I do think people need to chill out a little bit in expecting all these handhelds to run PS2+ flawlessly, at some point you have to wonder if you're buying the wrong console for the wrong job.
For real, I think I’d be harder on the retro console makers for this if they weren’t making them from basically whatever old CPUs the mobile phone industry is moving on from. When the leftover CPUs that can handle it get liquidated, that’s when we’ll get PS2
It's also worth noting that PS2 emulation even on a PC isn't that great. PCSX2 is WAY behind when compared to Dolphin, which is kind of surprising given the PS2's popularity and architecture vs. the Gamecube. It's gotten a lot better over the past few years, but even as recently as 2019/2020 it didn't even support Vulkan or even simple stuff like hardware mipmapping.
Fortunately mine is underway already. This is probably the best of the smaller consoles. Great performance, impressive quality and small/portable. It should have a screen as good as the RG552, but oh well :)
No matter what time of year it is, we can always expect our boy to be wearing a sweater lol. Great video as always! I ordered a 353P and it just came in the mail today and I’m in love with it! It might take over my 351P 😬
@@adamkane7513 Mainly has better emulation for N64 and Dreamcast where as the 351P is great at emulating PS1 and a good bit of N64. Dreamcast is basically a no go. Plus if you have big hands and want a little bit chunkier handheld the 353P is slight bigger and weighs slightly more. Plus the fact that is the shape of an SNES controller just makes it comfortable in the hands and enjoyable to play on.
@@adamkane7513 4:3 screen fits more consoles than the screen ratio 351P has. Also it has wifi if you care about Retroachievements. All these the 351V has but it hurts my hands too much when I play for hours so that’s why I ordered the 353P personally, I think horizontal is much more comfortable
I have an Anbernic 351p and want to upgrade. The RG405M does not have Hdmi out and i want the upgrade to be more like a home console ( with bluetooth for the controller and Hdmi for the TV). Which one is the best you guys think? Thanks!
I can agree with this. I got into the 351 (much) later (rn playing Celeste for the first time on my 351P) and figured if the 351 gives me this much joy what is the newer stuff like? Turns out, so far, it seems the newer stuff isn't quite worth it yet (minus, perhaps, the Steamdeck at a cost of 6-7k SEK in my country). Obviously improvements will just keep being made but I'm surprised it's going at such a slow pace. Still waiting for Anbernic to stack their shoulderbuttons for instance...
I hope Anbernic's next device returns to all the ports and Linux OS of the RG350M/P with slightly more power than the RG405M with hopefully a 5" screen, stacked shoulder buttons, analogue triggers and a plastic shell option for us eco spenders. =P I don't care for android or touch screen or BT or wifi when it comes to retro gaming everything up to the 6th gen of gaming consoles, BT or Wifi dongles are a cool option but I have never needed to use them with my OG RG350 and REALLY don't want to pay for those options and since I baby my electronics a metal shell is also something I don't need or want to pay for. - BTW One reviewer video recorded 18 hours playing 16 bit games!!! - Ever since 2002 when I discovered emulation and devices like the GP32 all I've wanted is a device that can play PS2 God of War at a solid 60FPS for no more than 150... this offers God of War for PS2 at about... 50-55 fps for $175... almost there. - I'm just glad I both no longer have to hear from people that I'm living in a fantasy world for having unreal expectations AND that my fantasy world is almost a reality. =D
no mention of the odd claw grip you need to use in order to work both the left analog and the bumper/trigger? i can't imagine that being comfortable for any length of time.
@@jamesyu5212 Sorry my candle doesn't burn at both ends and if it did you definitely wouldn't be my type 🤣 at least we both like sweet chilli and sour cream
Would you get this over a modded PS Vita for PSP emulation if my intent for the PS Vita was to emulate PSP and below? I never had a Vita so I don’t know what would be good on it/I don’t know if I’d be missing out on a Vita
Lookin for a handheld that can do wii/ps2 well an be able to stream Xbox game pass for under 200. This don't look like it's going to be it. It's close just not there. Do you have any recommendations for me mate?
Received mine last week and there´s one thing that´s annoying me. The left shoulder buttons have a very metallic sounding click but the right soulder buttons have a normal sound click. Don´t know if it´s a problem with my unit. Can anyone confirm this?
Looking at the anbernic subreddit it seems like a lot of people are receiving these with gaps between the screen and the housing. I was going to buy before I saw that.
I'm looking into the RG405M and wanted to know if it can play Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Colecovision games ,etc? I believe the screen is 4:3 as it appears fairly square in the video which should mean that the early console games would fit properly with little to no boxing at the borders. Can anyone confirm if the older consoles like those I listed can run on this system and will the Anbernic front end work with those system emulators?
