What you need to know
- In a brief video, Anbernic announced its latest gaming handheld, the RG477M.
- This marks the first Anbernic handheld with a metal shell to be released since the RG405M in 2023.
- Other details are scarce, but there's a good chance it features similar specs to the RG557.
In the time that Anbernic last launched a handheld with a metal shell, the company has released 22 different retro and Android gaming handhelds. That streak will soon be broken, as the RG477M was announced in a 21-second video published to Anbernic's YouTube channel.
The company didn't provide any further details besides showing off some quick B-roll footage. This confirmed the metal shell along with the button, joystick, and D-pad placement. And although it wasn't mentioned, it's safe to assume that the joysticks will have RGB lighting, based on the close-up shots in the video.
However, based on Anbernic's history, there are a few gaps we can try to fill just from the name. With only a couple of exceptions, the majority of Anbernic handhelds carry a naming scheme of "RGXXYZZ," and are broken down as such:
- XX - Screen Size
- Y - Processor
- ZZ - Version
So, looking at the RG477M, Anbernic's next handheld will feature a 4.7-inch screen. The "7" likely denotes a more powerful chip, such as the RG557, making use of the MediaTek Dimensity 8300. And the "M" simply denotes that it will feature a metal shell.
Provided that Anbernic doesn't throw a curveball, it's pretty safe to assume that the RG477M will feature similar internals to those of the RG557. In addition to the Dimensity 8300, the RG557 includes 12GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.
One interesting tidbit to note is that the Anbernic RG Slide from June features a 4.7-inch IPS display, complete with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1280x960 resolution. It wouldn't come as any surprise if Anbernic ended up using the same panel from the RG Slide in the forthcoming RG477M.
That being said, we probably won't have to wait very long to learn more about what Anbernic has been working on. Once the initial teaser video is released, the company usually trickles out more information on a semi-rapid pace, leading up to pre-orders being made available. Given that retro and Android handhelds with metal shells don't come around very often, I'll be keeping a close eye on the launch of the RG477M.
