AISLPC RG43H Pro Review: Do it for the Kids

If AISLPC were going after me with the retro-aesthetics of the R36T in all its faux-CRT glory, then they’re going right after my kid with the RG43H. This vibrant playground exterior is supported by the power of the RK3562 chip. A step up from your everyday clone fare. So is this capable hardware something of a wolf under a sheep’s exterior? And does it deserve a space on your collection shelf? Let’s jump in and take a look.

AISLPC RG43H Pro Specs

The RG43H Pro is sporting the RK3562 processor, a well-known entity in the space, if not quite as ubiquitous as the RK3326 or RK3566. Originally used as a chip for cheap tablets, the RK3562 is the same chipset we’ve seen in AISLPC’s own RG52 Mini. A device I had praised as a clever budget solution for gamers that wanted something for reliable, if not perfect, PSP performance.

I had to chuckle when scanning through the included manual that came in the box with the RG43H Pro. AISLPC really wants to drive home that this is a capable device for PSP. Even those titles. Too cute.

RAMpocalypse Note: The RG43H unit that I received makes no mention of RAM in any of the manuals, online, or OS specs. Some digging in RetroArch showed that it’s only sporting 1GB of RAM. This unit came from Amazon, and there are no variants in those listings other than color, so it’s fair to assume that if you order one from Amazon, this is what you’ll receive.

In researching this review, though, I found an AliExpress listing that offers a 1GB or 2GB RAM variant. Consider who and what the use case will be for your RG43H and decide how much RAM you think you’ll need accordingly.

Software/OS Experience/Performance

System performance on the RK3562 is as expected, with performance being perfect up to PSX, and DC, PSP, and N64 libraries being mostly fine. The 1GB of RAM will cause you some stuttering in more demanding titles. Food for thought if you’re considering those to be your primary use case. Upscaling is still on the table for more manageable DC and PSP titles.

The RG43H Pro comes running EmuELEC on an ArkOS fork similar to consoles like the R36T and R36TMAX. While I wish there was a way for community devs to see some kind of remuneration for their hard open-source work that others are now profiting from, I still have to admit that it’s a massive quality of life upgrade to have these already running something of a community solution.

A few years ago, you’d have to say, “It could be good once it gets the right community support”. Whereas now, you can still entertain custom options without the initial experience being an annoying compromise.

Having said all of that about the custom provided solution, after taking a gander at the Amazon listing for the handheld, something caught my eye. Holding down the power button on the RG43H will actually bring up a menu that allows you to choose between the EmuELEC/ArkOS boot or an in-house “RGBOX” system. It’s a barebones, if functional experience. It displays games by filename.zip vs the title, and presentation is at a minimum.

Why would anyone want to boot over to this side of the machine, then? Well, anything you choose to do with it is between you and your ISP, but AISLPC has included a ROM downloader app that presumably links to their own servers (who really knows). There is a good 10 gigs or so of free space on the included 64G card, and I suspect that’s to fill in some holes, because…

Mario is Missing

So I don’t think it’s going to be any great mystery what the design on the RG43H is meant to evoke. I’ve barely ever played anything in the series, and I still said, “Neat, a Pokémon colorway”. And what better way to attract kids to the device?

The great irony here is, much like the RG52 Mini unit that I’d reviewed a few months back, the RG43H doesn’t arrive with anything Nintendo on the console. As it’s sold on Amazon and AISLPC would like to avoid the wrath of the notoriously litigious Big N, they’ve opted to just not include Nintendo stuffs at all. The 64GB card that arrived with my unit has no SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance libraries whatsoever. The console directories even have media for system libraries, but no ROMS.

The NES is there, but it’s filled with about 100 nonsense clone titles. NDS also gets a nod with a few included 3rd-party games. Amusingly, the Sega and Sonic libraries are all present and accounted for. Make of that what you will.

