Anbernic RG556 Teardown! Installing GuliKit Sticks!

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Note: Seems a lot of people skip over the difference being shown between the two sticks, it's right at 1:53 that I show using the new sticks and right before that, I show the old sticks. Hope that helps.

[@goodfodder]

hats off to anbernic for making it modular and user repairable

[@thxp4478]

In the Accubattery app it is showing that the real capacity is 3600mah and not 5500mah. How do I purchase another battery? Is it possible to change the battery?

[@goodfodder]

@@thxp4478 fyi battery capacity (@3.7v) is not the same as the capacity recorded by android (suspect @ 5v). Android capacity is what it measures as available to the user which includes conversion loss, buffer size (probably 10%). Mine reports the same so only worry about it if battery life becomes unusable (i.e lasts minutes or does not charge). But yes the battery is fairly easily replaceable as per video

[@thxp4478]

@@goodfodder Thank you very much for your answer friend.

[@scoobiedude]

The thick white foam pad it was packed with made a nice stand when working on it face down.

[@tdata545]

I'm glad the fix is easy and available, and should probably work on the RG CUBE.

[@conza1989]

Joey I just followed it and I'm up and running and the sticks are SO MUCH BETTER - They're taller!! I'm so pleased. The ribbon on the main stick I wasn't sure if it was seated but it was, your close up a little after installing was good I compared side by side. Thanks for doing this!

[@jumbosponge501]

I subscribed on the strength of this video alone, you helped turn my RG556 into the amazing handheld it was meant to be, thank you And then I stayed for everything else. This really is a great channel for retro handhelds

[@gregneislein1846]

Does changing the sticks make much of a difference?

[@luiserasmo]

Thank you! my left joystick drifts a lot, so i was not sure what kind of joystick is to be replaced. This is a great guide, I will change it for the Gulikit

[@RickyFromVegas]

Appreciate your hard work. I have RG556 and I feel like this is one of the worst sticks I've ever used in a long time. It's great that gulikit sticks makes it slightly better, but doesn't really look all that much better to invest another $20 into this for a marginal gain.

[@kevc3148]

I bought this thing to play Panzer Dragoon for Saturn, definitely worth it for shooters :)

[@michelbouwens6770]

Just replaced the sticks using your guide. Everything works great :)

[@FonderASalvastine]

Thank you so much for this teardown video, it is greatly appreciated and very informative! I am at least happy Anbernic made it so there is no soldering involved, though I do hope that Anbernic comes out with a software update to fix the stick zapping on the software's end, since it has OTA Updates. Awesome video!

[@toycoma98]

Lay the device on the foam cutout that came in the package.

[@jasondonnelly150]

I remember the 505 got a software update that improved the cardinal snapping. Nothing yet on the 556?

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Nothing yet!

[@possiblydoomed6252]

Think the 505 was 3 or 4 months old before we got the joystick fix, fingers crossed on the 556 but it will probably be a while.

[@mattdrifts]

There's an unofficial fix

[@JuicyFruit995]

Just finished my replacement with this, perfect guide to help through this so thanks a lot. Happy gaming

[@antonio_carvalho]

You went back to put back the white thing? I would be so frustrated to have to open it all over again!

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Learn from my mistakes!

[@seethruhead7119]

i've been running 1 gulikit 1 stock stick since i installed them (one of my gulikit sticks was malfunctioning) and i can't tell the difference between the two FWIW

[@goodfodder]

thanks for the info, suspected that would be the case

[@conza1989]

You may have got knock off sticks, it's night and day, just the height alone is improved

[@Manujaeger13]

Thanks for the discount code 🙌🏼 i didn't want to buy from Aliexpress

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

No problem 😊

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Nice an easy fix to this device's biggest flaw. You da 🐐

[@goodfodder]

except I don’t believe it does, sorry

[@mattdrifts]

​@@goodfodder yeah it's a software issue and there's a fix

[@ChuckMoyes]

How did you transfer over the white stickers? Did you have to remove the thumbstick caps? Any tools or recommendations?

[@conza1989]

I used a plastic pick to lift them, they're thick stickers, then they have an opening cut, so you push them over the shaft of the stick (lifted and unstuck) then line up the bottom of the sticker edge with the lower end of the stick housing. There is meant to be a bit of sticker overhang on the top of the stick unit/box. Hope that helps.

