Anbernic RG557: Stellar PlayStation 2 and Wii U emulation performance shown in early video
It seems that Anbernic will be waiting until next week before revealing when it will start selling the RG557 and for how much. Based on recent rumours, the device is set to launch for around $205, which equates to a 17% and $30 surcharge over the RG556 that Anbernic released last year (curr. $229.99 on Amazon).
In the meantime, Anbernic has published a detailed unboxing video that runs to over 14 minutes long. Embedded below, the video highlights the default Android 14 software experience and a few customisation options. On top of that, Anbernic showcases the handheld's internals, including a look at its small active cooling solution.
Meanwhile, Retro Handhelds has posted a separate early impressions video of the RG557 in its two launch colours. According to the website, more quality control issues exist with the translucent variant than its white counterpart. In particular, the L2 and R2 shoulder buttons on the translucent variant have different tensions, which does not impact its white sibling.
It is worth stressing that these are both pre-production units. However, there have been instances in the past of early retail units suffering from the same quality control issues as those that reviewers review. At any rate, Retro Handhelds has observed no cardinal snapping with either joystick, nor do the fans need to run when emulating even complex 3D titles. To that end, it seems that the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 and 12 GB of RAM allow the RG557 to handle Wii U games with ease. Likewise, Retro Handhelds reports that its units can emulate PlayStation 2 games like God of War II at 3.5x native resolution with no slowdowns to speak of. Please see the video below for more details.
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