Early Company (2008–2016)

The parent company, Shenzhen YangLiMing Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., was established in November 2008. Initially, it focused on developing and manufacturing gaming hardware and accessories. According to the company, its philosophy has always been to prioritize the quality of gaming devices rather than producing large quantities. The company’s long-term vision has been to preserve classic gaming while making it more accessible through modern hardware. [2]

Birth of the Anbernic Brand (2017)

The ANBERNIC brand officially launched in 2017, introducing its first handheld in the RG (Retro Game) series. The company’s slogan and philosophy are: “Inheriting the classics and leading the future.” The RG series quickly became popular among retro gaming enthusiasts because it offered premium build quality, IPS displays, open-source firmware, strong emulation performance, and regular hardware improvements. [3]

Anbernic states that its goal is to create gaming devices for retro gaming enthusiasts, open-source developers, emulator communities, and homebrew developers. The company emphasizes combining nostalgic gaming experiences with modern technology while encouraging community-developed software. [4]

Over the years, Anbernic has released dozens of handhelds across several categories.

Linux Handhelds

Designed primarily for retro emulation. Examples include the RG350, RG351 series, RG35XX series, and RG40XX series. Common features include a Linux operating system and interfaces such as EmulationStation, GarlicOS, MuOS, Batocera, and KNULLI.

Android Handhelds

Higher-performance devices capable of emulating newer consoles. Examples include the RG405M, RG405V, RG505, RG556, and RG557. These models typically include Google Android, touchscreen support, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cloud gaming, streaming services, and native Android gaming. [5]

Dual-System Handhelds

Some devices support both Linux and Android, allowing users to switch operating systems depending on the intended use. An example is the RG552. [6]

Windows Handheld PCs

Anbernic also entered the handheld PC market. An example is the WIN600, which can run Windows, Steam, Epic Games, PC games, and emulators. [7]

According to the company, notable milestones include:

[8]

Anbernic devices are generally recognized for premium metal or ABS shells, high-resolution IPS or OLED displays, accurate D-pads, Hall-effect joysticks on newer models, multiple aspect ratios (1:1, 4:3, 16:9), large batteries, expandable microSD storage, USB-C charging, and HDMI output on selected models. The company frequently experiments with new form factors, including clamshell and rotating-screen designs. [9]

Depending on hardware, Anbernic devices can emulate many classic systems, including the Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Saturn (higher-end models), PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, PlayStation Portable (PSP), GameCube (newer models), PlayStation 2 (selected high-end models), and Nintendo 3DS (selected high-end models). Actual compatibility varies by device and software configuration. [10]

One of Anbernic’s biggest strengths is support for community-developed firmware. Popular firmware includes GarlicOS, MuOS, KNULLI, Batocera, Rocknix, JELOS (legacy), and ArkOS (on compatible devices). These firmware projects often improve the user interface, performance, battery life, emulator compatibility, and customization.

Anbernic has developed a large global community of enthusiasts who create custom firmware, optimize emulators, design themes, share performance settings, produce setup guides, and develop homebrew software. This community support has contributed significantly to the brand’s popularity.

Anbernic manufactures its devices in Shenzhen, China, one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturing hubs. The company handles design, development, and production under its parent company, Shenzhen YangLiMing Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. [11]

Among retro gaming enthusiasts, Anbernic is widely known for its excellent build quality, strong emulation performance, premium displays, frequent hardware releases, good Linux support, large product selection, and active software community. Common criticisms include that frequent product releases can make the lineup confusing, software quality at launch can vary between models, and product naming conventions (such as RG35XX, RG40XX, RG505, RG556) may be difficult for newcomers to distinguish.

Anbernic continues to expand its lineup with new hardware, including innovative designs such as the RG Rotate with a swiveling display and ongoing software updates for existing devices. The company regularly publishes firmware updates and new product announcements through its official channels. [12]

In less than a decade, Anbernic has become one of the most influential brands in the retro handheld gaming market. By combining modern processors with open-source software and hardware designed for classic gaming, the company has helped make portable emulation more accessible to enthusiasts worldwide. Its devices are now widely recognized as benchmarks in the retro handheld category, particularly for users seeking a balance of build quality, performance, and community support.

1. Anbernic

2. About_Anbernic

3. Company introduction_Anbernic

4. Anbernic | The best retro game console

5. Products

6. Anbernic’s new handheld is a pocket-friendly Android device with a swiveling screen

7. NEWS

8. À PROPOS DE NOUS

9. NEWS

10. Best Sellers

11. ANBERNICブランド – anbernic

12. Anbernic | La meilleure console de jeu rétro