Anbernic RG556 Impressions: $185 Retroid Pocket Rival
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- The Anbernic RG556 is finally here, with a 5.48" AMOLED display and an upgraded Unisoc T820 chipset. In this first impressions video let's test its controls, ergonomics, and screen, and do some precursory emulation tests too.
Buy one here (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCt...
Anbernic direct: bit.ly/RG556rgc
RG405V review (for the Anbernic frontend): • Anbernic RG405V In-Dep...
Retroid Pocket 4 Starter Guide (will work on this device too): • Retroid Pocket 4/Pro S...
This was a review unit sent to me by the manufacturer. All opinions are my own, they did not see this review ahead of time, and no money was exchanged in any way.
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
01:02 specs and pricing
02:46 unboxing and impressions
05:44 controls
10:51 fan noise and audio quality
12:56 size and weight comparisons
15:25 software experience
17:44 screen quality
20:39 emulation (classic, PSP, Saturn)
23:01 Nintendo 3DS and GameCube
25:27 PS2, Switch, and streaming
30:05 summary (green/red flags)
32:30 conclusion
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This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only.
#Anbernic #RG556 #emulation #retrohandheld - Hry
"Anything between 5 and 6 inches is always great for me" Russ, Retro Game Corp
WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN
Glad I'm not the only one who heard that LOL
Ladies and Gentlemen….we got him
new merch slogan?
@@chrisbeale7629omg 😅
“What do you have inside?!” “…fake Gameboy.” Had me rolling
"...in my fake Gucci"
I’m going to start working this into conversation. No one will understand. I will laugh to myself.
Functionally, that really is what a lot of these things are lmao
gameboys fake, this is the real one
Lol
$185, OLED, Hall sticks, large battery, PS2 emulation, Anbernic really made a banger with this one.
Russ’s greatest asset is he doesn’t rush out his full fledged reviews. He does a first impression then spends actual time with it before the full review. Too many channels play with the device for two hours then make a final thoughts.
Far too many.
As an Anbernic enjoyer, I am psyched for this device. We need a comparison video with the Retroid Pocket 4!
Anbernic is going freaking hard on this one. AMOLED. 5500 mAh battery and 8 gigs of memory. For 185. This is great. Wow
Not to mention, a nice ergo grip and properly placed analogs! All hail Anberbic!
Sin mencionar los 5.5" de la pantalla
@@tynao2029 exactly. That's well made for that price they are asking for it
Quick judgement 30+ minutes long. I love this channel.
I love that you love this channel
@@pepito69 I love that you love that they love this channel
I channel this love
@@ilkercolak6195we love this channel
what is love
We are quickly approaching a golden age of handhelds. Ive always said that when we get decent build handhelds that can run ps2/gamecube with full performance for 150$, we will reach the price to performance ratio where every retro gamer will have good reason to buy in. I think we'll be there by the end of the year
Totally agreed, it’s like every company is waiting it out baiting us and getting us to buy the cheaper chipsets while slowly upgrading. A year ago if you wanted PS2 and GC you had to shell out $300. Now $200 gets you there. At this point there isn’t much further to escalate and they have to give us PS2 and GC. My dream is a vertical handheld that can do PS2 and GC. The RG405V is almost it so I bought it and I’m just waiting for their upgrade
I am holding out for ps3 at 2x resolution for my handheld buy in.
If your "full performance" refer to running all games at full speed at at least 1x, I doubt end of this year is possible especially for PS2 emulation where there is no longer development for Android.
Even the Odin 2 has issue running certain games at full speed even at 1x, such as dirge of Cerberus, parts of sly Cooper 2 and some others, would either need further improvement to emulator or alot more power to brute force through which will definitely not be $150 this year or any time soon.😂
Also keep in mind that what reviewers test/show is most probably not indicatjve of the game performance in the whole game.
Seeing plenty of comments here and in discord asking why stubbs has better performance from this device, never considering the games tested are different and even for the same game the area being tested and stuff on screen is different.
I always told myself I would get one if it could run almost all GameCube/ps2 games for under $200 and this seems like the perfect time. The fact it can run vita and most likely switch is more icing on the cake
One thing I'm always curious about is how well these systems can handle winlator to emulate playing windows games.
