Anbernic RG35XX H Has A MASSIVE Design Flaw (My Favorite Handheld)

[@VladNerd]

Check the description if you want to help the channel grow. Also, *cool nerds help other nerds out by liking and subscribing.* ❤

[@samuki1992]

Its a design flaw for sure, but idk if it matters that much, every lithium battery has a limited lifespan anyways. I have a Miyoo mini + for more than a year now, and the battery lasts a lot less than what it used to when i first bought it, because i play A LOT, and that alone wears the battery.

[@pavichokche]

I took mine apart a while ago to replace the battery adhesive and it seems like the battery does not directly touch the SOC, there is an air gap. It's a small gap, though

[@infinity8x3]

I have the clear model and I shined my flash light through the device and can confirm that I could see light passing between the battery and soc. But as you said it's not very much at all. But it is not technically touching the battery.

[@pavichokche]

@@infinity8x3 exactly, that's what I did with my clear model when I took it apart. Seems like about 1mm

[@imb4dm4n66]

In matter of time that battery will swollen and meet the soc.

[@pavichokche]

@@imb4dm4n66 I'll let you know when it happens

[@PyromancerRift]

I dont think its an issue. Laptops run way hotter and the battery eats a lot of heat. I think they run fine untill 60c. The chips in these machines dont reach 60. Let alone the battery. Phones are the same.

[@capitanulromania3899]

I bought this console because I thought it was the best price-quality offer. I bought it for myself, to play what I wanted, within the limits of the device... not to leave it to my grandchildren or to keep it forever. It really gets hot, but if the battery breaks, I don't mind replacing it after a few years... or even buying another console or another model. They are not very expensive and I don't mind. I understand what you are saying about the strategy of planning the breakdown, but there are other much more expensive areas in which it is applied (telephones, cars, printers, etc.). Of course, there is also the possibility that whoever designed the console may not have another place to put the battery. I must also mention that before buying the console, I looked at several reviews, including yours, and no one spoke of this aspect. Most of them don't even show the interior in the video and it doesn't bother me. However, I know that someone mentioned that it heats up and that the battery may have problems. I bought it with this aspect in mind. In conclusion, if it lasts for a few years, it has paid off its investment and I can upgrade or repair it.

[@greenprotag]

For me, I put a 2240 coper M.2 heatsink on my RG35xxSP SoC to help absorb some heat with "mixed" reactions. "You are making it worse, the air gap is better" or "This is cool I want to do this" I think they will be fine with a little easy modifications to elevate SOME issues and I suspect the same for the H if there is room. Otherwise? I feel like a battery swap AND maybe an upgrade in a few years is fine. Ideally it lasts 2-4 years depending, but I might be OK with my 3 device daily driver set up (35xxSP + G-Cloud + Gaming PC).

[@SimplestUsername]

Your concept of how batteries degrade is mislead. Lithium ion batteries wont experience accelerated degradation until operating above 140 Fahrenheit. This device with a 6W TDP and thermal sensor won't overheat, so it's irrelevant. Also, this device has the easiest battery replacement process I've ever seen.

[@DRH-km4hk]

Famous words. If something is awesome, that needs to be found out. If something has a critical flaw 🫵 that also needs to be talked about! Very true and thank you for bringing this up

[@JgHaverty]

Its not a "critical flaw" at all. Batteries are used for chipset heatsinks quite often as they are good thermal masses for light power SOC's. The H700 chipset will NEVER reach the 90c required to degrade the battery. Also, his claim of "replacing the battery every 2-3 years" is super incredulous. Thats a 50% margin of error lol. Also what is he basing this on? Wheres his data set? Whats his claim fundamentally based on? No no, this is just a bunch of virtue signalling and fundamentally useless information.

[@ben-tendo]

The RG35XX-H seems to have battery drain issues where the battery depletes even when shut down? The new 1.1.5 firmware seems (so far) to have dealt with it but it does mean CFW's don't last at all on the device (until maybe they have a nosey at what Anbernic have done in the new FW and start replicating the shut down methods they now use).

[@VladNerd]

I've personally never had this. It's interesting to hear that Anbernic has deeper standby now. I always thought it was a hardware limitation. If they now have something akin to what the TrimUI Smart Pro has in terms of standby, that'd be beyond awesome.

