I am going to be honest. The Anbernic fatigue has been setting in at this point of the year for me. I felt little excitement from the RG40XXH despite the 4:3 screen being enjoyable to use. When I heard the news of yet another XX device releasing, I felt like I had vertigo from the eye roll. However, it being a vertical handheld did something a little different for me.

I love a vertical handheld. This could probably be due to my love of the Game Boy Color growing up. Heck, my first emulation handheld was the RG351V and it got me into this addiction (more on that here). When I thought of the RG 40XXV as a successor to the 351V, my interest was piqued and the feeling of fatigue was fleeting.

What’s Under the Hood

• Display: 4-inch IPS, 640 x 480
• Processor: Allwinner H700
• GPU: Dual-core G31 MP2
• RAM: 1GB LPDDR
• Storage: Dual microSD Card Slot / Supports up to 512GB
• Battery: 3200mAh (6 hours estimated battery life)
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wifi, Bluetooth 4.2
• Extras: 5V/1.5A Charger / Supports C2C charging / RGB Joystick Lighting
• Software: Linux / 64-bit
• Colors: White / Transparent Black / Indigo Blue

The Look

With color options of blue, white, and transparent black, I was crossing my fingers for the white. I had an all-white Analogue Pocket and thought this could be a great replacement. I got the transparent black though. Anbernic has had this as a staple for their color options for a long time now, but it still looked good. 

The shell feels nice with a more rough texture than expected. The shoulder buttons are in a much better position than when I had my RG351V. The device just looks so sleek with minimal bezels. It is also so lightweight weighing in at just 220 grams. It feels great.

There is an analog stick and yeah, it sticks out like a sore thumb. It looks like the RG351V with it, but I wish they either put 2 sticks or maybe another speaker instead. It would have looked awkward with that much empty space in the bottom, but hey it’s RGB and that may be cool for some.

Controls

For the D-Pad, I am a big fan of Sega styles like on the Cube and Arc or a Vita like the Retroid Pocket 2S and AYN Odin. This D-Pad though is great. It feels very responsive and comfortable to use. Comparing it with my Game Boy Color and DMG, I much prefer this one. I know D-Pads are very person-to-person, but I may go out on a limb and say this is the best D-Pad Anbernic has made yet. It is just that good.

Face buttons feel like your typical Anbernic device, which is a great thing. They have a nice smooth feel to them and are very responsive. They click down easily and I notice no rubbing on the shell either. 

The shoulder buttons are in a great position, but I feel there is a resistance issue. Your fingers rest so naturally on them, but I feel like it takes no pressure at all to press them. I felt like I was accidentally pressing them a ton in my testing by just holding them a little too tight.

Back to the analog stick. I really hate this thing. Already I have said how awkward it looks, but I think using it is just as strange a feeling. After some testing with Crash Bandicoot on the PS1 it felt so off. The way my hand had to hold the device to use it felt off and the movements did not feel that precise. I can’t tell if that has to do with the angle of me holding it or because of the stick rubbing the shell.

Performance

It seems so redundant to talk about performance on another XX device. It can play up to some N64, PS1, and Dreamcast. Anything under? It plays it fantastically. If you are getting this purely for those higher-end systems, you may be a bit disappointed, especially with any remapping you may have to do for N64. It can also handle some PSP, but that can also be hit or miss.

Playing those old Game Boy games with the right overlay and shader does feel quite nostalgic though. I did not realize how small the DMG screen was until I was doing some comparisons. The games are really popping on this screen and look great. 

I usually don’t test too much N64 on these devices, but I tried a good bit with this one. I played a good bit of Wave Race, and wow, that plays so well! It looks and performs at a great level. I had no slowdown or lag. It just played great right out of the box.

I have always had some issues running PSP on the XX devices. Sometimes it doesn’t do very well and I just don’t want to take the extra time to figure out the issues, especially with other devices that can play it upscaled and in a better form factor. For this, I tried out some Vice City Stories and it was handling it pretty well! There was a very occasional slowdown, but it was perfectly playable. The analog stick has gotten a lot of hate, but it was useful in this situation.

Custom Firmware

Yes, I know that the constant releases of devices with this chip are frustrating. However, a benefit is that Custom Firmware is quickly available. I put MinUI on mine after my initial testing and it really makes this device seem like a cheaper option to the Analogue Pocket. You can follow our guide here on how to do this yourself. By the time this article drops, it is possible there will be even more options because these fantastic developers work fast! 

Battery Life

My biggest selling point for devices is battery life. The less time I have to worry about plugging something into the charge, the better. Since this is a first impression, I haven’t had too long to test the battery in a deep dive way. I have just been cognisant as I have been testing games.

From my testing though, I can say the battery life has been great so far. After a whole morning of trying different games on GB, PS1, N64, and more, I did not notice a huge dip in the battery. I would estimate about a 10% dip in battery from testing the higher-end systems for a little over an hour. We will dig more into the battery in our final review.

Finally, this device does not get very warm! My biggest complaint about the RG40XXH was how warm it was getting. Even the RG35XXSP would get a little warm here and there, but this? This was comfortable to use with no heating issues at all. There was a little behind the screen, but your fingers don’t naturally go there and it isn’t even that noticeable if you do purposefully touch it.

Final Thoughts

I found a good amount of joy in using this device. The buttons, size, form factor, and screen are all a great benefit for the RG40XXV. However, it becomes difficult to recommend or not. The market for this chipset is very saturated. It almost becomes cumbersome, but this device I think is worth a try. 

If you are someone who likes a vertical device, this is a great and affordable option. You get the Anbernic build quality with a lovely screen and nice buttons. The portability is nice and it looks very sleek and way less bulky than the RG351V and RG405V. This is a nice upgrade for those (although the performance is not as great as the latter). 

Now if you are someone who has an XX device from Anbernic, this may be a skip for you. If you are happy with your 40XXH, SP, XX+, and so on, be happy with that and feel comfortable. However, if you are enticed by this and interested, know it is a great device that won’t break the bank! 

What I Like:

• Thin, lightweight, and comfortable to hold
• Screen looks great
• One of the best D-Pad I have used
• Battery life is good
• A great callback to their RG351V

What Can Take a Hike:

• The analog stick
• How sensitive the shoulder buttons are
• Another XX device

Starting on August 26 at 3 AM PST, you can pre-order this latest handheld. Retail pricing starts at $66.99, but for the first 72 hours, Anbernic is offering a pre-order discount, bringing the RG40XXV down to $59.99.

Order your own RG40XXV at the links below on and after August 26th. Beware they won’t be active until then! While you’re at it, check out Stubbs’ video below!

• AliExpress 
• Anbernic 

What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!