I Was Wrong About The ANBERNIC RG556 (Sorry)

[@RetroDodo]

We now have Patreon! 🤜🤛 New Patron's will receive a welcome kit with goodies, access to a premium discord server and a free invite to our upcoming expo in the UK! Take a look at the benefits here 👉 www.patreon.com/retrododo

[@Michael-be7uw]

how many games does this come preloaded

[@Adam-h3o6k]

Or can you recommend sites as in places where we can buy sd cards that will come with what we need

[@draculaman]

Respect for clarifying your mistakes so publicly and giving it a fair review

[@RetroDodo]

Thank you for understanding, we will do better next time.

[@SWPLGAMING]

We all find ourselves in those situations, we appreciate you 👍🏾

[@RetroGamer-cn9or]

To be fair, a lot of potential customers buying this device could have the same issues that Robb had. Most average consumers don't know the ins and outs of tech the way fans of Chinese handhelds do in this community.

[@giogio5838]

Agreed. I find it weird that this device has blue tint mode and analogue triggers off mode set by default. On top of that, the unintuitive way to turn the former off and turn the latter on doesn't help. I can imagine a lot of Android users having similar issues, no matter whether they are new to this system or are already familiar with it. I'm all for good out of the box experience, and always appreciate mentioning that kind of stuff in reviews. What might not be a problem for me, may be for someone else, and there might come a day I will be "that someone else" struggling with a newly bought device.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Glad that the USB-C adapter is now working! And thanks for making an updated review video, respect for re-doing your work.

[@RetroDodo]

Thanks Russ!

[@MrFlashpan]

Nobody is perfect, no handheld is perfect.......We just have to live and learn, You still did a good job!

[@aluzza2541]

this is the correct way to take accountability and fix mistakes. thanks for the new review

[@RetroDodo]

Appreciated.

[@hughjanus5525]

“Maybe I’m an idiot”, “buffoon”…I love the self deprecating humility my man. Just found your channel but subbed as soon as you owned up to your mistakes without sugarcoating it. Respect ✊

[@silaskoenig7761]

Much respect for all the work and changes you did to correct mistakes, a lot of people wouldn’t have cared or just pinned a comment or something lazy, you put in the work and that’s awesome! I’m a subscriber now 😊 One question, when you delete/update all the old emulators, can you remap the new/updated ones so that the emulators can be accessed via the ambernic button again? Or does that button become useless?

[@RetroDodo]

Thank you! When I saw how much I had gotten wrong with the previous video, I knew I needed to change a lot of stuff. I definitely didn't do the device justice in that first review. To answer your question, yes you can remap everything to the frontend manually, although it did take me a while to find out how to do this! So, you go into the frontend, click on the system you're wanting to emulate and then hit the select button. A list of emulator apps should be accessible on the menu that just opened up, and you can change this to the one that's installed on your device and hopefully it should work as per usual from there!

[@silaskoenig7761]

Oh that’s amazing! Thank you so much! 😄😄 I preordered mine, can’t wait!

[@megalon84]

2X upscale on PS2 and GC is 960p, not 720p. That's why it looks good. It's almost the full native vertical resolution of the OLED panel.

[@baskogitlog7276]

Thank heaven's i read your comment. That is why my games look awful even in 720p.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I just got an RG353v and absolutely love it!! It has the Emulation Station front end & I absolutely love playing PS1 & GBA on it!! I also really love the fact that mine came with the Dreamcast version of resident evil three and it plays perfectly!!! Resident evil three was one of my favorite games back in the late 90s and playing it on this little handheld that kind of reminds me of what an “official PlayStation handheld” would be like if they actually made one, it’s absolutely awesome and I am now completely on the bandwagon for retro gaming emulation via awesome handheld devices!!! I can’t wait to get this one !

[@shanenoah8461]

Fair play to you for redoing the review. You do make some valid points around what should be on by default by Anbernic however. Keep on producing your content, it’s very much appreciated by many!

[@AhloiFTW]

that's ok dude, you gained a new sub for the transparency

[@RetroDodo]

Thanks, that means a lot!

[@thiagodluz]

Thank you for your honesty, and I agree that the usability of the system is not the most user-friendly.

[@RetroDodo]

You're welcome, and thank you for watching our review.

[@No1BRC]

I noticed the comments in the last review and wondered whether there will be an update. So, it’s great to see a new approach.😊 Really like the way anbernic puts out consoles. I actually bought the rg405V after your review. Loved it but sold it as it struggled a little with a few of my favorite ps2 games. Would love to see a more powerful version of the rg405v 😊

[@mattb6522]

Good review! All of these new retro handhelds just seem to be raising the bar ever higher! The RG556 looks awesome! I generally prefer Anbernic's devices to most other retro handhelds as they usually feel a bit more premium. I'm curious to see what Anbernic has cooking next.

