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The RG NANO is a 1.54 inch 1:1 Linux handheld that plays everything up to PS1 well, made by Anbernic. It came out in June 2023 at $60. Inside is the Allwinner V3s with 64 MB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to PS1.
- You want it in a jeans pocket: the front is 43 x 71 mm.
Skip it if
- You want N64 games: it does not run them.
- You want Wi-Fi for updates and cloud saves.
RG NANO videos
What it plays
Plays up to: PS1. Chip: Allwinner V3s.
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 RG Nano but I stopped playing anything but GBC on it.”
“I've had the RG Nano for a few days now and it's definitely not perfect for PSX.”
“My RGNano has been through the washer and dryer. It was fully powered off when it happened to me. I disassembled it and let it dry for a couple days in case the dryer didn't get everything. It still works beautifully, zero issues.”
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: GBA
At 1x, 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 1 other handheld
The Allwinner V3s also powers the FunKey S. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
Small battery for its class
Only 10 of 117 Linux and other handhelds in our database have a smaller battery than this 1,050 mAh (the middle one has 3,000 mAh). The heavier the system you run, the sooner it runs out.
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 117 Linux and other handhelds
Only one pair of shoulder buttons
PS1 games that use L2 and R2 need those moved to other buttons.
Based on: Layout data; the PS1 controller has four shoulder buttons
No analog sticks
N64 games and later PS1 games were made for a stick. Here they run on the d-pad, which works for some and ruins others.
Based on: Layout data; N64 and PS1 DualShock games use analog control
No headphone jack
Audio goes over Bluetooth or the speakers. Bluetooth adds a delay you can notice in rhythm games.
Based on: Layout data; Bluetooth audio latency is a known limit of the standard
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 PS1 well
- Metal shell
- Low price
Not so good
- No analog sticks
- N64 games can struggle
- No Wi-Fi
- No video out
Screen fit
Screen: 1.54 inch, IPS, 1:1, 240 x 240.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 1x (160 x 144) | 40% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 1x (240 x 160) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | Below 1x | 0% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | Below 1x | 0% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | Below 1x | 0% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 240 x 240.
Size
43 x 71 x 17 mm, 75 g. Fits a jeans pocket
- RG NANO (43 x 71 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 V3s |
| CPU | Cortex-A7 |
| Cores | 1 |
| Clock speed | 1.2 GHz |
| RAM | 64 MB DDR2 |
| Cooling | No |
| Screen | |
| Size | 1.54" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 240 x 240 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 220 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | No |
| Stick layout | No Thumbsticks |
| Shoulder buttons | No L2/R2 |
| Rumble | No |
| Gyroscope | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | External MicroSD |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | No |
| Headphone jack | No |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Vertical |
| Dimensions | 43 x 71 x 17 mm |
| Weight | 75 g |
| Battery | 1050 mAh |
| Shell | Metal (Aluminum) |
| Speakers | Bottom |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Custom firmware | FunKey-OS |
Questions
Can the RG NANO play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to PS1 well.
Is the RG NANO good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 1x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
No. Use Bluetooth headphones or the speakers.
How big is the battery?
1,050 mAh. The middle Linux and other handheld in our database has 3,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
No, it has no video out.
How much does the RG NANO cost?
It launched at about $60 in Jun 2023. 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 Jun 2023.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.