The Yellow RGB30 is Beautiful (Quick Review)

[@uncaringbear]

The RGB30 has to be the unexpected hit of the year. Would love to see more devices with 1:1 and 3:2 screens!

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

Bob Wulff/Wulff Den said in his X55 review that he thinks vertical screens designed for schmups is the next evolution of these handhelds. RGB30 seems like the first step towards that.

[@tantoonie0]

Same! I loved the RG351M for that 3:2 screen, but its 480x320 resolution was a bit of a letdown. An updated model with a higher resolution 3:2 screen to perfect-scale GBA games would be CHOICE.

[@cliffordmandela1895]

This is the way.

[@PonchoGreg]

​@@tantoonie0OMG yes. Basically an updated 351mp with higher resolution and a more powerful chip (for PSP) but still plastic for that GBA feel would be tremendous.

[@ThaCyNiQ]

R36s**

[@AceFondu]

Don't know if anyone else ran into this issue on their RGB30 but if notice easy to run systems like NES and SNES having weird screen juttering turn V-Sync on in Retroarch to 1 and save the config for the whole directory. Helped me tremendously.

[@versusforward]

Russ, thanks for your coverage of the RGB30. I've owned several handheld retro devices ranging from the og Aya Neo, the anbernic devices, miyoo mini, deck, and ally, but the RGB30 price and the pico-8 1:1 compatibility sold me on it, and it's quickly become my favorite device for taking with me on my commute or playing in bed. How gorgeous the screen is cannot be stressed enough. Thanks again! I appreciate your hard work.

[@giftsonjac]

Did you notice any light bleed or dead pixel issue?

[@versusforward]

Nothing detrimental, no. Mine is pretty great. The Left shoulder button... I need to keep an eye on it, and there's something to Powkiddy's QA not being the best, I think. But overall a good experience so far.@@giftsonjac

[@Tombastic77]

I got the yellow version too, and also thought it looked like Bumblebee color, like it could just transform into a robot. So far, I love it. Your RGB30 starter guide was awesome and helped me get set up in no time.

[@Dudebrush4pwood]

Powkiddy is certainly the tinkerer and modder's friend. Would love to see them finally release a really well built and polished out of the box product. this looks like a step in the right direction.

[@MiguelLleras]

Agree, this thing is a mess. It's cool when it charges and functions....come on powkiddy, try some quality control. Hope someone else makes a better 1:1. Not sure I'll trust another powkiddy device.

[@caesta7168]

What do you think, should I wait for a better release or should I just buy the RGB30? (Don't own any retro handhelds)

[@ComicConScott]

I'm 46 and just got into retro gaming and really enjoy your channel so I joined! I already have an Evercade EXP and based on your videos I just ordered the yellow RGB30 as well. I've got RetroBat setup on my living room PC as well.

[@amarg7657]

How’s it holding up

[@iankelleher5072]

I love my white RGB30 but the yellow is fantastic. It has a great colour pop and nicely balanced with the black controls. I think a teal or turquoise would work well too.

[@OrganicGreens]

Honestly powkiddy stepping up there quality has me kind of exited for there next handheld. They have very fair pricing to and I really respect that.

[@KongMan8991]

*their

[@MrFreedownloadgames]

Hope for Anbernic RG Arc concurent from powkiddy or retroid or other company but cheaper, more powerfull (full speed all dreamcast and saturn games) and good build quality

[@misterkeebler]

Outside of a couple of particularly flawed handhelds like the RGB20S and the wifi issues, most Powkiddy devices are around this same build quality which i would consider to be decent at best. The rgb30 scratches very easily on the plastic casing, the dpad is decent but definitely sensitive on the diagonals, and the battery is a bit finicky along with some black screens in basically all of the firmwares that may require a restart to get control within the front-end. The main standout upgrade for this handheld is just the 720p screen paired with a versatile aspect ratio. It's still my current retro go-to for Linux devices.

[@ColinRowlands]

@@misterkeebler hasn't the issue in the past with powkiddy been more about the software, the hardware tends to be okay to decent, but is then let down on the software side. I seem to remember one rereview Russ did for one of their devices due to the release of a CFW and it seemed like he spent a lot of that video making excuses for the device that was fairly unusable on stock (frequently resetting) and still flawed on the CFW.