[@Pandamaxx]

This is the first video I've seen of your channel and seeing how you've owned up to a fuckup to give a genuine fixed review on the product, while most people would just make it a footnote as a pinned comment, but you made a whole new video. Mad respect. A sub from me for sure.

[@Rkiver]

Openly admitting to mistakes, and saying what they were, correcting the review. Speaks well to your character and why many trust your reviews.

[@tpf92]

6:25 You can enable analogue triggers without switching over to xbox mode, you just need to hold it down, under "Ns mode" select "Only Trigger" or "Both", "Only Triggers" makes the triggers only usable as triggers while "Both" make them both R2 buttons as well as triggers. I recently bought one and it was just so annoying having ABXY reversed in xbox mode (Kept backing out of stuff when wanting to select it and vice versa) that I ended up messing with it and realized you can change it to analogue triggers while in Ns mode.

[@P2106-nu9og]

Thanks for your time on reviewing this product and the time taken on resolving issues, I’m going to pre order one as you have covered all the concerns I might have. Keep it going!

[@peachjackson3856]

This is a huge help. Seems ridiculous that R2 and L2 would need to be “activated” manually. Thanks for clarifying things and continuing to help the community. Kudos to you, sir!

[@citruesilver]

Making errors is human, admitting them takes genuine character. Well done, great video!

[@antonio_carvalho]

This retraction/rereview shows your commitment to information quality. Subscribed!

[@gvanderlee2703]

Watch this at 1.25 the normal speed. You're welcome ;)

[@procyonlotor1501]

Hero

[@dofflane]

HAHHhah 😂😂😂 the insult is very gently.

[@trusodapop]

Damn tho 😂😂 1.25 times better as well

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

This review shows a lot of integrity. This kinda situation happens a lot with this hobby. Ive found its so easy to quickly make up my mind prematurely. Its also why its so much fun. Theres SO many handhelds coming out now keeping up with the details isnt easy. 'Fine im stupid, but assuming im smart is even stupider! '

[@CRA1546]

this is the first vid i've seen but respect for going back on your vid and giving a fair review. subbed!

[@ferdgerbeler8494]

7:00 so, potentially a little depth on the issue there, if that thing has gyro controls, usually switch mode uses those analog axis for the gyro, where as xbox uses those axis for the analog triggers, causes endless problems in windows trying to get gyro assist working at the same time as analog triggers for most gamepads that support both.

[@PaulTaylor1]

To be fair, there will be people who just switch it on and will be disappointed by these things. Why aren't they the defaults or highlighted more clearly?

[@westsidelester]

"I was wrong, I'm sorry, and now I'm going to make it right." Such a simple thing, but an extreme rarity in the world of reviews. I wish I would have found your channel sooner!

[@Guitario666]

I will say that everything you corrected is actually on Anbernic. It comes down to user experience and these setting should have definitely been on as default

[@johnduncan5117]

Everything except the video out. Because there's no such thing as a universal display adapter. You always need to test others.

[@xavirik4828]

The Nintendo/Xbox function isn't on Anbernic. There needs to be both functions available not just for anolog L2R2 but for the difference in accept and back. This is explained by other creators and it is needed

[@mbrando4403]

how playable is Saturn on this dude? i kinda want one. another video said 2x was pretty much 100% compatible.

[@markofthewolvessucks8930]

I'd like to know also.

[@nobodynobody1574]

It's important to understand others will have these same issues . Thanks for helping with issues.

[@johnduncan5117]

I think these devices are aiming for the mainstream now, and in that light your points about the unintuitive fixes for the issues you had are all valid. If Anbernic and the industry in general want to appeal to a wider market, they need to start releasing products that are easy to set up and use. That said, we the public do expect these review videos to not stop at 'this didn't work' and actually find out if the problem is terminal or not. So it was the right decision to take down the first video and redo it with a mea culpa and I thoroughly commend you for that. Anbernic have released a great device here by all accounts and didn't deserve to get trashed quite so completely ;).

[@ElisBuenas82]

Seeing your video and others, I've come to a conclusion that this is a device that requires quite a lot of tinkering before actually enjoying it as much as it can offer, I guess. But I'm ok with that, and am anxiously waiting for mine to come home hehe

[@IronbugVR]

Looking forward to this device. I love tinkering with these retro handhelds as much as I enjoy gaming on them, so the default setup is no concern to me. The screen and ergonomic grip is what sold me.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

Absolutely fantastic video mate!! You have definitely further peaked my interest in this newly released device and I am looking forward to getting one and getting my crusty mitts on it as well!!

