Anbernic is on a hot seat now and releasing products faster than our wallet can handle. Coming off the heels of their popular GBA SP clone, the RG35XX SP, they are back with the RG Cube. Will it be something worth picking up? Let’s break down the official promo video they just released.
If you are still catching up with the RG35XX SP, check out our review here.
Meet the RG Cube
Rumors of the RG Cube have been circulating online for the last couple of weeks now. There have been numerous pictures showing what looked like a Leap Frog device that had a 1:1 screen reminiscent of the RGB30 released by Powkiddy. There have been various questions that have arisen that hopefully, the promo video helps answer.
The video starts off highlighting the RGB lighting around the joysticks and also the D-Pad. The D-Pad is something that is instantly interesting as it is an 8-way D-Pad. Hopefully, this is similar to the quality of the one used in their RG Arc device.
RG Cube Color Options
Next, they show something that I used to think was impossible for Anbernic, and that is stacked shoulder buttons. They did this with their RG556, but it is still strange to see as Anbernic was never keen on having them before. These are also hall triggers as well.
Later they highlight the fan along with three color options. The colors include a Famicom color, radiant purple, and a beige white with skittle color buttons. It is refreshing a retro handheld company to take a break from the DMG-styled color we have seen so often.
Specs
Finally, they end the video with a spec sheet for us to dissect as well. It looks like this will be using the same Unisoc T820 and 8GB RAM as the RG556. This seems like a ton of power for a device in this form factor, but you can never argue too much with extra power unless it comes at a cost.
- Display: 3.95-inch IPS touchscreen, 720 x 720 resolution
- Processor: Unisoc T820
- Graphics: Mali-G57
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
- Storage: 128GB UFS 2.2 w/ microSD card slot (up to 2TB)
- I/O: 3.5mm Headphone Jack, USB-C w/ DisplayPort
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery: 5,200mAh (rated for 7 hours), 5V/2A charging
- Extras: Dual Speakers, RGB Joystick Lighting, Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers, Six-axis Gyroscope, Vibration
- Software: Android 13
- Colors: Beige White, Radiant Purple, Gray, Black
- Dimensions: 153 x 86 x 18mm
- Weight: 260g
The battery is 5200mAh with a quoted 7 hours of battery life. It also supports 5V/2A charging with about 3 hours to fully charge it. Also, it contains Hall Effect sticks as well. I included a screenshot from the video of the spec sheet too if you would like to see more.
Price and Release Date
After leaving everyone in the dark in terms of pricing and a release date, Anbernic made a surprise announcement. The RG Cube will officially go up for pre-order on June 8th at 3 AM PT or 6 AM ET. Pricing for the RG Cube starts at $169.99 but for the first three days, you’ll automatically save $10 when pre-ordering.
Finally, who is it for and what is it competing against? It is too powerful to be competing against the RGB30, so is their answer to the ZPG A1 Unicorn? I can already tell there will be some questions about the d-pad placement on this one. Already I see comments and questions as to why it isn’t a 4:3 screen as well.
Personally, I think it looks like a cool little device and I am excited to get my hands on it. What are your thoughts on it though? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
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I think its competing with the RG556 itself, but its for a different market; female gamers. Im a girl and i actually really want to buy the RG556, but since its kinda expensive and the colors are kind of meh to me, im putting it off. If this ends up even slightly cheaper than the RG556 and with that color scheme? Take my money Anbernic :3
I was just thinking the same thing. I’m looking for my first handheld emulator, and, while I do like the transparent clear colored plastic options of the RG556, it kinda feels like every company uses the same nostalgic colorways. I’m loving the purple of the Cube!
Miyoo mini +. The best console for the price!!
I agree that chip is too powerful for the form factor, but 8 gigs of ram as well, why? What for? RGB30 makes sense, as it’s got just about right amount of power for the form factor, followed by a good price. Maybe I’ll change my mind when it comes out, but this device just feels senseless.
I’ve got the RGB30 and it cannot run vertical shmups past 2003 or so. There a bunch of really good ones past that date, so having more power is not just useful but needed really.
Besides the fact that maybe this one allows one to run PS2 shmups.
If one doesn’t feel the need for their kind of games, there’s always another group of gamers who really need that extra power…