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Chinese handheld gaming hardware company Anbernic’s latest device is as compact console with an OLED display, 8GB of RAM, Android 13 software and enough processing power to handle PS2 emulation.

With a list price of $185 (or $175 during pre-orders), the Anbernic RG566 isn’t exactly the cheapest handheld game system around, but it’s more affordable (and portable) than a Steam Deck. The Anbernic RG566 is available for pre-order now from AliExpress or Anbernic.com.

The handheld features a 5.48 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel AMOLED touchscreen display positioned between a set of game controllers which include dual analog sticks with RGB lighting, a D-Pad, action buttons, and shoulder triggers with hall sensors. The handheld also has a six-axis gyroscope and a vibration motor.

Under the hood, there’s 8GB of LPDDR4x memory, 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, and a Unisoc T820 processor, which is a 6nm chip that features:

  • 1 x ARM Cortex-A76 CPU core @ 2.7 GHz
  • 3 x ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores @ 2.3 GHz
  • 4 x ARM Cortex-A55 CPU cores @ 2.1 GHz
  • Mali-G57 quad-core graphics @ 850 MHz

The system has a heat pipe plus fan for active cooling, a microSD card reader with support for cards up to 2 TB of removable storage, a USB Type-C port for charging and 1080p video output, a 3.5mm audio jack, and support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0.

Anbernic says users can expect up to 8 hours of battery life from the RG566’s 5,500 mAh battery. But charging capabilities top out at 5V/2A, so it takes about 3.5 hours to fully charge the battery.

The Anbernic RG566 is available with a choice of black or translucent blue case, and the handheld measures 223 x 90 x 15mm (8.8″ x 3.6″ x 0.6″) and weighs 331 grams (11.7 ounces).

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  2. We’ll have to wait to see some emulation results to know how this chip really performs, but my initial guess (based on benchmarks) is that this might not be the best chip for PS2 emulation. I’d love to be surprised, though.

    It benchmarks lower than the Dimensity 900 in the Odin Lite, and that handheld had some titles that wouldn’t play well at native resolution.

    Reply

    1. Well the price isn’t even the worst aspect about it. Going for USD $190 and soon adjusted to USD $170, it’s not terribly priced. Definitely lower than what Anbernic usually charges, but that’s because there is competition. I can see this being more fair at USD $140.

      Even the wacky software and questionable hardware isn’t too concerning. That CPU is decent, the iGPU is pretty weak, and the software can get improved in the future (just like the price).

      Their biggest problem is the form-factor. This is not good. It is way too big to fit into your pocket, so it’s not competing in the same category as the Retroid, PowKiddy, and Miyoo. It is instead competing for space in your backpack, so it’s competitor is instead the AYN Odin Lite/1/2 and AYA Neo Mini Pro. Matchups it loses to, if we’re being honest.

      And even more laughable is if you already have one of the better portables: Cheap SteamDeck, New SteamDeck OLED, or the potent ASUS ROG Ally. If you have any of those three consoles, I can see a scenario where it makes sense to get the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro (pocketable VS portable). But I can’t see a scenario where it makes sense to get one of these Anbernics instead.

      Reply

  3. Mmm, the price isn’t right. With Retroid Pocket 4 in the market, this one should have been priced at 130-140€ maximum. Retroid machines are usually better in quality and A78’s CPU is a beast.

    Reply

    2. It’s has 4 cortex A76, so depend with task in certain apps it’s going to surpass D900. But overall are same class soc.

      Reply

        1. The core benchmarks are decent, but the GPU is pretty poor. I’d take the D900 over it.

          Reply