For those of you saying that the Odin 2 wins over these... well of course it does. These two were pitted against each other because of their close price points and varied features.
Definitely some fanboys, but there is definitely a gap in the market between 200 and 300 USD where a device could go that’s highlighted by the gap in performance and price between these 2 (or I guess 3) devices. A 556V2 or Pro version with better sticks and a better chip (at least D1100 or higher) would slot in nicely between those 2 tiers.
@@Healthy_Toki I think Odin 3 will probably have it if the MiniLED on the Mini is well received. It doesn’t need a new chip at this point so the last major upgrade would be the screen which is already pretty good for a LCD panel to be fair.
RG556 for me. You can replace the sticks with gulikit ones if they're that bad. Can't replace the rp4pro screen. Also, not mentioned in the video - the 556 has way better battery life than the rp4pro! It's like Techdweeb says. The amount of games which the rp4pro can play that the 556 can't? Pretty tiny. But everything you do play on the 556 will feel a lot better
Ngl this is the comment thats making me choose the 556 over the retroid . wanna get these for my 6 and 7 year old as christmas gifts and having swappable gulikit sticks seems like a great way to extend the life of this device . if the kids can get two/three years out of these I'm sold .
Great vid, I've been thinking on these 2 for a while now and the rundown helps. One thing I'd add for future showdowns is battery life. It was the one thing I was looking for that wasn't there
@@mikeyneeleymaybe firmware updates improved the device, or maybe they made it worse. The shoulder triggers might have failed because of bad springs. Many things could have happened
0:41... I like that the refree is Russ from Retrocorps 😂😂😂 Like "yeah the man is the proper authority to refree this fight". It was a nice tribute to the absolute youtube leader of this platform. It was a tasteful touch you added this joke man, I just subscribed but I like your chill and humorous reviews. Keep it up. I found your channel trying to find more reviews about the RG20SX btw, in case this helps you build the channel and the audience.
A battle-to-the-death with Retro Game Russ as the referee and TechDweeb as the announcer, I am seeing a multi-million $$$ idea here! I always love the tiny details in your videos. As much as I typically make purchase decisions based on raw power, I would probably buy the RG556 here due to the comfort factor and superior screen.
I went with RG556. Not a big fan of the face buttons or sticks, but may change those out anyways to SNES style buttons and hal joysticks. Picked it up for $150 from AliExpress.
I own the RG556. You’re on point on everything you mentioned. The 556 feels and looks great. Even Netflix looks amazing on that oled screen. However, I always find myself tinkering the settings to get a functional game and sometimes it falls short depending on the game I’m playing. With that said, I am eyeing for a sale on the rp4. It may not have the eye candy screen of the 556, but the extra power does help. I would rather play more than spending time under hood to make it play smoother.
I bought RG556 for its oled screen, it looks sick as well… it can turn to multimedia device to watch netflix as well when you are on a long rail travel .. also xcloud works great and games look good too on the screen .. For something portable i have rg35xxH for shorter visits to kill time if needed.. all sorted for now i think .. RP4 pro with oled might excite me to buy tht later
I picked up a RP2S as a pocketable companion to my Steam Deck OLED with confidence that I picked the perfect device, and I was close. I loved everything about it except for the screen size. I played it for about 2 weeks and decided the eye strains and headaches I was getting from staring at the screen wasn’t worth it, so I’m selling it and put a little more money down for an RP4P because I fell in love with the buttons and overall feel. I was worried about the size not being able to fit in my pocket as well as the RP2S did, but it’s honestly not bad. It’s only slightly longer, so I don’t mind keeping it in my pocket all day. Plus, this bad boi can play the majority of PS2, GC, and up to 5X resolution for PSP so I’m happy. This is the biggest deciding factor for me. If I want the most power, ergonomics, and screen, it’s gonna be the Steam Deck OLED. Otherwise as a companion or alternative, I want something as powerful and comfortable as possible that also fits in and out of my pocket with ease. If it doesn’t fit in my pocket and if it’s not budget friendly, I would rather just play the SDOLED. Everyone has a preference, and a budget, but ultimately, the less devices you have that all cover what you want, the happier you’ll be. That’s how I feel anyway. Solid video man!
The main thing that stopped me getting the RP4 Pro at first was the stick placement, but after putting some decent caps on and using it a while I gotta say, it's absolutely fine.