I see... an Anbernic device of such a high price is out of order within short time, and that makes you trust them even more and buy their next try, too?
Android on a handheld.. ehh. Turn off screen, put device down, pick it up 4 days later, battery dead. You can cold boot.. but how long does that take? 30 seconds?
@@enriquepinero707 Anbernic says to me: "...wireless projection should be WIFI connection and other wireless connection, same like you project your phone to the TV."
Can this console emulate the 3ds because I was also wondering if you can play the Pokémon game on the ds and 3ds but i didn't get any answers from the comments
Yes they can! Normally the only thing you need WiFi for on these devices is for getting artwork to make the game selection look more fancy or potentially for updates.
For PS2 it is most definitely not the 'absolute best handheld', as there are quite a few others doing a much better job with it. Otherwise I share your opinion. For everything up to / including PS1, DC and N64 this device should just be perfect.
@@clausjahnel5379 yeah, I guess what I meant is that it's so awesome for N64, and the fact that you can play some GC and PS2 makes it even better. I know something like Odin Lite can play more of GC and PS2 for a bit more money, but that thing is huge, has bad controls and has a wider screen which is a waste when playing these systems.
My Galaxy phone can emulate everything except GameCube games. PS1 emulates perfectly,and using a PS4 controller, the experience is only sweeter. I also have an HDMI adaptor so I can play old games on my phone like a legit console. I'm still wondering if this is the handheld I need to buy.
170 dollars is an amazing price considering the nintendo dsi alone was the same price when it first came out and thats just one small system this beutiful console can emulate.
If you want a device that plays majority of ps2 and gamecube your gonna have to look at the £200 + mark. It's unavoidable at the moment. Give it 2 years as they tend to drip feed new features and power into their devices at the moment.
RG552 that you said is a not to buy is much better for retro 4:3 games… much better display, resolution, contrast, color saturation, brightness and also more than 4 inch
I'm sorry, but Anbernic should not be recommended if you are looking for good customer service. They do not honour their warranty for defective products and it is a repeated situation amongst many purchasers of these devices owned by Chinese companies. I would avoid purchasing ANY of these unless they are proven for longevity or they are from a more reputable company. Also note this video has affiliate links so negativity on these devices wont be seen.
You need to watch more of our videos, we mention this a lot, and we often talk down on ANBERNIC's products, so much so that we have been blacklisted by them in the past. We are always honest, and never biased.
@@RetroDodo I appreciate your response, I have not seen your other videos and thanks for providing an unbiased view on them. Once bitten twice shy in this market at the moment :)
Thank goodness you didn't talk about Optimus Primes buttcheeks again, lmao. The handheld looks kind of ugly tbh tho. I'll wait another 14 days and see the next 5 they come out with in that time.
Nah, mate, the left stick position is bullshit, considering the games this device can play. And it's just another device without stacked shoulder buttons, you'd think they learned their lesson by now. But how can they learn when they get praise on RUclips channels and the gullible folks keep buying them?
If you love handhelds, be sure to check out our upcoming book A Handheld History 88 - 95 👉 ahandheldhistory.com/ 📚
Good job bro.
Any way to purchase the original ‘A Handheld History’ book without bundling it with the new one?
I do think people need to chill out a little bit in expecting all these handhelds to run PS2+ flawlessly, at some point you have to wonder if you're buying the wrong console for the wrong job.
For real, I think I’d be harder on the retro console makers for this if they weren’t making them from basically whatever old CPUs the mobile phone industry is moving on from. When the leftover CPUs that can handle it get liquidated, that’s when we’ll get PS2
It's also worth noting that PS2 emulation even on a PC isn't that great. PCSX2 is WAY behind when compared to Dolphin, which is kind of surprising given the PS2's popularity and architecture vs. the Gamecube. It's gotten a lot better over the past few years, but even as recently as 2019/2020 it didn't even support Vulkan or even simple stuff like hardware mipmapping.
@@warbossgegguz679, I thought the PS2 was difficult to develop for? Or am I getting that confused with the PS3?
@@totallytidmouth PS3 was the shitshow.
@@warbossgegguz679, ah, thank you
I ordered a RG405M and I'm so excited for it. Playing on emulators on my phone just never feels right, retro gaming needs buttons.
Ordered mine the day of release. Super excited for this one!
Fortunately mine is underway already. This is probably the best of the smaller consoles. Great performance, impressive quality and small/portable. It should have a screen as good as the RG552, but oh well :)
did you buy the sd card with the games or no
does it have saves? if i’m playing retro pokémon can i save and play it later?
