It’s always interesting to see how design trends develop in the emulation-based notebook world, and the super-compact landscape format seems to be all the rage right now; we just reviewed the Miyoo A30 and now have the very similar Anbernic RG28XX.
Both devices aim for a high level of portability combined with a Game Boy Micro-style form factor – something that can be seen as both a blessing and a curse.
We’ve already reviewed the A30 and were left a little disappointed, but can Anbernic’s rival do any better? We are about to find out…
Anbernic RG28XX Review: Design and Display
Like the Miyoo A30, the Anbernic RG28XX is seriously expensive. It slips effortlessly into any pocket and won’t take up much space in your bag, making it a great choice for retro gamers who don’t have room for something big and bulky when they’re on the go.
The front of the device has a D-pad, four action buttons, Start and Select keys, and a single front-facing speaker. At the bottom end you have two MicroSD card slots and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while at the top you’ll find a mini-HDMI port, a USB-C port, a menu button and four shoulder buttons. On the left edge is the volume rocker, while on the opposite edge you’ll find the power and reset buttons.
One of the things we really like about this device is the color options available; we were sent the transparent version, but there is a bright orange edition that looks very impressive, as well as a gray edition that is reminiscent of the North American SNES.
The moment you pick up the Anbernic RG28XX, you’ll notice that the controls are a bit smaller. The D-pad is smaller than the one on the Miyoo A30, as are the action buttons. This might seem like a huge problem – and for those of you with large hands, it might be a hindrance – but in our case, the D-pad was actually a pleasant surprise. Although it is small, it is also precise and accurate. Dialog inputs are easy to implement, but not so much that you accidentally pull them out when you don’t want to.
The face buttons are less excited, simply because they’re so small and tightly packed together that it’s all too easy to accidentally press the wrong one during tense moments. The shoulder triggers are also a bit hit-and-miss; L1 and R1 are so close to the corners of the Anbernic RG28XX that they flush with the case, making them hard to push unless you hold the unit a certain way. L2 and R2, on the other hand, are more pronounced and easier to access during gameplay.
The Anbernic RG28XX gets its name from the 2.8-inch 640×480 IPS screen, which, while a bit small, is still easy enough to look at. It’s a shame, then, that it has less-than-impressive brightness – something we also didn’t like about the Miyoo A30.
Anbernic RG28XX Review: Performance
The RG28XX runs on an AllWinner H700 chip, which means you’ll be able to emulate consoles like the N64 and Dreamcast without much trouble. This naturally means that any system released before these machines will also work fine – with the notable exception of the Sega Saturn, which is a difficult system to effectively emulate unless you have a lot of processing power.
On the subject of these high-end systems, the astute among you will have noticed that the RG28XX lacks an analog stick, which is somewhat problematic for N64 and Dreamcast titles. Many games will let you use the D-pad by default, but in the case of those that don’t, you can remap the directional controls to the RG28XX pad.
Obviously, you lose a lot by switching analog to digital, so it can hardly be considered the ideal way to experience many of the best games on these two consoles.
The RG28XX’s single speaker is quite loud, but not as pleasant to listen to when you turn it all the way up. It does the job, but we’d recommend using the 3.5mm headphone jack for audio whenever possible.
The internal rechargeable battery has a capacity of 3100 mAh, which will give you about four hours of operation on a single charge, according to our findings.
Anbernic RG28XX Review: Conclusion
Compared to the Miyoo A30, the RG28XX is the clear winner.
Sure, the controls look a bit small and the screen brightness could be better, but what makes this such an attractive device is the fact that it’s so easy to carry around.
We can’t imagine a single situation where we’d have to think twice about putting this in our purse or jacket pocket before leaving the house, and that’s a big selling point in a portable gaming rig. Just like the Game Boy Micro, it’s a indeed pocket friendly system.
If you already own one of Anbernic’s other recent notebooks, then you might want to pause before making a purchase, as you’re getting about the same performance in terms of emulation, but with some possible drawbacks – but for the asking price of around $60. it’s a really decent pocket emulator and we’d recommend you check it out if you’re new to this sector of the market.
Thanks to Keep Retro for sending us the RG28XX module used in this review.
