Deep Dive Comparison: RG351M vs RG351P

The Anbernic RG351 devices are the best retro handheld devices you can buy at around the $100 price range (for now). So which one should you buy -- the older, cheaper RG351P, or the new premium RG351M?

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Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
00:54 tech specs
02:56 hardware comparison
05:59 teardown and internal comparison
08:59 summary and conclusion

Intro theme song sampled from "Hexadecimal Genome" by Bit Shifter:

#RG351P #RG351M #Anbernic

[omnisone]

Worth every extra penny when you travel frequently. If this is a toss around device... go metal 🤘🏻

[fakekiddo]

love your contents man, very useful and easy to understand. i will try to get one of the handheld as soon as possible. thanks man

[dillanleanza]

Just bought both of these, and think I will be sticking with the P. The metal version is just heavy enough to put strain on my wrists when laying down and playing casually. Wireless is nice, but once you have everything you need installed, you don't really need to be connected 24/7

[Rei]

This is exactly what was looking for. I enjoyed the other comparisons too but these two head to head is what I needed. Thank you!!

[jesseboy]

I have a 351P and surely there is no way in hell I'm gonna upgrade to an M version. The way I see it, if u decided to go for one of these retro handhelds, and u only want 1 device, u r not planning to collect these or upgrade every single time the new iteration is around the corner, u just need a solid machine, probably top notch product - then I think the metal version would be a better option. U will spend a little more but it's a one time purchase and u r getting a better device, even if only by a little.

[billyretrogamer]

As always man, KILLER vid, great honest opinion, and also showing both sides of the coin. Thanks for making the 351 experience a lot easier to enjoy!

[blackwave]

I literally waited and searched for this exact topic/vid title and to no surprise this channel is the 1st to do so.I actually have both devices in my current possession and conducted my own comparisons too.
I appreciate this channel for not just the content but also your fair approach of explaining things which to me seems just so right, Keep it up!

[Bineki]

This divice is amazing, the seeling point to me is the amount of customization avaible on the software side, my 351p is the very way I wanted. Still waiting for the vinil skin guide though. =)

[MashTec]

Hey Russ, i fully agree with the points you mentioned 👍🏻 covered most of it in my latest video, too ;)
We don‘t need a metal case on a gaming handheld (just makes it heavy, cold and expensive for no benefit) and as you said, we never needed :) in the past those handhelds were made of plastic and that‘s just totally fine ;)
I wish Anbernic rather put the money into a higher resolution display and HDMI-out. We could benefit so much more from such an upgrade!

[NicholasLash]

I appreciate how you are always very thorough, and that you take time to play the devices.

[jakehbbs]

Nice, I just started going through the guides for my new RG351P today, so it's good to know the newer version doesn't outclass it to a major extent.

[WaverBoy]

Russ sir,

Thank you so so much for your awesome videos on retro handhelds, especially the RG351P & RG351M. You steered me toward an RG351M, Space Grey. Cuz I gotta have the gunmetal grey hunk of actual metal, what an absolutely beautiful device, and the onboard wi-fi is a must. $40 is definitely worth it to me, especially not having bought any retro handhelds since my hacked PSP 2000 from years ago. The RG351M is, simply, all around, the best of the best. Especially when combined with that awesome 3D printed plastic grip with the howling wolf design etched into the handles. Fantastic for extended play sessions, feels so ergonomic in the hands.

Thank you again for making the best retro gaming videos on YouTube.

[bryanmuir]

I definitely want like the feel of metal on the 350m, and can't wait for my 351m to come in. I think RetroAchievements with the built in wifi is a must for me, I'd hate to have a wifi dongle hanging out of the device to only break and maybe destroy the charging port.

[stewsretroreviews]

I feel exactly the same, the RG351P is all I'm bothered about really, the metal finish and wifi are good, but its basically the same apart from those 2 things, mine should be delivered by tommorrow hopefully, can't wait. The next one will have a bigger screen and Hmdi on I bet. Great review thanks.

[phox]

Thank you for this comparison vid, I really enjoy your content! I decided to go with the 351M for the built-in WiFi and premium feel. The last handheld I bought long ago was the original PocketGo. My 351M just shipped this morning and I'm looking forward to using it!

[deegeeooh]

I actually love the aspect ratio on these devices. Vertical games look amazing (it's perfect for them) and when you use pixel perfect setting with the 32:9 aspect ratio, the screen fills out very nicely, for instance in mame. I have the RG351P and it became my favorite retro handheld instantly. Amazing device. That being said, I would love them to do a pure vertical screen oriented device but that will probably never happen.

[Johnnygrafx]

I wish they had kept the HDMI out that the 350M had. That would make it so much more valuable.

[Curryking]

I have an RG350and can't really justify the upgrade to the RG351 at the moment. I'll wait for the next gen, maybe with android, retroarch and a larger touch screen. And maybe more powerful enough to play gamecube.

[bujin]

11:57 I don't own an RG351, but I do have the RG350, RG350P and the RG350M, the M was 100% worth it! The controls feel better, it feels better in the hand, the stiffness of the case improves the sound quality. Personally I don't feel like the plastic increases the nostalgia. The RG350 and the RG350P both feel far lighter and more flimsy than an original GameBoy or GameGear, which were both very beastly. The M brings back that serious feel of build quality that old handhelds used to have, while still being more portable, having FAR long battery life, and all around just being better.

[LiloVLOG]

I think a video comparison between odroid go super vs retroid pocket 2 would be nice, I want to know which is more pick and play, I know that RP2 have a sleep mode, so you can pick and play, but I don't know about odroid go super.