Anbernic opened pre-orders for the Anbernic RG DDS on 16 October 2026. It is a clamshell Android handheld with two screens shaped like a Nintendo 3DS, a Qualcomm Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 and Android 16. On anbernic.com on 18 October it cost $284.99 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and $349.99 for 12GB and 256GB, both $15 below the listed price. Anbernic's pre-sale graphic says shipping starts on 10 December 2026 and finishes by 31 January 2027.
Nobody outside Anbernic has tested one yet, including us. The specs below come from the anbernic.com product listing and Anbernic's own first-look post (9 October), both read on 18 October. Prices and stock come from the store's product data on the same day.
The three launch colours. Image: Anbernic, from its RG DDS first-look post. The header image is rearranged from the thumbnail of Anbernic's "Dream Dual-Screen" video.
What the RG DDS is
The name reads as a joke. It isn't. Anbernic already sells the RG DS, a budget dual-screen handheld with two equal 4-inch screens, and the DDS keeps that hinge and stylus while changing nearly everything underneath them, from the chip and the operating system to the shape of the top screen, which is now wider than the bottom one, as on a 3DS. The move from a Rockchip RK3568 to a Snapdragon puts it in a different price bracket.
The screens are the point. A 3DS top screen is 400x240 and its bottom screen is 320x240. Multiply each by three and you get 1200x720 and 960x720, which are exactly the two resolutions Anbernic lists, and Anbernic's first-look post says each screen "triples the width and height in pixels" of the original. So 3DS games can fill both panels at a whole-number scale. No stretching, no black bars.
DS games are another matter. A DS screen is 256x192, and 720 divided by 192 is 3.75, so DS games either scale by a fraction or sit at 3x inside a border.
RG DDS specs
| Spec | Anbernic RG DDS |
|---|---|
| Top screen | 4.7-inch IPS, 1200x720, 5:3, 300 PPI, 500 nits |
| Bottom screen | 4-inch IPS touchscreen, 960x720, 4:3, 300 PPI, 500 nits |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 (4nm; 1x 2.8GHz, 4x 2.57GHz, 3x 1.9GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno A22 (as listed by Anbernic) |
| Memory and storage | 8GB + 128GB or 12GB + 256GB; microSD up to 2TB |
| System | Android 16, over-the-air updates |
| Battery and charging | 6,000mAh; 27W |
| Cooling | Fan and heat pipe |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Video out | 1080p over USB-C |
| Controls | Two sticks (listed as capacitive), D-pad, ABXY, six-axis gyro, linear vibration motor |
| Other | Retractable stylus stored in the body, Hall sensor that sleeps the device when the lid closes, 3.5mm headphone jack, front stereo speakers |
| Size and weight | 166 x 93 x 26 mm, 434 g |
| Colours | Glacier White, Basalt Black, Phantom Blue |
| Price (18 Oct 2026) | $284.99 (8GB/128GB), $349.99 (12GB/256GB) pre-order |
Source: Anbernic RG DDS product page and first-look post, read 18 October 2026.
Anbernic also lists AI features: game-guide lookup, live translation, a chat assistant and image generation. It does not say which service runs them. The listing names Turnip graphics drivers, which matter for this chip. Our Retroid Pocket 6 and G2 explainer covers the graphical glitches the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 shows in some Switch games on stock drivers, and the speed cost of fixing them with Turnip.
Dimensions, from the anbernic.com product listing. Image: Anbernic.
How it compares with the RG DS, Retroid Pocket Duo and AYN Thor
The table puts the RG DDS beside three dual-screen handhelds this site links. Prices and specs were all read from each store's product data on 18 October 2026.
| Anbernic RG DDS | Anbernic RG DS | Retroid Pocket Duo | AYN Thor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 | Rockchip RK3568 | Dragonwing Q-7790 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (Lite: 865) |
| Top screen | 4.7" IPS, 1200x720 | 4" IPS, 640x480 | 5.5" AMOLED, 1080p, 120Hz | 6" AMOLED, 1080p, 120Hz |
| Bottom screen | 4" IPS, 960x720 | 4" IPS, 640x480 | 4.5" AMOLED, 960p, 120Hz | 3.92" AMOLED, 1080x1240, 60Hz |
| RAM / storage | 8+128 or 12+256 | 3+32 | 8+128 | 8+128 up to 16GB+1TB |
| Android | 16 | 14 | 16 | 13 |
| Battery | 6,000mAh | 4,000mAh | 6,000mAh | 6,000mAh |
| Weight | 434 g | 321 g | not listed | 380 g |
| Price | $284.99 pre-order | $159.99 | $269.00 | $469.99 (Base) |
The cheapest dual-screen option, the Linux-based Anbernic RG DS Plus, was $94.99 at Anbernic on the same day. It has two 4.3-inch 1024x768 screens on the same RK3568 as the RG DS. It is a DS and older-console device, not a 3DS one.
Against the Retroid Pocket Duo, the RG DDS costs $15.99 more and has the faster chip. Retro Handhelds' Andrew wrote on 15 October that the DDS "should come out on top" on paper. Michael Baker at SteamDeckHQ (16 October) credits it with a considerable power advantage over the Duo. The Duo answers with two 120Hz AMOLED screens. Baker describes the DDS panels as 60Hz LCDs and puts it behind the Duo, the Thor and the AYANEO Pocket DS on screens. Anbernic's own listing gives no refresh rate.