After looking at specs. Rp4 pro is faster than rg556 in real world performance and synthetic performance. AnTuTu 10: Unisoc T820 492038 MediaTek Dimensity 1100 +59% 786669 Geekbench 6 Single Core: Unisoc T820 764 MediaTek Dimensity 1100 +44% 1107 Geekbench 6 Multi Core: Unisoc T820 2301 MediaTek Dimensity 1100 +44% 3332 FP32 (float): Unisoc T820 435 MediaTek Dimensity 1100 +125% 979 If you want something that last long. RP4 Pro. If you want something comfortable but its decent. Get the RG556.
Great vid as always, all of your content is so well put and fun to watch! As of my take, I would pick rg556 anyday, just better gaming experience (for me).
556 would be a slam dunk with slightly better controls, and matching or slightly better processor than Rp4. Could probably do for same price or 10-15 more, and would but it today, it is so close to hitting the sweet spot for handheld gaming, with a lot of the buyers of these devices being older, a bigger screen is just about required, except being older we like to have the best in class.
The value category really depends on where you live and whoever wants to buy one of these really needs to take a look and compare the prices. Where I live, Retroid themselves won't ship any of their products. I had to look for both of these consoles in AliExpress because they were the only ones who could ship them here. I picked the Anbernic RG556 not only because of everything you said, which is true and it is a fantastic comparison, but also because I was able to get the Anbernic at $156 usd, The cheapest I could get a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro was at a whopping $242.43 usd. Both of them with free shipping. I don't have a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro and I love the previous Retroids, but it's probably not worth picking the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro over the Anbernic RG556 when the price difference is close to a $100 usd.
556 wins for me easily I'm only interested a a couple ps2 games. Mostly nnds or ps1. And streaming from ps5 and pc. Oled screen and battery life make it a clean winner for me. I've ordered one and will do the stick fix when it arrives
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 I believe that those with smaller hands may be able to endure the torture for longer. Joking aside, it all comes down to the placement of the left analog stick. If you plan to play games that require it, then the Retroid option should be avoided like the plague.
I debated these 2 for a min. Ultimately got the rp4 pro and glad I did. Wrong grip came at first so first 2 weeks I got uses to it even with my gorilla hands. And now I have the grip and it is just super. The portability and just product build is what sold the rp4 pro for me. It just feels very premium and right for what I was looking for.
I went for the RP4 Pro for it's better portability. I've found if a device is too big, I never bring it anywhere and it collects a lot of dust. My Odin Pro is proof of that.
The RP4 pro has been the best gaming purchase i have made in years. i havent touched my ps5 or series x in a month or two. Just having everything up to and including PS2 and gamecube in my hand and on the go is amazing!
I have the RP4 Pro and I love it, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if I got the RG556 instead. The optional grips for the Retroid help a lot with ergonomics as well. At the end of the day the real winner is all of us!
While I tend to agree with your final decision, but I felt from ultimate cheapness but close enough performance that the 556 would have been what I purchased as my first and probably only Android Handheld if money was tight! Sadly here in the UK the prices between the 556 and the 4Pro are pretty big, the 4Pro being 28% more expensive even with the best discounts I could find.
I've been playing my RP4 Pro a bunch lately for PSP. Even though my Odin 2 Pro or steam deck plays them great as well, I prefer playing PSP on the RP4 Pro because it feels closer in size to an actual PSP so it feels more right to me personally. And the controls are amazing bigger screen size and resolution is great too. And it runs every PSP game I've thrown at with no problems regardless of upscaling and shaders and all that.
Can’t get myself to want either one when the Odin 2 has been tops for me. Pair that w my new RG28XX that I’m bringing on tour w me, and I think I’m set now.
I really wanted a 556, but those sticks really threw me for a loop and I already have the RP4P with the grip, which is ALMOST the same thing. If only something existed that was a combination of both with a bit more power.. The Odin 2 Mini (which I'm super excited for) is close, outside of ergonomics (as far as I can tell in pictures), but is also almost double the cost of either option. I'm convinced we will have THE $200 device by the end of the year! 💚
The grips helped me with the RP4P's er-GO-nomics. If I'm playing something with analog controls the grips are on... Shame their official case isn't compatible with the grips on.
