Some links on this page are affiliate links.
The RG-557 is a 5.48 inch 16:9 Android handheld that plays everything up to PS2 well, made by Anbernic. It came out in April 2025 at $249. Inside is the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 with 8 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PS2, plus some Switch.
- You want a 5.48 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want Switch games: it scores 67 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
RG-557 videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PS2. Chip: MediaTek Dimensity 8300.
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 the specs mean
16:9 screen
PSP and Switch games fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides, and Game Boy games look small.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: GBA
At 6x, GBA fills 67% of the screen with even pixels. Filling the rest means stretching, which some people smooth with a filter.
Based on: Display math: largest whole-number scale that fits the screen
Same chip as 2 other handhelds
The MediaTek Dimensity 8300 also powers the RG-477M, RG-477V. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
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 14
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 PS2 well
- AMOLED screen with deep blacks
- 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: 5.48 inch, AMOLED, 16:9, 1920 x 1080.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 7x (1120 x 1008) | 54% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 6x (1440 x 960) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 4x (1024 x 896) | 44% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 4x (1280 x 896) | 55% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 4x (1280 x 960) | 59% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 5x (1280 x 960) | 59% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 3x (1440 x 816) | 57% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1920 x 1080.
Size
223 x 89 x 15-25 mm, 347 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- RG-557 (223 x 89 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 | MediaTek Dimensity 8300 |
| CPU | Cortex-A715 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 2.2 GHz - 3.35 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G615 MC6 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 5.48" |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 401 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| 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 | Stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (6e) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.3) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 223 x 89 x 15-25 mm |
| Weight | 347 g |
| Battery | 5500 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 14 |
| Custom firmware | GammaOSNext |
Questions
Can the RG-557 play PS2 games?
Yes. PS2 scores 90 out of 100 on our emulation scale.
Can it play GameCube games?
Yes, GameCube scores 100 out of 100.
Is the RG-557 good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 6x it fills 67% 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-557 cost?
It launched at about $249 in Apr 2025. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$249 at launch $120 to $250
The newest in its line in our database, out since Apr 2025.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.