[@NiqScott]

I've got a 556 on the way, and intend swapping the sticks before too long, but seriously, use some form of ESD protection unless you're happy with trashing your handheld. I can see from the comments that plenty of people have swapped them with no issues, but that doesn't mean you weren't lucky. A cheap ESD strap and mat from Amazon will cost a lot less than having to replace the entire device. Amongst other things, I repair laptops down to board level, and I've seen plenty of components blown through ESD. Also, if you remove the heat sink, you should clean off the old compound and replace it, otherwise you're going to have issues later. I feel that this video needs a disclaimer, along the lines of "If you don't know what you're doing, you're probably going to f**k the long-term reliability of your 556".

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Thanks for the comment!

[@Patriotic_Eagle1995]

For anyone reading this comment and worrying, ESD will not kill your device and if you're really worried just touch a metal radiator/ pc case/ anything grounded before you start. Wrist bands are only for the truly neurotic. Also, the silver plate he removes in the video isn't a heat shield and does not require thermal paste to be replaced. It's an RF sheild and can just be screwed back on no probs.

[@NiqScott]

@@Patriotic_Eagle1995

[@ThibaultCabanas]

Thanks for the hard work on the teardown, very informative! I don’t plan on changing the sticks yet but would love to swap the face buttons for PlayStation themed ones if Sakura do it one day :D (unfortunately they are on the harder to tear down side of the device)

[@pilks4k]

Anbernic should really do a V2 with new better sticks and dpad and then this thing would be the king emu system.

[@Pridetoons]

But you didn't show us how the new sticks perform instead of the stock Hall Effect Joysticks.

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Huh, it's right in the beginning.

[@ElTopoL0C0]

​@@JoeysRetroHandhelds lol

[@YoelFievelBenAvram]

It was not a very dramatic difference

[@Guitario666]

I thought the same as I watched the intro and scanned the end for after lol

[@Pridetoons]

​@@Guitario666I still watched the whole video but my original question was going to be why swap Hall Stick's with Hall Stick's.

[@jasondonnelly150]

Are there any D pad upgrades that are worth doing while we’re in there?

[@Guitario666]

Ya a better centre pivot would be nice

[@brotherbadguy87]

Any chance you have had to swap out the speakers or know where to get replacements? My one is bad

[@Aaron-ge7ho]

Just a matter of curiosity: are the face buttons ("BAYX") all with the same form if we, for some random reason, wanna put them at other patterns (the good old "ABXY" or some crazy thing like "YAXB" or maybe "BYAX" - just for fun as it can be read "by aX-cident") or they have each one their own not replaceable place as used to be with many official controllers by SEGA, Sony and Microsoft?

[@ajv6669]

Thanks Joey ! Another great video. I wonder if we can swap them out for the Retroid Pocket 4/4Pro sticks or Odin 2? needs a D-pad fix next!

[@n057828]

Before after photos on height?

[@Mardini7v]

Did you have any issues not reapplying thermal paste? That’s the only thing stopping me from changing joysticks

[@sueymatta8779]

My rg353vs will only work when connected to the tv with hdmi, its screen is completely black. Anyone have any solutions?

[@rechiram1]

hello there I bought the gulikit joysticks but they are not calibrated how can I get them calibrated? I looked on Google but couldn't find anything at all.

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Sticks calibrate on startup.

[@shanegibbs4676]

It didnt seem like much improvement, i almost bought this now im not sure its worth it

[@goodfodder]

suspect more of a software issue, new sticks may have more travel but that’s about it. suggest to simply reduce stick sensitivity to 80% within the emulator

[@josef689]

@@goodfodderI am new to the world of these handheld emulators, but do you think they will update and make it better? And do I have to manually update or it automatically scans for any software updates? Thanks

[@goodfodder]

@@josef689 there is a provided app which needs to be manually run for firmware updates. The stick sensitivity is not a dealbreaker, it’s simply not optimal. however if you are new to these emulators you may be better off starting with a cheap r36s to learn how they work before splashing out, these chinese products are not mass produced, they require tinkering.

[@conza1989]

Definitely worth it if you are playing the device a lot, no regrets

[@Swiatlocien]

What is the size of those small screws on the metal plate covering the battery? I've trying 1.2mm and 1.8mm and they are either too small or too big.

[@oqjoguei]

Are Gulikit Sticks more accurate than the originals or is it the same thing?

[@frankhudson3582]

I just got mine, and i don't have those dead spots. I wonder if they addressed this issue since so many reviews complained?

[@dukecerna4064]

Doubt it, just got mine and it does indeed have the problem.

[@AP101083]

It depends on which you get.. i returned mine for replacement and the one I got now is good.

