As a kid who grew up glued to his old Game Boy Advance SP, I have many fond memories of playing what most kids these days would call “retro games.” To this day, I still regularly find myself playing a wide array of classic games. But what does one do when they want to play old home consoles on the go or want the enjoyment of old games without the hassle of carrying a system with pockets full of cartridges? Meet your new best friend: the Anbernic RG35XX H.
The Anbernic RG35XX H is a Game Boy Advance-style emulation handheld that can run many systems of yesteryear while being about the same size as a small smartphone with a bulky case installed. Packing a 3.5-inch screen, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and powered by an Allwinner H700 chip, the RG35XX H can easily handle playing classic systems ranging from old Atari consoles to PlayStation 1, and can even handle a wide range of Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast games.
For times when you want to play with friends, you can easily hook up a mini HDMI cable to the system and play your games on a TV like a home console, including using a Bluetooth controller, making the RG35XX H fun for both kids and adults alike when on the go.
“For on-the-go gaming, the Anbernic RG35XX H is easily one of my favourite grab-and-go devices.”
The RG35XX H comes with a relatively large 3,300 mAh battery that, in my testing, provides upwards of eight to nine hours of gameplay when playing lighter systems like Game Boy Advance or Mega Drive, but still gives a respectable five to six hours when playing more demanding systems such as Dreamcast or Neo Geo.
While we don’t condone illegally downloading ROM files for games you don’t already own, it is possible for anyone to carry a library of thousands of games from a multitude of consoles and systems—all in one convenient and compact handheld.
For on-the-go gaming, the Anbernic RG35XX H is easily one of my favourite grab-and-go devices that, in most cases, satisfies my itch to play games wherever I may go, whether on a train, a plane or even on a road trip. The battery provides plenty of game time, and the added functionality of being able to connect to a TV makes it one of the best bargain-priced emulation handhelds on the market.