Anbernic RG405M Review in 2024

The Anbernic RG405M is an impressive metal handheld game console that has solid performance and can emulate a wide variety of retry consoles with ease. It can handle emulating up to and including GameCube games.

It has a sleek design and a tough exterior metal body that makes the RG405M a reliable device for gamers who want a more high-quality handheld.

The RG405M has some impressive specs under the hood, including a Unisoc Tiger T618 processor and LPDDR4X RAM. It comes with a 4-inch IPS display and runs on the Android 12 operating system.

If you’re a fan of handheld retro gaming, be sure to check out our review of the Analogue Pocket as well.

Coming in at around the $170 price point and with such a high number of other retro gaming device handhelds on the market, is the RG405M the one you should pick up? Let’s dive in and find out.

Device Quality

The Anbernic RG405M has a sleek and modern design and it’s one of the best handheld emulators available. The device’s rounded corners mimic the GBA aesthetically. Its casing is metallic, feels premium quality, and won’t scratch or scuff easily because of this. It’s a durable little handheld emulator and perfect for taking with you on the go and tossing into a bag between sessions. This solid little device weighs 250g and is about the same weight as the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode.

It has a 4” IPS touchscreen display with a resolution of 640 x 480 and its 4:3 ratio is the perfect size for playing most retro games. One downside of the device’s screen, however, is that the IPS panel can sometimes have an inconsistent brightness when viewed from particular angles and in certain lighting. Its display isn’t exactly top-of-the-line, but at its price point, it definitely gets the job done. Screen-wise, you’ll still be fine emulating games from consoles like the PS2 without having issues seeing what’s happening in the game, but it’s still small enough to feel like a handheld.

The DPAD on this little guy is about as close to perfectly executed as you can ask for. Movement is precise enough and it has that premium soft-touch click feel you’d expect with a high-quality handheld. The analog sticks used are hall joysticks and use high-quality rubber that sits slightly out of the shell to make sure you don’t have hangups or issues when moving them around. The joysticks are super responsive and react immediately to even very minute amounts of force.

A nod to the SNES, the buttons have a retro color scheme and are high gloss. The start and select buttons are easy to press and are clicky when pressed.

You won’t find any buttons on the sides of the device which is nice because that would likely cause issues with where your hands inherently rest while playing. The USB-C port, volume buttons, LED light, and power button are all on the top area and the headphone jack, SD card slot, and dual speakers are on the bottom. All of the ports are easy to access, but it should be mentioned that while not a deal breaker by any means, you’ll want to be somewhat mindful that there’s no hinge to protect the SD card slot.

The back of the device has grips that keep it from sliding and falling off of surfaces it’s placed on. The grips are well-designed and also feel high quality and well done. If you find yourself taking this handheld apart, you’ll be pleased to see that the internals are all assembled neatly, cables and all.

OS for the Handheld Game Console

The Anerbic RG405M comes with the Android 12 operating system installed out of the box. It’s been optimized for the device. From the moment you boot it up, you’ll notice that all of the device’s necessary emulators come pre-installed, so you can get right to playing games immediately. Another handy touch is that you’ll find that the Google Play Store also comes pre-installed for you, so if you feel like getting down on some Android games or streaming Netflix or Hulu, have at it.

You’ll find some handy Anbernic shortcuts added to its quick menu, one of which makes it extremely easy to Switch to Anbernic’s custom front end software. This makes it a bit easier to find and play games on the device instead of the stock Android OS, however, you can also install and use any emulation frontend software you prefer instead.

Some games may not look the best on the standard 4:3 display, but most retro games will do nicely overall with it. The RG405M also has a six axis gyroscope sensor for any titles that might use it.

If you feel like giving it a shot, along with emulation, you can also look into streaming games using Microsoft’s X Cloud and playing games on Gamepass, although some games may pose issues regarding wonky button mappings. Your mileage may vary a bit there.

You can connect an SD card with your ROMs and additional software. This little device also comes with Bluetooth and WiFi so it can support users to connect external controllers for friends who want to join in and you can also connect to WiFi to download games. Certain games that have online matchmaking can also be played as well.

Gaming Performance

The RG405M is equipped with a Unisoc T618 2GHz CPU, a MaliG52 GPU, 4GB of RAM, a 4” IPS display with a resolution of 640 x 480, 4500mAh battery, as well as WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. Its specs might not necessarily be mindblowing, but they will be able to emulate most games up to and including the PlayStation 2. That’s a huge library of content!

You can expect solid framerates for most games. While not all games will be natively optimized for a 4″ screen, you won’t have many performance issues to worry about overall.

TGameCube and Wii games all perform very well here; the only thing to keep in mind is that depending on the title, you may need to change the input settings from the default to your preferred playstyle.

When emulating games on the PSP, DS, GBA, and SNES everything works as perfectly as you’d hope. The device also has a battery life of around 6 hours depending on the titles you choose. There’s also an additional energy saving setting mode that can be used to extend the battery life of the device as well.

Summary

The Anbernic RG405M is a great handheld game console. If you’re in the market for something sturdy and high quality that will be able to emulate a majority of your retro game library in a sleek and stylish form factor, then this device is a great choice. It feels high quality and premium and it looks great too. It’s the perfect travel companion, but also is great for playing games on the go wherever you are.

Anbernic made some significant improvements from their previous models and they definitely have paid off. While this device isn’t exactly perfect, it is about as good as it gets at this price point and is undoubtedly worth every penny. Do yourself a favor and pick one up today.

Also, be sure to check out our Anbernic RG353M review as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Anbernic RG405M released?

The Anbernic RG405M was released in August 2023 and it’s a retro handheld gaming device that has gained popularity among gamers due to its sleek design, powerful performance, and very affordable price point.

What is the difference between Anbernic RG405M and RG505?

The main difference between the RG405M and RG505 is that the RG405M has a 4-inch IPS display with a resolution of 640×480, while the RG505 has a 4.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 960×544. Additionally, the RG405M has a metal body and is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, while the RG505 has a plastic body and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor.

Where can I buy Anbernic RG405M from Aliexpress?

Anbernic RG405M can be purchased from Aliexpress, but it’s important to remember that shipping times from Aliexpress can be a bit brutal because products are being shipped overseas. While you can purchase it there, you may also want to consider checking on Amazon to see if there are quicker shipping times available.

Can Anbernic RG405M play PS2 games?

Yes, the Anbernic RG405M can handle emulating and playing PS2 games. That being said, the screen display size isn’t exactly ideal for PS2 games and while it can run most, they may not look the best. It can also play a wide range of retro games from consoles like the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and more.

Is there a case available for Anbernic RG405M?

Yes, there are cases available for Anbernic RG405M. There are a few different options available for cases that offer protection for the device while also allowing easy access to all buttons and ports. If you’re looking for a carrying case to store it in, those are available too.

What kind of ROMs can be played on Anbernic RG405M?

Anbernic RG405M can play various types of ROMs, including NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, GameCube, Wii, PS1, PS2, and more.