Anbernic has a problem. As I sit down to write this RG40XX H review, I’m honestly shocked that there isn’t already another Anbernic handheld on the way. About a month passed between the release of the RG Cube and the RG40XX H. That pace is just too rapid, especially considering that the RG35XX SP arrived a month before the Cube.

Even still, I’ve been using the RG40XX H for the past couple of weeks and there’s a lot to like. So let’s dive in and take a deeper look at what the RG40XX H has to offer and whether it should be on your radar.

RG40XX H: The Basics

The RG40XX H is kind of the successor to the RG35XX H, although both are powered by the same H700 chip. As the name suggests, it’s another horizontal handheld, which just seems to be the trend. In that vein, we have a 4-inch IPS screen with a 640 x 480 resolution, making for a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Paired with the Allwinner H700 is 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM, to go along with the dual-microSD card slots on the bottom. Anbernic also equips the 40XX H with a USB-C charging port at the top, in addition to a micro HDMI port. As for battery life, we have a 3,200mAh cell, which is rated to last for up to six hours, but does support USB-C to USB-C charging.

Meanwhile, there are three different colors to choose from, and pricing starts at $69. With that, you’ll get a 64GB microSD Card, but we also can opt for 64GB+128GB or 64GB+256GB versions.

Anbernic RG40XX H at AliExpress

RG40XX H: Design and Ergonomics

When I first saw the RG40XX H, I honestly thought that I was sent another RG Cube by mistake. Of course, that wasn’t the case, but you can understand where I’m coming from. Chop off the bulbous grips, swap the left thumbstick with the D-Pad and it’s a flat RG Cube, at least ergonomically.

Seeing as my hands are prone to cramping, I was a bit worried about not being able to actually spend any meaningful time playing games. It’s something that happens with a lot of retro handhelds, as I can only deal with the irritation for so long. But, I think Anbernic’s decision to make the RG40XX H more rounded than something like the RG35XX H paid off as I was able to play for quite a bit longer than I expected.

My biggest frustration comes with the D-Pad. It’s just not good. I’ve been trying to play Crystalis, one of the titles of RH’s Game of the Month for July, and something just felt off. Moving my character almost felt unpredictable, despite knowing what direction I was pushing on the D-Pad.

RG40XX H vs. RG Cube D-Pad Comparison

There are slight movements when you push a direction and then wiggle your finger slightly. So I’ll try to move straight up, but I end up moving diagonally. Needless to say, it’s beyond frustrating and can really ruin the experience. Frankly, I wish Anbernic stuck with the D-Pad from the RG Cube or RG35XX SP.

But besides that, everything else works as advertised. The more I think about it, the more I wish Anbernic transplanted the button layout from the Cube for the RG40XX H. Oh well.

RG40XX H: Performance and Gameplay

RG40XX H with Powkiddy V10 – Crystalis

By now, we have a firm grasp on what the Allwinner H700 offers. After all, the RG40XX H is the sixth handheld to feature this chip. But, for those who aren’t aware, this means that you can play up to Dreamcast games with a bit of PSP and Saturn games tossed in.

That being said, I definitely don’t recommend trying to push the limits, as you just won’t have a good time. As long as you know what to expect, you won’t be disappointed. Naturally, this means no Chains of Olympus, but I did spend quite a bit of time playing some MLB The Show ’06 in celebration of the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game taking place.

The only other thing that caused me a bit of trepidation was hearing that Stubbs was dealing with a bit of overheating. It was so uncomfortable that Stubbs went so far as to install a thermal pad onto the SoC. Jalanimal also noticed something similar, pointing out that “the back gets quite hot, especially in the lower corner.”

Maybe I’m just the lucky one here, but my RG40XX H hasn’t gotten anywhere near as hot. Sure, it gets a little warm, but nothing that leaves my hands feeling uncomfortable, and not to the point that I’ve thrown a thermal pad on the processor.

A Few Words About Ports

Anbernic’s been in a bit of hot water lately. First, there’s the ongoing saga with the RG Cube and light bleed. The company then followed it up by releasing a major update for its H700-powered handhelds.

This should have been a high point for Anbernic, as this was an upgrade to 64-bit Linux. In doing so, it opened the door for our beloved PortMaster to be used as a way to play even more games. Instead, Anbernic got caught with its hand in the cookie jar, as the update included a few pre-configured ports. So you could just flash the update, head over to the Ports section, and start playing Stardew Valley or Shredder’s Revenge.

RG40XX H with RG405M

It took Anbernic a little while, but it finally pulled the update link from the YouTube video description. However, there are still some RG40XX H units arriving with these ports, and others, already installed.

The PortMaster team was quick to denounce what Anbernic is doing, offering the following as part of a larger statement:

Sharing unlicensed copies not only undermines the hard work of game developers but also threatens the integrity of projects like PortMaster. Our community thrives on respect for intellectual property and fair use, and any behavior that compromises these values cannot be tolerated.

What I recommend doing is to remove the files from the RG40XX H, if they appear on your handheld. Then, purchase the games and follow the steps over at the PortMaster website to properly install them.

Last, but certainly not least, support the devs.

RG40XX H: Custom Firmware

Seeing as the RG40XX H only recently launched, we didn’t expect many custom firmware options to be available. However, in just the past week or two, we already have compatible builds of minUI and Knulli.

Plus, if you don’t want to deal with beta (or even alpha) firmware, there’s a modified build of the stock Anbernic OS available to flash. Given that the RG40XX H uses the H700 SoC, it’s hopefully only a matter of time before we see updates from the likes of muOS and others.

RG40XX H: Final Thoughts

Honestly, I had a difficult time trying to come up with the words to write this review. It’s not that the RG40XX H is bad, but it’s just a different version of what we already have. Sure, you could say that about the majority of handhelds, but I’m growing tired of that being the case. Maybe I would feel differently if Anbernic didn’t release something new on a monthly basis, but who knows?

If you’re itching for a new handheld and want to know if the RG40XX H is worth it, I’m still leaning toward saying yes. Ultimately, it’s an upgraded version of the RG35XX H, which we already know is a great handheld. Even still, there’s not enough here to warrant one if you already have the 35XX version.

The RG40XX H is presumably Anbernic’s last H700 handheld.

I’m a bit more excited about what’s next for Anbernic. According to maxzhou88, the RG40XX H is the last Anbernic handheld to release with the H700 SoC. Presumably, this means that we’ll see handhelds with better performance. I just hope that it doesn’t spell the end of sub-$100 handhelds from Anbernic.

Anbernic RG40XX H at AliExpress

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