[@MrGizzyRey]

​@@KongMan8991thank for for preventing the collapse of society

[@bhoggiegames]

Congrats on 400k!

[@SoundToxin]

1:1 screen, RockChip SoC which will actually get good GNU/Linux support, and under $100. I can see this being something a lot of people find cool uses for in the years to come. The yellow looks really nice.

[@Clips_phrases]

I am so tempted to get this for OG games. I may hold out for a flip version to fill the GBASP shaped void in my heart.

[@garethdigital]

After watching this video, I’d love to see a comparison video of this vs the X55 and where they both shine. They seem to be similar price points but different offerings

[@sambagogo777]

Already have my yellow RGB30 on order. The first yellow handheld I'll have owned since the LDK Game. Really looking forward to playing PC Engine, vertical screen classic arcade games, NGP/NGPC, GB/GBC, NES, SNES, Pico 8 and more on it!

[@SykoDaddy74]

Got my Yellow RGB30 yesterday also! Did all the hardware MODS including Joe Bleeps shoulder button MOD and the system is impressive. Just some backlight bleed on bottom of screen but other than that great system!

[@aishacs]

Cool vid!(also congrats on 400k!) 🎉

[@Skywardstrike123]

Love when Russ' "quick review" is 12 minutes

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

Looking forward to somebody besides Powkiddy using this screen. Possibly a metal Anbernic handheld. Anber would get the volume rocker installed “correctly.”

[@thrillme5610]

A Few people, myself included are experiencing a 'light bleed' effect, primarily along the bottom of this beautiful screen. There is a recent reddit post with an example. It looks to be due to pressure on the screen in this area, as the effect worsens by pressing on the front of the screen itself. Would be good to try and find a remedy or steps to mitigate this issue. The design is pretty tight in this area. My current suspicion is that the ribbon cable folds along with some components on the cable itself and on the main board are contributing

[@MADMANGAM3R]

I cleared space around the ribbon fold, also loosen the screws a bit around the bottom of the screen, it didn't work, I have light bleed at thr bottom of the screen, but luckily only there, and no dead pixels.

[@timtimethymetie]

I found if I turn brightness down to around 70% or lower, the light bleed is almost or entirely unnoticeable. Definitely have that same issue on the bottom of the screen with the yellow RGB30 though.

[@MADMANGAM3R]

I have mine at 4 brightness max, lightbleed is noticeable even this low, so RIP

[@bclikesyou]

I got a white one a few weeks back and I love it. Been working through Shining Force 2 on it and am having a blast.

[@beriadan77]

I’m waiting for mine! I just love the yellow:black contrast! And when you turn it on, boom! The screen seems amazing. Can’t waittttttt

[@hocksengphua7768]

I think for newer YELLOW version, the ABXY buttons are in colors, which makes the YELLOW version more desirable.

[@80sCommercialVault]

I got this recently and am floored by the quality of the screen and the versatility that the 1:1 ratio offers...especially for playing vertical shmups, which have always been awkward to play on these devices. I also got a RP4 Pro in January and while I think that obviously works better for more recent gen games, I'm probably sticking with this for 8/16 bit era games. I did some calculations on that screen scaling tool made by shauninman and if they ever made an updated version of this that had a screen with a 960x960 resolution (and maybe even a bit larger at 4.5" inches) that would be able to play most handheld systems or anything with a 320 horizontal resolution at a perfect integer scale without borders on the sides. GBA would be a perfect 4x, Gameboy/Game Gear would be 6x...and certain consoles such as Genesis, PSX and N64 could also be played at integer scale. It may seem like overkill to have such a hi-res display for a handheld but it would look absolutely amazing. However, I don't know if such a screen exists.

[@IlPandax]

My black RGB30 arrived this afternoon! Thanks Russ for your starter guide!

[@javim001]

Everyday more and more i find myself watching your videos in the background while I work od so something else instead of watching Netflix or any other streaming service. There's just something so soothing about your videos. Thank you so much for your work, keep at it.

[@mellstardust2782]

I love yellow color on any handheld.