The future will be interesting for sure.
Just a friendly tip for running games at full speed on Aethersx2 : You need to start the game, then go into settings, find the advanced section, and disable memory wrapping. In the graphics settings : Hardware Mode setting, select Unsynchronized. With these changes, games like Dragon Quest VIII which had massive slowdown in the town areas were running at the full 60fps even at 2x resolution on my Fire Max 11 tablet. You don't need to underclock or overclock.
"Wow, what do you have in that bag?"
"A fake Game Boy."
Literally made me laugh out loud, thank you for that one! 😂
dot dot dot a fake gameboy😏
@@johnpardue2812I imagined he was making that exact same face 😭😂
Oh you literally just posted this? I'm not usually early. Love your thorough takes and smooth delivery.
Always love the in depth review of this channel.
I've been diving into retro consoles lately, and appreciate all the info you've published. Very informative and helpful. I think it may have convinced me to forego handhelds entirely though, and just set up retropie or something, so I can use a full screen and controller.
Great video! Thanks so much. I'm a very big fan of Anbernic and this is one of those devices that I'm trying just to hold off buying until I have as much information as possible, but the features and quality on this thing are exactly why I like Anbernic so much. I certainly don't have (even close) to everything they've put out but when they've really rung my bell, I've never been disappointed :)
I’m hoping that the full review will give into more details about the oled display. Great first impression!
You're killing it with these reviews man. You single handedly got me into handhelds and every review is amazing. Going to pick this one up.
Awesome quick look Russ!!! Keep up the good work!!!
I miss Dreamcast and Wii testing, hope you can test both in future videos, this console looks great!
Yay, I've already pre-ordered but this is great validation! I was specifically looking for a psp machine with a 1080p oled display, so as soon as this one was announced I was all for it. I have a 405v which I love already, so I'm looking forward to this one.
I don't have enough money yet to get one but congrats on yours! I'll enjoy my 35xx for now!
a shame it cant do god of war at 4x, but that being said its definitely gonna improve if gamma gets ahold of it so maybe in the future
Russ, thanks so much man, appreciate you and all your videos, you help keep me sane, and you are the reason I have the Powkiddy X55 in my life, which made my life better...
Best way to start the weekend! Another awesome video from RetroGameCorps!
I like that you can see the function of the fan in the clear one!
One thing to add is that in the retro dodo re-review he shows that it is indeed possible to change the brightness of the led's. Just thought it would be a nice edit to add that into your description. Otherwise, another fantastic video as per usual! Thinking about switching from my RP4Pro to this just for the screen!
Thank you for hammering it home, I am just not a fan of small analogue sticks and I don't have big hands, just normal adult ones...
Perfect length of a review for this btw.
Thanks for the first impressions! The tiny analog sticks seem to be this machine’s achilles heel
Really intrigued by this one!
Damn that Ishtar animated wallpaper always surprises me
Been waiting for this. Russ you are the 🐐
Thanks for all the size comparisons, its actually great and only someone with a lot of devices can do it
Russ thank you for even though you said it's not an in-depth review, it's still much better than what most people do.
You're the only person that I trust with all these handhelds, you have every high standards which are the same ones I look for which are the pad the analog sticks and decent performance and Battery.
To me as someone who plays mainly retro games the d-pad really matters so when you say you love one I know it's good to go.
Sadly this did not pass your contrast but looked good on other games.
Really sucks that they make those short mushroom cap analog sticks they need to be raised.
Look forward to your full review!
Looks very good for the price, so went out & ordered my first ever retro gaming device. Fingers crossed it’ll play what I want, as I want to play old school spectrum, MSX & up to Ratchet & clank on PS2, so a vast area of gaming
Thanks Russ ❤ great video ! I preordered mine. But before i get mine, i hope you'll do a versus with rp4pro
I'm not even in the market for a handheld at this point, but I am weirdly obsessed with watching your reviews! How is this so entertaining? 😅
I've been fascinated by the evolution of these devices over the last few years. They've gone from cheap knock offs to being genuine quality devices worthy of their own genre/category.
I've still never bought one though.
SAME
What handheld do you main? (phone, no controller, no games apps, is an acceptable answer, if you don't have, use one)?
