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The RG Slide is by far Anbernic’s most innovative design seen in a retro handheld. It feels like a device built directly around what people say they want from retro handhelds, yet somehow manages to miss many of those marks. And yet, in doing so, it loops back around to deliver something that is, at the very least, perfectly competent.

Anbernic RG Slide

Anbernic has a long history of building devices geared directly toward what the community at large sees as worthwhile. The clamshell craze, while initially kicked off by the Powkiddy V90 in late 2019, made it clear that people wanted a folding handheld that could actually emulate up to PS1 well and ship without the shortcomings commonly found in Powkiddy devices. Enter the RG35XX SP, a clamshell 4:3 device utilizing the Unisoc H700 to deliver decent emulation of consoles up to PS1 and N64, barring some more power-intensive holdouts.

Meet the RG Slide

Since then, Anbernic has released the RG34XX and its SP counterpart with 3x integer-scaled screens for GBA games, the RG Nano as a miniature handheld device that doubles as a keychain with a nearly 10:9 screen, the RG Cube and Cube XX with 1:1 aspect ratios, and even the recently launched RG DS stylized after the original Nintendo DS. However, among all of these lies a device with the same design ethos as the PSP Go, the RG Slide.

RG Slide Tomb Raider

RG Slide Specifications

CPU: Unisoc T820
RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage: 128 GB UFS 2.2
Display: 4:3 4.7-inch 120HZ LCD
Resolution: 1280 × 960
Operating System: Android 11
Battery: 5000 mAh

The RG Slide is an oddity. Its design features a screen that slides up and down, similar to the somewhat beloved PSP Go, but almost every spec about it is entirely different. While the PSP Go was purposefully designed to be small and lightweight, the RG Slide is big and unwieldy. The PSP Go features a 16:9 aspect ratio and a paltry 480 x 272 resolution crammed into a 3.8-inch screen. The RG Slide, by comparison, has a 1280 x 960 resolution, a 4:3 aspect ratio, and puts all of that into a 4.7-inch screen.

Odd? Yes. Different? Yes. Innovative...?

It’s an odd device, but all of the things it does differently at least allow the core of retro handheld gameplay to shine. For instance, the 960p screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio makes it perfect for 3x to 4x integer scaling on practically every retro home console. Its Unisoc T820 chipset nets decent performance for PS2 and GameCube titles—not perfect, but decent—making it a solid mix of screen quality and performance for truly retro consoles. However, its weight is another story.

RG Slide Side Profile with PSP Go

The weight of the RG Slide is its biggest downside. The PSP Go is built to be slim, small, and incredibly portable. It slips into a pocket easily, it doesn’t take up much space when resting between two hands, and it’s easy to store in any bag or pocket. The RG Slide goes directly against this. It’s heavy, thick, and oftentimes unbalanced due to its sliding mechanism. While the PSP Go used the sliding mechanic to capitalize on the quick shift to ultra-portable lifestyles with the advent of smartphones, the RG Slide seems to use it solely as a nostalgic quirk to implement into its design.

Anbernic RG Slide Stands On Its Quirks

And that’s what the RG Slide is in comparison to a PSP Go. It’s a product that doesn’t exactly share the same ethos as the PSP Go, but it does make you think “oh yeah, the PSP Go was kinda cool” while showcasing why in an entirely different way suited for an entirely different market. With retro at its heart, focusing on 16:9 would be a bit off, considering only widescreen hacks, PSP, and PS3 and beyond utilize that aspect ratio. But being lighter or smaller in appearance may have made it stand out longer for nostalgic merits than simply having a sliding screen.

RG Slide Close Up Controls

The RG Slide is interesting, if nothing else. Unlike a typical handheld, where you can just slap on a case, this one requires a solution for its sliding screen. The screen is exposed whether slid up or down, and that plastic could have been used for a protective clamshell instead. Still, the RG Slide holds its own. It’s not better than the RG477H with its MediaTek Dimensity 8300, but it shares the same chip and screen as the RG476H. The difference is in form factor. If you want a normal handheld, that’s your choice. But if you’re after something innovative, unusual, and oddly charming, the RG Slide delivers.

For our readers interested in purchasing the Anbernic RG Slide, you can pick one up through GoGameGeek, the supplier of the device featured in this article. When ordering through GoGameGeek, use code SDHQ5 to save 15% off any purchase made on the site.

The Anbernic RG Slide links above are using an affiliate link from GoGameGeek, the supplier of the handheld for this article. The affiliate link gives us a little back from sales at no extra charge to you. All proceeds go back into SDHQ and its development.

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Shawn Wilkins
A writer since birth, a wordsmith since conception. With a dedicated love for retro handhelds and the world surrounding them, Shawn brings an adept knownledge of the inner workings of the devices meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia in every gameplay session.
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