Never ones to shy away from creating a budget model of every available form factor, Game Console is back again with a revision on the classic horizontal formula, the XF35H. This is a budget entry device designed to go head-to-head with handhelds like the Anbernic RG35XXH, and it isn’t the first time a company under the various “Game Console” monikers has come forward with an option in the form factor. The R36H was released around this same time last year, and I found it to be a serviceable, if flawed, experience.
With the XF35H landing somewhere in the price point between $30-$40, it’s right in the budget sweet spot, and if you can get it during a sale with coupons, you can do even better. I paid $36.20 for the unit in this review, but as we know, given the current landscape, prices are in a constant state of flux.
The XF35H
So is this new horizontal entry worthy of a place in your collection, or are you better off keeping the horizontal you already have? Let’s find out.
Game Console XF35H Specs
This is still a device sporting the tried and true RK3326, but the addition of on-board WiFi is certainly a welcome addition in the ultra-budget space.
- Screen: 3.5-inch, 640×480 IPS Display (229ppi)
- Chipset: RockChip RK3326
- GPU: Mali-G31 MP2
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 8GB eMMC
- Connectivity: microSD, USB-C, 3.5mm Audio Jack
- OS: Custom EmuElec Fork
- USB-C: Charging + Data port function
- Wifi: 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n
- Sound: 8Ω 1W down-firing stereo speakers
- Battery: 4000mAh
- Weight: 192g (per my postal scale)
- Dimensions: 5.71 x 2.95 x 0.91 inches
Design and Ergonomics
The XF35H almost certainly takes its, ahem, inspiration from the Anbernic RG35XX H. Everything about the device is an attempt to refine that design at an even lower price point, and if that was indeed the intention, I think Game Console has largely succeeded here.
That tiny bump-out on the X35H shell actually makes a big difference
The handheld sports an ever-so-slight kick-out at the bottom of its shell to contour more to the user’s hands. This addition is barely even perceptible, but it does make the comfort difference in my hands vs the standard curved rectangle.
Grippies
Yes, I do refer to the pads on the back of these handhelds as grippies. What do you call them? If it’s a good enough title for textured socks at the trampoline park, then it’s good enough for emulation handhelds.
Grippies growth from top to bottom RG35XX H, R36H, XF35H
Since these are flat-backed devices, Anbernic had a novel idea of adding textured grippies onto the RG35XXH. Game Console decided to take this idea and run with it. The R36H took the grippies that came before it and made them textured, taller, and wider. The XF35H takes this tradition and expounds it.
The grippies on the XF35H sit on the edges of the device and stretch from top to bottom of the handheld’s rear. I’ve always thought these were a great addition to avoid slippage, and the larger version on offer here is most welcome.
XF35H Color Options
Plenty of options out of the gate
The handheld is currently available in five different color options, and there should be something on offer here to satisfy most tastes. I went with the transparent aqua version to match my XF40H, but the Gamecube purple and translucent red/orange certainly pique my interest as well.
Controls
Buttons & Sticks
The controls on the XF35H are almost identical to those found on its 1:1 cousin, the XF40H. That’s not a bad thing at all. While my preferences might lean a little more towards the domed and smooth-edged face buttons of the Anbernic device, everything on offer here is entirely serviceable, and sometimes more.
XF35H (L) vs RG35XX H (R)
The analog sticks on the XF35H are the bog-standard Switch-style sticks found on nearly every budget to mid-tiered device on the market. There’s not a whole bunch to say about them, other than that they’re perfectly fine for the games and applications on offer with this device. I prefer to leave the included RGB LEDs off while playing games, but the option is there if you want them.
Standard Switch sticks
One thing I cannot get on board with, and I’ve written about this before, is the +/- volume controls on the front of the unit. This is a design choice that a lot of companies have made, and I just personally hate it. My brain is constantly reaching for them as start/select, and the fact that +/- are used as start/select in the Switch family doesn’t exactly help matters. It’s a stupid gripe, and one that really doesn’t impact gameplay, but I’m still begging for designers to just put the volume controls on the side of the device where they belong.
D-Pad
The D-Pad on the XF35H is, for my money, an improvement over the RG35XXH and the R36H. While the pads on the latter devices are by no means bad, the XF356H just edges them out slightly with some smart design revisions. The circular central divot found on the pads of its competitors has been replaced with an engraved X design.