[@r2cris]

I got an rg35xx h and a miyoo mini plus. I ended using more the miyoo, even if the h is more powerfull and comfortable, the miyoo with onion OS is amazing, cause those shorts times that I have I ended playing more.

[@SimplestUsername]

That's funny, I have the same two devices (with onion OS too) but I use the RG35XX H with MuOS daily, where I barely used my Miyoo mini plus since acquiring it last year. The RG35XX H fits in my pocket better and plays Stardew Valley. The only game I really loved playing on my miyoo was Pokemon Emerald.

[@morid0]

The current muOS for the rg35xx h is amazing, granted you need to put a bit of extra effort to manually download themes that look similar to onionOS, and art work requires to either do it manually or use screen scraper software, also knulli new update works like a charm and they cut down boot time quite a bit, granted not as good as muOS.

[@pspsmallz]

Yeah I have both and still use my miyoo mini plus the most out of all my budget handhelds because onion os is the best out of all the custom firmware. Muos and knulli are decent but still feel too half baked for me to use long term, they need more updates to feel up to par with onion os.

[@SimplestUsername]

@@morid0 I'm just in the RG35XX H for it's performance, ports, and form factor. MuOS, though regarded as the best, isn't that great. It looks ugly by default, has no box art scraper, and all the good themes have different proprietary file naming structures needed to make it work. Also, the "resume game" device start up setting doesn't work with stardew valley so it takes two minutes just to reload my save the game every time I want to use it and I alway need to finish my day before stopping or I loose my progress. It's still way better than playing on my phone imo.

[@morid0]

@@SimplestUsername sadly both knulli and muOS are not finish yet, and bugs are part of it, personally think muOS looks ok, if you have many many roms, I can see it a problem, but since I got 2 handhelds the H and plus, I use muOS for the plus with only select top 25 of each system up to ps1 and love how fast it boots and adding a theme and artwork takes not much time, on the H I use knulli and have all my roms, I can see how much of a pain would be to set up artwork etc if I was using muOS, both CFW need iron out but both are way better than stock OS and I'm very thankfull to the ppl that actually develop this amazing softwares.

[@pontubaumy7883]

Correct me if i'm wrong but that's what alot of companies are doing in integrated consumer electronics. Afaik that's not an unheard of thing in low power devices and maybe not a "good" thing but an okay corner to cut in a 50€ device.

[@VladNerd]

Doesn't make it right, though. They could've moved the H700 on a part of the PCB that wasn't covered by the battery, like they did with the RG40XX H. Oh well, worst case is that it'll cost us 7$ in a couple of years for a new battery. 😆

[@perciae-ignis]

this might be a REALLY good thing to solve with like a diy cooler add on or som sort of upgrade. I might try it myself !!

[@Prodius613-fq2]

hmm ok video said you would have to replace the battery after around 2 years... and also that most people would replace their handheld after about 2 years so.... where is the issue?

[@burntvirtue]

The issue is....drumroll please 🥁....BOTH are bad!

[@jasonshiers5771]

I've played mine for hours and never felt it get hot , is this the same in the Plus or is this only in earlier releases of the H?

[@TenienteDraza]

Maybe it depends on how much power you make it use, I do feel it get hot when I play PSP games for a while

[@cheapScrewDriver]

The reason the h doesn't get hot is because of the battery. Which is the point of the video. Unless you're talking about the new one with the 4 inch screen in which case I dunno.

[@pspsmallz]

Its a shame that the latest anbernic devices have heating and battery issues. Its becoming way too common with them. My H noticeably gets hot when playing 3d games, so I have to avoid playing them long for fear of it dying or worse, possibly exploding. The og 35xx and plus models I have are fine comparitively as long as I always use usb c to usb a cables with the right charger.

[@VladNerd]

The H won't explode, don't worry about that. Worst case, you'll have to buy a replacement battery after a couple of years. You should still enjoy it, my guy. 🍻

[@ryanbartlett672]

I've already commented on this video, but I have to again -- I LOVE the honesty about KZbin and the used car salesman analogy. Amen. I'm here because I'm about to pull the trigger on the H given your Miyoo vs. H comparison.

[@stevenfinch4238]

rg353m and rg35xxsp... I charge these devices on a stone table because they get hot while charging, even at the recommended 5v 1.5a ...on that note, I'm done purchasing these things. Took 8 devices but I finally learned my lesson. They'll die when they die, and from now Gamesir can have my money instead.

