Anbernic has been making so many nostalgic Nintendo-looking devices that may as well steal Sega’s old slogan of, “Anbernic does what Nintendon’t” while they’re at it. When the announcement of the Anbernic RG34XX was made, every kid that had a GBA audibly sighed, pulled out their wallet, and came up with an excuse to their spouse for their latest $70 purchase. Even the box uses the GBA font! Is this the best GBA device on the market? Let’s see and also check out Andrew’s great first impressions here!
Anbernic RG34XX: Specs
- Display:Â 3.4-inch IPS
- Resolution:Â 720 x 480 (3x GBA pixel-to-pixel)
- Processor:Â Allwinner H700
- GPU:Â Dual-Core Mali G31 MP2
- RAM:Â 1GB LPDDR4
- Storage:Â Dual microSD Card Slots (Up to 512GB)
- Battery:Â 3,500mAh (Up to 7 hours)
- Connectivity:Â Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 4.2
- Extras:Â Vibration Motor, mini HDMI,
- Dimensions:Â 144.6 x 81.8 x 24.8mm
- Weight:Â 188 grams
Pre-orders for the RG34XX are expected to begin on 12/17 at 5 am ET with a retail price of $69.99 + shipping. And for the first 72 hours, Anbernic is knocking $6 off the price, bringing it down to $63.99 + shipping.
Anbernic RG34XX (AliExpress)Anbernic RG34XX (Direct)
Anbernic RG34XX: Look and Feel
I don’t have an original GBA to compare this to, but Zu does a great job in his video above that shows how similar these are. This is extremely spot on and any fan of the Game Boy Advance form factor should rejoice because this is fantastic. I haven’t held a GBA in over 15 years, so I couldn’t believe how small it felt in my hands. As someone with larger hands, this device is very cramped. The nostalgia did not outweight my discomfort.
The dpad feels really nice though and so do the face buttons. It is Anbernic, so that should not come as a surprise. They even matched the button colors for X and Y to the color of the shell so they blend in more. The shoulder buttons are… interesting. They kept the R1 and L1 in the original spot of the GBA but moved R2 and L2 to a bottom spot where the cartridges would go on the original GBA. It is very clever, but not very comfortable in my experience either.
One thing that I think is very cool is the volume control. To control the volume, it is in the form of a wheel. The wheel doesn’t work like a wheel, but rather like a switch. It is really cool and fun to use. The RG34XX is available in Black, Transparent Red, Transparent Green, and Indigo.
Performance
Being another entry in the XX line, there are no surprises for performance. You will get the lower-end systems with no issues. You can even play some PS1, Dreamcast, PSP, and N64, but don’t expect too much from those. Without any analog sticks, those may be a bit frustrating to play.
This device is made to play GBA games and it does that extremely well. I had a hard time putting it down when I was running through Sonic Advance. It is like I was transported to another time when I was a kid with a GBA. If you get this for GBA, you will not be disappointed! I was playing GBA on my Analogue Pocket, but the GBA core does not have RTC (yet). The RG34XX does though and that is a delight!
Battery Life and CFW
Battery life has been great so far on the RG34XX. I have not had the time to do any thorough testing, but in that time I have played a good bit of GBA. I would say after an hour, it would go down less than 10%. For the higher-end systems (PS1, PSP, etc.), the drops were a bit more close to the 13-15% range.
Custom firmware is what shines with these devices. The stock Anbernic firmware has a bit to be desired, but it is serviceable. At the time of writing, there isn’t any CFW available, but MinUI will be coming soon. You can probably expect the other RG-XX CFWs to come soon as well.
Conclusion
What I Like
+ Great nostalgic form factor of the GBA. Very close replica!
+ The volume “wheel”
+ Great buttons! Shoulder buttons feel smooth.
What I Don’t Like
– Not for everyone. If you didn’t have a GBA, you won’t be moved
– Not comfortable for big hands
Overall, this is a very fun release, and I think Anbernic needs to just keep replicating gaming consoles from our childhood. I want a DS or an N64 controller with a screen on it! They will keep pushing these out, and we will keep on buying them. If you have any connection with the original GBA design, this device is a must-buy. Get them at the links below!
Anbernic RG34XX (AliExpress)Anbernic RG34XX (Direct)
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