[@kazzerism]

I'm not crazy on the yellow but that's just a personal preference, I do like that they've added more colours. I have the white RGB30 and it's my favourite handheld! I've played it almost every day since I got it and my partner has stolen it from me a few times too

[@ColinRowlands]

The idea of this handheld didn't grab me at first, but the ongoing enthusiasm from various reviewers has more than won me over and I ordered one during the 11.11 sale.

[@dadou193]

let us know how it feels in the hands when you receive it

[@saifchoudhury164]

Yellow is what got me to pull the trigger on an RGB30-it’s my favorite color, and a stunning choice for electronics. Then, lo and behold, I see a RGC video in my feed, providing the necessary validation for my impulse buy! 🤣

[@TheEmuLads]

I have the black version and now I'm going to have to buy the yellow version. This thing is like my perfect device and all I want is just a little more power, maybe like a pro model in this device.

[@KrazyShark]

Would be sick if they added a touchscreen for DS games >:) Also more rounded corners since ergonomics is quite hit or miss for people seems like.

[@TheEmuLads]

Honestly for me, just like more premium feel for me and some more power. I would love to play gamecube on this thing. Touchscreen would be really cool. @@KrazyShark

[@timtimethymetie]

I have this and love it, but it still feels cheap (albeit it IS relatively inexpensive so that's fair). I'd love to buy a premium RGB30 with the same overall aesthetics and components, but a higher quality casing / feel.

[@HaciendaHall]

Woohoo! Bought my first ever device thanks to your reviews. Got this very device and in purple 👍🏻 also came 6 days earlier than expected from AliExpress 😂

[@mitchthepreacher1512]

Yellow isn't for me and I'll probably grab one of these one day but for now I'm just happy to see Powkiddy hit a homerun with this.

[@3godzilla3]

I love my RGB30 so much. That 720p resolution and the RK3566 chip is the perfect combination for everything up to PS1 with no hitches or slowdowns at all with ArkOS. Jelos on this thing has slowdown issues, but ArkOS makes it perfect.

[@thomaschipman]

arkos solves pretty much every problem this device has. it is a shame the jelos devs have no interest in implementing quickmode shutdown.

[@pranze3484]

It's a shame you have no interest to contribute, rather. Something something feeling entitled about other's work...

[@thomaschipman]

@@fewtarius lol. or, perhaps arkos is just has better performance out of the box? even with the latest updates, jelos performance with many n64 and dreamcast titles lags well behind what you get out of the box with arkos.

[@thomaschipman]

@@pranze3484 i'm sorry, what? arkos has a feature that could be implemented in jelos. jelos dev stated he has no interest. not that there are no resources or need for volunteers to make it happen, simply that it isn't a feature they want to add. that's fine, i'm happy with arkos. no "entitlement" issues, that seems to be your thing. i simply prefer to use the os that has features i like.

[@_Majoras]

@@thomaschipman no idea why everyone including reviewers rave about jelos it really is a crap os

[@thomasbryans6547]

I bought a used one through the Retro Handheld discord that is supposed to be arriving tomorrow and I’m hyped!

[@roguegeek]

The RGB30 is my retro device of the year, hands down. Nearly every classic retro system looks better on it and a large part of that is due to the screen and your guide. I'm so happy this thing is getting popular because I'm excited to see more 720p 1:1 devices start popping up. I'm probably gonna pass on this yellow colorway just because I've bought all the others, the blue being my favorite, but it's still a really nice yellow.

[@Scogin]

Excited if we get some higher resolution 1:1 displays with better integer scaling options. But this is excellent for now

[@sydeshowjoe1583]

Russ, another solid, quick to the point review. Can you just do reviews on everything for us? Kitchen appliances, cars, tools, etc. 😂 I got my RGB30 from Amazon, didnt want the wait. But seeing the yellow in your review has me intrigued on a second one. Q: if we dont have a second powkiddy handheld to steal hardware from, any recommendations? Thanks as always.

[@rastamouse7861]

If they released this thing in funtastic colors it would be an even bigger hit and would probably sell out quickly.