@@washuai I mostly use Steam Deck now. Though I do have my RG405M for when I want something pocketable.
Excited to see this compared more directly to some of its competitors in the full review
Man... that smudging on the black model is intense.
I was thinking about the 505 because of the bigger screen but this might be a better option. Good review👍
Waiting for the final review!
Looks like a handheld I would purchase eventually. The carrying case looks rather nice as well.
I love where the industry is going! We are getting great handhelds lately.
Personally I follow the VR/AR and Retro spaces, and they're both pushing for better portable chipsets, it's like phones took things as far as they could and now new devices are taking it further
I'm climbing the retro tech tower Russ. Only been going 30 days on here but enjoying it immensely.
Thank u for the quick review
This looks like the device for me - which is handy, because I pre-ordered one!
Look for the RP 4+ in his review
I don't know how to feel about the fact that when I saw this video I instinctively went to get a snack and a drink before watching 😂
It's a pavlovian response at this point
It didn't even register until I started the video and heard "grab a snack and a drink," I looked down at what was in front of me and just went "oh my god."
Simp.
Same. At some point I acquired a bowl of ice cream. Two flavors, mixed with a cookie on top. :P
@@kennymccormick8295 Why are they a simp? Do you know what that word means?
The head to head with this and the RP4 Pro will be great to see.
Russ I'm glad that you did a thorough review of the analog triggers in this video.
The ergonomics, larger 1080P OLED display and the left analog stick on top are really appealing to me coming from the RP3+. The RP3+ screen is a tad too small for comfort for my aging eyes.
I'll probably aim to get the successor of the RG556 instead of anything else from the Retroid Pocket line. Especially if PS2 and GameCube performance ends up being stellar and the D-pad issued get sorted out in the RG556 successor.
The RP3+ will be good enough when I absolutely need portability and a D-pad on top for older Gen systems. I don't need any more power for D-pad on top handhelds. I hate using the left analog stick on the bottom for 3D games, especially with a smaller screen.
I love how extensive your first looks are :) I would like to see how well it plays Kingdom Hearts 2, the OLED might sway me over the RP4 Pro
Just from watching the videos I think that I would love the form factor as far as comfort goes. One thing that kind of stands out is how gamecube games look, there is quite a bit of black bar going on there. I've been using my RGB30 and love it, it'd be interesting to see a $200 range 1:1 aspect ratio device with grips like this that can play gamecube and 3DS games.
Great First impressions!
For some games I would like to see tested:
GC: SSX 3
PS2: Dyntasy Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends
Keep up the good work, this is an interesting handheld to see more of
switch rdr :)
Out of all the current Android handhelds, this is probably the one that has caught my eye the most, I'm mostly interested on PSP and N64 emulation, plus a bit of Parsec/Moonlight streaming and the fact that it uses an AMOLED screen at that price is pretty much checking all my "perfect handheld" boxes.
This one seems perfect for me. I've never owned any retro handheld and always wanted one. I've just been emulating on my Samsung S22 with a crappy gamepad but I do own a switch. I was aiming for Odin 2 but I don't want a switch level performance cus I already own one and don't want to spend that much. Will be waiting for your in-depth review.
I was hoping for a Dreamcast (Redream) test, but I presume if it's running Saturn, it will handle Redream easily - specifically Crazy Taxi and Vigilante 8 2nd Offense. Thank you for the review. I was excited to hear your experienced impressions. I've ordered on and look forward to it's arrival after the middle of next month.
THIS is why healthy competition is important; such as in market & gaming industry
The 1st I've seen, of this particular style of retro pocket emulators; with the transparent shell & LED thumbsticks, was Ayn Odin & some of AYA Neo or Retroid Pocket products
& now Anbernic is doing this too?
Anbernic is currently my personal favorite store for handhelds; their shipping is prompt & delivery is in record (all things considered)
Every time I see a new handheld i this sense - I see everyone stepping up their game
I think the green hue and led light experience of the transparent model will push me toward the black model. I might consider transparent if there was a smoked grey or translucent plastic.
