What do the RGB30, RG353P, RK2023, and GKD Mini Plus have in common? Yeah, that’s right, they’re all 3566 devices. But you know what else they have in common? They all use smaller 3.5” or 4” displays in the case of the RGB30.
Now if you want more screen, that means you need a larger device. While in most cases you can get a more powerful device, if you feel like sticking to just the RK3566 you have 3. The Anbernic RG503, the Powkiddy X55, and the Powkiddy RGB10 Max 3.
Which one rules the roost? Which widescreen rocks your “up to PS1” world the most? Well as someone with hands-on of all three, I think there’s one that does just a little bit better than the other two.
As always with the disclaimer, the RG503, and RGB10 Max 3 were purchased by me from eBay and Powkiddy. The X55 was purchased from Regs in the RH Discord (check it out). All of the likely poor opinions are mine as always.
Sizing and Ergonomics
When it comes to sizes, the x55 is clearly the largest. Its larger screen, big ergonomic grips, and stacked shoulders make it a larger device by comparison. And overall that makes it the most comfortable to hold by far. I think the ergonomics were the best part of this handheld. For me at least.
The RGB10 Max 3 comes in second in size. Being around the same size as the 503 from the front, but also being THICC thanks to its fat grips. Again, I find this one to be impressively comfortable to hold, and would take this one second.
The smallest of the 3 is the RG503. As it has inline shoulder buttons it makes it a little thinner even with its nice grips. The texture on the back of the device helps it a lot, but unfortunately not enough to put it above the other two. None of these devices are uncomfortable to hold, but to me, the Anbernic RG503 gets last place.
And for weights, you can check out the sizes below:
- Powkiddy RGB10 Max 3 – 221 grams
- Anbernic RG503 – 242 grams
- Powkiddy X55 – 289 grams
Screen
When it comes to screens you have a few different flavors worth considering. We’ll start with the x55 which comes with a 5.5” 720p display. It’s nice, large, and has decent colors. Depending on which batch you got yours from the screen might be a little bit small but mine seems to do well. The RGB10 Max 3 comes with a 5” 720p screen, which by comparison I like a decent bit more. It’s a little sharper due to being smaller, mine gets brighter than the x55 and just feels like it’s a little cooler than the x55 which I prefer.
Finally comes the RG503. With a 4.95” 960×544 OLED screen. While that sounds cool on paper, I find the colors aren’t anything special, and if you play in the dark, you might notice splotches all over your display as these are old PS Vita panels of course. I think the RGB10 Max 3 wins in terms of screen overall.
Controls
When it comes to controls they’re all pretty standard. Two sticks, face buttons and d-pad, shoulders, and non-analog triggers, and the usual selection of menu buttons abound. Where it differs is stick and shoulder placement. The x55 has the left stick above the d-pad, and the 503 has inline shoulder buttons.
Because of this again I feel the RGB10 Max 3 has the best mixture of controls. D-pad on top, stacked shoulders, and face buttons that
feel in between the stiffness of my 503, and the softness of the x55. And above all, at least it doesn’t have the issue where one shoulder button feels different than the other. Cough x55 cough. ;
Now the one thing that I felt would be a bit of a concern was using the shoulder buttons at the same time as the sticks. The RGB10 Max 3 and RG503 both have their sticks at the bottom. But while the RG503 is a little bit of a struggle, I haven’t had any issues when using the RGB10 Max 3. Maybe it’s the use of stacked shoulders, maybe it’s the smaller distance between the two. Regardless, the RGB10 Max 3 wins in my books. Again.
OS Experience
When it comes to the OS experience, you kind of have similar options across the three. The X55 and RGB10 Max 3 both get JelOS which allows for the usual emulation station front end, portmaster access, and more. Meanwhile, ArkOS is a given for the RG503, and personally, I feel that’s the best experience you can get out of that handheld.
All devices have a little bit of a difference in setup, I noticed the x55 has a few bugs that pop up here and there which have caused freezing, but that’s not the end of the world especially just in menus.
When it comes to JelOS and ArkOS, the one you choose comes down to personal preference. I prefer ArkOS as it feels like it’s a better setup out of the box. However, I have had no major issues when dealing with JelOS on the two Powkiddy handhelds. I can certainly recommend either OS, but because of ArkOS availability, the RG503 gets the win in my books this time.
Performance Differences?
When it comes to the performance of these three devices you’re not going to notice much of a difference. Rocking a 3566 means they’ll do up to PS1 great, but stepping into N64, PSP, and Dreamcast will leave you wishing for more. If those last three are what you’re looking for I’d highly recommend stepping up in power and possibly price. Otherwise, they’ll all do fine for everything below.
Final Thoughts
In the end, how you spend your money comes down to your budget and your needs. Want the absolute largest 3566? Buy the x55. Want something smaller and more comfortable? Buy the RGB10 Max 3. Want to be able to run ArkOS on your device? Buy the RG503. While the line of widescreen 3566 devices isn’t going to be the best in terms of value, I think they have a place, which for me personally is PortMaster.
If it was my money, I would end up grabbing the RGB10 Max 3 again. If you get it on sale. For $100 I don’t think it’s worth it, but at the $80 I paid, I think it’s quite fair. The RG503 I managed to get for $70, which I also think is ridiculously fair especially when compared to its $120+ original price when it came out. Finally the x55. I don’t like it. But if you want the largest possible device that’s the one to get. I got mine for $45, and regularly you can find it around $60-$70 which is okay. But at the $90 on their website currently, I really don’t recommend it.
Now, if you don’t need a 3566 you could grab a TrimUI Smart Pro for around $60-$70. You could get an RP3 or 3+ for $60-$100 depending on where you find it. There are options out there with other chips with better or worse value depending on needs. While there’s not a perfect answer, there’s not a bad answer either. Just be sure not to buy an RK3326 at this price. $70 for something like the R50S is not worth it. Send the melting handheld help.
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