The main difference between the RG-505 and the RG-556 is power.
The RG-556 plays everything up to Wii well, while the RG-505 tops out at PSP.
Other differences
- The RG-556 connects to a TV; the RG-505 cannot.
- The RG-505 runs on the UNISOC Tiger T618, the RG-556 on the UNISOC Tiger T820.
Which is better
Which fits in a pocket better?
TieAbout the same size: RG-505 189 x 87 x 18 mm, 286 g, RG-556 223 x 90 x 15-25 mm, 331 g. Neither fits a jeans pocket; think jacket pocket or bag.
Which is better for PS2 games, the RG-505 or the RG-556?
RG-556The RG-556. It scores 74 out of 100 for PS2 against 57.
Which costs less?
RG-505The RG-505, at about $148 at launch against $175. 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: 66% of the RG-505's screen at 3x, 67% of the RG-556's screen at 6x.
Which has the bigger battery?
TieAbout the same: 5,000 and 5,500 mAh.
Side by side
| RG-505 | RG-556 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $148 | $175 |
| Released | Nov 2022 | Mar 2024 |
| Plays well up to | PSP | Wii |
| Shape | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Software | Android | Android |
| Chip | UNISOC Tiger T618 | UNISOC Tiger T820 |
| Memory | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Screen | 4.95 inch OLED 16:9 | 5.48 inch AMOLED 16:9 |
| Resolution | 960 × 544 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,500 mAh |
| Weight | 286 g | 331 g |
| Size | 189 x 87 x 18 mm | 223 x 90 x 15-25 mm |
| Analog sticks | Double, symmetrical | Double, asymmetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes | Yes |
| L2 and R2 | Yes, side by side | Yes, stacked |
| Analog triggers | ? | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Video out | No | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
Green marks the better value where one is clearly better. Prices are launch prices.
Emulation
- RG-505RG-556
- Game Boy
- NES
- Genesis
- GBA
- SNES
- PS1
- DS
- N64
- Dreamcast
- PSP
- Saturn
- GameCube
- 3DS
- Wii
- PS2
- Switch
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. 60 comments by 32 different people compare them in community discussions, and 2 post titles name both. Specs, emulation scores and launch prices from the retrocatalog.com handheld database.