ANBERNIC RG556 Full Review | PSP, PS2, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch and Gamecube

[@defective1up]

Thank you for giving a good review on the controls instead of the very biased reviews of other channels. The way I see the controls and how you mention their use is what I'm looking forward to with this device.

[@aahpandasrun]

I was really looking forward to this device especially since it's much more ergonomic with a better screen than Odin 2, especially if you're planning on doing mostly SNES emulation. Thanks for reviewing it!

[@richrivera6781]

Wow. Great video Banana Man!!! Keep bringing out more content like this. 👍

[@xavierfs710]

Excelent video, im already bought a retroid pocket 4 pro cause the video you did before, but i see this is a good option too.

[@Restalgia]

You will get better performance from the RP 4 Pro anyway if thats most important to you.

[@Maxx134a]

The issue is the heavier games are more enjoyable on a bigger screen. The GameForce Ace just out has the bigger screen and slightly better performance over the RP4.

[@Maxx134a]

It cannot do PS2 fully, or Switch as good as RP4, but those games are a different bracket anywo. This unit "looks" way , way better than RP4 or anything near $200. If it were able to squeeze out a bit more performance then it would be a no- brainer.

[@sburns834]

I've ordered the blue one. Should be here within the week. I think I'm gonna love it. Cause I have 4 PS Vita's and my fav of them is the OLED ones. And since this plays psvita I might be able to sell some of my physical PS vita games I have 200+

[@TampaTec]

Screen Looks really good 👍

[@Restalgia]

Its stunning!

[@DavidSmith-vc5rn]

I love my rg552,,so I am very curious to see what this thing can do on it's release.

[@mhnoni]

Same, no KZbinr yet reviewed and compared it to 552, I wonder why, including Retro Game Corps. the rg552 has a nice 1920 * 1152 and a very good IPS, no device made with such resolution after it. I just wish we had an upgrade of 552 but keeping the same screen.

[@numberoneappgames]

This was a great performance review! Thank you.

[@TheRandomnone]

I juat want to finally experience the fever dream that is God Hand! Hopefully this can grabt that dream for me

[@wolfinthesno]

with the rate at which these things keep coming out, i think i might wait for the next iteration, as i am looking to get something to play primarily PS2, Gamecube era games. I have the RG35XX and LOVE it for all the classic games up to PS1, but i need something for everything beyond! This looks like it could be it, but the peformance of PS2 games looks....like it could be better.

[@retrohandhelds]

Great video!! Would enjoy having you on our podcast sometime 🎉 Stubbs

[@Restalgia]

That would be cool! Would love to chat about it. Should be able to find me on discord @Restalgia

[@retrotechdad]

This man knows what he's talking about. 🔥🔥

[@retrohandhelds]

@@Restalgia deal!

[@charleychuck]

Fantastic video (yes i know it’s 19 minutes long and only posted 3 minutes ago but i have a keen sense about these things) Also, didn’t recognize u without the hat. Looking good camper.

[@MrCaptainPlanet]

This device is actually terrific for what it is.

[@MoonVision_1]

Hope they make other colours once it's released.. transparent green would be so cool

[@Sunstreaker2k5]

N64 WWF No Mercy and Goldeneye. GameCube Wwe Day of Reckoning 2 and Rogue Squadron 2 or 3. I’ve tried several handhelds looking for one that will run those well.

[@MrRunItUp]

This would run those games fine, or the RP4 Pro, or the Odin 2... Even the original Odin Pro and Odin Lite would all be sufficient!

[@Maxx134a]

I would go for the GameForce Ace as it sits between the Odin2 & RP4 in both price and gameplay power.

[@MrFlashpan]

It's a shame they didn't raise the price to £199 and add the same chipset as the RP4 Pro.

[@Restalgia]

I agree, or better yet use the dimensity 1200 and put this at a 215 dollar price point.

[@dragon2knight]

There is nothing under powered about this processor, seriously. It's right up there with the RP4 Pro for less money. Factor in that great screen, much better ergonomics, and much better battery life, and you have a great handheld well worth it's asking price. No need to try and tarnish it by claiming something that's untrue.

[@Restalgia]

I gave the pros and cons of this chipset. The retail price of this after the preorder is 185, and the rp4 pro is 199. This chipset benchmarks at slightly lower then the dimensity 900 which is in the rp4 at a retail price of 149. I stand by my comments. I think the cpu is a little under powered for what they were trying to accomplish with this handheld. That said, if you are okay with lower resolution higher end emulation, this is a great device for the screen alone. I dont think I was tarnishing anything, or saying anything that was untrue. I came at this review from a neutral stance, and was excited to work with it.

