The Anbernic RG Slide bursts onto the 2025 scene as a bold and innovative contender in the retro handheld gaming world, channeling the charm of classics like the PSP Go and SONY Ericsson’s sliding phones while embracing cutting-edge technology. Its sleek sliding design isn’t just a nostalgic nod—it unveils ergonomic controls, a vibrant high-quality display, and a build that blends style with practicality. Tailored for retro gaming and powered by Android, the RG Slide aims to deliver a comprehensive experience. In this review, we’ll dive into whether it lives up to its ambitious promises.
Design: A Nostalgic Yet Modern Marvel
The Anbernic RG Slide pays homage to the iconic PSP Go with its elegant sliding mechanism, revealing its controls when the screen glides upward. Available in black and white, it merges retro aesthetics with contemporary flair, instantly grabbing attention with its sophisticated look.
Crafted from durable plastics and high-quality electronics, the RG Slide measures a compact 15.4 cm long, 9 cm wide, and 2.6 cm thick, weighing 379 grams. While not the lightest in its class, its sturdy build emphasizes durability and comfort, striking a balance between portability and resilience.
Controls: Precision and Comfort for Serious Gamers
The Anbernic RG Slide’s controls are meticulously designed with gamers in mind, featuring high-resolution capacitive joysticks with magnetic anti-interference technology, a precise D-pad, responsive ABXY action buttons, linear triggers, and stacked shoulder buttons. This setup ensures quick, accurate responses for both retro and modern games, offering comfort during extended play sessions.
Drawing inspiration from classic consoles, the slide-out control layout echoes the PSP Go’s familiar ergonomics. Enhancing immersion, the RG Slide includes a vibration motor and a six-axis gyroscope, adding interactivity and responsiveness to motion-sensitive games.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and More
The RG Slide impresses with its robust connectivity options, elevating both functionality and gaming versatility. Equipped with dual-band 5G Wi-Fi, it ensures fast and stable connections for retroachievements, FTP file transfers, and online multiplayer via Netplay. Bluetooth 5.0 enables seamless pairing with wireless earbuds, external controllers, and other accessories.
Further boosting its versatility, the RG Slide features a USB Type-C port with 1080p DisplayPort output, perfect for gaming on larger screens with crisp visuals. For those who prefer wired audio, a 3.5mm headphone jack is included.
Display: Stunning 120Hz and 500 Nits
The Anbernic RG Slide’s display is a standout feature, boasting a 4.7-inch LTPS In-Cell panel with a sharp 1280x960 resolution in the classic 4:3 aspect ratio, ideal for retro emulation. Full OCA lamination ensures excellent viewing angles, while touch support enhances navigation within the Android system, making it smooth and intuitive.
With an impressive 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, the screen delivers vibrant visuals even in bright environments, with rich colors and strong contrast. This technical prowess not only enhances retro game graphics but also provides a modern, immersive visual experience, setting the RG Slide apart in the handheld market.
Battery: 5000mAh for Long-Lasting Play
The Anbernic RG Slide’s 5000mAh lithium-polymer battery offers reliable endurance, supporting 4 to 6 hours of continuous play, even for demanding titles. This makes it a great companion for travel, commutes, or extended retro gaming marathons without frequent recharging.
Additionally, the console supports fast charging via 5V/2A, fully recharging in roughly 3 hours, keeping downtime to a minimum.
Performance and Storage: T820 Powerhouse with Ample Space
Powered by the Unisoc T820 octa-core processor, built on a 6nm architecture, the RG Slide delivers excellent energy efficiency and thermal performance. Paired with a Mali-G57 GPU running at 850MHz and 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, it handles demanding emulations like PS2, Wii, and GameCube with ease.
Storage is equally impressive, with 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal memory offering blazing-fast read and write speeds. For those needing more space, the RG Slide supports microSD expansion up to 2TB, providing ample room for a comprehensive retro game library.
Operating System and Emulation: Android 13 and Broad Compatibility
Running Android 13, the Anbernic RG Slide offers a smooth and modern experience, with full access to the Google Play Store for apps, native games, and a wide range of emulators. The system is optimized for the hardware, ensuring responsive performance and intuitive navigation.
The console excels at emulating a variety of platforms, including:
- Arcades: CPS, FBA, MAME
- Handhelds: Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PSP
- 8- and 16-bit Consoles: NES, Master System, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive
- 32- and 64-bit Consoles: PlayStation 1, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64
- Sixth-Generation Consoles: PlayStation 2, GameCube
- Newer Systems: Select Nintendo Wii titles
Price: Affordable Excellence
Available on AliExpress for approximately $180–$220, the Anbernic RG Slide offers strong value for its unique design and robust performance, making it an attractive option for retro gaming enthusiasts.
Is the Anbernic RG Slide Worth It in 2025? Final Verdict and Alternatives
In 2025, the Anbernic RG Slide stands out as a stellar choice for those who cherish nostalgic design paired with powerful emulation. Its PSP Go-inspired sliding mechanism, high-quality LTPS display, solid Unisoc T820 performance, and modern connectivity make it one of the most distinctive and well-rounded handhelds available at a competitive price.
Finding direct competitors to the Anbernic RG Slide’s slider design is tough, as it dominates this niche. However, the Anbernic RG556 offers similar performance with a larger AMOLED screen and a more refined feel, though it lacks the sliding charm. Alternatively, the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, with its clamshell design, provides premium build quality, enhanced performance, and modern features like Wi-Fi 6 and UFS 3.1, albeit at a slightly higher cost. Each caters to different preferences, but all deliver top-tier experiences for portable emulation fans.
