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The RG-405M is a 4.0 inch 4:3 Android handheld that plays everything up to PSP well, made by Anbernic. It came out in March 2023 at $168. Inside is the UNISOC Tiger T618 with 4 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PSP, plus some PS2.
- You want a 4.0 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want 3DS games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
RG-405M videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PSP. Chip: UNISOC Tiger T618.
Scores out of 100. 100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues on this device. 80 or more plays well (green), 50 to 79 plays partly (yellow).
What owners say
“I bought a RG405M since I liked gamma so much and I love it.”
“I've got the RG405M, Android, running GammaOS, it's got bad audio lag over Bluetooth.”
“I love my rg405m and it does pretty well with most of the PS2 games I've tried with minor tweaking in the settings.”
What the specs mean
4:3 screen
NES to PS2 era home consoles were 4:3, so they fill it. GBA and PSP games show bars above and below.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
PS1 and N64 at exactly 2x
320 x 240 times 2 is the screen's own 640 x 480, so PS1 and N64 pixels stay perfectly even with no filter and no bars.
Based on: Display math: native resolution x whole-number scale = screen resolution
Same chip as 8 other handhelds
The UNISOC Tiger T618 also powers the Anbernic RG Rotate, Anbernic RG Vita, PowKiddy X28, Retroid Pocket 3 Plus and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
4 GB of memory rules out Switch
The Switch has 4 GB of memory of its own. An emulator has to hold all of it and Android on top, which does not fit here.
Based on: Hardware fact: the Switch has 4 GB of RAM
Digital triggers
The GameCube's triggers were pressure sensitive, and a few games use a light press, such as spraying while you walk in Super Mario Sunshine. Here the triggers are on or off.
Based on: Hardware fact: GameCube controller triggers are analog; this device is not listed with analog triggers
Shoulder buttons in a row
L1 and L2 sit side by side along the top edge instead of stacked. PS2 games that need L1 and L2 together mean sliding one finger between them.
Based on: Layout data (shoulder button layout)
DS on one screen
DS games show both screens shrunk side by side, or one big screen you swap. The touch screen stands in for the stylus.
Based on: Layout data: single screen with touch
Android 12
Besides emulators it runs Android games and game streaming apps, from your PC or the cloud.
Based on: Operating system data
Rating
How we score: what it plays 30%, how many players own and recommend it 20%, screen 15%, price compared with handhelds that play as much 10%, controls 10%, size and weight 10%, battery size for its chip 5%.
Good
- Plays everything up to PSP well
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Metal shell
Not so good
- No video out
Screen fit
Screen: 4.0 inch, IPS, 4:3, 640 x 480.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 3x (480 x 432) | 68% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 2x (480 x 320) | 50% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 2x (512 x 448) | 75% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 2x (640 x 448) | 93% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 2x (640 x 480) | 100% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 2x (512 x 384) | 64% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 1x (480 x 272) | 43% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Bold rows fill the screen with a perfect fit. Screen 640 x 480.
Size
162 x 73.6 x 15.8 mm, 265 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- RG-405M (162 x 73.6 mm)
- iPhone 15 (71.6 x 147.6 mm)
True scale, front view. Jeans pocket = front no bigger than an iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case (160 x 82 mm).
Specs
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Chip | UNISOC Tiger T618 |
| CPU | Cortex-A75 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MP2 |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 4.0" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 640 x 480 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 200 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Lower placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, asymetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 128 GB eMMC |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | No |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 162 x 73.6 x 15.8 mm |
| Weight | 265 g |
| Battery | 4500 mAh |
| Shell | Metal (Aluminum) |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 12 |
| Custom firmware | GammaOSNext, GarlicOS, GammaOS |
Questions
Can the RG-405M play PS2 games?
Some. PS2 scores 50 out of 100, so it depends on the game.
Is the RG-405M good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 2x it fills 50% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
4,500 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
No, it has no video out.
How much does the RG-405M cost?
It launched at about $168 in Mar 2023. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$168 at launch $120 to $250
The newest in its line in our database, out since Mar 2023.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.