In a short video that was dropped this morning, Anbernic detailed the release of a RG34XXSP in a brand new color: Metallic Blue. While the RG34XXSP doesn’t hold a special place in my heart (I never owned a Game Boy Advance SP), this is easily my favorite color for this device.
Also, it’s hard not to chuckle at that opening sound byte that sounds suspiciously like George Strait’s “Write This Down“.
Device Specifications
For those that may have forgotten, the RG34XXSP released roughly a year ago, and was already available in Yellow, Gray, Black, and Indigo. As mentioned previously, I’m quite partial to the new Metallic Blue color, even over the very retro-inspired Indigo that usually sways my choices.
It’s an excellent device for Game Boy Advance, given its 3:2 aspect ratio (not surprising, given the device that it clearly copies), and is somewhat of a favorite in the retro handheld community due to its affordable cost and clamshell form factor.
Rocking the Allwinner H700 means this device is capable of comfortably playing games up to PlayStation 1 and Dreamcast, and since the RG34XXSP has been in the community for over a year now, there’s plenty of community support in the form of custom firmware.
| Hardware | |
| CPU | Allwinner H700 |
|---|---|
| GPU | Mali-G31 MP2 |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Display | |
| Screen Size | 3.4-inch |
| Resolution | 720 x 480 |
| Aspect Ratio | 3:2 |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| PPI | 254.51 |
| Storage | |
| Internal Storage | ❌ |
| External Storage | 2x microSD |
| Battery | |
| Battery Capacity | 3300mAh |
| Est. Battery Life | 6 Hours |
| Charging Speed | 5V/1.5A |
| Connectivity | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Ports | 3.5mm Audio Jack, microSD, Micro HDMI, USB-C |
| Video Out | Yes |
| Controls | |
| Sticks | Analog |
| Triggers | Analog |
| Shoulder Layout | Shelf |
| D-Pad | Top Left |
| Audio | |
| Speakers | Mono |
| Speaker Location | Front-facing |
| Headphone Jack | Yes |
| Physical | |
| Dimensions | 83 x 82 x 25mm |
| Weight | 178g |
| Form Factor | Clamshell |
| Software | |
| Operating System | Linux (ARM) |
| Custom Firmware | muOS, KNULLI, ROCKNIX, Anbernic H700 Stock OS Modification |
Pricing and Availability
The new Metallic Blue colorway is already available for purchase on Anbernic’s website, and the new color will not cost any more than the existing options already available on the site (you hear that, AYANEO!?) The RG34XXSP can be had for $67.99 in any of the colors, but why wouldn’t you go for the new shiny option?
Anbernic’s site allows for the device to ship from China, the US, or European warehouses, and has options to come with an additional 128GB or 256GB microSD card (which, given the cost of memory and storage these days, also results in a roughly 45% increase in the overall cost of the device!).
Reminder, though, that Anbernic updated their RG34XXSP listing back in January of this year to show that the device only comes with 1GB of RAM, instead of the 2GB that it originally launched with. Just something to keep in mind when making an informed purchase.
