Anbernic RG DS Will Scratch Your Itch For Retro Gaming At A Super Cheap Price

The assortment of Nintendo DS-inspired handhelds has a new contender, and the entry-level is now cheaper than ever, with the sub-$100 Anbernic RG DS. For reference, other new DS handhelds sell for approximately $249 to as high as $1,759 depending on the make and model. Of course, this also means that compared to those systems, like the AYN Thor and its dual OLEDs or the Ayaneo Flip 1S DS, the Anbernic RG DS is going to be a much less powerful machine. But at its price point, especially for a device geared for emulating retro games, and considering the original Nintendo DS launched at a $149.99 USD MSRP, things are looking good for the Anbernic RG DS as long as it proves capable enough for its audience.

The form factor certainly looks nice. The mini analog sticks are more reminiscent of the Wii Classic Controller than the 3DS or PSP's analog nubs, which should make them better for use with games that support analog controls. Otherwise, we're mostly looking at a standard DS Lite/3DS clamshell design here, and those were still some of Nintendo's most popular handhelds ever until the Nintendo Switch came along and combined Nintendo's console and handheld divisions. It's hard to complain about anything on a surface level here.


So, what will the device actually be able to play, and when will it be released? That's when things get muddier, and where the stated price point may actually become a double-edged sword. With such a low price point but no available specs, the likelihood that the Anbernic RG DS will be capable of emulating Nintendo 3DS games is questionable. In this price range, we estimate hardware akin to the Raspberry Pi 5. The Pi 5 can handle Nintendo 3DS emulation, but is prone to frame-drops in demanding games without speedhacks or lowered internal resolution. It's a similar story with GameCube and PS2 games on that class of entry-level ARM hardware. PSP, Nintendo DS, and PS1/N64 games or older should run flawlessly on the Pi 5, though, which bodes well for the RG DS budget-friendly pricing.

Ultimately, it's hard to make a conclusive value statement on the Anbernic RG DS until we have more information on what the internals are actually capable of.