Unlike many people, I never liked video games. Sure, I’ve played a ton of Minecraft (who hasn’t), but I’ve never spent this much time on any other title. Whenever people ask me what games I play, I always respond with the same “Oh, I don’t like video games that much” and change the subject.
I’ve tried playing retro games in the past, but they never really clicked for me. I enjoyed playing them, but when I emulated them on my phone, tablet, and laptop, I always got distracted and ended up doing something else after 10 minutes. However, about a month ago, I found out portable emulation devices. For some reason, something about these handhelds intrigued me. As I continued researching, a company called Anbernic kept coming up and seemed to be a Good choice for inexpensive and high-quality portable devices..
Finally, after hours of research, I decided and purchased the Anbernic RG 40XXV, and after countless hours a day using it, I have a new appreciation for retro games (and may have even become a player in the process).
It is portable and very comfortable to hold.
Perfect for playing for long periods of time
The Anbernic RG40XXV is small, measuring approximately 5 x 4 inches. Its compact size makes it very portable and I have been able to take it everywhere and play whenever I need to kill time. I find myself playing in the morning while I drink my coffee, and I even stay up late because I lost track of time playing while lying in bed.
It is also very comfortable to hold. I’ve been able to hold it without issue for over an hour, and I can even hold it and play some games with one hand (great for snacking while I’m in the middle of a game!). That’s why I’ve spent more time gaming on this device than on my PC. It’s more fun to start playing whenever you want, rather than having to set aside time for a long gaming session on a console or PC.
Its 4-inch screen and controls are wonderful
This device has satisfactory controls and its screen is immersive
The device is basically a beefed-up Game Boy. It has face buttons, d-pads, and start and select buttons, but it also has a joystick and R1, R2, L1, and L2 buttons. Thanks to these additional controls, I can play a wider variety of games than just those that require movement in the cardinal direction with a d-pad. The additional controls also add an extra touch to family games; I found that I enjoy some games much more after rebinding the d-pad input to be controlled by the joystick.
Before I started playing, I assumed the handheld’s 4-inch screen would be too small and uncomfortable on the eyes (even though it’s one of the largest screens Anbernic offers). I made a mistake. For such a small screen, it sure is immersive and has made me lose track of time while playing.
It’s given me an excuse to try more retro games.
I have been introduced to so many amazing games.
Thanks to the Anbernic RG40XXV, I have played more games in a month than in my entire life. After purchasing the device, I felt compelled to find a ton of games to play to justify the purchase. This allowed me to rediscover games I was already familiar with and even introduced me to some I had never heard of.
Since the device has built-in Internet, I was also able to enhance my experience while playing certain games. For example, I was able to connect to sites like RetroAchievements, which allows me to earn achievements while playing. This made the games more engaging and I found myself playing some games for longer while striving to earn as many achievements as possible.
Because most retro games are so small, thousands of retro games could theoretically fit for systems up to the PS1. This is great since you wouldn’t need to spend extra money on a large microSD card (which is what the device uses to store the operating system and games).
Only download games that you can get legally. Many retro games allow downloads for non-commercial use and you can even try out homemade games on sites like itch.io!
I think I can finally call myself a gamer.
Over the last month, I’ve spent countless hours gaming on the Anbernic RG40XXV and it has given me a new appreciation and love for retro gaming. It turns out that telling people that I didn’t like gaming wasn’t entirely true, since for a long time, playing AAA games on my PC was the only way I experienced video games. I never thought about focusing on retro games, but now I realize I made a mistake by not doing so.