[@sammybaka]

Thank you Vlad. Some people are bothered by their device getting warm/hot behind their fingers. Sure I'd prefer devices to become more powerful and run coolee, but if an SoC like h700, a133p, or rk3566 needs to dissipate heat, I'd very much prefer it to do so efficiently to the rest of the case and to my fingers, and not spreading the heat behind a battery.

[@pachinko32]

Would it help to put some kitchen aluminium foil between the SOC and the battery?..

[@VladNerd]

Honestly, I'd just leave it as-is and enjoy it. Changing the battery after a couple of years is best practice on any device anyway. By then we'll all probably be moved on to other handhelds anyway. :) Still, I still think this info was worth sharing with you fine nerds.

[@kebab_boi]

Man this channel deserves so much more subscribers fr

[@zwallop]

Great video! I have a Miyoo Mini Plus and had to change the battery after only a year. So I kind of went into this handheld expecting to replace the battery. The 35XX H is a little trickier to open up, but I've torn mine down to swap out the buttons and getting to the battery is pretty simple, if you have the right bit.

[@wolfcub8596]

I just ordered mine a week ago damn I wouldn't mind changing the battery and i don't expect to have it forever. Atleast i can change it. I think it's okay as a first handheld, I was thinking I would get more in the future

[@VladNerd]

It's more than ok, it's one of the best actually (and trust me, I've tried a ton of them). Don't worry, you'll love it. :)

[@wolfcub8596]

​@@VladNerdThank you that actually made me feel alot better

[@panquequejt]

I still like my rg35xx h (with the latest version of knulli). But I have 2 main problems with it. The first one is obviously the analogs. But the one that bothers me the most is the screen. For some reason, when I press the buttons a little too hard, the liquid of the LED screen ripples a bit on the corner. I don't know if anyone else have this problem.

[@VladNerd]

whoah, how hard are you pressing those buttons, my guy? 😄 On a serious note, I'd try unscrewing the screws a bit. They might be a bit overtightened in the corner.

[@DontPaniku]

I bought the 40xx H. Please let us know if it has the same flaw.

[@stevenfinch4238]

Worse, unfortunately the SoC sits right next to the battery. It gets quite warm on that side just playing snes and ps1 games.

[@oliverformilleza]

I also noticed a few weird things about this device: - SD card (seems) to be flagged as corrupt by windows coming from the device. I tried on multiple new Sandisk cards and it's always the same. Is it a voltage problem? Miyoo mini plus doesn't have this issue. And yes, I "repair" it in windows every time. - I forgot to remove the charging cable after the charging light was off for a few more hours, but it was still warm after removing the cable. So my warning to owners of this device is to always monitor the charging time and remove it when the light goes off otherwise it'll keep charging or worse and cause a fire. - When the device was new, every time I removed the sd card and put it back in, I had to double press the ON button to get it to boot up (with some very inconsistent hold times). Now I only need to hold it down for 2 seconds, let go, and a second or 2 later it boots up. This was a very weird quirk to pin down.

[@JgHaverty]

- stock sd card is formatted in a manner that windows doeesnt use. Its not "corrupt" its "windows cant read it properly because its a linux partition" - No, the battery isnt going to explode because it has a BMS board protection. *ALL* batteries get warm during charging. Every single one of them. Batteries overcharging and catching fire is very much a nickel metal hydride thing, not really that prevalent on lithium batteries. Li batteries are susceptible to damage and thats what would cause the issues. - the stock firmware is trash, you very much should replace it.

[@Nodster]

The SD Card issue is probably more a Windows issue to be honest as I get this even using an SD card formatted as FAT/FAT32 between Linux and Windows on the same PC. It's only ever Windows that reports a problem with it too.

[@oliverformilleza]

@@JgHaverty I'm currently using MuOS Baked Beans. Never really liked the stock OS, but the behavior is the same. I left it charging once for a total of 6 hours. I'm just saying it should've been cold by the time I removed the charging cable, but it was warm to the touch. Charging time for this is usually around 3 hours not 6 so all power to the battery should have been stopped.

[@Jexzi]

Vlad never disappoints! Thanks for your integrity & honesty🫵😋

[@VladNerd]

Thanks, my guy!

