Anbernic RG406H is coming…

We knew it was going to happen because Anbernic hinted at it early in the year. The Anbernic RG406H is likely the follow-up to the popular RG405M that saw success in 2023. Is this the rumored RG406P we learned about last month? Let’s discuss what we know and how much the RG406H will cost.

There were a flurry of things people wanted updated about this 405M and some of them seem to have been addressed here. We do only have 2 images so far but there are a couple other things that have leaked with the images.

The RG406H is said to have a 4” 4:3 720p display. It is also said to be able to play PS2. I think it is safe to assuming in knowing this that Anbernic will equip it with the Unisoc T820 SOC.

They have seen success this year with the T820 even when put up against the slightly more powerful D1100 found in the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. The T820 seems to come out with more consistent performance and even able to emulate some lite Nintendo Switch games. Though I would in no way recommend getting this for Switch in part because their isn’t the driver support you see in even the lower end SnapDragon processors.

I’m sure we will see complaints on Reddit about the DPad being on the bottom. That might be a valid concern if this was less powerful. In the retro age of gaming with the likely T820 SOC they are featuring the ability to play games with consoles focused on joysticks. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for DPad on top when the handheld isn’t playing N64, GameCube, Switch, PS2 and Android games. Lots of gamers buy controllers just for sticks on Android games. My only question about the joysticks is which sticks is Anbernic going to use this time?

When these photos release it’s normally about a week before we see an official announcement from Anbernic in the form of a YouTube preview video. We likely will see a pre-release a week after that.

The back is missing in the images we have seen so far. Is Anbernic hinting at an ergonomic backplate similar to the back found on the RG Cube? This would definitely give it some separation from looking like the RG40xxH released earlier this year.

Pricing is going to be tricky for Anbernic with this handheld. After the release of the Retroid Pocket Mini the price of the RP4 and RP4 Pro have decreased significantly. Anbernic is not going to want to undercut the RG Cube unless they are done selling it so this will likely be around $160 which will make the RP4 Pro more appealing. The sweat spot is likely around $135 and we often see sales with a couple of months from release so you may want to watch for that if cost is a deciding factor.

This so far seems like a valid successor to the Anbernic RG405M. There is always the possibility Anbernic releases the 406H with a new SOC seeing as they have been using the T820 for about a year now. Wouldn’t that make it fun?!

What are your thoughts? In the ever flooded release schedule from Anbernic will the RG406H be a must have or a pass?

GameOn

CellPhish