After watching a few videos by Retro Game Corps, it looks like the RG DS has acceptable, perhaps good, performance with Rocknix, which is pretty cool! Similar experiences can be found when looking at other reviews online. I run Linux on the desktop, and I have successfully installed postmarketOS on a OnePlus 6 (not as a daily driver, but as a secondary device for music and games!), so I am comfortable with installing alternative operating systems.
I am looking at the RG DS since it looks to be a good dual-screen option, I would rather get a handheld that can do something my smartphone cannot.
I have a few other questions about the RG DS before I go ahead and purchase one though:
What kind of systems is the RG DS able to run with Rocknix? It looks like most DS games will work while 3DS games won’t fare all too well, but what about PSX, N64, and perhaps higher end systems like PS2 and GC?Is there any reason to dual boot the stock OS with Rocknix on an SD card, or is it better to simply install it on the internal storage (for faster data speeds)?And most importantly, which colour should I get? I personally like more colourful options, so I’m between the red/black dualtone and bluish colour. Is the blue closer to a teal, or is it a strong blue? I would prefer the former, since teal is objectively the best shade of blue, along with violet (normal blue is the worst colour of the six). How fingerprinty are both colour options? etc.
And yes, the Ayn Thor is the superior device, but it is far too expensive and I will not utilise its full power, so it’s not for me.
I am fine with the lack of RetroAchievement support on the RG DS w/ Drastic.
edit: Looks like it will be able to emulate PSX and under, and there is not a great performance loss when using the microSD card. Still a bit curious as to why you would keep the stock OS, maybe for warranty reasons?
My only question now is which colour to pick! Is the blue closer to a teal, or is it very blue? And how fingerprinty is it compared to the red/black dualtone colourway? The white is cool too, but I want some colour!
edit 2: I will be going with the turquoise colour, since everybody says it leans more towards the greener side and is closer to teal. Plus, it will be less fingerprinty than the red/black, which is nice.
Several people have already mentioned that the RG DS, with an alternate OS, is able to emulate DS and under, PSX, and some PSP, N64, and Dreamcast, but the hardware cannot emulate PS2 and GameCube well. That’s good to know!
Thanks everyone!
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I’ve had mine for about 6 weeks and use rocknix. I have been able to play several PS1 games with no issue, All DS and under play great. Only have some issues with audio on some n64 games and many dream cast games are just too much for the chipset to handle. Retroachievements on DS games didn’t matter to me since i never played the DS growing up. But having the retro achievements on all the older consoles is great.
I have the teal matte version and love the color, it looks even better in person, but more green than blue as mentioned. The battery life is rough at only about 3-4 hours, and it does take that same amount of time to charge, so i’m thinking about getting another single screen retro handheld with a better battery life like the trimui brick pro that just got released.
The RG DS also fits perfectly in a 7x9" lipo battery pouch, so i charge my unit in the bag so i don’t burn my house down. Well worth the price for $122 including the li po bag on eBay and the Anbernic Carrying case from aliexpress.
I have been able to play several PS1 games with no issue, All DS and under play great. Only have some issues with audio on some n64 games and many dream cast games are just too much for the chipset to handle
Good to know!
But having the retro achievements on all the older consoles is great
Neat, I didn’t know that!
I have the teal matte version and love the color, it looks even better in person, but more green than blue as mentioned
I think I will be going with that colour then!
On the emulation front, you’ve got it broadly right, but one thing worth flagging: it does better than “PSX and under” with the right config. I’ve not run Rocknix so I can’t speak to that specifically, but on GammaOS I’ve had good results with Dreamcast, N64 and PSP. Good, not perfect — a few of the heavier titles still struggle — and 3DO works fairly well too. GC and PS2 are definitely out, so your read there’s correct.
The colour question is the fun one. The blue is more of a turquoise than a true blue — it sits on the greener side, so it leans towards teal rather than away from it. Not quite a pure teal, and not bright or loud.
Fingerprints: the Turquoise Blue is the more forgiving of the two. The red/black shows them up a bit more.
I still can’t really decide between the colour options. So the aqua is in between pure blue and pure teal, interesting, and will show less fingerprints too? I will have to think this through
I’ve not run Rocknix so I can’t speak to that specifically, but on GammaOS I’ve had good results with Dreamcast, N64 and PSP. Good, not perfect — a few of the heavier titles still struggle
Good to know!
There’s a new video from Retro Game Corps that goes over updates for the RGDS
Anything above PSX will be slow. 3DS, GC, PS2 I would be surprised if they boot.
The speed of the emmc and sd card should be similar.
OK, that’s useful to know! I will stick with PSX and under then.
Dang 3DS will be slow? What’s the point in a DS style handheld if you can’t play 3DS games?
…DS games?
3DS is a lot heavier than DS emulation, and for me, it’s fine for 3DS to not be on the table as I am more interested in emulating DS. I do play some 3DS, in which case I will use my phone for that I guess, maybe my laptop depending on the game.
DS and 3DS games go hand in hand. It seems like a waste of money to not be able to play the other half of games that make sense on a device with that form factor
Well, the 3DS is much more demanding than DS games, so lower end hardware (such as the Anbernic device) won’t be able to play it well. Higher end devices like the Thor can, but for a lot more money (over twice the price for that Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip!)
Both PS2 and modern PS5 games use 16:9 single screen as well as a similar layout controller, but you don’t expect a handheld that can do PS2 to play PS5 great!
I just see it in a different way. I had an original DS as well as currently own a modded New 3DS XL. The entire line of the DS to me is just one console with improvements over the years. The 3D is a gimmick, otherwise it’s just a DS with different games. The DS line of console however is a very specific device and thus I wouldn’t compare it to traditional console generations. An emulation handheld designed like a DS is very much targeting a certain console (the DS lineup). I wouldn’t care if it emulated other portable consoles from Nintendo, or Xbox, or PS, Sega, etc. All those consoles could certainly fit your perspective and make perfect sense but the DS is very very specific and to make a recreation that can’t do the whole lineup is a disservice in my mind.
The 3DS (2011) was originally released around 7 years after the DS (2004) did! It was a pretty big generational leap, and the games are indeed more intensive than those on the DS. If you look at the specs between the two, it’s a pretty big jump.
The 3DS was much more powerful than the DS was, they are not very comparable. The difference isn’t just the 3D bits, the games are larger and more graphically intensive. The RG DS does DS well, if you want 3DS you need a higher end handheld like the Thor (or a used 3DS would also work)
