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Anbernic RG DS Plus: $84.99 Launch Price and Full Specs

By Man Talk Staff · Updated September 11, 2026 · 10 min read

Anbernic revealed the RG DS Plus on September 3, 2026, confirmed pricing on September 8, and published the full spec sheet on September 9 alongside an official unboxing video. The dual-screen clamshell lists September 15 at $84.99 for the first 72 hours, then $94.99, on both Anbernic's own store and AliExpress. Both screens measure 4.3 inches at 1024 by 768, which gives Nintendo DS games an exact 4x integer scale. Inside is a Rockchip RK3568 with Mali-G52 2EE graphics and 1GB of RAM. There is no internal storage, two microSD slots handle everything, and the battery is 4,000 mAh rated at roughly six hours. The shell weighs 344 g. A capacitive stylus stores in the body, the hinge is stepless, and the software is a Linux build around a new DS emulator called NNDDSS. Every detail here comes from Anbernic's announcement, spec sheet, and press coverage, not from hands-on time with the device.

What is the Anbernic RG DS Plus?

The RG DS Plus is a vertically stacked dual-screen clamshell handheld built for Nintendo DS emulation. It costs $84.99 during its first 72 hours on sale. It replaces the original RG DS's two 4.0-inch 640 by 480 panels with two 4.3-inch 1024 by 768 panels.

Anbernic frames the Plus name around size. The screens are larger, the body is larger to hold them, and the rest of the changes follow from that.

The original RG DS opened for preorder in November 2025 at a sub-$100 price and shipped with Android. Coverage from Retro Handhelds at the time was mixed, and the device found a second life once the GammaOS community firmware arrived. The Plus takes that lesson on board by launching with a Linux interface from day one.

Anbernic RG DS Plus full specs

Anbernic published the complete spec sheet on September 9, 2026, in its official unboxing video. Every figure below now comes from the company rather than from a representative, which resolves the secondhand numbers that circulated in the first week.

The earlier secondhand figures held up. An Anbernic representative known as Wild Lee had told Retro Handhelds three things in the first week. The chip would stay, RAM would drop to 1GB, and the price would land under $100. The published sheet confirms all three. The launch price came in better than the sub-$90 estimate, at $84.99.

What comes in the box

The RG DS Plus ships with two tempered glass screen protectors, a quick start guide, a USB-C charging cable, and a lanyard. A preloaded microSD card carries the Linux operating system. There is no internal storage, so that card is the boot drive.

Two screen protectors in the box is a small saving on a dual-screen device. Most buyers would have bought a set anyway.

The operating system living on a removable card cuts both ways. Swapping or cloning the card is easy, and a corrupt card is recoverable. Losing it means the handheld will not boot until a replacement image is written. Buy a spare early. The microSD card guide covers which brands hold up under constant read cycles.

Why the 4x scaling claim matters

The Nintendo DS drew each screen at 256 by 192 pixels. A 1024 by 768 panel is exactly four times that in both directions. Every original pixel becomes a clean four by four block with no blur or uneven scaling.

The original RG DS used 640 by 480 panels. Anbernic's own post points out that this works out to 2.5x, which forces uneven pixel stretching or a border.

The Plus fixes that with math rather than a bigger chip. Integer scaling costs nothing at runtime, and the 4:3 panel shape matches the DS aspect ratio without letterboxing. The result should be the cleanest DS image in this price class.

The cost is pixel count. Each screen now pushes 786,432 pixels instead of 307,200, and the chip that has to render into them did not change. Whether the RK3568 keeps up at that resolution is the biggest open question about this device.

The chip question

The spec sheet confirms a Rockchip RK3568 with Mali-G52 2EE graphics, the same silicon as the RG DS. RAM sits at 1GB, down from 3GB, and there is no internal storage. The stated goal is a cheap dual-screen device, not a 3DS machine.

The RK3568 is a quad-core Cortex-A55 part built for set-top boxes and industrial boards. In the RG DS it handled DS emulation with title-dependent results. Community sentiment on the original, visible in comments under the Retro Handhelds and Time Extension stories, is that the chip was the weak point.

Anbernic's answer is that the software is the fix. Dropping Android for a purpose-built Linux interface frees memory and CPU time. Retro Handhelds also reports that Anbernic is working with the developer behind GammaOS to bring that firmware to the Plus. The 1GB of RAM is described as enough for that lightweight environment.

That reasoning holds up on paper. GammaOS Nano turned the original RG DS from a rough Android device into a usable one. The custom firmware guide covers why a lean Linux stack matters more than raw chip speed on devices like this.

It does not change the ceiling. The RK3568 is not going to handle 3DS, and Anbernic is not claiming it will. Buyers who want that should look at the Retroid and AYN tiers covered in the brand comparison guide.

Hinge, stylus, audio, and software

The unboxing video confirmed three hardware details: a stepless hinge that holds the top screen at any angle, Class-K speaker amplifiers, and a hinge-mounted microphone. The Linux interface adds screen swap, lower-screen touch control, more than 70 shaders, save states, a real-time clock, and cheat codes.

