It’s been a little while since the Anbernic RG557 was released, and since then, we’ve seen a few updates arrive that seemingly solved the original performance issues many were having. With that out of the way, we figured it would be a good time to put together help everyone out with the Anbernic RG557 Setup Guide. Much of this applies to pretty much any Android handheld, but we’ve included some specific tips and tricks for the RG557.

Table of Contents

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• Where to Buy
• Anbernic RG557 Specs
• Recommended Accessories
• Apps and Utilities We Recommend
• Third-Party Launchers
• Recommended Emulators
• Anbernic RG557 Guide
• More RG557 From RH
  • Website
  • YouTube

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Where to Buy

• Anbernic Direct
• AliExpress
• Amazon
• WhatGeek

Anbernic RG557 Specs

****	Spec
Screen Size	5.48″
Aspect Ratio	16×9
Resolution	1920 X 1080
Screen Type	AMOLED
Form Factor	Horizontal
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 8300
GPU	Mali-G615 MC6
RAM	12GB LPDDR5X
Active Cooling	✅
Internal Storage	256GB UFS 4.0
External Storage	1x MicroSD Up To 2TB
Battery	5,500mAh, Up To 8 Hours
Charging	27W (5V/9V)
Vibration	✅
Wi-FI	Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3
Audio Jack	✅
Speakers	2x Down-Firing
Ports	1x USB-C (bottom), 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack (bottom), 1x MicroSD Card Slot (bottom)
Video Out	✅
Controls / Buttons	Hall Effect Joysticks, Hall Effect Triggers, D-Pad, ABXY, Start, Select, Home/Back, RG Launcher, L1/R1, L2/R2, L3/R3, Volume, Power
Extras	RGB Joysticks, 1080p Video Out via USB-C, RG Launcher
Dimensions	223 X 89 X 15mm
Weight	347 Grams
Colors	Transparent Purple, White
Operating System	Android 14
Release	2025-04
Retail Price	$249.99

Recommended Accessories

Apps and Utilities We Recommend

Utility	Description	Download
Artemis	An open-source client for Apollo/Sunshine.	GitHub
Chdman	A chdman port for Android. Heavily work-in-progress.	GitHub
Epic Games Store	Mobile marketplace where you can find, purchase, download, and play new games and apps	Direct
es-de-android-custom-systems	This is a set of xml enabling custom systems like Switch, hacks of gb,gbc,gba,nes, snes and gen	GitHub
Key Mapper	An Android app to remap the buttons on your devices	GitHub
MiXplorer	Fast, smooth, beautiful, reliable and full-featured Android file manager with a simple and intuitive user interface.	GitHub
Moonlight	NVIDIA GameStream client for Android	GitHub
Obtainium	Get Android app updates straight from the source.	GitHub
RHCompletion	An Android app for RetroHandhelds GotX completion.	GitHub
Steam Link	Stream games from your computer.	Direct
Syncthing-Fork	A Syncthing Wrapper for Android.	GitHub
UniPatcher	An app for patching ROMs or game files.	GitHub

Third-Party Launchers

Launcher	Download
Beacon	Google Play
Console Launcher	GitHub
Daijisho	Google / GitHub
ES-DE	Patreon
Gamedeck	Google Play
Launchbox	Direct
RESET Collection	Google Play

Recommended Emulators

Emulator	Console(s)	Download
RetroArch (Nightly)	Multi-system	Direct
Dolphin (Dev)	GameCube & Wii	Direct
Dolphin MMJR VBI	GameCube & Wii	GitHub
Azahar	Nintendo 3DS	GitHub
Borked3DS	Nintendo 3DS	GitHub
Citra MMJ	Nintendo 3DS	GitHub
DraStic	Nintendo DS & DSi	Archive.org
melonDS	Nintendo DS & DSi	GitHub
Mupen64Plus FZ	Nintendo 64	Free / Pro
Citron	Nintendo Switch	Git
Eden	Nintendo Switch	Git
Sudachi	Nintendo Switch	GitHub
Skyline Edge	Nintendo Switch	Archive.org
Uzuy MMJR	Nintendo Switch	Archive.org
Yuzu	Nintendo Switch	Archive.org
PPSSPP	PSP	Free / Gold
DuckStation	PlayStation 1	Google Play
NetherSX2 (3668)	PlayStation 2	GitHub
RPCSX	PlayStation 3	GitHub
Vita3K	PlayStation Vita	GitHub
Redream	Sega Dreamcast	Google Play
Yaba Sanshiro 2	Sega Saturn	Free / Pro
Cemu	Wii U	GitHub
Pluvia	Windows	GitHub
ScummVM	Windows / DOS	Direct
Winlator	Windows	GitHub
Winlator Bionic	Windows	GitHub

