ANBERNIC RG 477V The RG 477V is the culmination of years of iterative improvements from ANBERNIC, bringing the best elements of past devices into a vertical form-factor that's finally powerful enough to play my childhood favorites.
Despite the original Game Boy being my introduction to handheld gaming, I have never been convinced by modern vertical handhelds. Sure, I enjoyed revisiting older games on the Retroid Pocket Classic, but anything with sticks felt far too compromised an experience.
So when the RG 477V arrived on my desk for review, I was skeptical. It’s a beautiful device with a shockingly large screen, but can this really work for modern games? Sticks on a vertical don’t just look goofy, they’re also downright uncomfortable on every handheld I’d used until that point.
After a few weeks of testing, this device defied all of my expectations. Not only is it a comfortable way to play retro games, but it’s also now one of the best ways to play my favorite systems of all time: PS2 and GameCube.
The Game Boy grew up
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
One of the main reasons why the RG 477V won me over is the screen. The 4.7-inch panel runs almost from edge to edge on the device, with minimal bezels. This helps keep the device’s overall footprint from ballooning to absurd proportions (granted, it’s still huge), while still providing a very immersive experience.
It’s actually the same panel used on ANBERNIC’s other recent devices, and the 120Hz LCD is still a winner. The 4:3 aspect ratio is perfect for retro games, and the high refresh rate means you can take advantage of black frame insertion for smoother visuals.
The RG 477V inherits the best parts of ANBERNIC's previous handhelds.
In fact, just about every element of the RG 477V is inherited from other ANBERNIC devices, and it’s truly a case of survival of the fittest. It has the same Dimensity 8300 chipset as the RG 477M, the same screen first used in the RG Slide, the same sticks as many previous handhelds, and the same (somewhat divisive) all-glass front of the RG 476H. For what it’s worth, I didn’t find the RG 477V to be any more of a fingerprint magnet than other all-glass handhelds, but if you’re sensitive to it or have nasty cheeto fingers, get the gray model.
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