Also interesting to note that after the issue is addressed, gameplay was done on the black model. Although that may have been mostly due to convenience. Finally, at the end the green hue didn't make the red flags. Great review! 😀
My favorite channel on youtube
Nice first impression, Russ! Btw can you do testing on Android games on your full review later? Wanted to see it's performance running games such as Genshin Impact.
The transparent blue color looks so good on back
Russ, you should have brought out the X55 to compare it with the RG556. The designs of both handhelds are very similar despite one being Linux and the other an Android.
this channel ROCKS
Im sure you figured it out after posting... but you can click and hold the led button in the slide down menu to adjust the brightness and do a few modes.
I'm glad we're getting reasonably priced devices that are able to do n64, gamecube etc really well now, but I'd kill for a 4:3 device with these specs. I know it's niche, but I'm sick of buying a bunch of similar devices. What I really want is something that does everything through the 4:3 era without compromise with a screen ratio that matches the era.
I have mine arriving in the next couple of days, and like a kid, I'm re-watching this and the full review video, they're companion videos of course so, yeah, keeping the hype going. I'm putting this against the RG552 as even if the 552 has a slightly higher resolution and therefore 5:3 ratio, I believe most games will be a similar size on both. I might keep both, you know how this hobby goes :D
Great just got an RG505 and this comes out.... A hell, who am I kidding? I will buy this one too.
The more the merrier i guess hehe
Anbernic hit it out of the park again. Same cost as the Retroid but you get a bigger screen with oled and double the resolution!
The controller grip style of the device is really appealing. I’d like to see more handhelds have a more comfortable style like this
for me it ruins pocketability, might go with the RP4pro instead for that one reason alone.
@@usernamefromhell I don’t understand the point of putting these in your pocket. I’m too worried about breaking the screen. Case up and put it in a bag is my preference
@@EnbyFish I don't normally carry a bag, and if I'm at home I play my PS5. So I like my handhelds to be pocketable. Hopefully the Retroid Pocket Flip will get a new version with the RP4P's processor, that would be ideal
@@usernamefromhell drawstring bag with a case homie, pockets are for cell phones
@@EnbyFish I have 2+ pockets. Carrying a bag isn't for me homie.
looks good, i'm tempted by this especially the transparent blue which look amazing. Russ, in your full review, can you do a flex test to see how solid it is, how thick the plastic is and whether it creaks? My X55 which i love isn't particularly good with this test.
Next one of these I’ll definitely buy so so close
I’m very excited and curious to see your comparisons between this and the RP4 Pro m’self, and of course I can’t wait for the full review regardless
I have an RP4 Pro on the way that I’m super excited for, and seeing it stacked up against the RG556 oughta be very interesting!
The Form Factor alone makes this one much more attractive for me. Everyone will buy a grip for His RP4P. Why Not make a ergonomic design right out of the Box?
@leinsaat5779 I understand but I'm looking for a device to take to work so the pocketability of the rp4 is huge for me plus it's more powerful. The 556 would be perfect for traveling or for those who don't want switch or high end ps2 emulation. Maybe cfw could help or maybe we'll get pscx2 on Android one day that'll fix the ps2 emulation on these devices but until then aether requires brute power.
The Unisoc T820 is literal garbage next to the Dimensity 1100 in the RP4 pro, we are talking like less then half the graphics perfromance and significantly worse cpu performance too. This device makes no sense for the price.
@@corsinivideos i would rather play the Anbernic which is actually comfortable to use than the hand cramp inducing RP4 Pro. Terrible ergonomics! Plus the Anbernic screen is big and beautiful OLED. The RP4 Pro screen is tiny and LCD and crap quality.
Maybe for you but that's very subjective, loads of people have no issues with the ergonomics on RP4 pro or the screen, theres a loads of review saying so. Personally would prefer better performance and portability on a handheld. Any half decent android phone would have a better OLED and better perfromance than this anbernic anyway. @@xphyle
Were slowly getting closer to the perfect pcoket size GC, PS2, Xbox emulators and I can't wait!
Damn Russ! I see you’re rocking the new Gucci Anbernic!
great screen upgrade and the controller looks ergonomic enough. i still think it's expensive especially for that chip.
For the forthcoming review, I'd love to see Burnout 2 tested on both GC and PS2. It's one of the games I'm most interested in.
