RG ARC S Retro Handheld Game Console , Single Linux System with 128G SD Card 4541 Games Support 5G WiFi 4.2 Bluetooth Moonlight Streaming and TV Out (Transparent Blue)

[ TL;DR ] 4/5 without custom firmware for 2D emulation 5/5 with custom firmware for 2D emulation 2.5/5 for 3D emulation I'll start this review with a reality check if you intend to do 3D emulation with this device: it's not very good at it, and you should give up on the idea to start with. If you absolutely must do 3D emulation, from what I've tested you can do PSX emulation fine, N64 somewhat and very compromised, frame skipped Saturn emulation with standalone Yaba Sanshiro. Everything else is simply unplayable or too compromised to be worth it. What this handheld excels at, is 2D emulation: with custom firmware and a CPU overclock, you can even play 2D Dreamcast games at full speed, which is incredible for the price tag! The idea behind this setup is to allow you to use the Saturn's excellent 6/8 button controller layout so you can play arcade games on the go, particularly useful for fighting game fans: it is a godsend for your Capcom and SNK titles. That said, pretty much anything 2D benefits from this setup, with the extra 2 face buttons being particularly useful for any old school console or handheld, since you can map out additional functionality to them (an example would be the select and start buttons, often used as commands in certain games for consoles like the NES). The 640x480 IPS screen looks really good with a decent LCD filter, but don't expect miracles at this price: mine came with noticeable backlight bleeding and what appears to be a faint, tiny white spot. It is very obvious that the screen on this device is repurposed, probably from some phone or IoT device. Despite that, the quality is totally acceptable for what you're paying and is colorful and vivid enough regardless. I didn't spend much time with the stock OS, and moved quickly to custom firmware (Rocknix, which I highly recommend if you know your way around flashing these kind of portables), but from what I tested, it came with decent defaults. Roms were bizarrely selected though, and I'd advise you use or build your own collection instead. Some games wouldn't work or include wrong/hacked/altered versions. If you get the D model, the android side doesn't have a store and you certainly lose performance with most emulators compared to the Linux system. I only got this variant because I wanted a black device that resembled a SEGA machine: the additional ram and touchscreen were not that valuable to me, with touch only benefiting DS emulation, and not by much. I had to use Drastic for said emulation to get full speed, and their touch support is somewhat finicky. If you are an enthusiast of Retro Gaming Handhelds and intend on replacing the stock OS, you will unlock much more functionality out of your device, and that will certainly elevate it to greatness; just don't expect some magical performance to come along with the change: the added features would improve the software side of things only (obviously), but will go a long way to make your handheld far more usable in my view. Lastly, you should replace any SD cards packaged here with branded, more reliable ones. While the stock ones will work fine at first, you don't want your 100+ hour save file to go the way of the dodo for not having replaced them from the start. This is specially true if you intend to install custom firmware on it and use an SD card for the new operating system. Overall, this is a solid device for the price tag that can handle pretty much any 2D emulation you can throw at it, and excels particularly at Arcade 2D fighting games due to the 640x480 screen, the Saturn controller layout and the rolling D-pad.

Games 8/10 - there are no first party Nintendo games, Mario etc. Some roms don't work. If a rom doesn't work, restart the device - I found that many roms that didn't work for me would work if I restarted it. Otherwise, it has every fighting game you could want. Including MvC2. That being said - there are thousands of great games, pretty much every retro game you can think of, and a ton of fighting games. Screen 10/10 - incredible looking screen/brightness/color that makes NES games breathe new life. D-pad 9/10 - an actual fighting game functional d-pad on a handheld. Best handheld dpad I've ever seen. I have no problem doing supers or complex inputs in Street Fighter Alpha 3. Buttons 7.5/10 - they feel solid, but nothing special Battery 8/10 - last a few hours on full charge, no complaints.

This gaming device is awesome! Ergonomics 9/10 : Extremely comfortable in the hands and very light. Not super portable but can fit in larger pockets or a bag/purse easily Screen 9/10 : Perfect screen for retro games, but some newer games that have wide screen don't fit the best on here but still playable. It can go very bright or very dim. Sound 9/10 : Front facing speakers work great and you can even plug in your headphones with 3.5mm jack or usb c wireless Bluetooth headphones Buttons: 10/10: Extremely comfortable and large buttons. Most devices like these have tiny buttons and i hate it. These are fantastic Price: 10/10: At the current price of $60, this is a steal. Fun 10/10: It's just so fun to use and easy to carry around. If you take the time to install Rocknix firmware, you can even use Portmaster to install modern retro games to play that you already own. I've installed Fallen Leaf and UFO 50 so far. They're run great and are a blast to play on the go on such a small device! Setup 7/10: Mine didn't come with many games but that's to be expected. They don't own the games. Just do some googling and you'll be in business quick Love love love this device!!!

I love this thing. As a Genesis kid this brings back such good memories of Golden Axe, Pit Fighter and Sonic that I used to play as a kid. Sure you don't need this device to play this, but working a 4 button vs an actual 3 button just isn't the same. This performs very well on all the retro games I've thrown at it. I also really dig the oversized dish style d-pad. It might be my favorite D-pad across my devices (and I have more than 6, some high end). Build wise - its' ok. Not the sexiest device Anbernic has made, but that's not to say its bad. Its built sturdy with strong, thick plastic. It just doesn't have the design appeal of other handhelds - but its true to form of the Genesis controller.

The rg arc-d is an absolute dream come true for fighting game lovers or those who love the Sega Saturn. The controls and button layout is pretty spot on from the Sega Saturn controller and the screen is tack sharp and visible at every angle. Please note that of you order the 128GB model, the micro SD card and screen protector are hidden underneath the plastic holding the unit. When it arrived I didn't think it was there, because I assumed the sd card would be in the unit. I was originally going to purchase an analogies pocket, but the cost and shipping times were much higher than the rg arc-d. Glad that I hot this instead. If you love fighting games or the Saturn and Genesis, I would highly recommend this unit