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The RG Cube XX is a 3.95 inch 1:1 Linux handheld that plays everything up to Dreamcast well, made by Anbernic. It came out in October 2024 at $60. Inside is the Allwinner H700 with 1 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Dreamcast, plus some PSP.
- You want a 3.95 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want PSP games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You want a handheld for a jeans pocket.
RG Cube XX videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Dreamcast. Chip: Allwinner H700.
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
“MuOS works perfectly on my rgcubexx so I'd recommend that for sure.”
“I have an Anbernic RG CubeXX for shmups which is a brilliant device in all respects other than a weak CPU.”
“I use an rg cubexx, it's 1:1, very big screen, comfy. To me it's like a boutique version of a pico 8 handheld just because of the quality, comfort grips, large comfy controls, and right analog stick for games that use mouse.”
What the specs mean
1:1 screen
Game Boy and Game Boy Color are 10:9, almost square, so they fill most of it. Everything else shows wide bars.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: Game Boy
At 4x, Game Boy fills 71% 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 11 other handhelds
The Allwinner H700 also powers the Anbernic RG SP, RG-28XX, RG-34XX, RG-34XXSP and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
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 without touch
There is no touch screen, so DS games that need the stylus use a pointer moved by a stick.
Based on: Layout data: no touch screen
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 Dreamcast well
- Video out to a TV
- Low price
Not so good
- Not built for PS2 games
Screen fit
Screen: 3.95 inch, IPS, 1:1, 720 x 720.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 4x (640 x 576) | 71% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 3x (720 x 480) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 2x (512 x 448) | 44% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 2x (640 x 448) | 55% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 2x (640 x 480) | 59% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 2x (512 x 384) | 38% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 1x (480 x 272) | 25% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 720 x 720.
Size
157.2 x 89.6 x 17.9 mm, 246 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- RG Cube XX (157.2 x 89.6 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 | Allwinner H700 |
| CPU | Cortex-A53 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.5 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G31 MP2 |
| RAM | 1 GB LPDDR4 |
| Cooling | No |
| Screen | |
| Size | 3.95" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 720 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 257 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Disc, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | Dual External MicroSD |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (4.2) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 157.2 x 89.6 x 17.9 mm |
| Weight | 246 g |
| Battery | 3800 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Custom firmware | SpruceOS, ROCKNIX, MinUI, muOS, KNULLI |
| PortMaster | Yes |
Questions
Can the RG Cube XX play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to Dreamcast well.
Can it play GameCube games?
Partly. GameCube scores 10 out of 100.
Is the RG Cube XX good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 3x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
3,800 mAh. The middle Linux and other handheld in our database has 3,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the RG Cube XX cost?
It launched at about $60 in Oct 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$60 at launch $60 to $120
The newest in its line in our database, out since Oct 2024.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.