[@dragon2knight]

@@RestalgiaThe fact I'm seeing other first looks/reviews not saying this is where I'm coming from. You're literally the first one to say this. I'm sure whatever settings you use and the others used will differ, we all have our personal settings after all, but the words "under powered" have yet to be uttered for this. In fact they all seem to be very surprised and ultimately impressed with what this little puppy can do. I don't work for Anbernic, of course, but I do have a pre order in, just for full disclosure on my part. I'll definitely agree to disagree on this one.

[@SpawnTrapped]

Everyone on Reddit keeps saying it's FAR worse than the RP4 Pro processor... But I have no idea how they can honestly say that. CPU processing power does not automatically make or break emulation ability

[@dragon2knight]

@@SpawnTrappedFunny thing about the reddit "armchair quarterbacks" as I call them...none of them actually has one or has used one yet. I tend to base my decisions on the higher ranking you-tubers who have gotten one in, they tend to put the ones they get through a well defined wringer ans that lets me know if it's a worthwhile buy/ pre buy. There are always going to be outlying reviews (this was the first one that I've seen), but I still tend to go for the opinions of the ones who haven't steered me wrong yet. Been doing this retro stuff for quite awhile now, I've got many handhelds from all of the bigger ones, some were good, some were meh. but I at least had a grasp of what they could be like beforehand, and I'm grateful for all of the reviewers who take the time to do these for us, even if I don't always agree with their outcomes.

[@Restalgia]

@@dragon2knight no hard feelings on my end. I want to be clear, I don't think this is a bad device. And I was saying "under-powered" in relation to the alternative device around the same price. Also, with respect to other creators, we all have our own opinions. Not saying any one person or right or wrong, this was just my take from spending the last week with it. Additionally, I'm a big advocate for anbernic. I love their devices, and have covered many of them on my channel. In fact I just finished editing my RG35XX H video which will be posted later this week

[@pdsvag]

I would like to see Sega saturn and especially panzer dragoon saga test.

[@mfang22]

I hope to see a gamecube video showcasing Animal crossing and smash bros melee since gamecube is the system i want yo emulate the most. Thank you!

[@Kyle-jm7ow]

Great video! Question, I have a friend who wants to add a specific game for a system like PlayStation, how would he be able to do that?

[@RoaTECH29]

Bud just look it up on google search ps2 rom

[@dan_lev]

I was somewhat set on getting a rp4p but then saw the screen on this. Tough choice...

[@brendonwyber4694]

The Odin 1 has dropped to $199 now on their website. A slightly bigger screen, with a snapdragon CPU, and it is a known commodity. This is a reasonable alternative to the 556. I have a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, but part of me regrets not getting a bigger screen.

[@Maxx134a]

Get the GameForce Ace as it has better gameplay power over the RP4 with a bigger screen. Base model selling at $230 so it's $30 over the RP4Pro & weaker Odin1.

[@brendonwyber4694]

I had never even heard of the Game Force brand until you mentioned it. Anyway, I decided to stop mucking about with half-measures and ordered an Odin 2 Pro, a couple of week ago, just in time for their New Year holidays 😀.

[@federicoriccomagno5814]

good video man

[@-Airwalk1616-]

5:05 "RG FIVE Fifty Five" hahaha

[@manny1524]

Can you do wide screen hacks to take Advantage of the big screen? For example N64?

[@Restalgia]

Yep absolutely

[@manny1524]

@@Restalgia if you had to choose between the Odin pro 1 vs this rg556 which would be a better option? Is the Odin pro 1 more powerful than the RG556?

[@MrRunItUp]

​@manny1524 Odin Pro is more powerful than this... This RG556 is on par with the Odin Lite

[@samhuang683]

@@manny1524 Odin 1 Pro would be slightly weaker in CPU compared to the RG556 but has a significantly faster GPU (over 40-50+%), similar to a Odin Pro vs Lite comparison. There would be games that run better on the RG556, but on the whole you would see more running better on the Odin Pro. Snapdragon/Adreno also has more robust official opengl driver, and custom turnip driver (vulkan) for the adreno 630 is very mature at this stage and would give a better experience typically in emulators that support custom driver, even when compared to a equivalent Mali gpu (and as mentioned above they are not equivalent here). The Odin Pro is at 199 though (and not sure how long it will stay at 199), and if cheaper 4px shipping is not available to your region the cost can be quite high. The RG556 still has the edge in screen (0.5 inch smaller but better colors and contrast etc) and is also slightly more ergonomic as well.

