RG351M Review – Finally, a metal ANBERNIC RG351 model!

Hello! DroiX here with another article on one of our many handhelds. This time, we’re presenting you with an RG351M Review.

What is the RG351M?

The RG351M is one of the newer retro gaming consoles by ANBERNIC – creators of the similarly positioned predecessor handheld, the RG350M. The RG351M can be considered a successor to the RG351P. Much like how the RG350M was to the RG350.

Why yes, it IS slightly confusing. But when you take a step back and look at it as a whole, the naming schemes begin to fit into place.

Compared to the RG351P, the RG351M brings two key upgrades (beyond these, there are no other differences):

While this may seem underwhelming, many would argue that the metal shell really does give the unit a premium feel in the hand thanks to the combination of a sturdier frame and a heavier weight.

[Video] RG351M Review

As usual, we’ve compiled the bulk of our thoughts into this video – our RG351M Review. There is also a text version below for easier reading.

Inside the box we have the RG351M which we will look at in more detail shortly. There is a USB Type-C charge cable. We recommend using this cable instead of your own to charge the handheld. And there is a user manual which is in full English. It covers everything to get up and running.

 The RG315M is available in two colours; Matte Black and Space Grey. New to the RG351M is an Aluminium alloy shell, which feels great to hold and looks premium quality.

RG351M Overview

The RG351M measures approximately 5.98 x 2.8 x 0.71 inches and weighs 260 grams. On the front there are dual analogue joysticks which can be used on most of the emulators. They are clickable for two extra buttons. 

If you prefer playing using the D-Pad, it feels very responsive and offers pixel perfect precision. There are SELECT and START buttons and four gaming buttons. On the bottom of the device are Stereo speakers. There is a Micro SD Card slot which contains the EMUELEC operating system and the games. Beside that is a hard reset button.

On the back are Left and Right shoulder and trigger buttons. There are two USB OTG Type-C ports, one is used for charging and the other can be used for connecting external peripherals such as a USB mouse. In the middle is the 3.5mm headphone port. And on the side is the volume dial.

RG351M Technical Specifications

PROCESSOR	RockChip RK3326
CORES:	4
FREQUENCY	1.5Ghz
GPU	Mail G31 MP2
RAM	1GB DDR3L
DISPLAY	3.5″ IPS at 32×240 Resolution
STORAGE	64GB via Micro SD Card
BATTERY	Li-Polymer 3500mAh. Up to 8 hours, depending on usage.
USB	2x USB Type-C
AUDIO	3.5mm Headphone Jack

Operating System

 Once powered up you are straight into the frontend. From here you can navigate the many gaming consoles including all the popular 8-bit systems such as Master System and GameBoy. Right up to more recent systems including Dreamcast, PlayStation and the PSP.

 The menu can be accessed by pressing the Start button and lets you change various settings for the frontend such as themes, game settings and sound. 

 From here you can also connect the Wi-Fi to your access point. With internet access you can Scrape any newly added games for images and text descriptions. You can also download and install any future firmware updates.

Wireless Multiplayer Demo

 Apart from the metal case, the other big change in this model is the inclusion of Wi-Fi connectivity. This allows you to host or join multiplayer games over the internet with fellow RG351 users.

The only requirements are that you use the same supported emulator and ROM file for compatibility. The multiplayer works great and is great playing with friends over the net during lockdown!

RG351M Emulation Tests

 The RG series of handhelds by Anbernic have run all the popular 8 and 16 bit systems near on perfectly for some time. So we won’t cover systems such as the Mega Drive, SNES, Neo Geo etc in great detail. They all run great and you should not have any issues enjoying these systems. Instead we will concentrate on the more recent systems.

 Staring off with the Nintendo 64. Overall N64 emulation is well supported. You may experience some occasional slow down or graphics artefacts, but overall games are playable.

 The Capcom Play System 3 works great and I did not experience any issues. These games are now playable on the RG351M mostly thanks to the larger amount of memory and faster processor found on this handheld.

 PlayStation emulation is vastly improved over the older RG350 series again thanks to the processor and the emulator used. More games are compatible and also run at faster speeds than its predecessor.

 Gameboy Advance looks amazing on the Anbernic RG351M and pretty much all the games I have tried work very well. This handheld is perfect for GBA!

 Dreamcast is still very much a mixed bag depending on which game you are playing. You may need to change some settings here and there to get the best performance.

 Like the Dreamcast, the PSP does have some very playable games but for the more demanding games you will need to tweak some settings to improve performance. Lower demanding games are however very playable and look great on the screen.

 The Nintendo DS does suffer from performance issues depending on which games you are playing. You can see some frame drops on Mario Kart for example. Other less demanding games do work well though.

Summary

The RG351M by Anbernic improves on the original P model with a great premium feeling aluminium alloy case and Wi-Fi connectivity built in. Other than these two factors, both models perform pretty much identically the same. 

 So the choice between the two models comes down to having a plastic or metal case and easy wireless connectivity. Personally I would choose this M model as the case is well weighted and feels great to hold. And the internet connectivity is perfect for playing with friends online, as well as adding and updating new games.

 Whichever model you decide on, you can be assured that the RG351 series are great handhelds sitting at the top of a mass of many other retro handhelds. It also has very good support in terms of custom firmware such as ARKOS if that is something you are interested in.

Where to buy RG351M

Thanks for giving our RG351M review a quick look. If you would like to purchase an RG351M of your own, you can buy an RG351M here, or click the link at the bottom of the page. And do check out our range of retro gaming handhelds, there is something for everyone.