Of course it does. Emulators have full functionality of saving. The console is basically an android device with buttons.
Nice but not sure if I like analog stick being on the upper position
I went to Amazon while you were speaking and purchased one, it will be here tomorrow and I can't wait!!!
One day, hopefully, they buffer the internals with a bit of shock absorption material and then include some port covers.
No matter what time of year it is, we can always expect our boy to be wearing a sweater lol. Great video as always! I ordered a 353P and it just came in the mail today and I’m in love with it! It might take over my 351P 😬
What can the 353P do that the 351P can't?
@@adamkane7513 Mainly has better emulation for N64 and Dreamcast where as the 351P is great at emulating PS1 and a good bit of N64. Dreamcast is basically a no go. Plus if you have big hands and want a little bit chunkier handheld the 353P is slight bigger and weighs slightly more. Plus the fact that is the shape of an SNES controller just makes it comfortable in the hands and enjoyable to play on.
😂 It’s always cold and miserable here in the UK!
@@aquagames5850 plus the fact that u can run the 353p with hdmi out on an monitor!
@@adamkane7513 4:3 screen fits more consoles than the screen ratio 351P has.
Also it has wifi if you care about Retroachievements.
All these the 351V has but it hurts my hands too much when I play for hours so that’s why I ordered the 353P personally, I think horizontal is much more comfortable
Written review really helped me on poor wifi. Thank you for this!!
Anbernic out here mining excess metal ingots
you mine ore, you smelt ignots
Looks okay , pocketable too and good enough for some PS2 and GameCube 😊
W
I wish the D-Pad was in line with the action buttons.
The orignal RG350, Retroid Pocket 2 & Ayo devices just don't feel right to me.
Did Taki Udon create this?
underrated comment. take my upvote.
Really curious how this will compare to the recently announced Retroid pocket 3+ metal
The 3+ metal has no performance upgrades
@@guscrist9710 It will play Doom better. Because it's metal.
@@cyn1stre nah cause that’s a good point 😂
Because it is metal it and it is bigger it will be sold at $220.
I have an Anbernic 351p and want to upgrade. The RG405M does not have Hdmi out and i want the upgrade to be more like a home console ( with bluetooth for the controller and Hdmi for the TV). Which one is the best you guys think? Thanks!
When the 351 came out the future looked bright but since then we’ve had nothing but “ meh” . Great video thanks Brandon
I can agree with this. I got into the 351 (much) later (rn playing Celeste for the first time on my 351P) and figured if the 351 gives me this much joy what is the newer stuff like? Turns out, so far, it seems the newer stuff isn't quite worth it yet (minus, perhaps, the Steamdeck at a cost of 6-7k SEK in my country). Obviously improvements will just keep being made but I'm surprised it's going at such a slow pace. Still waiting for Anbernic to stack their shoulderbuttons for instance...
Slow Pace?! It's just two or three years ago that the rg350 came out, and everybody was celebrating its ability to do PS1.
@@clausjahnel5379 Yes slow pace; we can differ in opinion.
I hope Anbernic's next device returns to all the ports and Linux OS of the RG350M/P with slightly more power than the RG405M with hopefully a 5" screen, stacked shoulder buttons, analogue triggers and a plastic shell option for us eco spenders. =P I don't care for android or touch screen or BT or wifi when it comes to retro gaming everything up to the 6th gen of gaming consoles, BT or Wifi dongles are a cool option but I have never needed to use them with my OG RG350 and REALLY don't want to pay for those options and since I baby my electronics a metal shell is also something I don't need or want to pay for.
- BTW One reviewer video recorded 18 hours playing 16 bit games!!!
- Ever since 2002 when I discovered emulation and devices like the GP32 all I've wanted is a device that can play PS2 God of War at a solid 60FPS for no more than 150... this offers God of War for PS2 at about... 50-55 fps for $175... almost there.
- I'm just glad I both no longer have to hear from people that I'm living in a fantasy world for having unreal expectations AND that my fantasy world is almost a reality. =D
With Gamma OS you can get 20+ hours in power savings mode and fixes the L2 R2 mapping controls 🔥
no mention of the odd claw grip you need to use in order to work both the left analog and the bumper/trigger? i can't imagine that being comfortable for any length of time.
I don't like the asymmetrical button layout either.
Hi, what would you recommend for both streaming and emulating up to DS / 3DS?
Very happy you showcased kingdom hearts on this.
is the ps2 emulation better then on the Retroidpocket3+?
