22 October,2023 09:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Jaison Lewis
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If you are into gaming, there is a high probability you have run into the retro gaming machine known as SUP. For around R600, that machine delivers a dose of gaming nostalgia that goes way beyond its meagre price point.
That said, it isn't the most durable or even the most reliable. You literally get your money's worth. The screen is barely visible all the time, let alone in direct sunlight, the software is buggy, the buttons are horrible, the charge barely lasts an hour, and the sound is extremely tinny. However, the Sup is just the surface of this retro console revolution. We deep dive into several models that are rocking the gaming world. They aren't cheap, but they are available for a price in India.
On a side note, these devices are cheaper abroad, sometimes half the price. If you have someone travelling, you may want to buy the device out of India. I would recommend visiting the Anbernic website to figure out the costs and time required for shipping from China.
So this is a newer, more expensive SUP that's available right now. It comes with 900 games, but what is important is this is actually an emulator, which means you can add more games to or remove some of the games you don't like. Since it's a SUP, you can expect poor build quality, a cheap screen and a battery that won't last you more than a few hours. For stats, the battery has a capacity of 1020mAh, and the device comes with a 4GB memory card, but you can upgrade it if you want. There are no details on the chip that powers it, and it also doesn't have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or any wireless capabilities. You can connect this to a TV through an AV cable. This is an entry device if you aren't that serious about your retro handheld but still want to dip your toes in the water.
Rs 2,123
Sitting at the top of the food chain and costing as much as a new Microsoft Xbox Series S console is the RG353V. This is, of course, a device for serious enthusiasts. There are two versions of this device, the RG353V and RG353VS. The RG353V is the superior of the two. It runs a RK3566 1.8Ghz Quad-Core 64-bit Cortex-A35 processor, 2GB LPDDR4 RAM, 3200mAh battery, 32GB highspeed eMMC card + a 16GB microSD (support up to 512GB), Wi-Fi AC, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5-inch IPS 640x480 touchscreen and dual OS Linux and Android. The RG353VS does not have Android support or a touchscreen, and it has only 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The RG353V also supports wireless screen projection, HDMI output, and wireless controllers. The button configuration includes a D-pad, two joysticks, four triggers and an XYAB action button setup. You can also use the device to play Youtube, music, and videos and install various Android programs from the Google Play Store.
Rs 28,468
The RG35XX is one of the most popular choices for retro handheld enthusiasts online. It has a lot of community support, including a custom OS called Garlic OS. The name of the manufacturer in this instance does not matter, just the RG35XX. Since Anbernic is not freely selling the device in India, there are a lot of distributors. So, if you are interested in this device, make sure you search for RG35XX and then select the deal you like. The RG5XX has a 640x480 resolution 3.5-inch IPS display, 256MB DDR3 RAM, ARM Cortex-A9 processor, Quad-core PowerVR SGX544MP GPU, 2600mAh battery, support for wireless gamepads, HDMI output, dual microSD slots, headphone jack and USB-c charging/OTG port. It isn't clear if the version sold in India comes with Garlic OS. There are several videos online that show you how to install Garlic OS in just a few minutes. You may have noticed that this is a bit pricier when compared to the R35S while giving you lower battery capacity and RAM. However, this is a widely adopted device that receives a lot of support, which means repair parts, accessories, and other things related to the device are easily available even here. The biggest advantage this device has is the capacity to connect to the TV via HDMI and the ability to run wireless gaming controllers out of the box.
Rs 15,964
There is a company in China called Anbernic that has been continuously making iterations of retro gaming handhelds, and their model numbers are determined by the chipset present. This is one of the cheapest ones available in India from their entire line-up. It is more expensive by about ten times. For this price point, we get a 640x480 resolution 3.5-inch IPS screen, a 3500mAh battery, an RK3326 64-bit ARM cortex-35 1.5Ghz CPU with a Mali G31MP2 GPU and 1GB DDR3 RAM. For ports, you have a headphone port, a USB-C charging OTG port and a microSD slot. It comes with over 8,000 games, and you can add more games because this is an emulator. The OS is Linux-based, which can be upgraded by the user to the latest version. This handheld has several buttons, including rear triggers, two joysticks, the usual directional keys and a four-button XYAB for actions. The console supports some PSP titles and almost every console leading up to PS1. This includes NES, Sega Mega Drive, GBA, Dreamcast, N64 and SNES. There is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support, but you should be able to hook it up to a TV screen.
Rs 6,999
Miyoo Mini Plus also enjoys a similar fanbase to the RG35XX. The device has a 3.5-inch IPS screen with a 640x480 resolution, a 3000mAh battery, an ARM Cortex A7 Dual core processor, 128MB RAM, a headphone jack, a USB-C charging/OTG port and Wi-Fi. The device has only a D-pad and an XYAB action button configuration. This limits the kind of games you can play with it. While this device does cost similar to the RG35XX it is technically not as good. However, there is a lot of community behind this device, which, in turn, extends the repairability and life of the device. If your intention is to play SNES or that era of games, this device is plenty good. I would personally go for the RG35S, which is a better deal even if it doesn't have Wi-Fi or enjoys community support as much as this one.
Rs 16,710
