After its PS Vita homage, Anbernic is now recreating the iconic Game Boy Advance SP
Anbernic is no stranger to paying homage to classic handheld form factors. In recent months, we’ve seen the RG Vita and the RG DS, inspired by the PS Vita and Nintendo DS, respectively. Now, it’s recreating another legend in the form of the Anbernic RG SP, which, as the name suggests, is modeled on the Game Boy Advance SP.
Just a couple of years shy of two and a half decades after its original launch, the Game Boy Advance SP is widely viewed as one of the best retro handhelds. It makes sense, then, that Anbernic would want to copy Nintendo’s notes for its RG series, with this Linux handheld mirroring the clamshell design and button layout of the clamshell SP. It comes in four metallic colors: pink, teal, grey, and black.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first SP-style handheld we’ve seen from Anbernic. In 2024, we saw the release of the RG35XX SP, followed by the RG34XX SP last year, which featured joysticks as well as the classic d-pad controls. The RG SP looks to be the most authentic homage to the SP so far, though, thanks to its slim profile, 3.4-inch display, and refined bezels compared to Anbernic’s SP copycats.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any release date or pricing information for the Anbernic RG SP just yet, aside from a 2026 launch window. We’re also waiting on battery specs, which we’d expect Anbernic to detail in the build-up to the release. However, the video trailer below confirms that the handheld packs an H700 chip, just like the RG34XX SP. If you want to keep up with the latest, we’d recommend checking out the brand’s official YouTube channel for any updates.
The upcoming launch of the RG SP follows the Anbernic RG Rotate, based on the classic Motorola FlipOut phone. It leaves us wondering what the Chinese brand might pay tribute to next, with plenty of classic handheld designs still on the table. Personally, I’d love to see something inspired by the Nokia N-Gage or the Sega Game Gear, but we’ll have to wait and see.