[@E.Cristian7]

And people were bashing the Miyoo A30 since the device gets a little warm...

[@TH15N4M315UN4V41L4BL]

I just bought the 35xx-h because my 351v is kaput. I know it's the battery and researched replacing it, but I'm like 'might as well upgrade'. But as I'm doing this I'm thinking exactly what you're saying is this video... Why aren't my favourite Retro hand held KZbin dudes talking about this battery thing? Kudos my bro, I hope you inspire the others to discuss this as a sustainability issue.😊

[@award_]

Hey Vlad, I saw some folks adding a heatsink to the SP model, do you think a heatsink could be added to the H as well

[@VladNerd]

Not really. A heatsink would only transfer the hear more efficiently to the battery, I'm afraid. 😄 You should enjoy your device as is, my guy. Don't worry about it. When you feel the battery life degrading in a couple of years, you'll just need to change it. They're 7$ (more or less) on Aliexpress. This will inevitably happen to other devices as well, it's just that we need to keep a bit closer eye on this one for when that time comes. :)

[@stevenfinch4238]

​@@VladNerd As a comparison, the RG353M with it's metal casing is VERY warm tp the touch while gaming/charging. The RG35XXH doesn't get anywhere near as warm so I'm not concerned about it at all.

[@award_]

@@VladNerd thanks a bunch man. I've been really enjoying my H a great bit, thank you for the content and please keep it up.

[@sTuPiDiScOoL_]

Same battery as in high end rc cars brother Golden rules Never charge a lipo to 100 percent unless using within 24 hours Charge to between 60-80 percent if not Also never let it fully discharge as it can kill the cells hope that helps man

[@kotetsujin3493]

I also do this sadly these reviewers and people who buy this handhelds dont bother researching on how to take care a lipo battery

[@Nodster]

@@kotetsujin3493 No need to take care of the battery, It's Anbernic they would have released another 100 devices by the time it comes to that battery to die to entice people to just buy a new device. That sadly is the real issue with Anbernic, release devices that barely give people what they want just so they keep buying them like pokemon cards.

[@sTuPiDiScOoL_]

@@Nodster bro it really isn't mate lipos are way different to others including li on

[@dustyoldwalnut-vt7ji]

Mine does not have that problem. It never turned on.

[@luke070610]

I wonder if someone might make an aftermarket shell replacement that has a heatsink built-in.

[@VladNerd]

That would be an amazing idea, tbh! ❤️ Would instantly buy!

[@JuanRamónSilva-Piano]

Dang, that’s some tough news for the 35xx-h. But at least it’s good that we know and be prepared. Thanks you Vlad! ❤

[@jaysonocampo6472]

I knew this is a thing since the device is compact and pocketable. My 35XX H heat up but not too much unlike my phone when playing Genshin and other heavy games. So, I'm not worried what so ever.

[@agushacevoces]

Huh, can't recall any other youtuber mentioning the battery issue. Thanks for sharing. I was considering its purchase but that's an important detail for me now. I'll keep waiting for a better, well-rounded 4 inches handheld. Big hugs, fellow nerd!

[@VladNerd]

Stay tuned for my RG40XX H handheld, I'll draw some parallels there!

[@SimplestUsername]

There are no battery life issues with this device. This design is fine, the operational tempatures of this SOC don't even approach the 185 Fahrenheit required to compromise or accelerate the degradation of a lithium ion battery. This is simply bad information.

[@rob8311]

​@@SimplestUsernamenonsense

[@agushacevoces]

​​@@SimplestUsername185°F - 32 = a damn hot potato on your palms in Celsius, isn't it? 😅 I see your point and appreciate the comment. However, its 41°C outside at the moment. Summertime here in the south of Spain is that time of the year when computer fans go BRRRRR on idle and electronic devices can literally melt or get fried during daytime. I'm replying on my phone and I can feel higher temps on its back as usual during this season.

[@JgHaverty]

Its because its not an issue. Lithium batteries wont start to degrade until about 90c. The H700 will never even get that hot in any use cases.

[@wizzel22]

I suggested the battery issues all over the place for a video, but no one touched it. Now, besides the cooling issues it's the battery drain in most chinese Handhelds that is much worse. If you leave your device fully charged one month and switch it on, most devices will have their battery drained from 20-0 Percent. Please make a follow-up video, this needs to be adressed. On the other hand, my G-Cloud only drains 5% in 3 months.

