I hope that Anbernic does iron out some of the software aspects and if they do work on a hardware revision, I’d particularly like to see one with the company’s iconic metallic shell.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for GameCube takes players on a captivating journey through the land of Hyrule, enveloping them in an evil darkness that must be defeated. It is comfortable to use, packs a great display and performs well, with the ability to even emulate some Switch games. For more demanding systems, you’ll have to fiddle with some settings and it would have been more welcome if these were tuned from the get go.Īll things considered though, the Anbernic RG556 is a value for money device and is worth considering if you’re looking to upgrade your retro handheld especially if it’s an Anbernic one. Then there’s still the fact that the console does not deliver the best out-of-the-box performance for each system. I found it better to stick to the default Android launcher, although having dedicated buttons for the front end is nice, and I hope that Anbernic polishes this aspect of the device. It is not totally intuitive to use and requires fiddling around to properly set it up. Anbernic has gone one step further by including a nice-looking front end which can be accessed by a dedicated button but the execution isn’t optimal. Moving to Android solves this issue given the options to customise the UI more easily.
This has traditionally been the case with Anbernic devices, especially Linux-based ones, where the UI would not be totally user-friendly and would usually be addressed with community support. My main criticism is with the software side.
Where it falls short is with the shell material (especially compared to what Anbernic has delivered in the past) and I’ve also seen some complaints about some tint with the display, although I haven’t noticed it as much. These are surprisingly not the case with the RG556 as the Unisoc T820 processor is surprisingly potent and you get more than decent emulation performance for the asking price. Usually, their devices wouldn’t deliver the best performance for what they target or the price would be on the higher end. However, as is customary with Anbernic, there are some downsides. It has an ergonomic design with quality physical buttons, a crisp AMOLED display and an attractive price:performance ratio. The RG556 is without a doubt Anbernic’s best overall device. Anbernic’s best yet but it’s still an Anbernic device The built-in 5,500mAh battery also provides generous use and while individual mileages will vary you can expect around 5 hours of use. The visuals are crisp and enhance the overall experience. On top of the quality hardware keys, the RG556’s AMOLED display further enhances the experience, whether you are playing native Android games or emulating retro systems. The joysticks being also Hall effect-based means that there is no need to worry about the notorious “stick drift”. The RG556 has a proper D-pad for retro game controls with each face button delivering a satisfying feedback thanks to the membrane underneath, and the Hall effect-based analogue triggers offer a nice resistance. As usual with Anbernic devices, there’s little to fault on this front. Supplementing the comfortable form factor is the hardware. In fact, this might very well be Anbernic’s most ergonomic landscape-oriented device so far. The only keys that require some reach are the power and volume buttons but that does not affect the user experience per se.
It sits neatly in the hands, with the fingers curling naturally around the hand grips while every face and shoulder buttons are easily accessible. At 331g, this handheld is also relatively lightweight, making it easy to carry around and use for extended periods. This design approach might not be as attractive to those looking for more pocketable handhelds but the end result is that of a very ergonomic and comfortable device.