I constantly find myself in a bit of a pickle when recommending my best retro handheld picks to friends. It's not that they aren't into portables like the Anbernic RG Cube, especially since that pocket powerhouse offers up punchy performance and a useful square screen. The issue actually lies with price, as some of my pals just aren't willing to drop over $100 on a retro gaming gadget.
"Come back to me when you find something under $80." That's the exact words one friend used last time I ranted about Anbernic's handheld. So, I took the instruction literally and went hunting for the next best thing. Upon hitting up Amazon, I quickly remembered that there's actually an RG CubeXX model for $79.99 that scales back on some features to achieve a lower price, which feels like "mission accomplished" to me.
At a glance, the RG CubeXX looks identical to its full-fat sibling, and the weird naming conventions don't help. It also makes searching for specific Anbernic handhelds a pain in the butt, as unless you're already aware that the "XX" prefix means "budget model", you'll probably think the listing has an odd typo.
There are some fundamental differences between the RG Cube and its cheaper XX counterpart, though, and it will change what you're playing. The biggie for me personally is that the budget version ditches Android 13 and its touchscreen for a traditional Linux setup. While you'll still have access to many of the same emulators, including RetroArch, you will be trading away Play Store versatility and other useful apps.
The other major change is that the RG CubeXX is using an ARM Cortex-A53 processor instead of the original's Unisoc T820. The latter is a more modern octa-core chipset, which naturally gives it an edge over the older quad-core, particularly when trying to emulate more demanding systems like the N64 and PS2.
I wouldn't call the specs differences shocking, given the price difference between the RG Cube and the XX version. By and large, most handhelds out there under $100 / £100 are designed to handle 8-bit and 16-bit outings with a sprinkling of PS1, PSP, and Dreamcast in there. It's pretty much in line with alternatives like the GBA SP-inspired Anbernic RG35XXSP, but retains premium elements like that square 720p 3.95-inch IPS screen, RGB thumbsticks, and a USB-C port with video out capabilities.
Would I still rather use the OG RG Cube? Absolutely, as while you're still getting the pixel-perfect square aspect ratio with the display for early '90s capers, skipping on touch capabilities limits your mileage with Nintendo DS emulation. I guess if you really want to play Nintendogs, you could make do with the simulated joystick stylus functionality, or just opt for the MagicX Zero 40, since it's purpose-built for DS games.
My TL;DR is this - if you're not looking for top-tier performance but love the idea of a square-screen handheld, the RG CubeXX is worth a look. Even if you are sacrificing the touchscreen, Android perks, and punchier emulation capabilities to hit under $80, this handheld is going to feel pretty similar in the hands and hit many of the same playability notes.
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