[@caffeinetweaker]

Thank you so much for this video! You have no idea how much I appreciate it! I was about to buy an RG35XX H to use as a PSP emulator but- I really don't want to worry about the battery going boom. lol You mentioned they fixed it with the RG40XX H, are the temps better because I would consider that one instead if the addressed the issue, I don't care if the device itself gets a bit warm. Either way, Thank you again for the vid, SUBBED!!

[@VladNerd]

The battery won't go boom, don't worry about that. It's just that you'll see faster battery degradation over the years (batteries degrade regardless). :)

[@caffeinetweaker]

@@VladNerd Ahhh gotcha! Well that complicates things again! Every time I think I've made a decision there's always the "-BUT WHAT ABOUT THIS ONE!" 🤣🤣 🤣

[@Nexxraven]

Hey my man, I've been out of the loop for a while. Which custom OS is better at the moment for the RG35XXSP, Knulli vs MuOS? I havent tried the last Knulli release.

[@markbillson4919]

To what extent does the battery life suffer from its placement within this device? It would be helpful if you could provide some quantitative data to illustrate the impact. Without concrete data, it is challenging to accept your assertion as credible, since it currently appears to be based solely on speculation rather than evidence-based analysis. That's no way to gain trust from viewers, or undermine the integrity of other individuals who produce and share content on youtube.

[@VladNerd]

Making the battery act as a heatsink is in no way beneficial to battery longevity. Batteries are super sensitive to prolonged heat exposure, always have. I don't think that this needs to be proven or disproven. This is a known fact. The H700 gets fairly warm when stressed with higher consoles or with Portmaster, and with this current design, that heat goes straight into the battery. And I just want to add that I say this as a person that absolutely adores the RG35XX H. I made a ton of videos on it in the past and it was always one of my top pics. Still, bad things need to be brought up to people's attention as well. :)

[@BornIntoThis20]

​@@VladNerdThe proximity is not a fire hasard anyhow though, is it? If so I won't sleep next to it (as any true nerd should do 😅)

[@VladNerd]

@@BornIntoThis20 nah, I wouldn't worry tbh. You should still enjoy it without anxiety until you feel the battery needing to be replaced in a couple of years or so. :)

[@SteveC-x6t]

Got a comfortable awesome grip that flips over as a cover from Etsy. Great purchase!

[@rippedgeek]

Man, I saw a couple of your videos over the last few weeks. I'm in. You're my people, and you're my kind of funny. Subscriber earned, fellow nerd.

[@kiko8u]

To be honest i’ve heard other big KZbinrs mention this design flaw although sort of in passing compared to how much time spent on describing ergonomics and performance in their reviews. Sometimes the excitement of what the device can do for the price overshadows these mentioned flaws.

[@VladNerd]

That's honestly good to hear that others covered this! ❤️

[@kiko8u]

@@VladNerd Nobody covered it like you did though Vlad! Thank you for your awesome video’s!

[@lazyeejay]

Hi Vlad, soneone made a video where they took the H apart and showed the battery does not appear to be being used as a heatsink although it is an incredibly tiny gap, maybe 1mm as there is a very slight indentation on his battery from a display connector rather than directly on the SOC. It wasnt the best video in terms of production (like yours:) but you kind of got the gist of what he was trying to show you.👍👍👍

[@vhsretrogamer1664]

Thanks for bringing this up, Vlad. How about rg35xx plus? Do you have one? Does it have the same problem?

[@Nixxxvideos]

For any anbernic vertical (except technically the sp) this is not a issue as the board is under the screen and the battery is under the controller pcb

[@arie1293]

I mirror your thoughts on this. The issue you pointed out plus the charging limitations like no PD chargers and even standard chargers might need to be limited to 1A max. These should be fundamental design requirements in today's devices. If they won't change the charging circuit, at least include a weak charger brick and maybe at least put a heat spreader like a thin aluminum sheet or something to prevent hot spots to the battery. The added thickness of the device will be worth it.

[@scummbarchef176]

Bloody fantastic video - cheers Vlad!