[@piepie5285]

Neon colors 🎉

[@ShoutaFuwano]

I love so much about this device except the controls, especially the D-pad. I haven't had a case of Nintendo Thumb this bad since the 90s when I first got NBA Jam.

[@digitizer3627]

Thanks for the review Russ❤. Powkiddy is my fav budget handheld brand

[@aarongaspar]

Nice! I’m hoping you’ll do a ‘23 Holiday gift guides! Would love to find something cheaper, versatile and durable for some of the kids in my life

[@jinstinky501]

Yellow/black is a great combo. Wouldn't mind seeing pink/black version.

[@jarrodwhite9415]

They have a “salmon red” color coming out soon!

[@benjaminbjacobsen]

stoked to get mine. I got it for $58 shipped from aliexpress for 11.11 and couldn't not try it for that price. I'm generally a vertical guy but I want to see what this screen is all about.

[@RetroGameCorps]

That's a great price!

[@user.asleep]

I like the yellow on this thing. Idk, it reminds me of the Playdate which I have

[@xelthos2051]

Blue one is still nicer to me. Would like to see them make some smokey see thru ones

[@leehardy2025]

That yellow really is lovely. But I already own a white one. I don't need two. Darn you Russ!!!!

[@realdanman]

I think 'Kodak yellow' is an accurate description for a yellow that leans more towards the red spectrum 👍

[@akane6625]

Thank you very much for this excellent and very useful video which convinced me to buy a Powkiddy RGB30. We feel that you are passionate about these machines! I was wondering if it would one day be possible to provide a video explaining how the different screen formats work in emulation. I always have a lot of trouble understanding the settings, screen resolution etc. Thanks again for your fabulous work. I wish you a happy new year 2024 😀

[@kennethd4958]

The screen on the RGB30 really pops to me. I’m def grabbing one after the holidays.

[@jd5787]

I got the black one. I used it a couple of times and I am experiencing some weird battery issues... First, it didn't charge and battery depleted to ~30%. then I could charge it (it charged, stopped etc so I had to plug/unplug multiple times to get to 100%). When it finally charged to 100% it took a veeeeery long time for a battery of this size.

[@xXRustyShacklefordXx]

Would you have bought this device had russ have mentioned the issues this device has with charging? He doesn't seem to think it's a big enough deal to include that fact in any of his videos about the device, yet is all over it on his written guide.

[@Arrowdodger]

I like the yellow color a lot. It stands out in such a nice way compared to the seas or greys, whites, and piano blacks.

[@_cocoalabs]

I really love my RGB30, even more than my analog pocket! My gripes with the device: It's super picky about what USB-C charger you connect it to. When I power it off by pressing the power button, there's still a power drain (regardless of what mode I have the standby in) so it drains every time and I end up coming back to a dead device. Otherwise it's pretty great.

[@DanIsNotHome]

Current best practice is to shut it down manually via the UI. Hopefully sleep drain is fixed once the JELOS kernel moves to mainline

[@radical_dog]

I jumped on ArkOS, autosave/load on, and then use R3+power to gracefully shut down if I'm leaving it for a while. Much better to wait 17 secs to boot, than always be thinking about if I will have battery left.

[@andoryuu3]

It's got a sports car vibe to the hue. Pretty rad.

[@MRCAB]

Yeah, I was pretty bummed out because I had ordered mine like a week before this showed up online. I do really love the dark blue one though, but I definitely would’ve liked this yellow especially now knowing that it’s more on the orange side and not the green side.

[@MichaOstrowski]

There are even more colors out there now, and green will go perfectly with my green phone, tablet, and earbuds :D

[@Retronize84]

I ended up going with the miyoo mini plus for my first device (want something really pocketable). I will picking this up in the future but I think ill wait for the next model of this 1:1 aspect ratio. Looking forward to it.

[@aaronwalker1615]

I like mine...Has a good ROM set 📐...No battery 🔋 issues yet...So far, i like it ...Cool screen too....

[@Raphtor13]

Not a fan of the yellow but really like my black RGB 30...used your setup guide to tweak some settings and am very happy with the device.

[@veer66]

I like yellow and black.

