Anbenric’s SEGA Saturn-style handheld the RG ARC-D is perfect for fans of fighting games. Just don’t expect perfect performance out of this budget offering.
Operating Systems.
The Anbernic ARC-D comes with the choice of two operating systems: Android and Linux. If you’re picking up the ARC-S, do note that only comes with Linux and lacks the touchscreen capabilities found in the ARC-D.
Normally with Anbernic handhelds, Android is the main operating system and Linux only kind of works. There are some examples where Linux runs great, but for the most part, Anerbnic’s Linux normally needs working with to get it working as well as the Android side of things.
With the ARC-D, it’s the opposite. Android is severely lacking while Linux works well.
I’d go as far as saying Android right now is a bit of a mess. Despite coming with Wi-Fi 5, I could only pull a maximum download speed of around four to five megabytes per second. On my Steam Deck, I get around 30 megabytes per second. Then there’s the touchscreen, which often needs extra presses to register taps. I also couldn’t get the Zip utility to decompress my ROMs either, which was a headache. As someone who keeps their ROMs in compressed formats to save space, having to download WinRAR when there’s already a Zip extractor on the device feels like one of many extra steps.
Android also doesn’t come with Google Play, and despite my best efforts to install it myself, I couldn’t get it working, meaning any extra apps needed to be sideloaded by downloading the app’s APK file and installing it manually.
Anbernic also included a game launcher, and while it works, it’s not anywhere near as visually appealing as something like Daijisho. There’s no box art, and it can’t read multiple track files as one singular game.
Linux, while lacking the same level of customization as Android, is the superior option as far as I’m concerned. Its more compact nature means once it’s set up, you don’t need to worry about getting anything else. Just drop the ROMs into the respective folders, update the game list in the settings menu, and they’ll appear alongside the emulator or in the RetroArch tab.
The biggest problem with Linux right now is that Anbernic has disabled a bunch of options. It’s EmulationStation, but there’s no scraper to grab box art and you can’t download additional themes. Retro Arena – a custom EmulationStation for Anbernic devices – is on the way, but it’s another one of those extra steps I mentioned.
Emulation – Android.
The Android side of the ARC-D comes equipped with several emulators it’s just not powerful enough to fully utilize. AetherSX2 – the PS2 emulator for mobile devices – makes its presence known but it’s a miserable experience.
That’s not a surprise given we’re working with the RK3566 chipset with 2GB of RAM (or 1GB in ARC-S). Those specs just aren’t powerful enough to emulate PS2 to any acceptable standard.
It’s the same for GameCube and PSP. While I had hoped Anbernic would be able to squeeze some extra juice out of the RK3566 chipset, that isn’t the case.
Those systems not being able to run is understandable. Especially given the lack of an analog stick. Even if you could run PS2 games, not having analog sticks would make them unplayable anyway, so it’s no great loss. And it’s not something I’m going to hold against the device.
What is more damning is the fact Dreamcast isn’t quite where it needs to be. Marvel vs Capcom 2 runs well enough, but games like Sonic Adventure 2 suffer severe slowdown and choppiness. You could argue that’s fine due to the lack of an analog stick, but lots of Dreamcast titles can be worked around by mapping the stick inputs to the D-pad.
Are we really at the point where Dreamcast is too difficult to run on cheaper handhelds? That surely shouldn’t be the case.
What surprised me was how N64 worked on Android. There is the issue of the lack of an analog stick, so not every game will be playable. That said, I used my Dreamcast workaround on Super Mario 64 and it is very playable despite the lack of an analog stick.
One final quick point if you’re using Android a lot. If you don’t want to keep removing the memory card with Linux on, you can stop it from booting into Linux while holding down the function button when you turn the device on. This bypasses the Linux boot signal and loads straight into Android without needing to remove the Linux SD card. Handy, right?
Emulation – Linux
Thankfully, Linux overall performs better than Android. With the exception of N64, everything I tested runs better on the Linux side of things.
Dreamcast is the biggest win. It’s still imperfect, but I found it to be less choppy and the audio works much better. Sonic Adventure 2 runs at close enough to full speed that I’d consider it playable.
PSP is still dire, and you can’t change the renderer. The problem here is that changing from OpenGL to Vulkan results in the emulator needing to reboot. But because it’s running in EmulationStation, it simply shuts down instead of rebooting.