Guides

Change Launcher for RG Button

1. Open the Android Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Handheld Game Console Settings.
3. Tap Quick Launcher.
4. Select the launcher that you want to use.

RG Launcher

1. Swipe down twice to reveal the Notification Toggles.
2. Tap RG Launcher.
3. Once loaded, press the SE button.
   
4. From the side panel, select Settings.
   • Theme Style
   • Media
   • Emulator Selection
   • Exit Menu
5. When you’re finished, press the SE button again.
6. Select Tools.
   
   • Scan ROM on TF card
   • Fix front-end theme style
   • Reinstall RetroArch
   • Repair EMU configuration
   • RetroArch add overlays
   • RetroArch remove overlays

Set ROM Location

1. Select the console.
2. Press the SE button.
3. Tap ROM setting panel
4. Tap the + button under Game path
5. Navigate to where your ROMs are located for the console you’re editing.
6. Tap the Checkbox to the right of the folder name.
7. Tap the Select button.
8. At the bottom of the screen, tap the Start searching for games button.
9. Repeat when needed.

Change Default Emulators for RG Launcher

1. Select the console.
2. Press the SE button.
3. Select Current Emulator Launch Options.
4. Choose the emulator that you would prefer to use.
5. Highlight and select Save.
6. Repeat for other consoles, if necessary.

How to Install and Run Scripts

1. Make sure the script you want to use is downloaded and in an accessible location. (i.e. Downloads)
2. Open the Settings app.
3. Scroll down and tap Handheld Game Console Settings.
4. Scroll to the bottom and tap Run Shell.
5. Tap the + button.
6. Locate and select the script.
7. Tap the Run button.

The script will be enabled for as long as the RG557 has a charge and is powered on. If you restart the device, you’ll need to re-run the script.
Now, you can long-press the RG button and be taken to your Launcher of choice. This also changes which launcher appears on the Launcher Toggle within the Notification Panel.

How to Map On-Screen Controls

1. Open the game.
2. Swipe down twice to reveal the Notification Toggles
3. Long-press the “Keymapp” button
4. Tap one of the buttons so that it’s “Blue” (selected).
5. Press the corresponding button on the handheld.
6. Repeat for the rest of the controls.
7. Tap Save.

You can create different configs for different apps using the Config Manager option.

How to Update Anbernic RG557

1. Swipe down to reveal the notification shade.
2. Tap the “Update Available” notification.
3. Follow the on-screen steps.

Update Using Anbernic’s Own App

1. Locate and open the FOTA Update app.
2. Tap the Check Version button.
3. Follow the on-screen steps to install the update.

Manually Update

1. Download the update ZIP file to a memorable location on your RG557.
2. Locate and open the FOTA Update app.
3. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
4. Select Local update.
5. Locate and select the downloaded update ZIP file.
6. Wait for the update to finish installing, then reboot.

Update Android

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll all the way down and tap System.
3. Scroll down again and tap System Update.
4. Tap the Check for update button.
5. If an update is available, follow the on-screen steps to download and install.

More RG557 From RH

Website

• Follow-up Impressions: A More Rounded Experience
• Anbernic RG557 Review: We Waited for This?
• Thoughts After a Week
• First Impressions

YouTube

Wrap-up

We tried to corral all of the information we could so that you have everything you need to get your RG557 set up and ready to game. That being said, things are constantly moving and changing in the world of retro handhelds, so let us know if there’s something we missed or if you need some help.

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

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