[@tsotighguy]

I know this is 4 months old, but I'm wondering if you didn't have issues with your original usb-c dock due to the RG556 requiring you to switch the settings of the USB port manually. Like, when I'm transferring data, I have to pull down screen for the android settings & it'll say "charging this device via usb", but if I tap where it says that, it will open up an options for you to file transfer, usb tethering, MIDI, PTP, & no file transfer. Took me way too long to figure out how to do that so I could actually access the internal 128gb, as well as my micro SD card without having to take it out & use an SD card adapter for my computer lol. We live & we learn. Great content.

[@nightelf4860]

I am really torn about which handheld to purchase. I like the look of the RP4 Pro but I am not sure the 556 has the power to run Silent Hill 2 from the PS2. Any help would be appreciated, cheers from Nashville, Tennessee USA

[@iancurtlebrun3750]

It is very respectable and responsible of what you did in this video and you earned my sub brother 🎉

[@giogio5838]

We all make mistakes. It's always good to detect them early on and fix, or clarify, everything. :) Very good review, by the way!

[@Tetrastructural]

Everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone owns up to them. Much respect! :)

[@rhinous1199]

The Switch doesn’t have analogue triggers. The Xbox does. The setting makes perfect sense. It makes even more sense if the setting inverts the A and B buttons. Does it do this?

[@Tsargate]

Yes it does

[@haus05]

Does this system come preloaded with games or is it load your own kinda deal , if so how hard is it to do so ? I’m an older guy but new to all these handheld systems of today. Also i only use MAC and wondering if thats an issue in any way

[@marktepper3440]

Great review, I am getting one and now you told me how to set it up. Thanks

[@jierenzheng7670]

I am looking to play games like these: Tales of the Abyss, Front Mission 4, Front Mission 5, Tenchu: Fatal Shadows, Suikoden V, will it run well?

[@JosephFrietze]

Great review. You earned a Sub. I wonder how well Lemuroid would work as a front end?

[@MrCosmicVictory]

not for nothing, but those are actually weird default settings it comes with. display tint and no analog trigger?

[@RetroDodo]

Right?

[@FumiyaSugawara]

TBH these little machines take a space that nobody else seems to care for ”the retro core gamer”. These things are great and full of nostalgia for all those arcade games we grew up with.

[@djgaming5322]

I just ordered one i got the 512 gb only because I have a nostalgic feeling for the old days, I own a ps5 and a switch and games now a days don’t feel the same im ready to get it and play

[@Charlotte-33179]

Is it fairly easy to download roms onto this device? I dont have a pc but i think this thing looks super cool and im tempted to get one

[@ThibaultCabanas]

It take a bit of courage to admit your mistakes, you’re doing great! Some settings would sure be better activated by default by Anbernic, but that’s a small issue compared to controls, screen and quality build. I personally don’t care about the frontend since Daijisho exist, and is even better than Retroid’s one, you should give it a try!

[@turismofoegaming8806]

Do the games it comes with out the box, (if I get say, the 128GB-256GB Model) play pretty good, despite the shoddy Front end? Thanks!!

[@Guitario666]

Waiting on an ota update for analog stick sensitivity from Anbernic. Everything else looks great

[@redbullgivesuwind]

I currently have a RG405M and was looking at getting a Steam Deck. But would you think it is worth getting this over a Steam Deck? I picked up the RG405M as it was good to play most PS2 games which was my era of gaming.

[@RetroDodo]

As good as the RG556 is, it's absolutely nowhere near the level of the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck can emulate any PS2 and GameCube game with ease and even go up to Wii U, Switch and PS3. On top of that you've also got loads of PC games which are fully playable on the Deck too! We actually did a Steam Deck video recently where we looked at the emulation side of things 😀 Of course the Deck is more expensive, but if that's not an issue, 100% go for that.

[@redbullgivesuwind]

Thank you, I will stick with getting the steam deck. I did see the video on the steam deck and it looks good. Always love the videos and miss the podcast as well.

[@davidsapir3764]

I curl up with my RG556 the way people curl up with a good book. To me it's the perfect size, has an unbelievably great screen, great sound, super comfortable to hold and an awesome control layout. PS2 emulation isn't as pitch perfect as the Odin 2 but still remarkably good for less than half the price.I picked this up as an upgrade to my only other hand held device, a GPD XD+.

[@MoonVision_1]

Within 3 months of this launching to the public, Anbernic will probably release an RG556+ or pro.. thereby infuriating all those that just bought this one.. so i would wait!!

