Anbernic RG Vita and RG Vita Pro: pricing and availability details released

After weeks of waiting, Anbernic has finally announced pricing and availability details of its two new handhelds, the RG Vita and the RG Vita Pro. As is the norm with most manufacturers of retro handhelds, there is an early bird discount, and a higher price tag once the pre-order period ends.

Anbernic's RG Vita and RG Vita Pro will be available to pre-order starting on March 23 according to Retro Handhelds. The RG Vita will cost $99.99, and buyers will be able to purchase it at this price for the first 72 hours. Once that period ends, the price of the RG Vita will go up to $139.99.

On the other hand, the RG Vita Pro will cost $109.99 during the early bird period. However, just like the non-pro model, it won't remain at that price for long, as it has been reported that its final retail price is $149.99. No details have been provided about when the two devices will begin shipping to those who pre-order.

The Anbernic RG Vita has a 5.46-inch HD display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Unisoc T618, and has 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There's a microSD card slot for adding more storage. The handheld, which will be available in Black and Gray, will have a 5,000mAh battery, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and a headphone jack. It will ship with Android 12 out of the box.

The RG Vita Pro will also have a 5.46-inch 60Hz display, but with a sharper 1920 x 1080 resolution (FHD). Under its hood is a Rockchip RK3576 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. It also has a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W wired charging, and it features Wi-Fi 8 and Bluetooth 5.2.

The RG Vita Pro will dual-boot Android 14 and a 64-bit Linux OS, and users will be able to choose which default operating system the device boots into. Unlike the standard version, it will have an HDMI port, two microSD card slots, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort support. It will be available in Black and White color options.

Anbernic previously revealed that the two handhelds will come with an AI assistant that provides one-click guides, real-time translations, and text-to-image generation. They will be able to emulate games from several retro devices up to the PS2. However, the pro model will offer better performance, especially when emulating PS Vita games.

Considering there's only a $10 difference between the two devices, the RG Vita Pro is a no-brainer. Although, at that price, it will be facing very stiff competition from handhelds such as the Mangmi Air X (available on Amazon for $159.99).