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Anbernic Unveils RG 557 – Next Gen AAA, PS2, Wii capable Handheld Gaming Device for Australian Market
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – April 9, 2025 – Anbernic has officially revealed its highly anticipated Android-powered gaming handheld, the Anbernic RG557, set to launch in Australia shortly. The announcement, accompanied by a comprehensive YouTube showcase, confirms several exciting features that position this device as a significant upgrade for retro gaming handheld enthusiasts across Australia.
Premium Display and Design
The RG557 maintains the popular form factor of its predecessor while introducing premium upgrades. Most notably, the device features a stunning 5.48-inch AMOLED display with 1920×1080 resolution in a 16:9 aspect ratio, delivering vibrant colours and sharp visuals ideal for both modern Android titles and classic emulation.
The images below, taken from the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, show that the RG 557 is a finished product with the same look and feel as the RG 556
The handheld measures 22 x 9 x 1.5 cm and features a matte plastic finish that provides improved ergonomics and comfort during extended gaming sessions. This refined design represents a notable improvement over the Anbernic RG556, addressing feedback from the Australian gaming community about comfort during longer play sessions.
Australian consumers will have two striking colour options to choose from at launch: a translucent purple that showcases the device’s internal components, and an elegant matte white. Both variants feature eye-catching RGB-illuminated joysticks with integrated six-axis gyroscope support for motion controls.
The ergonomic design includes stacked shoulder buttons for improved gameplay functionality and stereo speaker grills positioned on the rear of the device for immersive audio.
Anbernic RG557 Performance Capabilities and Specifications
There has been a lot of talk including above image making its way around the web that the Anbernic RG 557 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon G2/G3 Gen 1 chipset which would step up Anbernic’s offering outpowering AYN, however that’s not to be the case and as confirmed at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair the processor of choice is the MediaTek Dimensity 8300. This represents a big upgrade from the Unisoc Tiger T820 chip used in the previous RG556 model. The upgraded processor and WiFi 6E would enable the device to run modern AAA games and streaming with decent performance while maintaining exceptional compatibility with retro titles up to the PS2, Wii, and Gamecube level. The 256GB of onboard storage will also help store a good amount of titles before resorting to a microSD card.
Performance Showdown: Anbernic RG557 vs Retroid Pocket 5
The Anbernic RG557 with its MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor, and the Retroid Pocket 5, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+. Benchmark testing reveals a substantial performance gap between these chips and handheld consoles.
The RG557’s Dimensity 8300 achieves an impressive score of 60 in both single and multi-core tests, handily outperforming the Retroid Pocket 5’s Snapdragon 855+, which scores 36. This represents a 67% performance advantage for the Anbernic device in raw processing power.
The performance delta widens further when examining GPU benchmarks. While the Snapdragon 855+ in the RP5 posts a respectable score of 26 in OpenCL/Vulkan tests, the Dimensity 8300 in the RG557 effectively doubles this performance. This significant graphics advantage translates directly to smoother gameplay across more demanding emulation scenarios.
For gamers seeking the most powerful handheld emulation experience, the benchmarks speak volumes: the Anbernic RG557 offers approximately twice the gaming performance of the Retroid Pocket 5, making it the clear choice for enthusiasts looking to run more demanding systems and titles with optimal performance.
RG557 Gaming Review and Expectations
The RG557 comes equipped with an upgraded 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, providing smooth multitasking and game performance. Battery life is complemented by 5V/9V-27W fast charge support, ensuring substantially faster charge times in line with existing Anbernic’s, resulting in minimal downtime between gaming sessions.
Reviewing released gaming videos, Anbernic’s RG557 handheld demonstrates exceptional emulation performance, upscaling at around 4x titles like:
- Shadow of the Colossus (PlayStation 2)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Wii U)
- Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PlayStation 2)
- Borderlands 2 (PlayStation Vita)
- God of War (PSP) at an impressive 8x resolution
Modern Android gaming is equally impressive, with graphically intensive titles such as Honkai: Star Rail and Naraka: Bladepoint running at high settings with stable frame rates.
The RG557 features a touch-enabled display and utilises Anbernic’s familiar RG front-end interface, which has been refined through previous Android-based devices from the company. This ensures Australian users enjoy an intuitive experience right out of the box with the option of using dedicated applications as desired.
Market Position
The release of the RG557 positions Anbernic as a formidable competitor in Australia’s growing handheld gaming market, particularly against devices like the Retroid Pocket 5. Industry analysts note that the RG557’s balance of competitive pricing, refined design, and overall performance will likely make it stand out in this highly competitive segment.
Australian Anbernic enthusiasts, particularly those with higher performance requirements, have expressed significant anticipation for the RG557. The Dimensity 8300 chipset sounds impressive with the gaming community excited for a device capable of handling more demanding modern titles while maintaining the backward compatibility that retro-gaming fans require.
There has been a lot of excitement around emulating PS2 on a handheld device, and finally, retro gaming enthusiasts can do exactly that and more at an achievable price point. This capability represents a significant milestone for the portable emulation community in Australia, which have long sought affordable access to PlayStation 2 titles in a handheld format.
Anbernic RG557 Release Date & Price
Anbernic has indicated that the RG557 will be released at the end of April 2025. While many factors can impact pricing, including tariffs and volatile exchange rates, Australian pricing is expected to be slightly higher than the RG556 positioning this new console competitively in the handheld market. Pre-orders are expected to open soon through Electro Arcade and Anbernic’s official website.
Retro gaming reviews anticipate strong demand in the Australian retro gaming community, where previous Anbernic models have developed a dedicated following for their balance of performance, build quality, and value.