Great review, thanks! ✌🏼😁🎮
Does this play well for sports games like NBA and football?
Is it possible to download ROMs straight to the device through the inbuilt browser?
Resolution a little low for 2023 and it is noticeable because of the slightly larger display. This should have come out a year or two ago.
@@jamesyu5212 Sorry my candle doesn't burn at both ends and if it did you definitely wouldn't be my type 🤣 at least we both like sweet chilli and sour cream
Would you get this over a modded PS Vita for PSP emulation if my intent for the PS Vita was to emulate PSP and below? I never had a Vita so I don’t know what would be good on it/I don’t know if I’d be missing out on a Vita
These look really nice and I would absolutely purchase one if I wasn't already satisfied with the emulation I have on my phone, tablet and 2 PCs.
Another Banger bro💥. It feels awesome in the hand for sure. Im too afraid to open mine lol. Thanks for the honest and awesome share as always.
Lookin for a handheld that can do wii/ps2 well an be able to stream Xbox game pass for under 200.
This don't look like it's going to be it. It's close just not there. Do you have any recommendations for me mate?
It's the perfect companion to a Steam Deck as the steam deck s only portable room to room of the house It is a bad device to take out of the house .
Received mine last week and there´s one thing that´s annoying me. The left shoulder buttons have a very metallic sounding click but the right soulder buttons have a normal sound click. Don´t know if it´s a problem with my unit. Can anyone confirm this?
I dont knw if i should buy this or retroidpocket 3+. Which is worth it?
That’s a very hard decision. RG405M for build quality RP3+ for ease of use (setup).
Looks amazing! Man this hobby is getting expensive!
Looking at the anbernic subreddit it seems like a lot of people are receiving these with gaps between the screen and the housing. I was going to buy before I saw that.
What will be the best custom firmware options
Rg405m vs RG552 which one is better?
Will It Play PS2 Or Nintendo Gamecube
Will It Be On Amazon
Will It Play On The TV If It Does How
one thing i enjoy about these emulation devices especially the rg405m is that it keeps me off of my phone
That's so metal. 🤘🏼
How about dpad quality, compared for example with a snes joystick dpad (that's my standard 😊)?
What do u think is the best emulator device that can run god of war in the 160$ price range
I'm looking into the RG405M and wanted to know if it can play Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Colecovision games ,etc? I believe the screen is 4:3 as it appears fairly square in the video which should mean that the early console games would fit properly with little to no boxing at the borders. Can anyone confirm if the older consoles like those I listed can run on this system and will the Anbernic front end work with those system emulators?
My Rg552 shoulder buttons just quit working. Might grab this one.
I see... an Anbernic device of such a high price is out of order within short time, and that makes you trust them even more and buy their next try, too?
can u make a vid on the best budget ones
Is it strong enough to play Dreamcast games with 2x internal res (1280×960) at full speed?
Yes
Awesome Thank you!
Android on a handheld.. ehh. Turn off screen, put device down, pick it up 4 days later, battery dead. You can cold boot.. but how long does that take? 30 seconds?
does it have saves? if i’m playing retro pokémon can i save and play it later?
Yes
@@RetroDodo hey man! does it have ds pokémon games as well? if so all of them?
Personally i would've switched the usbc and headphone ports.
It's just weird to have the charging on top.
Does this have any sort of HDMI out? Odd that they would have bluetooth (with what I assume works for extra controller support), but no HDMI out.
Pretty sure the USB-C port does video out
@Nick Kentros
No, I don't think so.
It has a projection function.
@@Jellocheck Like over wifi? Never really felt those were stable, but not bad.
@@enriquepinero707 Anbernic says to me: "...wireless projection should be WIFI connection and other wireless connection, same like you project your phone to the TV."
Can anybody tell me the direct link to a website that will guarantee the SD card that has that same library as in the video please and thank you
How does this works for N64??
Why is the 3DS never mentioned? The thing even has Citra installed on it.
Most handhelds can't emulate 3DS. It's quite a big step over the OG DS.
Can this console emulate the 3ds because I was also wondering if you can play the Pokémon game on the ds and 3ds but i didn't get any answers from the comments
These can play the games without WiFi?
Yes they can! Normally the only thing you need WiFi for on these devices is for getting artwork to make the game selection look more fancy or potentially for updates.
The bundle is sold out. Is it going to be available again?
Conflicted between this and the flip anyone help?
If your goal is playing PS2 and GameCube games, this is better option since the screen aspect ratio is 4:3.
I'm over here waiting on my Loki Zero i pre-ordered. 😏🙄
Does it play ssb melee?
Does it play PS2 NFL STREET 2 ???
