We knew that Anbernic had at least one more device to release this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw at least one or two more before the calendar flips to 2025. What did surprise me was seeing the RG406H actually see the light of day, seemingly meant to take on the Retroid Pocket 5 and Pocket Mini.
Anbernic RG406H Specs
You’ve probably read our coverage of the RG406H, so I won’t bore you with a bunch of menial details. However, if you’re coming into this fresh and don’t know what to expect, here are the specs for Anbernic’s latest handheld.
- Display: 4-inch IPS, 960 x 720, Touchscreen
- Processor: Unisoc T820
- GPU: Quad-core Mali-G57
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
- Storage: 128GB UFS 2.2 (Internal) / microSD Card Slot (up to 2TB)
- Battery: 5000mAh (7 hours estimated battery life)
- Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wifi, Bluetooth 5.0
- Extras: 5V/2A Charger / RGB Joystick Lighting / Hall Joystick / Hall Triggers / USB-C DisplayOut / Six-Axis Gyro / Active Heat Dissipation / 3.5mm Headphone Jack
- Software: Android 13
- Dimensions: 174 x 81 x 17.9mm
- Weight: 265 grams
- Colors: Black / White / Transparent Purple
It shouldn’t come as much of a shock that this is practically identical to the RG406V, just in a horizontal form factor.
Anbernic RG406H: What I Like
The first thing that I noticed with the RG406H is that it really is basically like a stretched-out RG Cube. But, that’s not a bad thing by any means, as the RG Cube and RG CubeXX are two of the more comfortable handhelds that I’ve used all year.
Anbernic even went so far as to include the textured feeling on the back of the grips, which is much better than the smooth plastic feeling of the RG406V. After going through the initial setup process, I was also greeted with a software update. This is the first time I’ve seen that happen, as updates usually don’t arrive for at least a couple of weeks after launch.
Perhaps this was an example of Anbernic “rushing,” but again, not in a bad way. It wants to get these handhelds into the hands of people as quickly as possible, especially if it plans to go toe-to-toe with the Retroid Pocket 5 and Pocket Mini.
In his unboxing, Stubbs pointed out that he thought that the L1 and R1 buttons were a bit too loud for his liking. I have the opposite feeling, as I’ve learned that I rather enjoy the mechanical switches being used with various handhelds. While I don’t think I’d use the RG406H in bed while the wife’s asleep, I don’t usually play games in bed anyway as my sleep schedule is already a disaster.
I was also happy to see that there aren’t any problems with the screen like we saw with the original RG Cube. The display on the RG406H is crisp and clean and looks pretty darn good for an LCD panel. It doesn’t quite match up to the OLED panel on the Retroid Pocket 5, but hey, that’s fine.
Anbernic RG406H: Playing Games
As for gameplay, I really haven’t had enough time to test out and mess with different games. However, I did pop my microSD card into the RG406H and fired up some Pico-8 Celeste in RetroArch. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it feels different with the finish of the D-pad.
This isn’t something I’ve experienced with either the RG Cube or the CubeXX, but I felt like my thumb was kind of slipping. Then again, I didn’t get the White color with either of those, so I’ll have to reserve any final judgments until after I’ve had more than an hour to play around.
I did, however, want to perform a quick experiment and see whether I could get any Switch games to load. I know that the Unisoc T820 isn’t going to be able to handle heavier titles, but I do enjoy playing a round or two of Hades every now and then.
Using the latest version of Sudachi, I was able to play for about 10-15 minutes, averaging between 18-30 FPS. Mind you, this is with the T820, meaning that I’m not able to play around with different Turnip Drivers to make the game more stable. That being said, it was still fairly playable in the early levels, but I doubt that will be the case as the levels grow increasingly more difficult.
Something else that I’m on the fence about is the height of the joysticks. They do sit considerably higher than I expected, and I’m not really sure why. I did swap out the tops of the sticks with those from the Retroid Pocket 5, and while they still sit high, the concave inner surface does feel a bit better.
Anbernic RG406H: Conclusion
So far, and again, I’ve only used the RG406H for about an hour or so, I’m liking what I’m seeing here. If I’m being nitpicky, then I really would have liked to see Anbernic use different face buttons. At least make the ABXY colorful, instead of just using the boring white buttons with gray lettering.
I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts on the RG406H in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for those. Plus, I’m not the only one who got the RG406H, as other members of the RH team also got them. All of that is to say that you should expect to see more thoughts and opinions soon.
Although we’re still waiting to see when Anbernic will open pre-orders for the RG406H, you can get ready by bookmarking the link in the button below. This will take you to the landing page on Anbernic’s website, so you’ll be all ready to go as soon as Anbernic makes the listing live.
As a reminder, the Anbernic RG406H will retail for $167.99. However, if you pre-order it within the first 72 hours, you’ll save $10, dropping the price down to $157.99.
What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.