[@mikenaisbitt]

There's no mention of ArkOS at all. This is a far better optimised experience out of the box especially for newcomers. Less tinkering with emulators.

[@faithandreason]

Got my yellow version yesterday! Waiting on my new as cards

[@ViBENo1]

i ordered my yellow three weeks ago and today arrived. gladly they changed the ABXY buttons. now the letters are painted.

[@Genguts]

I wonder what Anbernic handheld Russ is basically Chop Shopping to make the RGB30 more enjoyable.

[@imnotsickler]

They sure switched that price up after your review, almost bought one

[@martin_from_sweden]

The yellow one looks wonderful! If you need help to get it off your hands I’ll be there for you!

[@adnanshafry1881]

Okay I'll buy this

[@KyleRuggles]

This is tempting! But like others, I already have too many of these things lol.

[@johnsducks9816]

I thought this was stupid when it first came out but now I am considering it

[@rhythmandblues9302]

400K. The juggernaut rolls on… … well done, Russ.

[@pierre1509]

Thanks for the review. Your entire channel is great. I've subscribed. Is it possible to use shaders on such devices, and how do they look provided the screen resolution ?

[@edwardgreenjr167]

Just as an update, there's a Red, Purple, and Green variant now on their official store site. Haven't seen them anywhere else. Interested in the green, myself.

[@Cremeaphrodisiaque]

Ordered the red a few days ago! I'm stoked to see how it's going to look like.

[@stikzlevel857]

The school bus edition!

[@choboutube]

After looking at all the 'high end' handheld gaming PCs, I've pretty much realised that all I need is to play Gameboy tetris with a nice screen and controls. I've had fun with Tekken 7 and Left4dead/ back4 blood, but my serious gaming days are long over.

[@sahabatgamerID]

This device with six face button and strong enough processor for saturn and dreamcast would be amazing.

[@zachman893]

I love that yellow it looks my retroid pocket 2+ in yellow ❤ ughh I just bought an Odin 2 though I have to be a good boy 😅

[@ColdFlame53]

I love mine. I have no issues with the battery playing gbc, gba. And snes games

[@Robots0verHumans]

Please review the XU 10 handheld with tweaking possibilities. Taki was in the right direction but not far enough. Hope for your detailed review 😊

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

The yellow design looks really nice. It has a sort of marigold look to it.

[@hotchoclateguy]

Hi Russ, i think you made more videos for RGB30 than any other handheld

[@benalvis6722]

man I follow prime, noodles, and a few others on these things. Your the Goat at this. nice! 🐐🐐🐐

[@Maginist]

It reminds me a bit of a Tonka truck, especially with the black buttons it's kind of like a construction vehicle. Not a bad look tbh

[@radical_dog]

I think you've under-reported the issues with battery and charging. I know you've covered it in your written guide, but for the majority of your audience it's getting glossed over how annoying it can be to get this to full charge!

[@_Majoras]

are you using jelos?

[@radical_dog]

@@_Majoras I was, but I've swapped to ArkOS and I'm using the quick-shutdown (R3+power) and auto save/load if I am taking a break for more than an hour.

[@xXRustyShacklefordXx]

He doesn't think it's a big enough deal to mention so guys like me and you drop a bill on a literal paperweight.

[@radical_dog]

@@xXRustyShacklefordXx Yeah, I'd def recommend ArkOS. I do think it reflects on how we might try and actually get 4+ hours of play out of the device, while reviewers will be doing all their tests while inside and close to a power cable.

[@r3toun]

Pfew almost bought one, that wouldve been it for that device in my possession

[@KrazyShark]

Ordered the RGB30 after all the high praise it's got and especially that 1:1 screen. I wanted to give Arcade shmups / Neogeo Pocket Color / Pico 8 games and also Gameboy / Gameboy Color games a go so I'm really really excited. My first and only handheld I had so far was the LDK Game Landscape and it was pretty bad 🤣 so hope this one won't collect dust as much.

[@Scogin]

Is this close to the RP2 "Orange"? I ordered one since it was available for a good price during AliExpress's 11-11 sale. Excited to see it in person now!

[@pedroferreira8623]

Hi Russ! I have a request: can you make a video where you pick your favorite(s) handheld to pick up for each game system (snes, gba, ps3, pc, arcade, etc) ?

