ANBERNIC RG 477V
The RG 477V is the culmination of years of iterative improvements from ANBERNIC, bringing the best elements of past devices into a vertical form-factor that’s finally powerful enough to play my childhood favorites.
The Game Boy grew up
One of the main reasons why the RG 477V won me over is the screen. The 4.7-inch panel runs almost from edge to edge on the device, with minimal bezels. This helps keep the device’s overall footprint from ballooning to absurd proportions (granted, it’s still huge), while still providing a very immersive experience.
The RG 477V inherits the best parts of ANBERNIC’s previous handhelds.
Unlike the rest of the device, the D-pad appears to be an entirely new component. It’s a little soft and mushy, but the inputs are still spot on. Despite having the D-pad on top, I still found it very comfortable to play stick-focused games, which is almost never the case on vertical handhelds.
The controls are great, but the triggers were hard to reach while using the sticks.
Performance tweaks that count
This is the second ANBERNIC device to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset, and while it does suffer from a lack of drivers, it’s still a top performer. In fact, it’s right where I feel a higher-end ANBERNIC device should be.
The RG 477V gets far more out of the Dimensity 8300 chipset than its predecessor, the RG 477M.
As for the GPU, again it’s a solid upgrade over the RG 477M. ANBERNIC has clearly tuned things better this time around, providing very solid performance. More importantly, it’s also much more stable.
ANBERNIC RG 477V review verdict: Is it worth it?
After a few weeks of testing, I can confidently say that the RG 477V is by far the best vertical handheld I’ve ever used. It’s not small by any means, but it’s compact enough to sneak in a bag (with a case), and powerful enough to play everything but the most demanding systems.
The RG 477V sets a new bar for ANBERNIC devices, and vertical gaming handhelds as a whole.
On the lower end, there are plenty of options to play PS1 and below. The TrimUI Brick is a great everyday carry handheld, and the follow-up Brick Pro might even be capable of some PS2 emulation. The 4-inch display is significantly smaller though, so the newly added sticks might be too cramped to be comfortable.
Horizontal handhelds have a lot more interesting options available in the same price range just around the corner, starting with the Retroid Pocket 6. For just a little more than the RG 477V, you get a 5.5-inch 120Hz OLED, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and a more comfortable control scheme.
The RG 477V has enough power to play GameCube and PS2 games without issue.
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ANBERNIC RG 477V
Beautiful screen • Compact vertical design • Great PS2/GameCube performance
MSRP: 9.99
The massive, PS2-ready Game Boy of your dreams. The RG 477V is the most powerful vertical handheld ANBERNIC has ever made, with a 4.7-inch screen that will make your favorite retro games pop like never before.
Positives:
- Beautiful screen
- Compact vertical design
- Great PS2/GameCube performance
Cons:
- Cramped triggers
- Poor Mali driver support