[@Trunchisholm]

Let me preface my comment by making it clear that I love your vids, Vlad. You're one of my favourite content creators. You're usually on point, but this video misses the mark. For starters, the title is misleading. This is not a design flaw. It's a deliberate decision for cost and space reasons which shouldn't cause battery degradation, since the operating temperatures for this SoC are well within the tolerance margins for this type of battery. I'd expect a larger and/or more expensive device to have a proper heatsink, but not a compact, cheap device like this one. Unlike the SP, I've not seen any reports of battery issues with this model.

[@VladNerd]

I see your point, but I really think they could've gone around this with a slight PCB redesign (like they did on the RG40XX H, where they put the H700 next to the battery, not underneath it). I totally agree with you though that it's not the end of the world that they did this. It will however expose the battery to way more heat than it should, imo. I love my batteries how I love my mountain mornings: Cool, crisp and protected from the elements. 😆

[@skippyb.coyote895]

Well that's one heck of a bummer, since the RG35XX H is my favorite handheld and the one I carry around every day in my pocket as well. I'd really rather not have to deal with the spicy pillow potential though, so I may retire the H and just go back to using the RG35XX Plus or Miyoo Mini Plus... if they'd stop making my hands cramp up to the point of wondering if I'm developing some kind of early onset arthritis at least. I suppose there's always the RG40XX H, but it is no longer the 90's and I do not own any JNCO jeans so I don't think it would fit comfortably in my pocket.

[@MrJonyish]

This issue exists in the RG505 and RG405M (405m is better because of the case) and the cube and 556 would suffer if they didn’t have active cooling

[@cperl79]

I was actually curious about this as you can see the battery cover the entire back. It’s definitely a bad design flaw. Thanks for informing!

[@TatsuyaWow]

why they cant figure thing out meanwhile the ds lite still works and the battery last for longtime i guess the soc is bad to much heat

[@ADHDreams]

My face buttons scratch and get a little stuck by their pins (I can see them, its transparent purple) when Im playing action games that require to press both face buttons (B + A) at the same time (Mega Man Series) and it annoys me so much I don’t use this device for these games anymore.

[@DarthPhillius]

Thanks for being honest Vlad. Carry on being your true authentic self. You're killing it. It's a shame about the RG35XXH. I still love my little guy but I'll be keeping a close eye on that. I feel like you're right; these are design choices made to ensure we keep buying new devices now and in the future.

[@DavPogo]

its concerning for sure but we need to go max temp of soc to know actual damage its matter of space for the flippy boy i think im sure people complain about rg40xx h heat on hands without know the reason (and rg35xx h is a bomb cooled)

[@valley_robot]

i buy about 2 or 3 new devices every year so I'm good with the battery issue

[@Krumpetpirate]

Is that hug offer retroactive or what?

[@VladNerd]

100%. ❤️

[@junkieonahi]

Anyone have fool proof ways to hook up wireless controllers effectively? Can only seem to get it to work for the Menus and not in game . Will also then loose all functionality with the 35joypads itself . Tried the 5th port for joypad and moved the wireless to port one while in game etc . But this also doesn’t seem To work for me either .

[@VladNerd]

Wireless controller get assigned as second controllers (for multiplayer). You need to go inside RetroArch and change the keybindings. Russ covered this in a video at one point, but I forgot which one. :)

[@N3xlow]

anbernic uses almost all of its batteries in budget devices as a cpu cooler and in theory for a small chip at only 5watts it should do the job

[@infinity8x3]

I pretty much stay with retro games "ps1 and under" in an effort not to cook the battery.

[@VladNerd]

Nahhhh. Cook it. Enjoy it. 🥰 We should all be replacing our batteries after 2 years on most of these devices anyway.

[@ChespiritoChavo322]

I bought it to play only retro games 😌

[@nameresu]

Most of these devices are stitting on the shelves, so I doubt if anyone will kill the battery, except you, and some relatively low amount of people, that actually play on one of these handhelds A LOT

[@kenjiurban]

Fantasy, my dear nerds. I subbed right at that moment.

[@VladNerd]

Welcome aboard!

