Following the reveal of the Anbernic RG Slide earlier this month, we've been patiently waiting for an update on the all-important price and release date of the Android handheld. Fortunately, we haven't had to wait long, with Anbernic confirming a June 20 launch for the Xperia Play-inspired device and a price point of $189.99 in the last 24 hours. For context, that's more than half of the price of the new Nintendo Switch 2, making the RG Slide quite an attractive proposition.
For those who don't know, Anbernic specializes in portable devices, with their consoles often taking inspiration from some of the best retro handhelds, such as the Game Boy Advance-style Anbernic RG35XXSP. Now that it's cornered the market on Nintendo-inspired nostalgia, Anbernic is seemingly going after those who grew up playing games on Sony hardware instead, with the RG Slide looking like a combination of the Xperia Play gaming phone, which I had and loved, and the PSP Go. Yes, as the name suggests, it's got a sliding display.
In terms of the RG Slide's specs, it's a pretty impressive piece of kit for the sub-$200 price point. It boasts a six-hour battery life, according to Anbernic at least, plus a 4.7-inch sliding LTPS IPS display, 8GB of RAM, and a Unisoc T820 chip that should be capable of running the best Android games. Those specs mean it should be more than capable of running games like Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail, provided you're not pushing the settings to the maximum. In terms of colorways, the RG Slide is available in black or white, so it's up to you which is your preference.
Anbernic isn't the only hardware brand experimenting with some fancy form factors, with Ayaneo revealing the Flip 1S DS in the last few days. However, that's a PC handheld, much like the Steam Deck OLED or Asus ROG Ally. With that in mind, the Flips 1S DS is likely to be much more expensive than the RG Slide, which won't be quite as capable in terms of performance. For $189.99, though, you can't argue with the specs, and better still, there's a $10 discount on offer for early birds who pick up the device through the official Anbernic site for a limited time.
Given that the launch of the Anbernic RG Slide is just a day away, we'll be eager to get our hands on the device to see how it handles all the top picks from our guide to the best mobile games. Still, if you're looking for a console with a bit more performance firepower, be sure to check out our Nintendo Switch 2 review while you're here, or see our guide to the best handheld consoles.