u/Agreeable_Still_4184

Bought an RG DS on a whim after seeing the dual-screen design. Grew up
on the original Nintendo DS so this immediately caught my eye.

Surprises:
- The dual-screen layout is surprisingly well done. Top screen for
gameplay, bottom for touch/menus. Feels more natural than I expected
- NDS emulation is the main reason to buy this. Most of my old DS
library runs great — Mario Kart DS, Pokemon, Animal Crossing
- Build quality is solid. Hinge feels sturdy, not flimsy
- GBA and PS1 emulation is also basically flawless as a bonus

Letdowns:
- Screen size is smaller than I expected. Each screen is tiny compared
to a single-screen handheld
- No PSP/PS2 performance, obviously. This is not a power device
- Stock OS is clunky, had to spend 20 mins setting up the NDS emulator
paths before anything worked

For the price it's a great nostalgia device. If you loved the DS era
or want a dedicated GBA machine, this is hard to beat.
Anyone else grab one of these recently?

Upgraded from the RP3+ to the RP5 about a month ago. Figured I'd share
my thoughts since I see people asking whether the upgrade is worth it.

What's better:
- Screen is legitimately great. 5.5", bright, good colors. Makes the 3+
screen look tiny and dim in comparison
- Performance jump is real. GameCube and PS2 are actually playable now,
not just slideshows
- Battery life improved, getting ~7-8 hours on lighter emulation vs
~5-6 hours on the 3+

What's worse:
- Size. This thing is chunky. Doesn't fit in my pocket anymore, barely
fits in my jacket pocket
- Build quality feels like a step back from the 3+. Creaks when I
squeeze it, which my 3+ never did
- Fans are audible during PS2 games, not deal-breaking but noticeable

Verdict: If you're on a 3+ and mainly play GBA/PS1, skip this. If you
want PS2/GameCube or just want a bigger screen for PSP, it's a solid
upgrade.
AMA.

Picked up a RP5 about a month ago after debating between this and the
Anbernic. Figured I'd share my experience since I see the question come
up a lot here.

What I like:
- Screen is a noticeable step up from the 3+. Bigger, brighter, and
colors actually pop
- Performance is legit — PS2 and GameCube emulation is playable, which
was the main reason I upgraded
- Battery life surprised me, getting ~7-8 hours of lighter emulation

What I don't like:
- It's bigger than I expected. Doesn't fit in my pocket anymore,
basically a mini tablet
- Fans kick in during PS2 games and get louder than I'd like
- For the price, the build quality feels cheaper than it should.
Creaks a bit when I grip it tight

For the $172 I paid, the performance jump is real. But if you're mainly
playing GBA/PS1 stuff, the 3+ is probably still the smarter buy.
Happy to answer questions if you're deciding between the two.

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[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]