[@shoeb24in]

How about Anbernic Arc D arc S n RG40xxH review. I think Arc d is better

[@tim7392]

Love your post as usual VladNerd. Feeling your nerd love lol

[@VladNerd]

Thanks, my guy! ❤️

[@GrimLocke161]

To start, the 35SP does not have any real concerns. One device had a bad battery from the start, Anbernic told the owner to just let it charge, and the owner then charged it unattended in his hot garage and, yes, it burned up. And that’s the only device that had that happen, but it’s been reposted to death to the point that people think that’s a common problem. Then there were 2 more devices that had a resistor pop, but no exploding batteries. And you wanna know how many Anbernic sold? According to Retro Game Corps’ source, fifty thousand! Three reported failures against tens of thousands of units sold! That’s a phenomenally low failure rate! And, relatively, the 35SP at least has a battery door that makes replacing the battery super easy, and there’s an air gap between the battery and SoC. Also, based on Taki Udon’s thermal camera research, the chip is operating totally within safe limits for those batteries. And you know what also uses the battery as a heat sink? Your phone! Now, so far as I know, the device that actually had regular spicy pillow syndrome was the Powkiddy RGB30, because they sourced them from a less than great supplier and now that’s been fixed, but the damage is done. The RGB30 also had some finicky charging anyway, so that doesn’t help either. Still, the best advice is do not charge your devices unattended or while you’re asleep, and you should be fine. 🙏

[@VladNerd]

Most phones actually don't use the batteries as heatsinks. The standard practice these days is to have the PCB at the top of the phone and the battery in the middle. Also, you're right about the SP, but I was talking about the H. The H's thermal design on the battery is even worse than the SP imo, as it doesn't have a plastic separator between them (like the SP has around that window creating the air bubble between the battery and SOC). Point is, this is not good practice. Constant high temps (especially in the form of hotspots) mess up batteries way faster. This was my point. I still love the H, praised it to death and probably still will (it's my fave after the MM+). We musn't excuse bad design though. Anbernic quietly fixed this in the RG40XX H for a reason. (Pointed this out in the video)

[@GrimLocke161]

@@VladNerd Fair points, and I am also a bit traumatized about the 35SP panic that I may well be overreacting to even the slightest concern about retro emulators' batteries until there were actual reports of serious defects. Still, if people can at least get it across to not charge their gizmos unattended or while asleep, that would be really helpful.

[@davidtharp2125]

Mine stopped working and I’m still upset…😅

[@solomonkane408]

Rg35xxh is my favorite litttle handheld ill just buy another one or a battery. And cmon bro ypur channel isnt small you know size doesnt matter.

[@cosmiccarp5030]

Arm chips don't get very hot at all, so at least that is good.

[@KawikaLee408]

in 6-12 months this price range will be able to play full n64/dc/psp no problem and the pocket 2s successor will be able to play more ps2/gc games and these will be another distant memory only found in the depths of reddit. and ill have 6 more in my collection by then edit: i say this as someone who loves my xx-h and spent way more on upgrades than the device is worth

[@BerryBunny1397]

Me with RG35XX+ vertical model watching this 🙂

[@nimlouth]

does it NOT have that problem? I've been considering getting of these 3 (plus, H or SP) and even tho the SP seems special A F, I'm way too broke to waste money haha. I wish the plus just had a thumb stick.

[@thomasbalzer3179]

Vlad is an international treasure. Thank you for giving us the poop.

[@TraverserStories16488]

Screen die after one month. It started with green line and than complete green screen after it won't turn on. I think the heat affected the screen.

[@cosmiccarp5030]

Did you try flashing the sd card again? Sometimes a fresh flash fixes it right up.

[@ThyVile]

Heatsink or not, if you want an Anbernic device to last you more that a couple years you'll have to replace the battery anyway. Those standard duty Li-Po batteries degrade very fast no matter this heat, it is the staple of Chinese planned tech obsolescence. Sad, but the battery heatsink part, with all that in mind, is not really that big of a deal.

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

Meh, in a couple years we'll all just be buying the 357m that plays GameCube, Switch, and WiiU perfectly, leaving the "xx" to collect cobwebs in the back of the closet anyway, lol.

[@VladNerd]

Very fair point. 😄

[@ryanbartlett672]

Amen on the KZbin bias. Way to go man

[@STR82DVD]

Well said man. I don't always agree with Joey but at least he's honest and that I know.

[@joycekoh3416]

ha ha. buy a mini fan and play it with mini fan turn on to cool down the handheld. sad indeed. as rg35xxh is really a good budget horizontal handheld

[@Rayu25Demon]

For now, I won't buy any device until I see something with 2 screens or a vertical one that can run DS games. I don't like running 3D games on a small screen, despite the fact the fact that most handhelds have too old SOCs. No matter how good the device is not 3D games will perform well in every system.