[@B3nG420]

If you want power you gotta spend $300. 1080p Amooled for $180 is reasonable. Anbernic is getting better.

[@theshinkuakuma]

Robot Alchemic Drive for the PS2? Its a rare and very charming game. :)

[@samokuma9596]

I was considering to get a pro, but the size and overall design and this product may make me change my mind

[@tanyizhongsebastian4415]

any problem with saving game progress? i have problem with that on my anbernic RG35xxh while playing GOW, pokemon and GTA... but wierd thing is monster hunter got no problem with saving game progress

[@lilt619]

Can you share your aethersx2 settings that you use to run games.

[@djbarela4]

What do you think about Pokémon on the 3ds on this device

[@unknowngames9959]

I would pass on it and use my steam deck to emulate but great video 👍

[@AasnInked]

I've been stuck on whether or not to get this or the rp4 pro I like the design better on the 556 but I'd rather get the one that has the best overall performance and feel

[@hologramwall]

Will you be reviewing more premium handhelds in the future (ROG ally, SteamDeck, Legion GO, MSI Claw, etc.)? It'd be great to get your take!

[@Restalgia]

I would love to. I just need to get my hands on them haha

[@pedroportfolio]

its a shame that there is no mention of the sound quality. Too often is speaker quality ignored in this reviews.

[@Restalgia]

Sound quality is good. You can hear for yourself in the demo section.

[@pedroportfolio]

@@Restalgia sure but in that case I will hear it in my speakers, its like with the screen, I will always look at the amoled screen of the 556 through the screen im looking at now, hence the reviewer, you, talking specifically about the screen. But in this case you dont talk about the speakers, but you talk about the screen, thats what I was refering to. Its not enough to just film the screen or record the speakers, one has to actually REVIEW them. But yeah I understand Soung quality is not your department at all.

[@vitorharalambus6537]

I have the RG405v, it’s quickly becoming apparent that an upgrade to RP 4 Pro or 556 is pointless, Odin 2 it will be….

[@Restalgia]

Odin 2 is an animal for sure.

[@Guitario666]

Blue version is less smudgy

[@Restalgia]

I didnt get my hands on a blue one unfortunately.

[@kayeoffers4339]

Gosh but the Led on those seem to be too hardcore

[@Guitario666]

@@kayeoffers4339 maybe you can turn them down

[@champsammy13]

I really want to see Dynasty Warriors 2 on the PS2 please!

[@ascordo3]

Great job on the video. One question, where can we get an older copy of the ppsspp emulator just in case we need to go through the same process to get it to run. I see that mine shipped out today from China. Maybe they've fixed it in the past 3 weeks, but not counting on it. The PSP is the main system I want to emulate.

[@Restalgia]

I used the aptoid marketplace. I actually think they include it on the device but if not you can download it online. Aptoid allows you to download previous versions of the apps.

[@creedy007]

Can you test twilight princess, mario galaxy and luigis mansion?

[@droopy332]

Was wondering if you could play “The suffering” games from the ps2 as soon as you open the box? I’d love to know and possibly the deciding factor if I get this. Thank you.

[@joeym4090]

It’s a very impressive unit. I’m getting mine soon. Do you you think a 512g card is good enough for a vast of console games but mainly heavier titles. I heard that 1tb’s are usually perform slower speeds but not sure if for these types of devices would matter. Thanks.

[@thatonedudenamedvalentine7836]

Hello, Are you ever going to review the analogue pocket?

[@Restalgia]

I havent ever gotten my hands on one, but I'd be very interested in it for for sure.

[@thatonedudenamedvalentine7836]

@@Restalgia there is still some in stock surprisingly! Ready to look at the video once you upload it lol been following you since the SNES Mini days!

[@reeman70]

So what would everybody rate theirs? I’m thinking about getting one.

[@jameshall3017]

Another code on switch please! I saw it running on RG4 pro on a KZbin video. Hoping it might have enough grunt on here too! It is 3D, but slow paced 3D. Have one of these on order and that's one of few I'd like to have running if possible 🤞

[@mogberry2139]

I’m rocking the anbernic 405m. Is this a good upgrade to that?

