Anbernic has just revealed the Anbernic RG DDS, a clamshell dual-screen handheld that looks so much like a New Nintendo 3DS that you’d be forgiven for doing a double take, and it’s packing a Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chip, two high-resolution screens and a built-in stylus.
There’s no price and no release date yet, but the spec sheet is already doing the rounds, and it’s pretty obvious who Anbernic is gunning for here. So is this the 3DS emulation machine we’ve been waiting for, or just a very shiny piece of cosplay? Let me explain.
Is the Anbernic RG DDS Just a New 3DS in Disguise?
Looks-wise, honestly, pretty much, as Time Extension points out, the buttons are designed to mimic the New 3DS, and the blue, white and black colour options lean right into that, though there’s no glasses-free 3D anywhere in sight.
The name reportedly stands for “Dream Dual Screen”, which is a lovely bit of branding for something that also happens to be one letter away from a certain Nintendo product… I’m sure that’s a total coincidence!
Here’s what’s been revealed so far, pulled together from reports by Retro Dodo, GamesRadar and Retro Handhelds:
- Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, with an Adreno A22 GPU and Turnip driver support
- Top screen: 4.7-inch, 1200×720, 5:3 aspect ratio
- Bottom screen: 4-inch, 960×720, 4:3 aspect ratio
- Brightness: 500 nits on both screens
- Battery: 6,000mAh
- Extras: an integrated extendable stylus, two full thumbsticks, front-firing speakers, a linear vibration motor, microSD and USB-C
- Colours: blue, white and black
- RAM, price and release date: not announced yet
Why Does That 3x Scaling Actually Matter?
This is the bit emulation nerds will genuinely care about, both screens are exactly three times the resolution of the original 3DS displays (400×240 on top, 320×240 on the bottom), which means 3DS games can be scaled up perfectly with integer scaling, no blurry stretching, no shimmering pixels, just clean, crisp… 3DS-ness!
It’s worth being realistic about DS games though, because those run at 256×192 per screen, and that doesn’t divide neatly into 960×720, so they won’t get quite the same pixel-perfect treatment unless you’re happy with a little border or a touch of filtering. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing if you’re mostly a DS person, isn’t it?
Quick NoteThere’s a dedicated “AI” button sitting roughly where the 3DS camera used to be, and nobody seems to know what it’s actually for yet. Retro Dodo’s writer has already threatened to cover it with tape, which, honestly, feels like the correct response!
Can It Take On the Retroid Pocket Duo?
That’s clearly the plan, Retro Handhelds is already calling it a potential Retroid Pocket Duo rival, and GamesRadar reckons it’s meant to undercut Retroid while offering a similar experience, with the cheaper Retroid Pocket Duo Lite sitting at $149.
The problem is, without a price we can’t actually call it. Anbernic’s existing RG DS sits at around $100, and GamesRadar is guessing the RG DDS lands somewhere near $200, but that’s a guess, not an announcement, so take it with a big pinch of salt.
If we are going down the speculation rabbit hole, I personally don’t see it dropping for less than $180. Tech is getting expensive, but anything even remotely associated with gaming is getting even more expensive, even peripherals!
Should You Wait for the Anbernic RG DDS?
If you’re shopping for a dual-screen handheld to “legally” play your own 3DS backups on, yes, I’d hold off on buying anything else for a few weeks. The 3x screens alone make this the most 3DS-friendly design we’ve seen in a while, and if Anbernic prices it sensibly, it could make some rivals look very expensive very quickly.
But better than the competition on paper and actually worth the money are two different things, and we still don’t know the RAM, the price, or how well the software holds up. Wait for reviews, trust you me!
And if you’d rather stick with the real thing, our guide to homebrewing your 3DS in 2026 is still right here, no mystery AI button required!
FAQ
What is the Anbernic RG DDS?
The Anbernic RG DDS is a clamshell dual-screen handheld styled after the New Nintendo 3DS, with a Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chip, a 4.7-inch top screen and a 4-inch bottom screen.
How much does the Anbernic RG DDS cost?
Anbernic hasn’t announced a price or release date yet. Some outlets have guessed around $200, but that’s speculation.
Can the Anbernic RG DDS play 3DS games?
It’s built for 3DS emulation, with both screens at exactly three times the original 3DS resolution, but we’ll need hands-on testing before saying how well games actually run.
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