Against the AYN Thor, the DDS is $185 cheaper than the Thor's cheapest in-stock tier. Baker expects the Thor to stay ahead overall on its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and its AMOLED panels are a step up, but its bottom screen is narrower and taller than a 3DS's, so 3DS games will not fill it the way they fill the DDS. Our AYN Thor Max post has its tier prices.
Against the RG DS, no contest. The RG DS is a $159.99 machine for DS, GBA and older systems. Same name, different device.
What reviewers have said so far
No outlet has published hands-on testing as of 18 October. Coverage so far works from the spec sheet and the pre-order listing:
- Retro Handhelds (Andrew, 15 October) reported the prices and the shipping window from the AliExpress pre-sale graphic before Anbernic's own store went live. It says it will test the RG DDS and the Retroid Pocket Duo once units arrive.
- Time Extension (Kris Moyse, 15 October) covered the same AliExpress listing, which says no games are included.
- SteamDeckHQ (Michael Baker, 16 October) compared it with the Duo, the Thor and the AYANEO Pocket DS, as quoted above.
Anything you read about how 3DS, GameCube or PS2 games run on the RG DDS before December is a projection from other Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 devices, not a test of this one.
In the box: console, retractable stylus, USB cable, manual and screen protector. No microSD card. Image: Anbernic.
Where to buy the RG DDS
On 18 October the RG DDS was listed only at Anbernic's own store among the stores this site links. LitNXT and MechDIY had not listed it.
| Model | Price (18 Oct 2026) | Store | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anbernic RG DDS 8GB + 128GB | $284.99 | Anbernic | China warehouse: pre-order open. US warehouse: not available. |
| Anbernic RG DDS 12GB + 256GB | $349.99 | Anbernic | China warehouse: pre-order open. US warehouse: not available. |
Anbernic pays this site a commission on orders through its store. Retro Handhelds' price box on 15 October listed the AliExpress store lower, at $259.99 and $324.99 with a coupon code. We did not check AliExpress today, and this site has no link there.
All variants are sold without a microSD card. Anbernic also sells a carrying bag listed as fitting both the RG DDS and the RG DS Plus, which suggests the two share a similar footprint.
For the rest of Anbernic's range, see our Anbernic guide. To compare it against every handheld we cover, use the devices page.
What to watch next
- Hands-on reviews. Retro Handhelds has said it will test one. Until someone does, treat 3DS and GameCube performance as unknown.
- US warehouse stock. The US variants on anbernic.com were unavailable on 18 October. If they open, US buyers avoid the China shipping leg.
- Ship dates. The window runs from 10 December to 31 January. Orders placed now may not arrive before the holidays.
- Frontends. Dual-screen launchers built for the AYN Thor should be the first to support the DDS's bottom screen. Cartridge 0.4.9.3 is one, and that post lists the others Retro Game Corps recommends.
We will add a dated update to this page when the first hands-on reviews appear or when a second store lists it.
Frequently asked questions
- When does the Anbernic RG DDS ship?
- Anbernic's pre-sale graphic says shipping starts on 10 December 2026 and that every pre-order will have shipped by 31 January 2027. Pre-orders opened on 16 October 2026. The graphic appeared first on Anbernic's AliExpress store and was reported by Retro Handhelds on 15 October; the anbernic.com product page itself does not print a date.
- How much does the Anbernic RG DDS cost?
- On anbernic.com on 18 October 2026 the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model was $284.99 and the 12GB and 256GB model was $349.99. Those are pre-order prices, $15 under the listed $299.99 and $364.99. Shipping is extra, and no microSD card is included.
- What is the difference between the Anbernic RG DS, RG DS Plus and RG DDS?
- The RG DS and RG DS Plus both use the low-power Rockchip RK3568 with two equal screens: the RG DS has two 4-inch 640x480 panels and Android 14, the RG DS Plus has two 4.3-inch 1024x768 panels and Linux. The RG DDS moves to a Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 and Android 16, with a wide 4.7-inch top screen and a 4-inch bottom screen shaped like a 3DS. On 18 October the RG DS Plus was $94.99, the RG DS $159.99 at LitNXT and the RG DDS $284.99.
- Is the Anbernic RG DDS good for 3DS emulation?
- It is built for it on paper: the 1200x720 top screen is exactly three times the 3DS top screen's 400x240, and the 960x720 bottom screen is three times its 320x240, so 3DS games can scale with no stretching or borders. Nobody has published hands-on testing yet, so how well 3DS games run on its Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 is still untested. The same chip is in the Retroid Pocket G2.
- Should I buy the RG DDS, the Retroid Pocket Duo or the AYN Thor?
- The Retroid Pocket Duo costs $269.00 at Retroid and has two 120Hz AMOLED screens but a slower Dragonwing Q-7790 chip. The AYN Thor costs $469.99 and up at LitNXT for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and AMOLED screens. The RG DDS sits between them at $284.99, with the stronger chip of the two cheaper devices and the only screens sized for 3DS games, but IPS panels rather than OLED and no reviews yet.
