Anbernic RG34XXSP Review: Is This The Clam You Want?

Anbernic tends to march to its own drum. After a monthly release cycle in 2024, they surprised a lot of fans by staying largely silent in the first quarter of 2025. The anticipated release of the RG557 has come and gone, and that device certainly went in some different design directions than some people were expecting. Now we have the Anbernic RG34XXSP, following in the footsteps of the RG35XXSP, while offering a few key differences.

If you’d told me they’d follow the RG557 up with another clamshell, only this time with a smaller screen and the addition of analog sticks, I’d have probably said that actually makes sense. Anbernic is going to do what Anbernic wants to do, and trying to predict what comes in the future is likely a fool’s errand.

Luckily (or perhaps frustratingly for some), for hardware enthusiasts, most of what Anbernic wants to do is launch a seemingly never-ending torrent of hardware designs to go around the H700 chipset. For those of us who are a bit too close to the hobby, it may seem like double-dipping on your customers more than giving them options, but it’s difficult to fault them for giving us every form factor under the sun.

My own lack of willpower and the damage it may do to my wallet are my problem, not a fault in their expanding product lineup. The majority of offerings are still supported and offered for sale by the company, too, not tossed aside in favor of the next release.

So is this new flippy tribute to the Gameboy SP worth your gaming bucks? Well, in short, yes, but it all depends on what other devices may already be in your lineup.

Anbernic RG34XXSP Specs

Some hinge in hinge inception

Display: 3.4-inch, 3:2 IPS Screen
Resolution: 720 x 480
Processor: Allwinner H700
GPU: Dual-Core Mali-G31 MP2
RAM: 2GB LPDDR4
Storage: 2x microSD Cards
Battery: 3300mAh, ~6 hours
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Headphone Jack
Extras: mini HDMI, Vibration Motor, Magnetic Lid
Colors: Yellow, Gray, Black, Indigo
Dimensions: 83 x 82 x 25mm
Weight: 178 grams

Buy the RG34XXSP Direct @ Anbernic Buy the RG34XXSP @ AliExpress

Anbernic RG34XXSP: Ergonomics, Sound, and Screen

The 3:2 aspect ratio on the RG34XXSP makes this a true homage to the GBA SP with the benefit of a larger overall display and significantly improved resolution and brightness, along with all the other benefits that come with 25 years of advancements in LCD displays.

Crisp

When sitting next to its larger-screened cousin, the RG35XXSP, the RG34XXSP does have an overall smaller footprint. The device is slightly narrower and thinner than the clam that came before it, but that’s to be expected. In terms of comfort, if you’re ok with the 35XXSP, you should be fine here, though if you were concerned that device was a little too small in your hands, know that it will be even smaller on this go-round.

Side by side

Folks who may have been turned off by the additional beveling around the screen on the 34XXSP when compared to its predecessor may still want to consider other options on the market, but I never found the choice to take away from my enjoyment. To be perfectly honest, after a little under a week with the device, I’m not sure if it was something I ever really noticed.

The Hinge

I can’t say whether it will last as long as my SP has, but the hinge is solid

With 2025 shaping up to be the year of the clamshell, the first thing a lot of people will want to know about the RG34XXSP is how the hinge feels. Subpar quality and design in previous handhelds like the Retroid Pocket Flip 1 and the Miyoo Flip left some users feeling burned by their purchases. While I can’t speak directly to the long-term durability of the hinge on the RG34XXSP, I can say that it feels fantastic.

The screen folds up or down very smoothly and snaps shut with a satisfying amount of tension. At no time during my testing with the RG34XXSP did I ever feel the need to treat it gingerly or be careful of manhandling the device to avoid hurting the hinge. Everything is as it should be, which is to say that the hinge works as it should and well enough that you’re unlikely to ever give it a second thought.

Sound

The RG34XXSP has a front-facing speaker in the exact same design as the RG35XXSP, and, of course, the Game Boy Advance SP. While it certainly may not get as loud as some other stereo devices, the speaker works very well for its job. At no time during my testing did I encounter any unexpected interference, pops, or crackles.

Three different handhelds – same speaker design

I can’t imagine wanting to crank up the volume more than I already can to fill the room, and if I want a little more punch, I can just connect headphones either via Bluetooth or the thoughtfully included analog jack for us obstinate old-folks with a distaste for Bluetooth earbuds.

Anbernic RG34XXSP Controls

The controls on the RG34XXSP (and the RG35XXSP before it) are meant to evoke a sense of a modern take on the Game Boy SP’s classic setup. What worked 25 years ago is still solid today.

View of the D-pad and controls

There are some modern refinements made to the controls of the Anbernic devices when put side by side with the Game Boy. The controls are larger in size, acknowledging that large swaths of the user base have become adults over the last quarter century, without stripping anything away from that all-important hand-feel.

