The RG351M arrived on my doorstop today. Let’s see how it compares to my beloved RG351P.
Continue reading “RG351M — Worth the Upgrade?”RG351M — Worth the Upgrade?
Tag: rg350m
Guide: RetroArch on RG350 and RG280 devices
Last updated: 06JUL2021 (see Changelog for details)
At long last, we have an official RetroArch build for OpenDingux devices, which includes the Anbernic RG350 and RG280 series of devices.
This app is a long time coming; an experimental port of RetroArch was released in January 2020, and then picked up again by RetroArch developer jdgleaver a few months ago. You may recognize that name, because this is the same developer who has recently given the OpenDingux community new versions of ReGBA (Game Boy Advance) and PCSX4All (PlayStation 1) emulators for the RG350 devices. These two emulators by far are my favorites on the RG350/RG280, so I was excited to see what the RetroArch team came up with, and I have to say that this version of RetroArch runs super clean and efficiently.
In addition to the Anbernic devices (RG350, RG350M, RG350P, RG280M, and RG280V), this RetroArch build should work on other OpenDingux devices, like the GCW Zero and the Bittboy PocketGo v2. Note that this version of RetroArch works on both STOCK and BETA OpenDingux firmwares, and performance is greatly enhanced on the BETA firmware.
So let’s dig into this guide, and show you how to rock RetroArch on your device.
Continue reading “Guide: RetroArch on RG350 and RG280 devices”OpenDingux Beta Firmware for RG350 and RG280 Devices
Last updated: 08JUL2021 (see Changelog for details)
The RG350 and RG280 devices run on a Linux-based firmware called OpenDingux. This operating system was originally intended for the GCW-0 retro handheld device, which was part of a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2013. And while this old firmware presents some advantages (like 7+ years of app development history), its kernel has become outdated over time. Luckily, developer zcrc has been working on getting the current upstream Linux onto these devices, and for about a month now there have been nightly builds of a public beta for this new firmware, which is simply called “OpenDingux” (I’ll refer to it as “OD beta” throughout this guide). To read more about its development, check out this update from this past summer.
Long story short, I’ve been following this beta release for a couple months now, and I think it’s time to say that you should consider flashing this firmware onto your device. I first touched on this beta in my Super Mario 64 guide, but at the time I didn’t see any real benefit to loading it other than to play SM64 on a device that shouldn’t really be able to play this game so dang well. But since then, the OD beta has been getting better and better, including added support for the RG280 devices.
So in this guide I’ll show you how to install the OD beta firmware, and also provide a list (with links!) to all the OPKs/apps that run on it. This guide applies to the RG350, RG350P, RG350M, RG300X, RG280M, and RG280V devices.
Continue reading “OpenDingux Beta Firmware for RG350 and RG280 Devices”Deep Dive Comparison: RG350M vs RG351P vs Retroid Pocket 2
I often get asked which system is best to buy right now: the RG350M ($120), RG351P ($95), or the Retroid Pocket 2 ($85 + shipping). The video below will break down all of the aspects I find most important when considering one of these devices: hardware, supported systems, user interface, screen, and performance.
Continue reading “Deep Dive Comparison: RG350M vs RG351P vs Retroid Pocket 2”Refreshing a used RG350 device
I recently had an opportunity to take somebody’s RG350 and give it an internal makeover. Someone on the RG350 subreddit had asked for help in getting their device up and running again after several months of trial and error. So I took the project onboard and also filmed the entire process so you could see all the tricks I used to get everything back into tip-top shape.
Continue reading “Refreshing a used RG350 device”Super Mario 64 port for RG350 devices
Last updated: 15NOV2020 (see Changelog for details)
If you’ve followed any of my previous video guides, you know that Nintendo 64 games don’t run well on the RG350 devices. Very few games even run at a speed that is considered “playable”, and even then, there are some major compromises in graphics and audio.
So that’s why I’m so excited to show off how to install a fully-functional beta port of Super Mario 64, and it works really well with all of the RG350 devices (plus the RG280 devices, too!). It’s not a super simple process (for example, you have to use the new beta OpenDingux firmware), but it’s a neat little project to unlock a feature most people never thought would be possible on these devices.
Continue reading “Super Mario 64 port for RG350 devices”Back up save files on RG350 devices
Last updated: 02DEC2020 (see Changelog for details)
If you want to back up your save files on the RG350, RG350M, or RG350P, it usually involves finding each emulator’s default save location, which follows no standard hierarchy. Luckily, somebody recognized this inconsistency and built an app that allows you to back up save files to your external SD card, and then also restore these save files back to your internal card.
The app is called SaveSync, and it works really well for both save files and save states.
Continue reading “Back up save files on RG350 devices”Guide: EmulationStation on RG350 devices
Last updated: 12OCT2020 (see Changelog for details)
EmulationStation is a graphical and themeable emulator frontend that is designed specifically for devices that don’t have keyboards (like home theater PCs and Raspberry Pi devices). Luckily, it also works on handheld devices, and someone has kindly ported a copy over for the RG350 devices.
There are several frontends (user interfaces) available for the RG350. I’ve already created guides for SimpleMenu and 350teric (“Esoteric”), and I’ll work on more as time permits.
Continue reading “Guide: EmulationStation on RG350 devices”Deep Dive Comparison: Retroid Pocket 2 vs RG350M
27SEP2020
I often get asked which one is a better purchase right now: the Retroid Pocket 2, or the Anbernic RG350M? Here is a deep-dive video where I try to cover every aspect of these devices to help you make the right decision. I cover hardware, button travel, weight, software, screen quality, game performance, and quality of life features.
Continue reading “Deep Dive Comparison: Retroid Pocket 2 vs RG350M”Guide: 350teric (Esoteric) frontend on the RG350
Last updated: 26SEP2020 (see Changelog for details)
There are several frontends (user interfaces) available for the RG350. I’ve already created a guide for SimpleMenu, and I have a couple more I’m working on right now. But today I want to show off 350teric (“Esoteric”), a frontend that largely works like the default GMenu2X interface, but with much more customization.
Continue reading “Guide: 350teric (Esoteric) frontend on the RG350”
Retro Game Corps 