A big desire of mine for a retro handheld is to have a nice big screen (otherwise I might as well use my Android phone), and my budget is around $200, so after watching all the reviews on the RG556 and the RP4 Pro, I decided to go with the RG556. I was really interested in N64 emulation, since that console has max nostalgia for me. Unfortunately, the analog sticks are truly as bad as they say. I tried playing Goldeneye, but it was impossible to aim properly. I then hooked up an Xbox One controller, and then I had no issues aiming in the game. In Banjo Kazooie, it was difficult to navigate tight platforming challenges. I was also disappointed in the "dockability" of the handheld, since you cannot charge the battery and use the external display capability at the same time (I tried it with two separate docks, and you can check the forums to see others have reported the same issue). If you are doing light emulation, then the battery may last long enough for a decent docked play session, but I just didn't find it to be an acceptable way to dock the console. I will say that the screen is beautiful, and I found the other controls on the console to be perfectly adequate. Emulation performance up to N64 worked without problems, although some shaders even on NES struggled to run smoothly when docked. I think if you don't need precise analog control, and you don't plan to dock the console often, then it may be a good pick for you. This was my first dip into the waters of handheld emulators, and I have since returned the RG556 to Aliexpress. I now think I'll just save up a bit more and wait for Steam Deck refurbs to go on sale again and snatch up a 64 GB model. Anyway, even though it didn't work out for me, thanks for the reviews TechDweeb!
I'll throw my tuppence into the ring: last year I bought a RP3+, which was good but didn't have the performance for PS2 level emulation. Soon after the RP4 was announced along with the 556. I went with the 556. Great device, except for the sticks. However it does struggle with some Game Cube and PS2 titles. Recently I bought the Odin 2 Pro. That does everything I want and more. In retrospect I wish I had just bought one in the first place, rather than spend out on 556 and 3+.
I just picked up the PR4 Pro, I have an ODIN 2, so if I need SILLY POWER, I have it. I don't like my Odin 2, it's too big and cumbersome. Also it hurts to play for more than 30 minutes. I wanted something smaller and I don't really play wide screen games, save for PSP, which the RP4 Pro can play God of War at 4x which is more than the screen resolution, that I'm happy with that. Also, the dock for the RP4 Pro fits my GPD Win 4, that thing is IMPOSSIBLE to find docks for since it's a fat boy, fatter than even the big handheld consoles out there. So, yay points there. Which means I can retire my GPD Win Max 2 as my entertainment PC, since it's a little big. I love it but it's taking up too much desk space. Though, OLED is nice, since it gives you near infinite screen resolutions.
I ended up selling my RP3+ in favor of the RG505. The screen was beautiful and the device just felt better to hold and play. I imagine it’d be the same comparison here.
@@TechDweeb The RP4p is actually pocketable. The Anbernic RG 556 is not. Huge difference. Your comparison makes as much sense as comparing the Anbernic RG 405M against the AYN Odin Lite. Both similar priced and close in performance, but massively different size and comfort. If you want ergonomics, sure the Anbernic RG 556 is better in bed, but then even better is the AYN Odin2, and even better than that is a ReFurbished SteamDeck, and even better than that is a brand new Valve SteamDeck OLED or ASUS ROG Ally X or the Ayaneo Kun. See how that logic works?
No, because the main attribute that has him pitting these devices is price. That's the primary metric - not size, not pocketability. Those are attributes to compare, but price is what puts them in the same category to compare against each other in the first place. Very fair to compare these, and it's a question many ask when looking within this price bracket, RG556 vs rp4pro. Also, 556 is more comfortable in bed than odin 2
@@ekinteko I think the whole point is that these devices have comparable specs and aren’t that much different in price. Comparing these to an Ayaneo Kun or Steam Deck doesn’t make as much sense because those are both a lot more expensive. So that would not be super logical, yeah. I guess it’s lucky he’s not actually making that comparison 😝. I don’t see how comparing the rp4p and the rg556 doesn’t make sense, though. A lot of people are wondering how these compare to each other, which is why this video even exists. I’m sure if plenty of people ask “should I buy an ayaneo kun or an rg405m” then there would be comparison videos of those, too. But I dunno, not many people ask that.