I'm intrigued by it, much nicer screen and ergonomics than the RP4P but some performance has been sacrificed. It makes for an interesting choice between the two.
If Anbernic brought out a Pro/Plus model of this in a few months time with some improvements (bigger analogs, nicer plastic shell, a slightly better chipset) I think it becomes a killer device.
Yeah this device is so close to being perfect especially at its price point.
Agreed, im thinking just slightly more performance would be nice. AS it stands it seems that it will only trade blows with the RP4 and the RP4 is less but obviously Doesn't have such a nice screen or the good ergonomics. thinking i would rather buy that though at the cheaper price and just bear the discomfort till my hands get use to it.
Great first look!
This device looks to be exactly what I wanted a year, year and a half ago. Really glad to see it has become a reality at this price point.
Russ, I have a request, could you try Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in your in-depth review? From what I understand it is one of the more lightweight games, even though it is 3d.
I understand it still might not work due to the chipset issues but I am still curious. Thanks if you do.
Sadly it runs at about 10% speed on this device.
"What do you have in there?"
"A fake Gameboy."
I agree sorta a bummer on the quality of joysticks when it looks so comfortable and has the joystick on top.
This might be it. I wish it had more switch potential though, but at that price, I can’t be that mad. It isn’t even as expensive as a switch light
Russ is the guru of retro gaming hands down...
All right, time to find out whether I should plan on an RP4Pro or this.
@@amandzzzdont want to be that guy, but anbernic is as bad. Rg405m is the prime example and all of their firmwares suck and they rely on free work from community to fix their devices.
I'd choose this every time
Edit:
Mostly for the display. It's not close.
I gotta know how Twilight Princess looks on an OLED screen with boosted resolution.
I bought an RG505 and was impressed with its slick setup. Ready to go out of the box. I was less than impressed with the screen size and resolution. And the plastic screen which easily scratches in your pocket was just sad. This is looking like an Odyn Lite with the slick RG505 setup. I ordered it based upon the 1080 screen alone. I would advise paying extra for the 256gb card. 8714 games versus 4423 games. What those games are, I do not know. But 2x more is better. I have also taken up to collecting PS2 games and then ripping them to ISO format. Old games without monetization, game guides, and you can increasingly upscale the games as technology improves. I travel for work, so handhelds are what I need.
Yeah man I’m almost exclusively retro gaming these days. I rip the games I own and move them from device to device.
So this is a retroid pocket 4 (not pro) with a much better screen and better ergonomics for just a few bucks more, if not for the same price (retroid shipping is expensive). Actually pretty good move from anbernic. I just hate these smudgy colors
hard to compare with rp4 when it comes to pocketability... rp4 still the best for that
Depends on usecase. I guess for streaming it would be great if it had proper sticks
@@BodonismI never get this pocketability craze yes it's true I'd love me a device that can fit inside my trousers pocket or Jacket/coat pocket.
But unless your on the go and your traveling to vacation or to your work or just to see your friends or just to go out on your own.
There are backpack and sling bags and laptop bags. That people carry with them these days so pocketability shouldn't even be a big deal. On your buying choice or whether you plan to use it on the go.
Never understood the pocketability bs!
Yup, that is the correct way to look at it, performance of the rp4 base (d900) with better ergonomic and better/larger screen for slightly more money, but of course giving up some portability.
Another way to look at it is that it is a slightly cheaper Odin lite (though with 0.5 inch smaller screen).
Those claiming its performance is close to the rp4 pro is just delusional hardcore Anbernic fans.
@@nepaliprayasgurung2594let me explain.. pocketability is not just about fitting the handheld inside your pocket, thats very naive thing to say.. pocketability is a novelty, a sight to behold, imagine running ps2, gamecube, dreamcast, wii games inside a small handheld thats literally fit in your hand, that was literally everyones childhood dream.. we thought it was impossible back in the day, but rp4 brings that to reality.. odin2/anbernic is nothing special when it comes to that, it's huge nearly the size of rog ally which is already in the realm of pc gaming hence they lack that retro pocketable aspect of it.. if you get a big ass handheld like them, why bother with emulation in the first place? why not just get rog ally/ steamdeck which includes pc gaming in the first place?