[@brendonwyber4694]

No, its a downgrade. The 405M is _the_ premium portable t618 experience, tailored to 4:3 aspect-ratio systems up to the 5th Generation home consoles; and a chuck of 6th generation. The 556, however, is Anbernic's first entry into their new ??6 line. Its form-factor focuses on very different things. Comfort over portability, a focus on 16:9 contents (streaming and PPSSPP), and cost over quality. This is more an upgrade to the RG505. If this is a hit, there will most likely be a "M" version using this chip-set that may suit you better.

[@mogberry2139]

@@brendonwyber4694 thanks so much for this :)

[@sulmanshah]

I'm having the same problem with the PSP emulator is there a guide somewhere to fix this issue like a step-by-step I'm pretty new to the handheld scene thank you

[@philwastaken320auhh]

how does the backround come like?

[@skylercaufield9985]

Can you do a side by side of picture quality. No One has done that yet

[@LipsumLazyGamer]

what about sega saturn? sega rally championship, shining force III, nights, daytona, virtua fighter 2 and so on.

[@sharpsteel1986]

For PS2 I think something is wrong in the settings. I'm having better performances with the AYN Odin pro first model... That's not normal.

[@alfonsofernandog.3086]

hi, how can you add emulators on Anbernic Front-End, there are 27 preloaded emulators, I would like to add others: Atari, Gamecube etc..etc...

[@SiddhardhaBobba3]

Does it have a Super Mario game? If so, it's pre-loaded, or we need to load them ?

[@mac3770]

any info on whether it can play wipeout on vita well?

[@mattcampbell5148]

Can I link this to other 556s to play with friends?

[@arturojrodriguez07mx]

Good morning. Emulates classic Xbox 'n' 360? Thanks.

[@VKsChannel]

What phone are you using to record?

[@Restalgia]

Samsung s21

[@troogroove9318]

Think it will be a lot better with Gamma OS installed.

[@obet270]

Can you do streaming on ps4 games on anbernic rg556?

[@jacksonrazorback5626]

Ps5 too

[@obet270]

@@jacksonrazorback5626 how can you do a video please for ps4

[@aryakapoor6116]

Can you do a gaming review on RG556 with Switch games like legend of zelda, rdr 1, maybe legacy?

[@jamessanders7452]

Can I take the disk that is in my rg35xx-h and put it in the rg556? The game disk that has games on it?

[@Loknath009]

The sticks have great accuracy?! How long did you try this before doing the review?! 1 hour?

[@imitatez3042]

How did you get the mario games?

[@derekdalzell2501]

Dragon quest games on PS2 and 3DS please.

[@o.g.awe3785]

how do you change the resolution?

[@stressless8405]

Awesome vid. For some reason my gt4 wont load i think its something to do woth the memory cards as that partloads but then it never goes into the game menu. Do you need bios for different regions like eu usa etc? As i only have 1 bios atm?

[@olramstv5354]

Can you play tomba 2 or can be that game downloaded?

[@ianmulligan7979]

I would love to see madden 2012 PS2. Diablo Immortal on Android.

[@mujibrahman7312]

Hi,can you test ps2 game God of war 1 n 2 Metal gear solid 2 n 3 Sly cooper band of thieves Devil may cry 3 Shadow of the colosus Bully Prince of persia Thank you,have a wonderfull day😉😄😊

[@seannapier2298]

Would you say this handheld is better than the rp3+ in terms of performance and size?

[@MrRunItUp]

Yes!

[@Slayer-j7q]

Hi i have the same issue with PPSSPP in other handheld Android, may you say me what version you use to upgrade later, regards.

[@Restalgia]

Started at 1.9.3 and manually upgraded one at a time. Start by fully removing whatever version of ppsspp you have.

[@Slayer-j7q]

@@Restalgia Ok thank you very much

[@Slayer-j7q]

Hi again 1.12 dirty, download It or Skip?? I think its safe so. Thanks

[@Restalgia]

@@Slayer-j7q you can probably skip.

[@chubbyBunny94]

High performance mode does sod-all :)

[@muddfoot69]

Are there games preloaded?

[@peyotewild5217]

can you test gta sa definitive edition on this? also spiderman 2 in GC and ps2 thanks

[@porterdwayne4235]

I can't get openbor or streets of rage remake to work for the life of me. It's freaking driving me insane this thing is supposed to be so simple and it's confusing the crap out of me. Is there anyway you can help I feel so damn slow

[@Franky-One-Piece]

hey, how does borderlands 2 run on this?