The stepless hinge is a real quality-of-life change. The RG DS hinge was not bad, per Retro Handhelds, but it had set detents. Free positioning means the top screen can sit at any tabletop angle or fold back flat. Anbernic describes the new mechanism as stronger and smoother.

The microphone placement is a deliberate nod. It sits in the same spot as the mic on the Nintendo DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL. Several DS games require blowing into the mic, so position and sensitivity both matter.

The stylus is the feature the original should have shipped with. Capacitive means it works like a finger on a phone screen, so fine precision may lag a real DS stylus. It still beats poking at a 4.3-inch touch panel with a thumb.

On the software side, NNDDSS is new and unproven, and it handles DS titles only. RetroArch covers every other system. Anbernic showed more than 70 shader presets in the video, with three demonstrated close up on the top screen.

Price and where it sits

The RG DS Plus lists September 15, 2026, at $84.99 for 72 hours, then $94.99. That is $15 under the original RG DS at $99.99 direct, and it makes the older model hard to justify at full price.

That table explains the timing. Retroid revealed the Pocket Duo and the cheaper Pocket Duo Lite during the same two weeks, and priced both on September 10. The Lite starts at $135 during preorder, roughly $50 above the RG DS Plus.

The gap buys different things. The Lite runs a Dragonwing QCS6125 and a much larger main screen, so it reaches further into PSP and heavier systems. The RG DS Plus buys matched panels, integer DS scaling, and a lower entry price.

The wider Anbernic lineup has been busy. The RG SP clamshell arrived in August, the RG 55G1 opened preorders on August 31, and the $37.99 RG 35 appeared on September 1. The Plus is the fourth Anbernic launch in six weeks, and the only one aimed at DS players. The best retro handhelds under $100 roundup shows how crowded that price band has become.

Five things that stand out

1. Exact 4x DS scaling. The 1024 by 768 panels turn every DS pixel into a clean four by four block. The 640 by 480 RG DS could not do that.
2. Linux first, not Android. The original launched on Android and needed community firmware to shine. The Plus starts where the RG DS ended up.
3. The chip did not change. Same RK3568, less RAM, no internal storage. Software will have to carry the extra pixels.
4. A stylus in the body. The single most requested fix for the RG DS is now standard, with a hinge-mounted mic to match.
5. The price beat the estimate. A rep suggested under $90 for the launch window. Anbernic landed at $84.99, undercutting the older RG DS by $15.

Who the RG DS Plus is for

The RG DS Plus suits anyone who wants a dedicated DS handheld under $100 and does not need 3DS or heavy PSP. Owners of the original RG DS running GammaOS gain sharper screens, a stylus, and better audio, but not more power.

The honest pitch is a DS library machine. Hundreds of DS games depend on two screens and touch input, and a single-screen handheld compromises them. A purpose-built clamshell with integer scaling and a real stylus solves that under $100.

Current RG DS owners face a harder call. A Time Extension commenter raised the obvious point: an RG DS with GammaOS and Rocknix already runs the same chip. The Plus adds screen quality and hardware polish, not emulation reach. Whether that is worth $84.99 depends on the buyer.

Anyone weighing the Retroid side should note the 344 g weight. That is a substantial clamshell, heavier than a DSi XL, and it reflects the dual-alloy hinge and larger shell.

Should you preorder or wait?

The case for buying at the open is now much stronger than it was a week ago. Price, date, and the full spec sheet are all published, which removes the reason to hold off. The 72-hour window saves $10, and Anbernic listings in this class have sold through early stock quickly. The case for waiting is narrower now. Independent reviews will not exist until after that window closes. The open question is whether the RK3568 drives 1024 by 768 twice over at a steady frame rate. Anyone who cannot accept that risk should wait for reviews and pay $94.99.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Anbernic RG DS Plus cost?

Anbernic confirmed pricing on September 8, 2026. The RG DS Plus costs $84.99 for the first 72 hours of the listing, then rises to $94.99. That undercuts the original RG DS, which sells for $99.99 direct from Anbernic.

When does the Anbernic RG DS Plus release?

The listing opens September 15, 2026, at 6:00 PM Beijing time, which is 3:00 AM Pacific and 6:00 AM Eastern. Anbernic is selling it through its own site and through AliExpress. The 72-hour discount window starts at that moment.

What chip does the Anbernic RG DS Plus use?

The published spec sheet lists a Rockchip RK3568 with Mali-G52 2EE graphics, the same chip as the original RG DS. It pairs that with 1GB of RAM and no internal storage. Two microSD slots handle everything, up to 2TB.

Can the Anbernic RG DS Plus play 3DS games?

Not as a design goal. Retro Handhelds reports the stated aim is the budget dual-screen market, not 3DS. The RK3568 is also far below the chips that handle 3DS emulation well. Buyers who want 3DS should look at a different class of device.

This page was published on September 5, 2026, and updated on September 11 with the confirmed price, listing date, and full spec sheet. First independent reviews and real-world battery results will be added as they land. The Man Talk retro handhelds section tracks every launch as it happens, including the Retroid Pocket Duo Lite arriving in the same window. Anbernic's own announcement is published at Anbernic's official site.