No TV output though no?
usb c can do video out these days
Usb c video out?
This looks like the absolute best handheld for analog based systems like N64, PS2 and Arcade. Awesome.
For PS2 it is most definitely not the 'absolute best handheld', as there are quite a few others doing a much better job with it.
Otherwise I share your opinion. For everything up to / including PS1, DC and N64 this device should just be perfect.
@@clausjahnel5379 yeah, I guess what I meant is that it's so awesome for N64, and the fact that you can play some GC and PS2 makes it even better.
I know something like Odin Lite can play more of GC and PS2 for a bit more money, but that thing is huge, has bad controls and has a wider screen which is a waste when playing these systems.
Though to be honest, I have a HTC U11 with a Snapdragon 835 laying around. Might just buy a Razer Kishi and use that for PS2 and GameCube instead
My Galaxy phone can emulate everything except GameCube games. PS1 emulates perfectly,and using a PS4 controller, the experience is only sweeter.
I also have an HDMI adaptor so I can play old games on my phone like a legit console. I'm still wondering if this is the handheld I need to buy.
170 dollars is an amazing price considering the nintendo dsi alone was the same price when it first came out and thats just one small system this beutiful console can emulate.
If you want a device that plays majority of ps2 and gamecube your gonna have to look at the £200 + mark. It's unavoidable at the moment. Give it 2 years as they tend to drip feed new features and power into their devices at the moment.
Very true.
RG552 that you said is a not to buy is much better for retro 4:3 games… much better display, resolution, contrast, color saturation, brightness and also more than 4 inch
Would anyone be able to enlighten me if I could take my old SD cards from an older ambernick device and just put them in a newer one?
If you are talking about the sd card containing your roms - yes, you absoluly can. 🙂
@@clausjahnel5379 thank you comrade
I wish they put a volume wheel on the sides
Your fingers would hit it.
Is xbox remote play playable on this?
I'm sorry, but Anbernic should not be recommended if you are looking for good customer service. They do not honour their warranty for defective products and it is a repeated situation amongst many purchasers of these devices owned by Chinese companies. I would avoid purchasing ANY of these unless they are proven for longevity or they are from a more reputable company.
Also note this video has affiliate links so negativity on these devices wont be seen.
You need to watch more of our videos, we mention this a lot, and we often talk down on ANBERNIC's products, so much so that we have been blacklisted by them in the past. We are always honest, and never biased.
@@RetroDodo I appreciate your response, I have not seen your other videos and thanks for providing an unbiased view on them. Once bitten twice shy in this market at the moment :)
This would be my dream handheld if it didnt get hot playing it for 40 mins
Do we know yet how the Retroid Pocket Flip compares to it? Any guesses?
Same specs
Godammit just ordered 353m
Why no HDMI tho?
They have integrated a projection function but I don't know how it works.
No Linux?
Looks good....😊
Power doesn't matter. Price and build quality matters.
Wrong. If the goal is to emulate PS2, NGC and Wii properly processing power does matter A LOT.
now i just need the cheaper plastic models
Can it play DS games?
Yes, very well.
"And maybe even bullets" XD
Fuck if it really handles ps2 and GameCube I might be sold
only like 50% of games. still good enough. but i agree if this thing had a better chip and better display it would be perfect.
now we have a metal retroid pocket 3+ lol debatably better too bc layout
at that price range you may as well save up for something better
Don't knock it till you try it 😉
@@Guitario666 huh? who needs to try it? the specs are public. use your brain
I got the 1000th like!
THESE THINGS HAVE TOUCHSCREEN NOW😳
Yup!
t618 is just not cutting it.
I feel like you are prejudiced against anbernic
Thank goodness you didn't talk about Optimus Primes buttcheeks again, lmao.
The handheld looks kind of ugly tbh tho. I'll wait another 14 days and see the next 5 they come out with in that time.
Nah, mate, the left stick position is bullshit, considering the games this device can play. And it's just another device without stacked shoulder buttons, you'd think they learned their lesson by now. But how can they learn when they get praise on RUclips channels and the gullible folks keep buying them?
100%
Ok
whats bullshit is they never have volume wheels on most retro handhelds
It has no button mapping.😤
Yes it does
Has anybody tried playing GTA San Andreas on this?
IPS panel issues and poor Streaming performance.. Im out.
get a RP3+ if you want to stream it has a 16:9 aspect ratio 720p display
Eh, overpriced
2023 & STILL up only to PS1 emulation.. Really #anbernic !?
get a laptop
@@pinoyrunningpenguin exactly
And the ugliest in 2023