I recently bought the RG35XX H thanks to being heavily marketed to me via TikTok. I bought it for a recent flight and the Nostalgia of playing Digimon World made the 9hr flight extremely joyful - I just wished it had a bigger screen. I didn't realise Hand-Held gaming had come this far and what was obtainable in such a small package Since coming back i've seen the RG556 and it seems to tick all the right boxes for me. PS2 & Dreamcast are the Minimum Requirements for me - I dont mind spending a little more, but $250 would be my absolute maximum for the 2-3 Flights a year this would get used.
Nice watch bro !
"I found out I have a full range of emotion", unexpectededly deep and raw self-commentary.
You can dim the loy led by long pressing the led on/off button. You can also change the screen color hue in android.
knowing how much russ hates smudges and he still likes this device so much it seems like this will be one of their best devices they’ve made
Im exited for both this RG556 and the Rp4Pro BUT, Im waiting for the next generation/ step-up of these devices.
Same. The following cycle of devices should be perfect. I have an RP3+ now. I think I’m leaning to the successor of the RG556 for the better ergonomics and bigger screen. The RP3/RP4 screen is a tad too small to be comfortable for my aging eyes. 5.5-6 inch 1080P OLED sounds great.
Left analog stick on top for later gen consoles sounds a lot better too. My RP3+ can serve for D-pad on top duty for older gen 2D games.
@@dtape cool!! I got an RP2S for NDS n bellow and would like a powerful but compact 16:9 device for ps2. I like the Odin 2 but I wish it was smaller. So I wait.
the odin 2 beckons
Nice, thanks Russ! 🙂
I’ve always wanted Ambernic to make a version of the 405M that has a 4:3, 4 inch, 720p screen. To me that’s the dream device. I don’t really like widescreen because very few systems actually use it. I think 4:3 is the way to go. This thing is pretty cool though, it’s just way too big for me.
Agree
This looks very interesting. I've been debating getting an RP4 Pro but something with an oled screen and a more ergonomic shape would definitely be better. especially when it's still somewhat portable, unlike a steam deck.
Hi russ, good video, I just wanted to standout a point you made about the rp4 screen, I disagree with your point regarding the screen size of the rp4, there are several devices of the size of the 556 that I don't feel that dissing the rp4 size is of value here since the market is oversaturated of big devices meanwhile there aren't many rp4 size devices with its power, this demotivates device creators to make slightly smaller powerful devices thus flooding the market with big devices even more.
Good review overall.
I was really interested in the new Retroid Pocket, and I am hoping the full review will be able to do a little comparison between the two. So no specific game requests, but for those like me who are looking to buy a new handheld in the 200 USD class I think it would help a tonne if you could highlight game compatibility.
I was watching you test some of the less-retro systems here, and all the time I was trying to remember how well they did on the latest Retroid. But memory is fickle, so I couldn’t really make the comparison in my head.
Looks good!
When this starts running something like Gamma and booting straight into Daijisho 💪💪
Great video! This handheld sounds very solid. I'm actually curious if this would be a case where it would be worth opening up the device to apply electrical or Kapton tape to prevent a false directional on the dpad?
1. are you able to adjust color temperature in settings--> display --> color/contrast?
2. what is the software used to test the triggers?
3. does this pass the vsynctester site 's test?
4. Are there back/extra mappable buttons?
Hope anbernic or some other company can pair this screen with a chip that can do most ps2/gc/wii at 3x in future, else its kind of a waste.
Would prefer a larger screen (6+ inch) if they can find one as well.
One minor complain Russ, you should include the GPU model of the chip in the specs. Otherwise, awesome job as always.
manli 99%
The Panda color way on your Ayn Odin 2 though!!!
I can't stop laughing at the LED analog sticks with a transparent shell decision.
The way you said “a fake game boy 😀” had me dyinggggggg
Not having the holes for the fan right above the fan is a way of cooling other internals. The fan sucks cool air from the holes and this air must travel to the fan cooling off everything on the way, so those metal plates get cooled by the air that pass near them. If the holes were right above the fan, the plates would be much more passively cooled or by the radiator that is after the fan (if connected at all)
So technically it's kind of clever as long as there is enough room and the air that is sucked through is enough
This, negative pressure is a thing russ lol