You can’t always count on Anbernic, but you can always count on Anbernic to be Anbernic. That’s not just a poor paraphrasing of a Samuel L. Jackson quote from the 1997 classic, Jackie Brown, but an amusing nod to the fact that this company is going to do what they’re going to do when it comes to releases, and it’s best to just strap in and go along.
The RG35XX Pro comes to us after an early 2025 dearth of releases from Anbernic. No releases for the first four months of the year, followed by the RG557, which, while powerful, may have stumbled out of the gate a launch a bit. The RG34XXSP is here and is a solid clamshell option.
These are two different products released by Anbernic in 2025
Then there was the BatleXP G350. A “not Anbernic” device designed to compete in the ultra budget sector against devices like the R36S. The G350 was/is great, and we’ve said as much across our coverage.
Now comes the most Anbernic of Anbernic releases since the RG35XX 2024 edition: The RG35XX Pro. An extremely similar device to the G350, with the addition of a Wi-Fi chip, and the ubiquitous H700 processor subbing in for the budget favorite of the RK3266. Anbernic has become famous for a slow drip feed of features in their releases.
This wave proves no different. You loved the G350 you already bought, but just wish you didn’t have to plug in a dongle to go online with it? Well, now there’s an Anbernic for that too. It’s part of their game, and an important reminder that I am way too close to this hobby sometimes.
Maybe this isn’t the release that we in the retro handheld emulation community have been clamoring for, but there’s a whole marketplace of consumers out there who just want something that works out of the box and does its job well.
This is where my job gets a bit sticky. It’s impossible not to compare this release to the massive back catalog of previous handhelds with this same exact chipset. But at the same time, it’s hard to fault a handheld that’s doing things well across the board.
Anbernic RG35XX Pro Specs
The RG35XX Pro retails for $49.99, with a coupon for orders in the first 72 hours from the June 10th release date bringing things down to $44.99. Given the price increases seen across the board recently, this does present a good value proposition for consumers who may not already have a handheld that fits this bill.
As Dan W. noted in his announcement preview for the RG35XX Pro, this is now the fifth device released with the H700 since Anbernic declared that it was done with the chipset back in July 2024. Companies make claims like this all the time that don’t come to pass. Sometimes things change, but my guess in this case is that the H700 devices still sell exceptionally well and meet the needs of most consumers.
Anbernic can undoubtedly source the chipset at a lower cost than they could a few years ago, so it’s likely that as long as these devices keep selling, we’ll keep seeing them. Profit margins are razor-thin in the emulation market, with so many parties wetting their beaks along the way, and it’s logical to assume that one of the biggest players in the space is going to opt for what they can get away with at higher margins, while still keeping prices relatively low.
Features like built-in Wi-Fi are certainly a welcome addition for things like scraping and retro achievements. Whether HDMI out and Bluetooth sweeten the package for you or not will depend on your use cases, but it is cool to know that they’re here and working. You could run the RG35XX Pro as an emulation console hooked up to your living room TV if you were so inclined.
- Display: 3.5-inch IPS
- Resolution: 640 x 480
- Processor: Allwinner H700
- GPU: Dual-Core Mali-G31 MP2
- RAM: 1GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 2x microSD Cards
- Battery: 3200mAh, ~7 hours
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Headphone Jack
- Extras: mini HDMI, Vibration Motor
- Colors: Transparent Teal, White, Black (seen here)
Buy the RG5XX Pro Direct @ AnbernicBuy the RG35XX Pro @ AliExpress
Anbernic RG35XX Pro: Ergonomics and Screen
The RG35XX Pro certainly hasn’t done anything to break the mold in the design department, but it really doesn’t need to. This form factor is popular for a reason, and the RG35XX Pro is one of the most refined examples of the Game Boy style vertical design. The plastic shell is sturdy and has a quality feel to it, and at least on the solid black unit that I received, doesn’t seem to attract much in the way of smudges or fingerprints.
