REVIEW Anbernic RG Nano-What Is This, A Game Boy For Ants?

These days, creating a distinctive handheld emulator is getting harder and harder. The fundamental 'Game Boy' design template can only be used so often, so we've seen many Chinese-made portables with the same design.

The RG Nano attempts to give something distinct from what has come before, even if it eventually comes at the sacrifice of general usability. Anbernic is one brand that is particularly guilty of this.

Anbernic RG NanoReview - Design and Display

The Anbernic RG Nano is tiny, as its name implies. It's about the size of a box of matches (if you're old enough to remember what those are), and at just 71 x 43 x 17 mm, it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Because its case is made of aluminum rather than plastic, it has a sturdy build quality and weighs 75 grams, which is surprisingly weighty for such a small thing.

The unit's face features four face buttons, a cross D-pad, and "Start" and "Select" keys. The power button and MicroSD card slot are on the right-hand edge, and the USB-C port and L and R shoulder triggers are on the top edge.

This port is used for data transfer and charging, where 3.5mm headphones are connected to the smartphone. The Anbernic RG Nano lacks a 3.5mm socket, just like the Game Boy Advance SP; thus, you'll need to utilize the included adaptor. The surprisingly loud mono speaker is on the unit's bottom edge.

The controls are susceptible, considering how little the Anbernic RG Nano is. Additionally, the D-pad is much simpler to use than we anticipated. Even if I have small hands, we would never argue that this was the best interface for a portable gaming device because playing for extended periods feels incredibly claustrophobic and uncomfortable. You will likely find it challenging to play this unit if you have large claws.

The 1.54-inch IPS screen offers a 240 × 240-pixel resolution and a 1:1 aspect ratio. As you might expect, it's a small monitor with good contrast, brightness, and viewing angles.

Anbernic RG Nano Review - Emulation Performance

Although the Anbernic RG Nano's 64 MB of DDR2 RAM and ARM Cortex-A7 chipset (clocked at 1.2GHz) aren't very powerful in emulation performance, the variety of platforms it supports is nonetheless remarkable.

With a few restrictions, the system can simulate everything from the Game Boy to the Sony PlayStation. PlayStation emulation varies; certain games (like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) operate at excruciatingly slow frame rates, while others are comparatively fluid. This needs to be more consistent across PlayStation software; Tekken 3 is so slow that it is unusable, whereas Ridge Racer Type 4 functions very well. It's nice that at least some of these games can be played on the Anbernic RG Nano, but it would not be brilliant to purchase one of them expecting perfect 32-bit emulation.

This is good equipment for almost anything other than the PlayStation. In addition to handheld devices like the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, WonderSwan, and Neo Geo Pocket Color, the NES, SNES, Master System, PC Engine, and Mega Drive all function properly.

Although the Anbernic RG Nano's screen's aspect ratio is adequate for systems with square displays, such as the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and NGPC, everything else must be stretched out to fit. The user interface allows you to change this, but doing so leaves large black borders at the top and bottom of the screen. It also indicates that some titles have difficult-to-read on-screen text.

Anbernic RG Nano Review - Battery Life and Software

Because of its small size, the Anbernic RG Nano comes with a modest battery. According to our tests, the polymer lithium-ion cell within the gadget has a capacity of 1050mAh and will last for about two and a half hours at best.

The system's firmware is powered by a forked version of the FunKey OS, which debuted with the FunKey S handheld gaming device. The interface features a real-time clock and the option to listen to lossless music through headphones, making it sophisticated and user-friendly.

While the default 'launcher' is Gmenu2X, we much prefer the optional RetroFE UI, which provides a more straightforward way to start games and even displays box art for many titles (though some of these are inaccurate, like the Mega Drive version of Castle of Illusion's modern remake artwork).

Overall, the user interface feels solid and mature. Brightness, volume control, save states, and much more are accessible with a single power button press. Considering the system's size, this straightforward user interface makes a lot of sense.

Anbernic RG Nano Review - Conclusion

The Anbernic RG Nano undoubtedly has novelty value. When shown in public, this type of product is guaranteed to draw attention, and considering its tiny size, the degree of emulation performance is remarkable. The 1:1 aspect ratio works best for Game Boy and Neo Geo Pocket games; everything else requires stretching or running with borders, which makes the image much more difficult to see. We particularly enjoy the razor-sharp screen.

We also had some concerns about the Anbernic RG Nano's price, which at about $70 isn't significantly less expensive than larger, more powerful handhelds. This makes the device feel more like a gimmick than a genuine emulation handheld. Nevertheless, the build quality is excellent, and we adore how compact and portable it is. Although there is a market for a handheld like this, it could be more suited as a "last resort" choice when you're out and about than your go-to everyday device.