The main difference between the Odin 2 and the RG-556 is power.
The Odin 2 plays everything up to Switch well, while the RG-556 tops out at Wii.
Other differences
- The RG-556 launched at about $175 and the Odin 2 at about $299.
- The RG-556 has an AMOLED screen with true blacks; the Odin 2 uses an IPS panel.
- The Odin 2 carries an 8,000 mAh battery, the RG-556 5,500 mAh.
- The Odin 2 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the RG-556 on the UNISOC Tiger T820.
Which is better
Which fits in a pocket better?
RG-556The RG-556 (223 x 90 x 15-25 mm, 331 g). The Odin 2 is 225 x 98 x 17 mm, 420 g. Neither fits a jeans pocket; think jacket pocket or bag.
Which is better for PS2 games, the Odin 2 or the RG-556?
Odin 2The Odin 2. It scores 87 out of 100 for PS2 against 74.
Which costs less?
RG-556The RG-556, at about $175 at launch against $299. Prices today vary by store and the used market.
Which is better for GBA games?
TieBoth run GBA at full speed and fill about the same share of the screen with even pixels: 67% of the Odin 2's screen at 6x, 67% of the RG-556's screen at 6x.
Which has the bigger battery?
Odin 2The Odin 2, at 8,000 mAh against 5,500 mAh. That is capacity only: the chips differ, and the heavier the system you play, the faster either one drains.
Side by side
| Odin 2 | RG-556 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $299 | $175 |
| Released | Oct 2023 | Mar 2024 |
| Plays well up to | Switch | Wii |
| Shape | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Software | Android | Android |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | UNISOC Tiger T820 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Screen | 6.0 inch IPS 16:9 | 5.48 inch AMOLED 16:9 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Battery | 8,000 mAh | 5,500 mAh |
| Weight | 420 g | 331 g |
| Size | 225 x 98 x 17 mm | 223 x 90 x 15-25 mm |
| Analog sticks | Double, asymmetrical | Double, asymmetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes | Yes |
| L2 and R2 | Yes, stacked | Yes, stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Video out | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
Green marks the better value where one is clearly better. Prices are launch prices.
Emulation
- Odin 2RG-556
- Game Boy
- NES
- Genesis
- GBA
- SNES
- PS1
- DS
- N64
- Dreamcast
- PSP
- Saturn
- GameCube
- 3DS
- Wii
- PS2
- Switch
- Wii U
- PS3
100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues.
Full details
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More comparisons
Why this pair: buyers weigh these two against each other. 139 comments by 91 different people compare them in community discussions, and 14 post titles name both. Specs, emulation scores and launch prices from the retrocatalog.com handheld database.