Most of the readers here will likely agree that this is understandable, and it’s no big deal to just drop in your own collections, but I read a lot of comments on deals postings about handhelds, and the number one question always seems to be some variation of “Does it come with all the games already, and is it plug and play”?

So, if you’re a parent picking one of these up for your kid on Amazon, know that it’s going to include a little extra legwork if you want them to be able to dive right into Pokémon Silver or some Mario titles. If you don’t mind downloading some ROMs from places unknown via your WiFi, you can do it all on the device without the need for a PC.

Display

The 4.3″ IPS display on the RG43H Pro is an interesting choice. A 4:3 aspect ratio means that all those old systems native to, or close to, will display great.

Systems like PSP will obviously see some black bars to display the wider 16:9 aspect of that library. I did notice some visual artifacts occurring around the areas where the black bars met the game display. There is also noticeable light bleed on the bottom edge of the unit I’m reviewing. It’s by no means ruins my enjoyment of the system, but it is noticeable when those edges are meant to be dark.

Ergonomics

Despite its outwardly toy-like appearance (it’d feel right at home in the VTech end-cap of Toys “R” Us in the early 2000s), the design of the RG43H shell is actually quite intelligent. In what AISLPC is calling their “ergonomic fusion design”, the intention, as they describe it, is “the phone + controller fusion design fits like a modern phone but feels like a real gamepad”.

I get the impression there may be some subtleties lost in translation there, but I get what they’re trying to say. In the handheld’s more neutral color patterns, the device definitely evokes memories of using something like the Razer Kishi.

The plastic used in the shell is standard fare for the budget market. Nothing remarkable, but sturdy enough to take a light fall or two. Textured grips on the rear of the controls are always a welcome addition. It may not have that premium feel of more expensive handhelds, but I think most people would agree that it’s actually a very comfortable design in your hands.

Controls

Controls on the RG43H are probably best described as serviceable. AISLPC loves their alternate D-Pad designs, and fresh off the CRT channel knob of the R36T and R36TMAX comes the RG43H with another circle pad. This is a concave design with a bump-out at the center for your thumb to rest on. It’s something of a jack of all trades and a master of none. The D-pad gets the job done, and I can execute Ryu’s Hadokens without fuss, but it would never be my preference over a traditional layout.

The design does seem appropriate for a device catering to younger kids, and that’s where I think the decision stems from. It’s fine for kids making their way through light gaming and testing out a bunch of systems to decide where their tastes lie, but purists will likely long for the classic cross.

Analog sticks on the RG43H are your standard fare. According to the device marketing, these are hall sticks, and who am I to argue? These are your standard Switch-sized fare. Whether they end up drifting will be left up to time of use, but it’s safe to say that they serve their purpose just fine for now.

Face buttons and triggers are all fine enough, but often quite loud. Microswitches on the L2/R2 “triggers” are especially guilty of this. My wife made several comments while I was testing things out on the couch. I would have loved to see the analog triggers featured on the RG52 Mini repeated again here, but I can understand the concession when aiming for a younger demographic of users.

Verdict: Who is this for?

The AISLPC RG43H Pro is a solid starter device for those with younger kids who may have shown an interest in retro gaming. As summer arrives and schools let out for the season, this would make a great “go enjoy your summer, kid” present if you have a young person in your life finishing up another year in early education.

AISLPC clearly knows this is who they should be going after with this device, and have even thoughtfully included a “child mode” that keeps youngsters from being able to access any menu options that could end up borking your system.

This is a perfect handheld to keep in a drawer and break out when you have young visitors over to the house. Maybe you have kids of your own, a younger cousin, nieces or nephews, or even grandchildren, and you don’t want them dropping your Odin 3 on the kitchen tile during their visit. Keep an RG43H on hand for just such occasions. I promise the kids will thank you for it.

If you’re a hardcore enthusiast in the hobby, you’d likely be forgiven for rolling your eyes at another clone design, but every handheld has its best use case and user, and I think as long as you apply that logic to the RG43H Pro, there’s plenty to enjoy with this scrappy RK3562 device.