[@thair]

How do you compare it to the Retroid pocket 4 pro when it comes to emulation power ??

[@mac3770]

any info on whether it can play wipeout on vita well? also wipeout on ps2 well?

[@HendraWijaya1983]

what version of aethersx2 are you using? because it can use 2x resolution smoothly, whereas in the retrogamecorps review it only runs smoothly at 1 resolution

[@RetroDodo]

It's literally just the newest version available on the Google Play Store. With very demanding games like Shadow of the Colossus, it will probably struggle a bit at a 2x upscale, but the vast majority of titles I tried ran perfectly at 2x.

[@digitizer3627]

You didnt make a mistake. These items should have been set that way out of the box. Sloppy quality control from Anbernic.. they are working like Powkiddy😂. Much respect to you and Powkiddy❤

[@whity4584]

What's the best cheapest handheld that's not android that can play PS2 games and Dreamcast would you recommend?

[@xavirik4828]

The function of Xbox and Nintendo is because of the AB functions of accept and back. So it is necessary and theres a reason it one or the other. Its not the R2 L2 specifically, its that the nintendo function turns off the analog and makes the A button accept

[@ancient1der]

What I think after watching a lot of retro handheld videos is, it's a half step paradox. Each device is "only" like $30 to $50 dollars to the next tier. My opinion is anyone who buys this or the pocket 4 pro is going to wish they saved up or just spent a little more for the Odin 2. Which itself is a half step from base model non-oled steam deck, but I'm putting steam deck in a different category. You could say the pocket is smaller and better for the pocket right but it has analog sticks that will eventually break in a pocket too, so does it fit in your pocket in it's case? With the Yuzu team announcing local multiplayer support over wifi and the Odin 2 with the power to play switch games, in the couple hundred dollar range it's the only choice. For a pocket device go with the miyoo mini plus or the rg35xx plus and play up to GBA games while out of the house.

[@Guitario666]

I agree with this

[@BM-bf4nx]

8:50 I tried connecting my controller but won’t respond to anything in any game. Do I need to program it somehow?

[@RetroDodo]

You might have to go into each individual emulator and configure the controller within the software itself. It can be a bit of a nightmare if you're constantly swapping between different controllers 😅

[@Zerotwostudio]

This device can play multiplayer too?? Neat!

[@ElectricCreature]

What's better this or the RG405M?

[@nathanfreer676]

How do you uninstall everything? And how do you redownload?

[@JB-tp6uj]

These "mistakes" seem like they are more of a reflection of bad UI/UX design. A user shouldn't have to check the settings to get a color accurate screen or go two levels deep to find relevant system and control options. I appreciate that you've taken the time to review the device again, but at some point these companies need to be held accountable for their poor design choices.

[@EM-ig2fw]

Did the mario games come on it out of the box?

[@ben-tendo]

I’d say the fact Emulation Station (ES-DE) is now available on Android and can be set as your home launcher app makes the front end issue very easily fixable.

[@RetroDodo]

That's very true! This video was made literally just before Emulation Station was released for Android 😅 plus I suppose the front end issue is still partially relevant because some people might not want to tinker around with that. It'd be nice if it just had a great front end out of the box!

[@49erLAKERS]

Is there a way to make it wide screen as to not see the black bars on the side

[@Guitario666]

Just hold it closer to your face 😂

[@radionukeunyu412]

People who admit to their mistakes are so much more likable

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

Don’t worry too much about it too much. We all make mistakes. In fact, I would say every mistake here was Ambernic’s fault not your fault. All of those settings should have been turned on fresh out of the box. You shouldn’t have to go hunt for them. I was waiting for you guys to come out with a video so I’m glad that you ended up putting one out. I really don’t like how some of these companies are starting to come out with RGB on the sticks. Who would want a blinding blue or white light shooting at their face while they are playing a game. Not to mention it waste battery but at least you can turn them off I guess. I don’t know how I feel about this one. I don’t really like the way it looks and I don’t like the colors they came out with, but that OLED screen looks amazing.

[@Arcantheon]

Wow, I didn't know Johnny Sins was a nerd guy, thank you so much 😍

[@Nokia3310do]

I would say the first review was a fair first impression after many hours of use. You're reviewing a product, not giving a tutorial on how to troubleshoot. The problem is that a lot of default settings usually need changing on these things... and there's lots of settings and the solution is rarely immediately obvious. They're a headache. As a reviewer, you're expected to endure that headache though lol.

[@Baumie11]

Love the review! I like this device but my RP4 Pro is my favorite device right now.

[@RetroDodo]

It's a great handheld the RP4 Pro!