[@GeordiLaForgery]

I've seen this design flaw often, it's deliberate and dangerous.

[@VladNerd]

I wouldn't call it dangerous, but it was definitely something worth sharing so my fellow nerds know about. Thankfully, replacing the battery once every couple of years shouldn't be a big deal.

[@tommy6742]

The solution is simple, add kapton tape to the battery.

[@MisterDrumsNoob]

Reviewers should not be just advertise in disguise

[@STR82DVD]

Anbernic sells replacement batteries for $3. I know because I literally just ordered two. Thanks Vlad. Great content young lad.

[@AngeloCPozo]

thaxs

[@Unmarketable]

Keep your integrity with content like this. It's the reason people trust Gamers Nexus

[@VladNerd]

Surprisingly enough, this vid got quite a lot of hate. I still think the battery placement was worth pointing out, though. As an immense lover of the RG35XX H myself, I think we should know both the good and the bad of this device. 🥰

[@Unmarketable]

⁠@@VladNerd100% I appreciate people covering things like this so I have a reference point if something starts happening with my device.

[@_Majoras]

"other retro youtubers, why the silence?" we need channels/names

[@BEED0GG]

I'm not buying anymore of these till they can make there own good firmware.

[@CellPhish]

That will never happen… well Anbernic and TrimUI are pretty close but they will never complete the firmware.

[@jaysonocampo6472]

35XX H updated stock OS is smooth now. It can play God of War without lags. Try it, you'll definitely love it.

[@keepitshort4208]

Weird question, which is better modded switch lite, rp4 pro or odin pro mini ? Maybe Linux handhelds more better, I want bit of everything like old school low end PC games. I'm more of a tinker So kinda confused, need help there are so many options.

[@ZackSilver77]

Anbernic is more about quantity than quality. Won't be buying another handheld from them

[@spareadam]

I thought this would be about the analog sticks

[@samuki1992]

Yeah, for me thats the worst thing about this device by a mile.

[@ThyVile]

Stick snap was fixed via a kernel hack yesterday, coming soon to CFWs near you.

[@jakesmith5278]

I will stop buying these retro HH after I got 30 devices.

[@Ankjell]

Joeys Retro Handhelds crapped on my RGV10, so his channel is DEAD for me xD

[@Bibvock]

Screen creeking blows goats

[@buenogoodlive]

Joey is also a follower imo. He always uploads a video on a topic the day after Russ talks about it. Just sayin.

[@VladNerd]

Joey is totally cool, he tells things how it is. :) I don't see anything wrong with that tbh. In the vid, I was mostly talking about tubers who wouldn't follow their audience's best interest at heart, and would rather sacrifice that to one extent or another for personal gain. Joey is, in my book, totally trustworthy.

[@vincentvega53]

Main Flaw: It's not the RG 353m.

[@Robodob0]

The 35xx h is smaller. The 40xx h has more space to move design choices around. Ive never had a problem with heating on the 35. Sure it does warm up, but it never heats up heats up. Sure it may be a flaw, but it doesnt suddenly make the 35xx shit.

[@thewellbeingc9258]

16 minutes to say I am better than others, your battery needs to be replaced man 😂

[@waspcatcher]

Why lay in to other retro channels. By your logic you're a paid shill because you've only just found out about this. . .

[@FabuBrik]

These devices are all just Chinese e-waste after all...

[@nameresu]

And I'm also very curious about why people keep watching all this overly positive retro youtubers. Russ does really good guides, but his reviewos are always positive or neutral. No critic, no flaws, no nothing.

[@VladNerd]

Russ is ok, personally I like him. I've seen his raise good criticism plenty of times. He cleared the mark for me. 😄

[@a06cc]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWi0aqWOi7Bkq5o Doesn’t use the battery for heatsink

[@Mystninja]

Fuk where was this video 20 minutes ago. Lol. I only just ordered one. Oh who cares if it lasts 5 years. Michelle worst chemist the worst if I don't want to replace the battery I can pay someone at some tech shop to do it. Or if I just frash it to hell. It might f*** out under warranty

[@VladNerd]

Don't worry my guy, it's still a very nice handheld. Just enjoy it. The battery should still last you at least a couple of years. :)