Just a slight revision
The pad has an ever-so-slightly concave shape, which I found made each directional input much more intentional. I never slipped and did something that I didn’t intend to, and input evaluations like Russ’ famous Contra test are passed with no problem.
Shoulders
The side-by-side shoulder design feels the best on this type of handheld, and the XF35H is no exception. It takes the similar designs of its predecessors and refines them ever so slightly. Much like other aspects of the device. It’s more of a revision than a redesign, but it works quite well.
The XF35H has the best shoulder design so far for my money.
The raised circles on the L2 and R2 shoulders offer the perfect resting place for my index fingers, and while the older forms are fine, this just feels right. This feeling has been a running theme through my time with the XF35H. It isn’t rewriting the rules by any stretch, but it is perhaps giving them a good, polished edit.
Sound
The dual down-firing speakers on the XF35H are the same design as those found on the other devices in the form factor lineup. It’s the only speaker design that really works for this form factor, as the face of the unit is already pretty packed with inputs.
Speakers down below
The sound experience isn’t anything to write home about, but the speakers do their jobs well, and crackles and pops were nowhere to be found in my testing. That’s probably about the highest praise that I can offer a device at this price point.
Software & Presentation
Game Console is keeping up with its latest trend of including a digital user manual and FAQ with the included stock OS. It’s something that hobbyists will likely glance right over, but for the uninitiated in the emulation scene, who may just be receiving a device as a gift, it’s an appreciated gesture to include.
Helpful for newbies
The included ROM package packed with the unit is the same story as it was on the R36T and XF40H. Some systems are organized and curated nicely, others have random 000034 number arrangements. While the hardware is certainly solid, I’d want to ditch the included ROM library ASAP. Some systems have artwork and previews, while others are mysteriously barren. It’s an odd way to present yourself, and it isn’t as though it would take much time to fix. Do better, Game Console curator guy.
Games are often romhacks that aren’t marked as such. Loading Contra on NES, for example, will see the user start the game with a spread shot. I don’t want that, and that’s not how younger people should be experiencing a classic for the first time. It’s lame.
The stock SD card is likely of very low quality, as evidenced by the strangely long load times on systems that normally should pop up instantly. Hopefully, we’ll see some dedicated custom firmware packages for this device and the XF40H, but for now, users in the RH Discord are already reporting success with builds of Rocknix and UnofficialOS.
Gameplay & Display
Man, is this ever well-worn territory. The XF35H is just the latest in a long, long line of RK3266 devices. The performance is well documented at this point. This handheld will give a near-perfect experience up through the PS1 era of games, with some bonus playable DC and PSP thrown in for good measure.
Happy Halloween
The RK3266 chipset performs here just as it has for almost every device in the past, admirably. While it would be nice to see a beefier processor in these devices as time goes on, it’s still an amazing value to be able to pick up a device that can play as much as this machine does for the price.
Screen
Solid
The display on the XF35H is a well-known entity at this point as well. Even with more modern options available at this point, I’m still bowled over by how these cheap displays can now produce such a crisp and vibrant image on a budget device. If you’ve used a more recent panel version of the R36S, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Is it the best thing on the market? No, but it’s damn impressive considering the price tag.
Conclusions
Should you buy an XF35H? Well, that all depends on your needs and existing collection. I have no problem whatsoever recommending the XF35H over a previous Game Console attempt like the R36H. And, given costs and a general belt tightening most of us are facing, I might even recommend it over the RG35XX H, given the price difference. If you already have the Anbernic H, I can’t say that there’s enough on offer here to sway you for an additional purchase, but it should be on your radar if you’re currently mulling over the purchase of a 3.5″ horizontal handheld.
Game Console (L) vs Anbernic (R), and my need to insert Balatro wherever I can
The Anbernic device still lists around the $50 before coupon (coincidentally, I just got an email advertising the device at this price while writing this review), whereas the new Game Console variant can be had for as much as $20 less. That price gap is nothing to sneeze at, given the relative budget level of each device and their extremely similar gaming experiences.
So, if you’re in the market for a 3.5″ horizontal handheld, and you can score a decent deal, the XF35H is a worthy competitor in a confusing sea of clones.
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