[@chthonictonic]

It takes integrity to admit a mistake. Thank you for this video. Until you mentioned your phone, I had just figured maybe you were in the A pole ecosystem [which I am unfamiliar with].

[@henrywilliams6927]

i got myself the rp4 pro and love it but i will get myself a ambernic device sometime in the future

[@xdaisyfallsx1678]

I wanted that, but got a steam deck

[@sunsearching2912]

Do any of these devices run sega saturn well?

[@SiddharthaMoravekar]

Good on you to correct yourself but bro you own an Android phone and you didnt know about press and hold the drop down icons to get into detail settings. This feature is old as time.

[@Franky-One-Piece]

Great review I bought one of these, and I would say it runs good for ps1 and psp!

[@Franky-One-Piece]

Also I bought it for ghost of Sparta, it runs great!

[@lemonlimelukey]

can you tell me which 007 game that is in the footage?

[@RetroDodo]

If I'm thinking of the right game, I think it was TimeSplitters 2, so not a 007 game at all!

[@lemonlimelukey]

@@RetroDodolmao so sorry, i wasnt positive that it was 007 but it looked awfully similar so i took a guess thank youu kind sir!

[@steelzepplin2012]

how does shadow of the colossus on ps2 run???

[@Mischieff3k]

The Analogue triggers are in Switch Mode by default. The Switch triggers are not analogue so that makes sense…

[@GiulioMa]

Why it cannot run Burnout Dominator smoothly?!😭

[@-Airwalk1616-]

I'm not so sure it's as close to the RP4Pro as you think...

[@BenQotsa]

Can it play GameCube games, like legend of Zelda windwaker

[@digichamp]

About the analog buttons. I think the layout is like that because the GameCube controller only had l and r buttons with the z button

[@madspyker85]

Definitely looking at this, I'd like the retroid pocket 4 but it's too small for, this is so much better ergonomically. I'm looking at the Toca games, Gran turismo 4 and Simpsons hit and run for PS2 games

[@RetroDodo]

We actually have a video coming soon on the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro where we compare it to the RG556 a bit and you're spot on with the screen and ergonomics being better on the RG556. The advantages of the Pocket 4 Pro is that it's slightly more powerful and it's more pocket friendly too, so which device you prefer kinda depends on what you want out of a handheld!

[@jobearesto9746]

Hi, Don't worry. I thought it strange on the bad points on the review. You just need to double check on next one you do.

[@billberardi4830]

Ty for the excellent thorough and honest review! I own a lot of anbernic devices now included the rg505 and rg405m. I also own the RP3+ which i cant stand. I am a noob to emulation and really struggle setting up emulators. I do have a ton of roms from ny personal collection however. U mention the RG556 is a pain to setup and the frontend it comes with isnt the best. In my limited noob experience the anbernic front ends are sufficent for me and work well enough out of box to get me going. The RP3+ on the other habd us a glorifed tablet/android device for me currently. All i can do is stream afrer my many fails at getting emulators running on it. With this information would u recommend me to grab the RP4+ or the RG556? Im leaning RG556 for a multitude of reasons. Any help here is appreciated!

[@RyanSaotome]

I feel the power war is kinda overrated for these handhelds. Yeah ,The RP4 is stronger. But at this point, the RG556 can play 90% of what RP4 can play, and that 90% it plays with a better screen and ergonomics, so I'd take it anyday over it. Unless you only want to play the most demanding PS2 and GC games, I'd say go for the RG556.

[@malaymidas8249]

Handheld still long way got so many to improve...i'll wait handheld that can easily replace gamepad button...correct me if im mistaken...

[@wFrontDeskConcierge]

Has anybody purchased the 1TB sd card with preloaded games that you can buy for this anbernic on ebay?

[@corygraham5399]

Thanks for the review update. I very much would like to purchase this soon and the revised content is helpful. Cheers.

[@kaedeshirtoto]

I think i heard that Fzero works better with dual core OFF

[@LipsumLazyGamer]

if you miss out you can interact with a UI element, it's not your fault.

[@nomnom9110]

Bully and gta san andrea work on it ?

[@_Majoras]

the beard looks good you should keep it

[@Cyko..]

I will never understand why people preorder these devices from China when they have quality issues on some of their devices in the past? I'd wait until the first batch shipped and then see what the average consumer has to say about them, because we know if you say anything negative then you could be blacklisted from getting free review units in the future.

[@Ahmedhassan0193]

Does it run metal gear solid 3?

[@RetroDodo]

Yes it does! That was one of the main PS2 games I tested and it was great even with a 2x upscale.

[@Baumie11]

Russ from RetroGameCorps is a hero

[@RetroDodo]

He really is.