It’s not a major issue, though. I can’t see PSP working well on the ARC-D anyway, even if you could change the renderer.
DS runs well, but for some reason, the Drastic emulator can’t recognize the ARC-D’s touchscreen, meaning it’s impossible to advance in certain games. Annoying, I know.
SEGA Saturn also works surprisingly well given the low specs of the chipset. There will be drops, but I was able to play Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon Zwei well enough that I considered it enjoyable. There are drops to be felt, but this is an RK3566 chipset we’re dealing with here, so I’d consider that a win for Saturn fans.
Overall Emulation Thoughts.
I’m equal parts impressed and equal parts annoyed. I’d rather have one operating system that does everything well than two that do some things well. With the ARC-D, I was constantly needing to switch between the two operating systems to play different games.
- For N64 and Nintendo DS: Go with Android.
- For everything else: Go with Linux.
With the problems with both operating systems, it’s hard to recommend the ARC-D for anything above PS1. Below PS1 runs brilliantly in both operating systems, but the moment you throw N64, DS, or PSP into the mix, the limitations of the RK3566 chipset become apparent.
If you’re looking at this device as a way to play new-school retro games on the go, it’s not that. But if you’re after something that plays old-school retro games from the SNES, Genesis, and before, that’s where the RG ARC-D truly shines.
Screen Quality.
Although pixels can look a little blurred, the color gamut on the four-inch IPS display at 640 by 480 stuns in all the right ways. It reproduces color effortlessly, and the brightness – even at 50 percent – illuminates more than enough.
It’s funny, actually. I’d reviewed products three times the price of the ARC-D with worse screens than this. There is the issue of Linux not always recognizing the touchscreen or ignoring it completely, and taps sometimes take a few attempts to register, but in terms of quality and visuals, there’s very little to grumble about.
Look and Feel.
You’re going to have to bear with me for this next part. Retro handhelds are a lot like Lego bricks. You can buy knock-off Lego bricks and they’ll do the job, look good enough, but they lack that premium finish. That’s how Anbernic devices are. If you hold an ASUS ROG Ally and then the ARC-D, you’ll notice one feels made from high-quality plastics and the other feels more toy-like.
Is that a problem? For me, not at all. The ARC-D costs from $89.99 and the ARC-S $69.99. Of course, it’s not going to feel like a $699 handheld. So instead of looking at which handhelds do it the best, let’s look at other handhelds in this price bracket.
The ARC-D is on par with the likes of the Retroids and PowKiddys of this world. I’d even go as far as saying the overall design and build quality are actually above and beyond what’s expected for the price. The matte black feels smooth and the buttons pop out and in with the right amount of force. No buttons got stuck in the shell either, which isn’t something you can say for certain Retroid devices.
Who’s The ARC-D For?
The ARC-D is clearly geared towards people who played Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, and other retro fighting games. The reason for the six-button layout isn’t simply because it looks like a Saturn controller. The reason the Saturn (and Genesis V2 controller) went with six buttons is because games like Street Fighter 2 split controls into light punch, medium punch, high punch, and the same for kicks.
Pressing triggers is much more awkward than pressing a face button in fighting games, and that’s why the Saturn controller is so revered by players even to this day. It takes that arcade-style setup and translates it perfectly into a controller format.
Given anything above PS1 either doesn’t work or will struggle to run due to the lack of a stick, the ARC-D is best experienced with old-school retro games. You’ll get a kick out of playing Super Mario World on the ARC-D, but if you’re also into fighting games, you’re going to get even more mileage out of the ARC-D.
Verdict.
I won’t sugarcoat this: There’s a lot to dislike about the ARC-D. But you know what? None of that matters to me. I went into the ARC-D wanting to play fighting games from the 16-bit era with a six-button controller. And thanks to an excellent screen, brilliant build quality, and a solid battery life that averaged around four to six hours depending on the emulator, the ARC-D is everything I wanted it to be.
For people wanting to play new-school retro games, they’ll be disappointed. PSP is awful and anything above that is even worse. But for the people who actually used the original Genesis or Saturn six-button controller in their younger years? They’re the ones who are going to really love the ARC-D.
Disclosure: Review unit purchased by me.| All photos captured by Wesley Copeland. To learn more about our review policy click here. | Alternatively, click here to find out why you can trust me.
