Anbernic RG SP vs RG34XX SP: What Changes, and Should You Wait?

Anbernic shipped the RG SP on 5 August 2026, a slimmer folding handheld built on the same H700 chip as the RG34XX SP. The two look like close cousins. Same clamshell idea, same emulation ceiling, same budget bracket. The differences come down to size, buttons, and one big control change. The RG SP drops the analog sticks. The RG34XX SP keeps them.

One note before we start. The RG SP is not out yet, and we have not tested a unit. Anbernic has now published the full spec sheet, so the hardware column below is confirmed, but price and release date are not. We will finalize this comparison once retail units ship.

Specs Compared

The headline difference is the sticks. The RG SP goes pure D-pad. The RG34XX SP has two of them. Almost everything else is close, and after Anbernic's January 2026 memory change, even the RAM now matches.

Design and Size

Both devices fold shut to protect the screen, which is the whole appeal of the SP shape. The RG SP takes that further. It is around 10 percent thinner, and the top bezel shrinks by roughly a quarter. Anbernic also remoulded most of the shell and reworked the buttons for a better feel.

That makes the RG SP the more pocketable of the two. It is also lighter, at about 168 g against roughly 178 g. Ten grams is not much on its own, but combined with the thinner body it is the difference between a clamshell you notice in a pocket and one you forget about. If daily carry is the point, the slimmer body matters.

Leans RG SP. Thinner, tighter bezels, and reworked buttons give it the edge on feel and portability, based on what Anbernic has shown so far.

Controls Are the Real Dividing Line

This is where the two split. The RG34XX SP ships with dual analog sticks. They are small, since they have to fit a clamshell, but they make lighter N64, Dreamcast, and analog PS1 games playable. The RG SP has no sticks at all.

For 2D libraries, that is not a loss. GBA, SNES, NES, Genesis, and 2D PS1 games play on a D-pad. Removing the sticks even cleans up the face layout. For 3D systems, it is a real tradeoff. Camera control in N64 and Dreamcast games leans on a stick, and a D-pad is a poor substitute.

Leans RG34XX SP if you play 3D systems. Leans RG SP if your library is 2D.

Screen

The panels are effectively the same. Both use a 3.4 inch 720 x 480 IPS display in a 3:2 ratio. That shape is the reason to want either device, because GBA output is 240 x 160, which is exactly 3:2. A 720 x 480 panel is a perfect 3x integer scale of a GBA frame, so games fill the screen with no letterboxing and no scaling artifacts at all. Do not expect a visible difference in image quality between the two here.

Both use the same OCA laminated panel, which bonds the glass to the display and cuts the air gap. That is why images look like they sit on the surface rather than behind it. The only real difference is the frame around it, since the RG SP trims the top bezel by about a quarter.

Leans even. Same panel, same resolution, same lamination. The RG SP just wraps it in less plastic.

Performance

There is no gap here. Both run the same Allwinner H700 with the same Mali G31 MP2 graphics. That means the same emulation ceiling. Flawless 8-bit and 16-bit play, excellent GBA and PS1, and competent N64 and Dreamcast with per-game tuning.

RAM now matches at 1 GB, but that took a detour. The RG34XX SP launched with 2 GB LPDDR4, then Anbernic quietly revised the spec sheet down to 1 GB in January 2026, citing a component shortage. The company says the change does not affect performance under its Linux firmware, which is plausible given these builds were never memory hungry. It does mean an early RG34XX SP has twice the memory of one bought today, and the same memory as the RG SP.

Leans even. Identical chip, identical graphics, and identical memory on current stock.

Firmware

Both are part of Anbernic's H700 clamshell family, so custom firmware support should line up. KNULLI and muOS both run well on this hardware. Worth noting that sleep on close is not a firmware trick on either device, since both use magnets and a hall switch in the shell to trigger it. The RG SP is new, so expect a short wait for official builds and button mapping to settle. The RG34XX SP already has mature support today.

Leans RG34XX SP for now, only because its firmware support is already proven.

Should You Wait?

Wait for the RG SP if:

• You mostly play 2D systems like GBA, SNES, NES, and 2D PS1.
• You want the thinnest, most pocketable Anbernic clamshell.
• You are fine waiting for price, release date, and firmware to be confirmed.

Buy the RG34XX SP now if:

• You want analog sticks for N64, Dreamcast, or analog PS1 games in handheld mode.
• You want a proven device you can buy and set up today.
• You want mature custom firmware support that is already sorted rather than a few months out.

One thing worth adding to the stick question. The RG SP supports Bluetooth, 2.4G wireless, and wired controllers, and it outputs to a TV. So the missing sticks limit handheld play, not the device outright. If your 3D games are couch games anyway, a pad and a TV close most of that gap.

Both are the same handheld at heart. The RG SP is the slimmer, 2D-focused refresh. The RG34XX SP is the versatile, stick-equipped original that you can buy right now.

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