Contouring the back of the handheld at the triggers makes it comfortable to hold in the hands for longer gaming sessions. My index fingers rest nicely when playing, and some thoughtfully placed ridges on the backside of the shell offer some additional resting spots for your fingers.
PSX still pops
The screen of the RG35XX Pro is tried and true. There isn’t much to say about the display on this device that couldn’t be read about in dozens of previous reviews. It’s the same 3.5″ 640×480 display that we’ve come to know throughout the hobby.
It looks good and performs well, given the content you will be playing on the handheld. While there is room for possible technical improvements, there’s nothing here to complain about. It still looks great.
Controls
The RG35XX Pro Controls, with the G350 behind it.
These are the same controls, and I mean, I think they are the exact same controls as what appear on the BatleXP G350. If there was still any doubt that the G350 was an Anbernic device, it can certainly be put to bed forever now. That’s not to say that having the same controls as the G350 is a bad thing by any means.
The pivoting style D-pad is my personal preference, the face buttons are polished domes that will feel familiar to Anbernic fans and great all around, and the sticks are the same solid Switch-style experience we’ve come to expect.
The triggers are comfy and quiet
The rear triggers are as quiet and comfortable as they’ve ever been in a form factor like this, and they’re orders of magnitude better than what we got in devices like the earlier versions of budget devices like the R36S.
Software
I wrote about it in my thoughts on the recent RG34XXSP, and I’ll use this opportunity to say it again. Anbernic’s stock OS is now an all-around solid experience for both new users and veterans of the handheld landscape. Other than turning off that god-awful button noise that the devs seem so keen to keep turned on by default, the software is a joy to use.
Stock OS is no longer a compromise
Many of the systems on the console have optimal settings already implemented in RetroArch by default. I was particularly taken aback by some of the HD filters on systems like Game Boy and Game Gear that were chosen here. Being something of a purist in my own head, it just hadn’t been something I’d played with before, but it really does make some titles pop in a way that I loved.
HD Filter on the Nintendo Game Boy
For those who still want additional options beyond stock, this is still an H700 device, so no reason for worry. Community favorites like MuOS and Batocera should have their own images as soon as devices make it into the hands of devs, and some existing images likely will already work on the device as it sits.
Final Thoughts
Ready for summer at the beach
The RG35XX Pro may not be breaking any new ground in design or performance, but it is the most refined version of the original RG35XX line to date. Those of us deep in the hobby with a collection of devices might scoff and say that there’s no real reason for it to exist, but for John Q. Consumer, this is a great all-in-one option to game comfortably and with little-to-no setup necessary for a great experience.
That wasn’t a given just a few years ago. Even the best hardware needed a little extra love from community devs to live up to their potential, and it’s easy to miss how far things have come when we’ve become so conditioned by the regular stream of new releases.
If you already have a healthy collection of handhelds, then there’s probably little on offer here to convince you to pick up the RG35XX Pro, and that’s perfectly fine. A device doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest, doing what no one else has done before it, and striving only to meet my niche hobbyist wants. It can just be a good place to start for someone who likes games.
If Anbernic is committed to releasing a more refined version of the 35XX series yet again, it’s probably because they move units. What may have made little sense to the community with the release of something like the 35XX 2024 edition, Anbernic’s books might say otherwise. Low-cost devices that provide ease of access to content do sales numbers.
It’s the part of the hobby that is almost universally accessible to anyone, and I can appreciate their business need to continue pushing releases of this familiar design, because it probably funds all the other wacky fun stuff that comes down the pipe.
The RG35XX Pro may be unnecessary in the eyes of obsessive nuts like me, but that doesn’t mean it can’t offer a great gaming experience that still comes in at a reasonable price for the majority of gamers. Anbernic will continue to be Anbernic, and I’ll be happy to continue to get excited about what comes next.
Buy the RG35XX Pro Direct @ AnbernicBuy the RG35XX Pro @ AliExpress
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