[@sendo427]

Hi I was wondering how you updated the emulators to more current or newer version because I've been wanting to do that but was afraid it would mess up the anbernic launcher or something like that.

[@mdr8615]

I'm interested in seeing Wii U emulation 😅

[@Restalgia]

Me too but there currently isnt an andoird emulator for wii u. There is for PC though

[@diegordhc]

Please try pokemon let's go, my rg505 runs at 15fps.... maybe mario wonder run in rg556?

[@pizza4mac252]

Worth upgrading from rg505?

[@Restalgia]

It's definitely better then the 505, so I'd say yes, but I think it's a fair bit bigger too.

[@Denotum]

@restalgia very good video thanks. Despite the cpu differences on paper, is it worth getting this for the comfort and screen considering I just got an RP4 pro? Will Vita performance change drastically?

[@billedwardson2562]

Great video but my friend, dust it off if you are going to zoom in.

[@ElijahLukeMusic]

What games still limited, will it play PS3?

[@JakeyT513]

Does it offer pass through charging

[@shigshug8581]

Finally Anbernic made a decent handheld capable of 6th gen.

[@Restalgia]

I agree, this is probably my favorite anbernic they have released so fsr

[@rushmore3927]

The T618 performs above its paygrade, so would expect this to be decent. I'm surprised the D900 is faster overall. Thought the T820 would fall between the D900 and D1200.

[@Restalgia]

Me too, and that's what I was hoping honestly, benchmarks aside. Don't get me wrong this is a nice little handheld, but the SoC falls just a bit short, is all.

[@samhuang683]

The D900 and T820 should be very close in actual use, probably within 10-15% in different areas (gpu, single core, multi cores etc) that I don't think it will matter much. The D1100 on the other hand is in a totally different tier compared to the T820.

[@lingdatang669]

Dream cast

[@Carpuride_USA]

this is Jack from Carpuride , we sent you a sample device in Aug 2023 , now it is Feb 2024 , you did not make a video for it

[@kimura317]

Hello Jack. I would be happy to do it instead

[@tommykrynock]

I thought it comes with a bunch of games already installed

[@Restalgia]

I believe you can buy versions from anbernic with games, but the one I was sent specifically did not include any game files

[@cmart7307]

Yes, there is an option for a 128G and 256G SD card with preloaded games. Curious what kind of games and emulators are on those cards. Guessing maybe what they have in their previous SD cards?

[@mujibrahman7312]

Hi rg556 vs retroid pocket4 who win

[@Restalgia]

Retroid Pocket 4 Pro wins in terms of power, RG556 wins in terms of screen and comfort

[@suhtangwong]

I'm ftw rp4 pro, but wish it had bigger screen, 1080p resolution, and amoled 😢

[@ultimategohan1551]

​@@suhtangwongayaneo pocket air is what you described

[@jamessanders7452]

Does it come with the same preloaded games as the rg35xx-h? I'm a casual player. I don't do emmalations or down-loads

[@Restalgia]

I'm not sure. Mine did not come with any games

[@ratinhogamerjogos3165]

Can you test Luigi's mansion dark moon for 3ds ?

[@Restalgia]

Doesn't rub unfortunately

[@soldatdeleternel453]

Is it better than the rog ally?

[@travelmasjidmusholakeadaan9096]

this can instal kenmaster vedion editing 4k

[@49erLAKERS]

How do yo install the games on this device im new to emulation and not tech savvy

[@DarkNorthEmperor]

Don't quote me on this: From what I heard, it comes with a lot of Pre-Installed titles and otherwise, you just need to go online and find the ROM files for the games you want. Make sure the emulator can handle those games, btw.

[@lingdatang669]

What about classic xbox

[@EliasPfaiffer]

how to charge this baby?

[@funnaraba]

This or retroid 4 pro?

[@originalclassics]

I went with the r4p. Better performance and smaller form factor. For me the screen and resolution difference is negligable. if i want a boost there i'll just display on an hdtv.

[@tpf92]

13:00 That doesn't sound right, Pokemon ORAS (With what limited time I've played it) for example has no issue with 2x, and it can even do 3x most of the time. With it set to 3x resolution and speed limit set to 200% I'm pushing around 45-50 FPS (100%=30 fps) running around, the worst slowdown with 3x was during a battle with the menu to select an attack open, it dropped to low 20s, but after switching to 2x it was pushing 40+, which is around 133% speed, although getting into another battle after it didn't slow down even at 3x.