We Tried AliExpress Retro Handhelds: M25, ANBERNIC RG556, and More!

Hey everyone! ETA Prime is back, and this time we’re testing some vintage portable gaming consoles from AliExpress. AliExpress was gracious enough to provide us with a range of products to evaluate. AliExpress is well-known for its Mini PCs, electronics, home goods, and other products, but they also have some fantastic portable vintage games. They now have a back-to-school sale with up to 80% off, and we have coupon codes ETA9 (which will save you $9 off orders over $30) and ETA2 (which will save you $25 off purchases over $100). Let’s dive right into the handhelds now! 

M25 Handheld – PlayStation Portal Look-Alike

First up is the M25, a portable that draws attention right away thanks to its design that is reminiscent of the PlayStation Portal. The arrangement strongly resembles the DualSense controller found on the PS5, and despite its unusual appearance, the design is actually incredibly cozy. Offering classic gameplay in a comfortable and recognizable shape, this handheld’s features include a rear-firing speaker, dual analog sticks, and a 4.3-inch display. 

Operating on EmuELEC, an open-source Linux-based platform intended for retro gaming, the M25 can run a variety of vintage consoles, such as the Dreamcast, PlayStation 1, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy Advance. This handheld does have certain restrictions, though. It can run PlayStation 1 and Game Boy Advance games smoothly, but it may not run as fast as it could with more demanding emulators like PSP, Dreamcast, and N64, and you can see graphical or audio glitches. 

The M25 has a quad-core CPU and all the standard features you’d expect, like a micro SD card slot for more storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C for charging, and even a mini HDMI connector for connecting to an external monitor. This allows it considerable adaptability for gaming on larger screens, even though the portable is mostly meant to be used when traveling. 

Performance Review of the M25

Sonic Advance 2 on the Game Boy Advance emulator performed flawlessly during testing. Lower-end systems are a good fit for the M25, and games from the PlayStation 1 library, such Crash Bandicoot, functioned well and provided a nostalgic experience with contemporary controls. Dreamcast emulation, however, displayed considerable strain. When Crazy Taxi 2 was tested, it functioned rather well overall but had some audio problems that detracted from the experience. It’s evident that the M25 excels at 8- and 16-bit classics, but it might have trouble with 3D systems that are more demanding. 

ANBERNIC RG28XX – A Pocket-Sized Powerhouse

The ANBERNIC RG28XX, a little but powerful retro handheld that has been making ripples in the gaming industry, is next on the list. This small smartphone packs a performance and mobility punch above its weight despite its 2.8-inch display. It is the perfect option for anyone who wants to play games on the go without dragging around a heavy gadget because it is made to be a portable, retro gaming solution that fits neatly in your pocket. 

The Allwinner H700 chipset, which powers the RG28XX, is fairly powerful for a device this tiny. Numerous classic games, such as those for the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and PlayStation 1, can be played on it. However, there are certain trade-offs with this technology. Reaching for the shoulder buttons might be problematic due to their small size, particularly in fast-paced games. That being said, this isn’t a huge problem for the kinds of games you’re probably going to play on this portable, like Mario or Sonic.

Performance Review of the RG28XX

Despite its compact size, the RG28XX offers excellent performance. It performed flawlessly on PlayStation 1 games like Tekken 3 and Game Boy Advance titles like Metroid Fusion. The tiny screen and condensed button layout of the gadget make extended gaming sessions a little uncomfortable, but it is also a huge portable asset. It works well, though, as a portable backup gaming device for short gaming sessions.

ANBERNIC RG556 – A Larger Alternative

The Anbernic RG556, the last gadget, is by far the strongest of the group. This handheld is a powerhouse for retro and Android gaming, powered by the Unisoc T820, an octa-core chip with 4x Cortex-A76 cores (up to 2.7GHz) and 4x Cortex-A55 cores. It has 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage and 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which together make it both quick and able to run contemporary games and apps.

The RG556’s remarkable 5.48-inch 1080p AMOLED display, which runs at 60Hz and provides rich colors and crisp visuals, is its most notable feature. We have linear triggers with RGB lighting surrounding the analog sticks, and the Hall-based analog sticks are the same size as those on the Nintendo Switch.

Performance & Features

The RG556 comes pre-installed with Android 13, and over-the-air (OTA) updates are available. The Unisoc T820 chipset makes the operating system snappy, and 8GB of RAM is more than sufficient for gaming and multitasking. Having twin stereo speakers, built-in 5GHz Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0 further improves the experience, making this a great device for retro and Android gaming.

Gaming-wise, Genshin Impact performs admirably at medium settings, though you might need to activate the onscreen key mapper for titles that don’t support native controllers. Minecraft Pocket Edition works brilliantly at medium settings with 30FPS. The majority of games ran well at 4x resolution thanks to excellent PSP emulation; however, the God of War series has to be scaled back to 3x resolution for consistent performance. 

Final Thoughts

Every handheld has something special to offer. For those who love the PlayStation design and desire a cozy, vintage gaming experience, the M25 is ideal. For vintage fans who require a backup device they can take with them wherever, the RG28XX is an excellent choice because of its extreme portability. Lastly, the RG556 sticks out as a strong, feature-rich gadget that can easily handle both contemporary and classic Android games.

Depending on your requirements, any of these retro handhelds can be a viable choice for you. Remember that AliExpress is having a back-to-school sale with discounts of up to 80% off with promo codes like ETA9, which will take $9 off your $30 buy, and ETA2, which will take $25 off your $100 purchase.

I appreciate you reading, and have fun playing!

AliExpress Retro Handhelds: M25, ANBERNIC RG556, and More