalized experience and slightly better performance, with tinkering of course, the retroid pocket 2 is for you. As far as build quality, I only have rp2, but it seems like rg351m build quality is probably better
How is the anberports? I really wanna play the old skool FPS 'BLOOD' and kinda wondering should I get this or wait until one drops that can handle Dreamcast/n64 maybe ps2 or GCN. 🤔
Anberports look to be a lot of fun. I do have to take a closer look at these soonn
I just tried Anberports on my RG351P but it won’t start. Copied the folder and .SH file over to the ports directory, restarted and it appears but when I try to start it just sits the about 5 seconds and returns to Emulation Station.. shame s as it looks great
@@SEGAMasterSystemNerd what firmware are you running on your rg351? it works fine on latest arkos
@@majkati69 I’d need to check but it’s probably 4-5 weeks since I upgraded as I only got the RG351p then as well. If it’s been updated since I will give that a try. Thanks :)
How do you play DS with one screen?
the L2 and R2 trigger buttons changes the screen on the ds game and the right stick is what you used for game that used the touch screen
@@omarguerrero6417 Thanks.
I would love this form factor with a pi 4 inside.
So if I got a 2nd SD card and put Ark OS on it, could I then swap between the 2? or does putting Ark on it overwrite the original OS?
Analog sticks is great for fighting games.
Just the left one would be enough for me.
can you download roms wirelessly on the 351m??..great vid.
Why do you have to install a new os? is this just a preference or does it actually matter?
Why are they so small, any gamers with larger hands this is really awkward to hold. In reviews please make size comparisons
Definitely the main turn off for me and I don’t even have particularly big hands
Guys which is better, Gpd xd+ or Anbernic rgb351m? Kindly advise
can you not do online firmware updates and scrape meta data with the usb wifi on the 351p?
Yes you can do these with the wifi USB dongle but you can also install a WiFi chip inside the device If you like.
Check the Retro Game Corps RUclips channel for that and more
You know, I didn't think to ask, does this run PAL or NTSC roms?
does it include a library of games and emulators or do i have to add all those myself?
Roms pretty sure
Is there any Cardinal directions snapping with the joystick still?
So they only thing I've noticed, and I point out in this video, is NE/SE diagonals on the dpad need to get broken in. It feels exactly like what my 351P went through.
@@ThePhawx Awesome because the snapping with the 350, can be pretty annoying.
Does it have the Simpsons arcade game on it?
As someone who isn't tech savvy and doesn't have any of there own rooms at the moment. Would this system still be a good buy? And I'd the stock OS good or do you recommend Arkos across the board? And do you have a video just showing how to download that and set it up. I know you go over it a bit in here. But I didn't know if you had a more in depth video. Thank you
I just received the device for the first time and installed ArkOS in one go, it’s pretty simple, just download ArkOS from github. Backup the bios folder from the original sdcard. Use a different sdcard, format it as ntfs, extract the ArkOs.img file into that sdcard. Insert the sdcard into the device, power it on and it’ll do all the installation for you. After installation is done you can take out the sdcard and put back the old bios folders, and add whatever games you want.
When you are in a game, press together Select + Start + L + R to go into the setting menu.
So I just got my order in for the 351m and want to know, do the usb-c ports work with flash drives? And does it read files off of them. Also, is it possible to go back to stock after installing ArkOS? (Edit, so if I use a new sd card, the old sd card boots it up into stock?) I'm not this stupid I swear..
I think it’s possible to go back to stock after installing arkos but I imagine it’s really complicated. There hasn’t been a guide or anything about it, but I know that the stock os won’t work if you have arkos installed already. As for reading usb drives, it doesn’t you need to manually use the sd card. Hope I answered your question.
Csn u play mame games on this?
How are these identical? 351M has a 480p display and 351P doesn't, that's a huge selling point.
Try again Bub.
@@jamesyu5212 Duh, I was thinking about the 350. Thanks for correcting my ass. 😅
What about psp games like god of war, etc, do they run on this?
Of course not
you'll be able to run it, not very well though.
@@majkati69 few frames per second != run
@@ОлегЖданов-ъ1д it is technically "running" though. it is a bad experience with only like 10-15fps and shittons of audio stutter but the game IS running on the device
The PS Vita is your best option for portable GoW gaming. You get GoW 1 and 2 with the God of War Collection, and PS Vita does PSP games natively so you can play Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta with no glitches or frame skipping at all. It runs perfectly.
Nice video. Thank.
cool design but the emulation in the system i want to play arent good
Are there any folks such as yourself who can do all this for a customer if one would pay the extra fee to have it done. Personally I would like to just purchased this with say a better SD and have it all loaded with everything. Talk to me here 🙋🏻♂️
are you able to play ps2 games on this system?
Unfortunately, no.
@@ThePhawx thanks
Of course not
Is it possible to run EmuElec on it ?
Absolutely, I just prefer ArkOS
@@ThePhawx thank you for your feedback. I appreciate
When you talk about Arkos I remember all my old devices from the pionneer Archos such as the Jukebox20 (I was proud in 2002 to have a "media player" of 20Gb when Apple came with the first Ipod of 1Gb) the PMA400 or Archos500 - it was from 2000 until 2010 more or less and even if they are almost in bankruptcy today it was technicaly one of the most advanced devices at that time :-)
Anyway, thank you very much for your hardwork, it's always a pleasure to watch your videos !!
Be safe
you should put a capital M and P in the device name in the title, it's hard to find your video over the other not as good reviews! btw: will you compare ArcOS and the updated ELEC?
Could i add more game by own self?
Absolutely
The RG351P can be hacked to have internal Wifi
They need drop the rk3326 or any rockchip for that matter. And just use mt8183 mt8192 or unisoc t618 so that we can run android 10 or variant of emuelec 4.0
Not even worth comparison. Because they are the same. I don't think it is worth the extra money. Metal casing is not an upgrade.
Exactly, anbernic just rehashes constantly. It's not worth the price
Yup
Is it worth??
Great video! :) 👍 In addition to the RG351P i have now also tested the RG351M (ArkOS/351ELEC). I would be happy if you stop by 👋 I'm really excited about the metal version 😍
Is there bluetooth?
No
I love retro gaming, have the RG351P and it’s a great handheld. I reviewed the 18S Pro on my channel, would be great if you checked it out and shared it.
it is not better a ps vita with hack?
Do you know how much those things cost there a fortune
@@Ryantheman17 where I live it is almost the same price.
Damn lucky
this thing looks sweet also second
27:15 - that's a weird name for a game... ;D
Cheevo at 23:56
Yes
Nice😀.
you my fried are first
the difference in price is 24 dollars now, idk why anyone would buy a plastic one unless its some kind of convoluted nostalgia/authenticity festish.
I think is the best OGA clone
dont know i can't save state my game with this
Why 320 480 why
Why does everything look so shit on yours?? is it the ArkOS that did that?
Its real loud
Well all good but a modded ps vita is way better
i had 350m.. touching the floor in his case and screen went blinking..this piece of junk has no durability quality at all. that modern tech crap can't hold a small drop.. maybe this model is better.. but i doubt it .just another chinese piece of crap
So much wasted time..just get to the point. It’s a handheld. We know it has card slot volume shoulder buttons etc. takes nearly 10 minutes before you even turn it on. Answer is no, it’s not worth it
I like how he breaks it down into sections. He also answers most obscure questions that someone may have when not being able to see one of these devices in person before purchase.
@@klwarhouse there’s nothing obscure about these devices. We don’t even need to see gameplay, we know what it runs already
@@tita4359 I didnt?
the video is literally segmented so you can skip to what you're interested in, i don't get what you're complaining about