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The RG-406V is a 4.0 inch 4:3 Android handheld that plays everything up to Wii well, made by Anbernic. It came out in September 2024 at $155. Inside is the UNISOC Tiger T820 with 8 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Wii, plus some PS2.
- You want a 4.0 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want PS2 games: it scores 78 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
RG-406V videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Wii. Chip: UNISOC Tiger T820.
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 love my RG406v, yep some ps2 games needs tweaking but most of library works really good”
“While the screen of my RG406V is good - much better than my other Anbernics - it is still not perfect.”
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 3x
320 x 240 times 3 is the screen's own 960 x 720, 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 5 other handhelds
The UNISOC Tiger T820 also powers the Anbernic RG-476H, RG Cube, RG Slide, RG-406H and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
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)
D-pad on top, sticks below
The d-pad has the natural thumb spot, which suits 2D games. In 3D games your thumb lives on the lower stick.
Based on: Layout data (d-pad placement)
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 13
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 Wii well
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
- Big 5,500 mAh battery
Not so good
- Nothing stands out.
Screen fit
Screen: 4.0 inch, IPS, 4:3, 960 x 720.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 5x (800 x 720) | 83% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 4x (960 x 640) | 89% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 3x (768 x 672) | 75% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 3x (960 x 672) | 93% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 3x (960 x 720) | 100% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 3x (768 x 576) | 64% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 2x (960 x 544) | 76% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Bold rows fill the screen with a perfect fit. Screen 960 x 720.
Size
105 x 145 x 29 mm, 289 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- RG-406V (105 x 145 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 T820 |
| CPU | Cortex-A76 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 2.1 GHz - 2.7 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G57 MP4 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 4.0" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 960 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 300 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 128 GB UFS 2.2 |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Vertical |
| Dimensions | 105 x 145 x 29 mm |
| Weight | 289 g |
| Battery | 5500 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 13 |
| Custom firmware | GammaOSNext |
Questions
Can the RG-406V play PS2 games?
Some. PS2 scores 78 out of 100, so it depends on the game.
Is the RG-406V good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 4x it fills 89% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
5,500 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the RG-406V cost?
It launched at about $155 in Sep 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$155 at launch $120 to $250
The newest in its line in our database, out since Sep 2024.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.