@@crystal_is_cozy I get your point, but he has totally misunderstood the point of these devices. They have different target audiences. The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, is about having the best emulation experience in a device that is pocketable. The Anbernic RG 556, is about making an acceptable device in this under USD $200 (low-cost) segment. So out goes pocketability. Out goes software support. Out goes many other improvements and features it could have had. It's hard not to see the RG 556 as a kneejerk reaction by Anbernic to Retroid and the affordable Pocket 4. Anbernic is a very different company to Retroid. While Retroid is making roughly one device per year, Anbernic does a dozen or more. And it's this throw at the wall and see what sticks approach that truly differentiates them. Retroid was a ragtag team of enthusiasts from around the world from the Retroid 1 to the late-2, but they consolidated their team and headquarters in China back in 2021 and released the long awaited 2+. Around that time they were working on the Retroid Pocket 3, and delayed that device by almost a year, since they got acquired, and now have a parent company from AYN. The team that worked and continue working on the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, they have stuck with their core values. Meanwhile, Anbernic also have a parent company, PowKiddy, and they themselves are a small division of that who focus on higher-priced yet higher-quality products. Yes, Anbernic is just another Generic Chinese Company that "borrows" things from other companies (see Hardkernel). Then they repackage their clones, as their traditional business model. So they have vastly different core values. Historically they have overcharged for this service, gotten away with it too because this is a niche, and retro-enthusiasts have championed them for a lack of options. But they're not alone anymore, and Anbernic is not happy. They finally do have competition in the market, as they're no longer the premium go-to brand. Anbernic is relatively new for offering an AndroidOS system and higher resolution screen and faster processors. They feel much more at home when doing low-cost, low-resolution, Linux-based devices. Stuff like the Anbernic RG 353m (and the like) are really their best products.
To some of us, these devices are still too pricey. Today, everyone and their grandma agrees the best device below 100 bucks is the rows, which costs 99 bucks. Plus shipping. Plus of course you'll add only 20 bucks for the 4 gig model, as it's more than 20 bucks better. So, we're getting quite a bit beyond the 100 bucks territory. What about the rg505? I think that device deserves revisiting as well. It should be a decent device methinks, but how badly it was beaten by rp3plus, today it's priced darn close to that rp2s. Maybe a video idea for the more budget oriented gamers?
I know the RP4 Pro is better, but I prefer the RG556. It's just far too comfortable to use and the triggers don't seem to be inherently flawed. Sure, the RG556 has some not so great joysticks but honestly it's been perfectly fine for me for GameCube and PS2.
I love everything about the RG556. Its ergonomics, that gorgeous big screen, the great price/performance ratio. But those awful thumbsticks are a deal breaker. It's a classic example of these handhelds being awesome but they just have to have at least one glaring flaw that spoils it. As for the RP4Pro, great performance, great controls, but it's not comfortable to hold and the screen is too small. It's also a lot pricier than the RG556. At its price point, you really have to consider if you should just pay more and move up to an Odin 2. If the RG556 had the RP4Pro's thumbsticks, it'd be game over for Retroid.
My ideal handheld would be a small pocket controller or pocket box with built-in hardware that can connect to my phone. In a sense I want to carry a kinda mini pc that can simply plug or wirelessly connect to my phone.
I was also on the fence on what to get the rp4 pro or rg556 . I went with the rg556 and been playing it for the past 3 weeks . I gotta say I have thrown everything to it and has played nearly everything I wanted . The rp4 pro is slightly faster as heard but rg556 can play most popular games from the ps2 , GameCube Dreamcast and Saturn and lower era .
What a shame, the ambernics screen really has my heart but not willing to get such a broken product. Hopefully more devices start using oleds in the near future. Controls are probably my most important category since 100% of usage is going to be interacting with them. Display comss second.
I feel like the pros and cons of each of these feel backwards. The 556 has the far better screen and ergonomics for long gameplay and playing more modern systems, but its chipset is noticeably weaker than RP4Pro so it can’t run things like GC and PS2 at upscaled resolution like the Pocket 4 Pro can. The Retroid has the stronger chip for better gameplay, but it’s far smaller overall and the ergonomics suffer as a result (particularly the symmetrical analog sticks). Basically if you could swap chips that would’ve been near perfect as the pocket 4 would make more sense as the shorter impromptu gameplay that doesn’t need the most powerful chip. I think the 556V2 has a lot of potential, improving the shell case material, sticks, and adding the D1100 chip would help it tremendously, and all are easily obtainable parts. The retroid seems like they want to stay with the form factor size, so I suppose if it could have an improved screen and I’d like the sticks offset personally. There is definitely a gap between these ~$200 handhelds that can do almost all GC/PS2 and then the big jump to the $300 Odin 2 which can do everything. Perhaps 556V2 or a pro version with the added improvements could fit in nicely at that $220-250 price point.
