I’ve just published my time with the Anbernic RG DS Plus, the bulk of this is the usual review things, but of some note was that I got to chat directly with Anbernic about the device and their take on it: why they revisited the original RG DS, the new NNDDSS emulator and some of the design decisions behind the Plus.
The RG DS Plus itself is Anbernic’s second iteration of making a NDS-focused retro handheld. I love this one so much.
I also spoke with the devs behind Cocoon, who are working on bringing Cocoon (a super 3DS-ish front-end/launcher for dual screen handhelds) to the RG DS Plus very soon. Just a bit of a chance to look a little beyond the hardware itself and at what this could mean for dual-screen Linux handhelds going forward, Cocoon for the DS Plus isn’t far off now (they’re moving from being Android-only to both Android and Linux!)
If you’re interested in the RG DS Plus, DS emulation or where these weird little dual-screen handhelds are heading, you might like this one!
No second joystick to emulate the circlepad pro? Wild to me they removed a feature from their origonal model, that fixed the only big fault with the legit nintendo.
Can somebody tell me personally if handheld consoles like this worth the buck for someone who mainly plays on PC? I have some portable consoles but they are too fucking big to move around, even the Nintendo Switch OLED doesn’t fit in your pocket, but I remember that the Nintendo DS/3DS was a beast, should I buy it?
I can’t speak to this model specifically, haven’t tried it, but my impression is that if you are specifically looking to play DS/3DS games, original hardware is still the best way to go, especially since they’re so easily moddable.
If you’re looking to emulate other platforms though, there are quite a lot of great pocketable devices on the market. I bought a Miyoo Mini Plus three years ago and joked that I liked it so much I wish I’d bought a more expensive model with analog sticks.
How is playing touchscreen-first games using a capacitive screen vs the original hardware resistive touchscreen? I really like the way original hardware feels so I’m worried emulation might be an inferior experience
Interesting concern, I hadn’t considered that! A lot of games expected you to use the stylus, can’t imagine pressing tiny buttons without it
There are also games played exclusively with the stylus like Elite Beat Agents or Trauma Center
My mind went to Picross but yeah, a fat capacitive stylus would make those games ROUGH
And ones that rely on a resistive touchscreen, like the bit in Hotel Dusk where you have to flick both breaker switches at the same time.
I doubt a “mushy” stylus would be a great experience for quickly answering math problems in Brain Age, or… doing basically anything in either of the two Zelda games. 😅
I know a lot of people with dual-screen handhelds use styluses (styli?) with a disc tip:
Which I guess would at least help with the friction. 🤔 I wonder if someone will make one that can fit into the slot on the Anbernic.
Oooh, I forgot all about that Hotel Dusk puzzle. It was a very clever little (ab)use of the hardware.
In theory, it should be possible to emulate the resistive touchscreen’s behavior in software. But I’m very curious if any emulator does so.
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is incredible too.
Thoughts on the pen’s quality? It looks a bit thick and flimsy from the pictures but I’m interested in hearing from someone who tried it. Also, is the thick tip accurate enough for DS games?
Someone should test the stylus with Pokémon Ranger.
those rubber tip styluses usually have a lot of friction
