Anbernic’s Reimagining Of The Switch Lite Goes On Sale August 31

Anbernic seems to be steadily recreating Nintendo’s legendary portfolio of gaming handhelds, with the latest being a remake of the Switch Lite. Anbernic revealed the RG 55G1 and its spec sheet back in June, but has now revealed the release date and price range for its horizontal handheld that’s even cheaper than Nintendo’s budget device. The RG 55G1 will be available to order on August 31, starting at 6AM ET/3AM PT.

While it might bear a lot of resemblance to the Switch Lite, the RG 55G1 runs on Android 14 and is designed for emulating retro games. More surprisingly, Anbernic has opted for the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 chip, marking the handheld maker’s first time using Qualcomm hardware for its handhelds. With the exact same processor as the Retroid Pocket Classic, the RG 55G1 should handle emulating up to PS2 or Wii games. Like the Switch Lite, Anbernic went with a 5.5-inch display though with a higher 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. However, the RG 55G1 differentiates itself with two symmetrical Hall effect joysticks and a battery life of up to eight hours.

Those interested will have the option between black, indigo and retro gray colorways, but also a choice between a 4GB memory and 64GB storage model or one with 8GB memory and 128GB storage. The RG 55G1 has a starting retail price of $150, but can cost up to $225 for the top spec model that comes with an extra 256GB microSD card. Anbernic is also offering a $10 off promotion for the first three days that the RG 55G1 goes on sale.