The Anbernic RG405M is the latest portable console from Anbernic, sporting a rare premium aluminum finish and running Android 12 as its OS. This device is mainly oriented to retro emulation, being capable of emulating titles from up to PlayStation 2 and GameCube as a top.
It is also worth mentioning that the console is equipped with a 4-inch IPS touch screen with standard resolution, a Unisoc Tiger T618 chip, about 4GB of RAM and at least 128GB of internal storage, making it a tempting proposition in the eyes of gamers. retro gamers who like to play while on the go.
Connoisseurs of the subject will notice many similarities to the Anbernic RG505M , and with good reason, this is an incremental upgrade to that console, so some of us already know what to expect from the Anbernic RG405M, which has our full attention today.
A console with a premium finish
Anbernic is among the only retro handheld manufacturers to produce consoles with a metal casing ; and it does it with a good quality. This is on display in the RG405M, which has a relatively slim profile and pocketable form factor while delivering a premium feel when holding the device in the palms of your hands.
As usual with this manufacturer’s consoles, the buttons rest on a membrane that provides a satisfactory response to each push. There’s the classic directional pad that adds that nostalgic touch, as well as face buttons with a Nintendo-esque layout. Unfortunately the L2/R2 keys are next to R1/L1 instead of below , which is a bit confusing if we are used to playing with a normal controller.
With that said, Anbernic is bringing back Hall-based sensors for the RG405M’s joysticks , which is a welcome addition to traditional joysticks. These are accurate enough for most games and we don’t have to worry about drifting, since being magnetic they are immune to the wear and tear that leads to that problem.
Screen
In this console we find a 4-inch IPS touch panel with a standard resolution of 640 x 480 pixels , which is perfect for most retro consoles, but not so good for modern consoles. In this sense, it has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which logically goes well with old consoles, but when it comes to emulating PSP, PS2 and GameCube/Wii titles it is not ideal, since the panoramic aspect produces the appearance black bars at the top and bottom.
However, we can mitigate the above problem by expanding the image to fill, although that comes at the cost of distorting the image a bit; Be that as it may, it is a responsive panel with good color representation and brightness level.
How is the emulation?
The Anbernic RG405M has what it takes to emulate 8-bit and 16-bit consoles perfectly, so nothing stands between us and our favorite childhood games. Similarly, all PlayStation One, Nintendo 64 and Sega DreamCast games run smoothly at two and even three times the native resolution.
With PSP it’s a similar story , and you can even afford to move them in 2X resolution at full speed. However, as we mentioned before, the screen format does not favor these titles. It should be noted that games like God of War: Ghost of Sparta can cause problems.
It is in the final stretch where we know the limitations of the Anbernic RG405M, and that final stretch is made up of PlayStation 2 and GameCube , which would be the most attractive consoles to emulate.
In this sense, the console can emulate PS2 titles like God of War 2 at native resolution , but it is not a perfect experience, expect FPS drops and the occasional audio glitch when that happens, but it is playable, although it is far from it. a perfect experience. Titles like Shadow of the Colossus barely touch 20FPS, but that’s a hard game to emulate (and even move for the original console).
Naturally, GameCube and Wii games work as well, but be warned that you will need to make adjustments and visual sacrifices. Likewise, not the entire catalog will work, many games will simply be unplayable due to low FPS.
Lastly, we have native Android games , and the RG405M can handle most demanding titles , such as Genshin Impact with medium graphics at over 30FPS.
Android 12 the order of the day
This console from Anbernic comes with the convenience of an operating system that will be familiar to us: Android 12, which includes Google services and the Play Store , something that the first versions of the Anbernic RG505M did not have, so here you have one of the advantages of the new model.
This system includes emulators for each of the consoles that the manufacturer lists in its compatibility list, so it comes ready for action, not to mention that we have the Play Store to install the emulator of our choice. The Moonlight app comes pre-installed and configured, so we can stream our PC games to the Anbernic RG405M console.
As an incentive, Anbernic installed its own Frontend or interface , which we can activate from the notification bar. This interface simplifies access to emulators in a console-like menu that includes quick access to our game library. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a shortcut to switch between the Xbox and Nintendo Switch button layouts.
It is worth noting that the console has 128GB of internal storage , so it does not lack space. Similarly, it has a Micro-SD card slot and accepts a maximum of 2TB, more than enough for our entire library of games.
Battery
Finally, the Anbernic RG405M is powered by a 4,500mAh battery that promises us up to 7 hours of use , but as always, that figure is subject to change depending on how much use we give it (3 hours sounds more realistic with heavy use). With that in mind, it takes 2 hours for this little console to recover 100% capacity and the charging method is USB-C.
PROS:
- Premium Design with Magnetic Joysticks
- Android 12 with Play Store
- Has button mapping function for android games
- Good performance and autonomy
CONS:
- PS2/GameCube emulation leaves something to be desired
- The position of the triggers R2 and L2
- 4:3 screen