The D-pad and face buttons have come to define what it means when someone else in the hobby talks about “clicky controls”. I had always had a vague idea of what folks meant when they used that description, but the Anbernic SP series encapsulates it in my eyes.

Face buttons/TF/Power/Reset

The clamshell design of the handheld requires the face controls to be shallower than they might be on other devices, which demands a tactile response when the user presses down on an input. With the lack of travel movement, the clicky controls provide needed feedback to the player’s brain that they have been successful in pressing the button as intended.

Shoulders are again an enhanced design of what was originally offered on the Game Boy SP, just with the addition of R2/L2. It’s the same as what appears on the RG35XXSP, and this is one of those times where I’m inclined to say that if it ain’t broke, there’s no reason to fix it.

Back and shoulders

I can see why they might not be for everyone, but given the form factor, I think Anbernic has largely knocked it out of the park in the controls department.

Gameplay and Performance

As someone who regularly evaluates these devices, it can get really difficult to find something new to say about yet another H700 handheld. With other manufacturers, it might be the RK3326, but with Anbernic, it’s the H700.

It’s the chipset they have dialed in that hits a comfortable balance between price and performance. I just don’t know what else to say about it that hasn’t been written month after month at this point.

I really need to play Sword of Mana…

If you are new to the space or on the fence about picking up the RG34XXSP, here’s the rub. You will get a top-tier experience from everything PS1 and earlier, with the bonus of a decent amount of library support for systems like N64, PSP, and Dreamcast.

Anything beyond that isn’t happening. Given the form factor and size of this device, though, you should probably be thinking about it for GBA first and foremost. This device was created first and foremost to make those games sing, and it does a great job.

PSP displays great at this aspect ratio

Where the RG34XXSP surprised me was now well the 3:2 display actually translates to PSP games. The titles that can run well on the system, really look good on this device.

Anbernic RG34XXSP Software and CFW

The Anbernic Stock OS offers more than just games

Things move quickly in this niche hobby, and what was true yesterday does not always apply today. Such is the case for some stock firmwares. Anbernic’s stock software experiences in the past often left users wanting more, and it was often seen as the duty of the community to pick up the slack. It was an accepted part of the hobby that these companies would provide the handhelds, and the enthusiasts would fill in the software gaps.

Anbernic has clearly taken some feedback to heart and made an effort to improve the user experience out of the box. Where it was a requirement to wait for custom firmware to fully take advantage of your device just a few short years ago, now the stock offering gives you access to most of what users might request. Outside of the woodpecker hacking at my brain, that is the default navigation sounds (turned on by default for whatever reason), the Anbernic stock OS is genuinely solid.

There’s an included commercial for my handheld, on my handheld

You can now confidently hand these devices out to less technically inclined friends and family to enjoy straight from the factory, versus having to make sure it was set up prior to gift wrapping. That may not sound like a big deal to those of us in the hobby who work with this stuff all the time, but most folks have no interest in any type of minor hassle or roadblocks that come between them and “it just works”.

They’ve even made the effort to include functionality outside of gaming for those interested. E-reading, music listening, and movie/TV watching have all been considered as part of the stock experience.

Knulli running on the RG34XXSP

If you are someone who likes to tweak things, though, know that there are already several custom options available. There is already an official build of Rocknix for the RG34XXSP, and testing of the standard 34XX builds of MuOS and Knulli was as simple as swapping the SD card from those devices into the RG34XXSP.

They will need some slight fixes specific to this device, like the sticks, but given the familiar internals, these releases are likely to be along just as soon as the device makes it out into the hands of devs.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re someone who’s looking to reconnect with their childhood gaming handheld experiences, or a younger gamer hoping to get a taste of the classics when some modern quality of life improvements, there is something for you to love about the RG34XXSP.

Personally, given the games that I want to play on a device like this, I don’t need the sticks. I think they’d be better suited for the larger screen of the RG35XXSP. Having said that, they don’t get in my way and just serve as something of a nice bonus, regardless of whether they get much use.

I think I’m picking up on the vibe Anbernic is putting down with this carrying case…(not included)

And that’s the greatest thing about the flood of releases in this hobby. If this device isn’t quite the form factor you’re looking for, chances are that there is something already out there for you, and if there somehow isn’t yet, just wait. It will come.

Now I wrote this review having never had my hands on the Miyoo Flip. That device was released in something of a not-quite-there-yet state, and when combined with potential hinge issues, it wasn’t something that I felt the need to jump on.

So if you’re trying to weigh your choice between the two, I can just say that the Anbernic device is all around solid, while I know there have been some voiced concerns about the quality of the Miyoo handheld.

Whether the 34XXSP is right for your needs will have to be up to you. Know that it will do the things it claims to, and do them well. Whether you want a larger screen available on the RG35XXSP or a smaller display, but with the analog sticks of the 34XXSP, will have to be up to you. If you wanted both? Just give it time, it’s Anbernic, they’ll probably make that one too.