[@micheal007bond]

Just got my 556 and it came out the box with horrible drift so now i have to replace them 😭

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Are you sure? The sticks calibrate during startup, so don't touch the sticks when booting up. I've seen people say they have drift when that was the problem.

[@Rayu25Demon]

stock joysticks with with low polling rate.

[@Micah-yj6vz]

Could someone please help me out, I’m a little lost. Ive been trying to play all the Pokémon games I can and was wondering if any of these could play all of them up to the 3ds and the best one for that. As well as the best on for Pokémon games up to the ds. Also does it work since the ds has 2 screens

[@RetroDaddyPH]

Yes, considering that this device's predecessor can run most 3DS games, since this is more powerful, it should run it well. As for any other platforms lower than 3ds, it definitely can. Including the DS. The 2 screen can be addressed by setting up a hotkey on the emulator so that when you click the hotkey, it will switch to the other screen. You can also set it up to be a side by side 2 screen, but there will be some thick black borders. Still looks great since this is an amoled screen.

[@tonyrosario1940]

What do we do about the false diagonals on this D-pad? 🍻

[@o.g.awe3785]

I followed everything now my device is acting like it isnt charged. Did you run into this issue? It had at least 40% before tear down. I've got it charging but it's not turning on. Any ideas?

[@Nexxraven]

Did they fix anything? What about custom.OS?

[@CHICKENmcNUGGIESMydude]

good video nice to see someone open one of these up not me lol

[@duranmxx]

are this stick compatible with the 405m? and are really that better to the stock ones?

[@ZyneNull]

It’s hit or miss with guil, I’d rather just buy the switch sticks from Amazon tbh. and yes it will be compatible

[@Chronon88]

This clearly does not fix the issue. Is this present on external controllers too until the software gets an update? For now it seems like mainly a D-Pad console, which is a bummer considering how strong it is.

[@PcFishX23]

Fun story I was all set to do this mod, only to find out whomever at Anbernic already stripped my screws beforehand so i can only get the first 5 out 😢

[@seitostockman]

If you get a 1.5 mm hex/Alan wrench, that works if the screw is stripped when torx T6 won't

[@thxp4478]

What is the name and size of the screwdriver to open the AnbernicRG556?

[@fionamarfa]

Hi. Is it easy to replace the front shell without damaging the screen? Mine has a small crack. I am planning to do it by myself since I don’t know if there is anyone who can do the installation in my area.

[@kayabutter2883]

Thanks

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Hey thanks! Glad I could help! :)

[@althyk]

Can we replace the d pad for a better one?

[@helloar14]

Can the hardware button be reoriented to xbox abxy layout? I'm interested in buying this mainly for moonlight streaming.

[@JoeysRetroHandhelds]

Ah, you can do it in the software. I'm not sure if the buttons are keyed to not be moved around, likely are. But you should know the wifi chip in this has not been great for Moonlight streaming. Working on my review for it now, but streaming has been real bad on this.

[@helloar14]

@@JoeysRetroHandhelds ah, a shame. I was torn between this, air pocket and retroid 4. The air pocket already has xbox abxy, the retroid can be swapped (hardware wise, not just software). Air pocket I really don't like the color lol, and the retroid is not oled + smaller.

[@goodfodder]

moonlight streaming has been fine for me, using hevc codec and 30mbps 60fps

[@goodfodder]

re buttons, yes they can, there is another vid online showing the swap. whether it’s worth it is another matter

[@helloar14]

@@goodfodder glad to hear that! I'll scour the net for more info!

[@FiSHi453]

Can anyone confirm what surface mount LED’s are on this?

[@Dimitriypapaserio1503]

Do you know if this kit also works on the 505?

[@jakesmith5278]

Switch's sticks are garbage no matter what you do. How finding a way to replace them with Retro Pocket's sticks??

[@Pridetoons]

Not possible because Retroid Pocket Analog Sticks are proprietary. However the problem isn't Hardware it's Software.

[@jesusiskingofkingss]

the bad original sticks would ruin most of ps2 gameplay, and ps2 is my only purpose in getting one of these. i think i might go with the odin instead

[@robras2850]

The sticks are a software problem that’s definitely fixable

[@jericHogroovin]

How without replacing?

[@stuart2151]

I believe this was an issue with the RG505, then the gamma software fixed that

[@user-jx7gb2mq9u]

I followed the instructions and it worked. However, I can't tell much of a difference. They are pretty much the same.

[@mattdrifts]

Do the software fix by gamma