[@papa_NCF]

I should be getting my yellow one today!

[@zombakel]

to russ or anyone who owns this device, i just wanted to know the size of the screws of the back cover. i'm planning to buy this device, and wanted to place a screw cover to add a little space when placing the device on top of a flat surface.

[@kritarthsingh4918]

RGB30 vs RP2S … what are your views?

[@cdegenova1761]

Dragon quest V on DS looks pretty good on this screen ratio. Just wish I could seperate the two screens some, since they were designed to have a blind space between them.

[@alibabarouge]

How about the build quality? Is it really good? Feels like an OG gameboy quality?

[@jonraymondchua2388]

Definitely perfect for Pokémon Yellow ❤️

[@RobyMicrobi]

I just got my yellow RGB30 as well but I am slightly dissapointed. I got a screen with 5 small dead pixels and a lot of backlight bleed. I read on forums that many people get this issue with RGB30. I would have like if reviews including this one would also mention this problem, because Powkiddy is clearly shipping units with screens that have defects. Maybe this is why they are so cheap after all....

[@SomeOne-wr1wr]

Sigh same here, I have like 2 small dead pixels and a scratched up screen...

[@wuggleworld]

'Powkiddy' and 'quality product' unfortunately do not go together. I got sucked up with the hype and purchased a RGB30, my first powkiddy device, and definitely my last. Love the concept but their quality control and lack of any helpful support has burnt me.... never dealing with them again.

[@_Majoras]

thats why always buy from seller/site thats good with returns, replacements, refunds. learned my lesson with the powkiddy rk2023

[@slvclw]

pokiddy is 10% off your order. Oh ya I got the yellow too!

[@eduardorivera8996]

Love my RGB30 and that color looks better than my white one I hope they sell the shell

[@GurlDreamer50]

I just ordered an Odin 2 pro. But my Christmas list is the RGB30 and the Trimui smart pro.

[@Jordan.Vaughn]

My only regret to subscribing to this channel is the amount of money I’ve spent on retro handhelds in the last year.

[@srfeger]

Year's not over yet. Still more time to buy more handsets! Come on, you can do it! (says the guy who cancelled an ODIN 2 order, ordered an MM+ and is nervously eyeing the new SD OLED.)

[@Jordan.Vaughn]

@@srfeger I don’t get what I’m doing, they all play the same games! But then I start arguing in my head about form factor and color and which one is better for me vs better for my kids. It’s a fun hobby I guess

[@srfeger]

@@Jordan.Vaughn I agree. Worse yet, I can't even blame my kids. I don't have any!

[@sylad]

Glad I ordered Yellow. Looks so cool . No idea if going to do any mods to button or joystick. If any just the tape over d pad Just waiting for mine to arrive. This will be my 3rd handheld after miyoo mini plus & RG35xx

[@whattheratdraggedin]

Do you see any improvements with the (rather common) battery / charging issues? Either due to different battery or jelos update?

[@purelygreytv]

Probably not, since the motherboard hasn't changed. Latest JelOS is definitely less chaotic when it comes to discharging, doesn't jump so much. But it still doesn't turn on while charging and when it gets

[@thomaschipman]

this won't get fixed until rk3566 specific changes get merged into the mainline linux kernel. for now, you can manually shut your device down to save battery. if you use arkos, you can enable quickmode to enable auto save state and shutdown with a single button press. it will then auto load save state when it powers back on. in all, ends up being about 3-4sec slower than the same process with onionos on a miyoo mini.

[@xXRustyShacklefordXx]

No, he won't mention anything about this particular issue in any of his videos on this device for some odd reason.

[@TheRealAlpha2]

I have the black, thankfully there are no hardware changes so I don't feel the need for a second purchase, which would honestly make this less of a budget device if you bought two. 2x90 bucks could have gotten me one of the larger devices with this chipset, although they wouldn't be _this_ compact.

[@wtf1992lynx]

This or the RG35XXH? Im so undecided between the two 😭

[@vixox314]

Now I want a purple/indigo one

[@edwardgreenjr167]

It's on their offical store site now.