Anbernic Reveals the RG 557: A Beefier Android Handheld Aiming High
More Pixels, More Power: Anbernic Targets High-End Emulation.
Well, after keeping us waiting for the first few months of 2025 – a veritable eternity in Anbernic’s typically frantic release schedule – the retro handheld specialists have finally pulled back the curtain on their latest offering: the RG 557. Following hot on the heels (well, a year later) of the well-regarded RG 556, this new model aims to muscle its way into the higher tier of portable emulation.
Anbernic officially debuted the device on 8th April 2025 via a YouTube video, showcasing its capabilities and confirming a few key details. Gone are the earlier, slightly speculative reports of a Snapdragon chip; the RG 557 instead packs a Rockchip RK3588S processor. This octa-core chip (featuring four Cortex-A76 and four Cortex-A55 cores) represents a significant step up from the Unisoc T820 found in its predecessor, promising more grunt for tackling demanding systems. This is paired with a healthy 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM.
Visually, the RG 557 retains a similar footprint to the RG 556 but boasts a redesigned, more ergonomic casing, available initially in translucent purple and matte white. The star of the show remains the screen: a vibrant 5.48-inch AMOLED display with a crisp 1920x1080 resolution.[2] Anbernic highlights its suitability not just for retro titles but also for streaming AAA games and handling PC game emulation, suggesting ambitions beyond the usual SNES and Mega Drive fare.
The promotional video certainly makes a good case, showing off some impressive upscaling on PSP titles and even hinting at Wii U emulation (though perhaps wisely obscured to avoid attracting Nintendo’s notoriously itchy legal trigger finger). Performance for PS2 emulation, a common benchmark for these more powerful handhelds, is also touted, although real-world mileage may vary depending on the specific game. The widescreen format naturally lends itself better to more modern console emulation (like the PSP) than it does to faithfully rendering classics originally designed for 4:3 displays, positioning the RG 557 more towards the enthusiast end of the market.
Concerns linger, however, particularly around Anbernic's front-end software. While the company promotes its 'user-friendly RG front end', many reviewers have historically found Anbernic's stock interface somewhat clunky compared to custom options. Whether the Android 13 base operating system brings improvements remains to be seen. Storage options are expected to include 128GB and potentially 256GB UFS 2.2 configurations, expandable via microSD card. The battery gets a slight bump to 5500mAh, hopefully providing decent playtime for that power-hungry chip and bright OLED screen.
While official UK pricing hasn't been explicitly stated by Anbernic, devices are appearing on platforms like AliExpress and eBay's Anbernic Official Store, suggesting a price point hovering around the £160-£180 / €190-€210 / $200 - $225 mark depending on storage, putting it in direct competition with devices like the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, though offering a larger OLED display.
The Anbernic RG 557 certainly looks like a capable machine on paper, offering a desirable screen and significantly more processing power than previous Anbernic flagships. Whether the Rockchip RK3588S delivers consistently smooth performance across the board, especially for trickier systems like PS2 and Wii U, and whether the software experience matches the hardware potential, will be key factors as the device lands in users' hands.
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