Anbernic RG Rotate Lands With Swivelling Screen
Retro gaming fans in England have a new handheld to watch, as Anbernic has launched the RG Rotate, a compact device built around a swivelling screen rather than the usual candy bar layout. It is a fresh bit of hardware design, and it puts the focus on the feel of the machine as much as the games it can run.
According to Time Extension, the RG Rotate costs £87.99 and is aimed more at physical innovation than a simple spec bump. The 3.5-inch IPS display rotates to reveal the controls, and the closed unit is said to be about the size of a Game Boy Advance SP, which should suit pocket carry well.
The handheld comes in two versions, a Polar Black model with a plastic body and painted aluminium screen frame, and an Aurora Silver version with an all-aluminium build. The metal model costs about £20 more, although the source suggests the extra spend may not be worth it for most buyers.
There are some sensible design touches here too. The hinge is described as sturdy, the screen has a 720x720 resolution, and the square panel is a strong fit for older systems such as Game Boy, Game Boy Colour, NES, SNES, and original PlayStation games. It is also a neat match for PICO-8, while the Unisoc T618 chip and 3GB of RAM should give it enough power for lighter modern retro use.
That said, Anbernic has made a few compromises. There are no analogue sticks, which keeps the device compact but limits it for stick-heavy games. Audio is handled by a single rear speaker, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack, and sound output depends on USB-C accessories or Bluetooth, with some lag reported over Bluetooth headphones.
The RG Rotate ships with Android 12 and the Google Play Store, so it is not just for emulation. It can also run touchscreen apps and casual games, even with the device closed. Battery life is rated at around five hours from a 2,000mAh cell, which sounds fine for shorter sessions, but less so for longer trips. For readers following Anbernic news, the news tag is the best place to keep up with more handheld coverage.
