Is this the smallest self-contained Linux gaming device in use on GOL today? (Really, does anyone know?)

!Anbernic RG Nano - Bite-sized gaming!
Bite-sized gaming!

Having always wanted a true keychain console ever since the Game Boy micro (which was just a bit too big for that use-case - I know, I tried ), I just picked up an Anbernic RG Nano - it's a fully-functional Linux emulation-box on a keyring. It's got a metal shell (I went for the magenta one, which is quite red-looking, but blue and an odd colour that's officially described as purple but looks more like a dark-grey are also available), a 1.5" 240x240 IPS LCD that looks REALLY nice, a surprisingly punchy little speaker, a 1050mAh lithium-polymer battery, and a 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A7 CPU paired with 64MB of DDR2 RAM.

It's a clone of the FunKey S (which is styled after the clamshell Game Boy Advance SP, rather than the classic Game Boy like the RG Nano is, but is similarly-sized when open, though has shallower controls), but otherwise it's more-or-less the same other than the Nano having a bigger battery.

!Anbernic RG Nano - Smol.
Smol.

As I've found to be the norm with Anbernic devices, you're better off using custom firmware instead of what it comes with, so I'm using the one by DrUm78 ("FunKey-sdcard-DrUm78_RG_Nano.img"). Obviously, this is still built upon the original FunKey OS, but it's just that bit nicer and more up-to-date. Also as is typical of Anbernic, it's really well-built and the controls are really good (though some misinputs on such a tiny d-pad are inevitable at times entirely due to its size).

Though it can handle games up to the SNES and some PlayStation (apparently some games slow down and stutter a lot, and of course the device lacks L2 and R2 buttons and any analogue-sticks), where it excels is with games originally designed for handhelds - particularly 1990s handhelds that had resolutions like 160x144 and thereabouts, whose visuals and fonts are very readable on small displays, accordingly. That said, old home-consoles like the NES work well too, since fitting 256x240 into a 240x240 display by the various means the console provides isn't especially offensive.

Aside from stuff designed for handheld play in the first place, it's also quite a good fit for games, usually shooters, with caravan modes - short 2 to 5 minute experiences that are purely about reaching as high of a score as possible. Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge is another example of this, though Star Fox Super Weekend Competition is a no-go as it really needs controls that're slightly bigger than these to be practical (though the RG Nano ran it fairly well, albeit slightly inaccurately; I have yet to set up PicoArch, so I'll see if that makes a difference to that issue).

A Doom port is available as well, though honestly it's not a game that I think I'd enjoy playing on hardware this tiny and with inputs that aren't really well-suited to it, so I haven't tried it. Likewise, the machine also has media-player functions, but I don't think it's an optimal device for that so I haven't tried that either.

!Anbernic RG Nano - Size-comparison with Steam Deck and Anbernic RG351MP.
Size-comparison with Steam Deck and Anbernic RG351MP.

Pictures don't fully do justice to how tiny and adorable the RG Nano is! It's only 7x4x1.5cm. I'm a lady with small hands, so I can actually game on this device fairly well, though dudes with big hands might only find utility in this one as a "Look! It really works!" conversation-piece, much like those Tiny Arcades keychains that were around a few years ago.

I've only had it for a couple of hours, and I've already fallen in love with it - I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it when waiting around in places where taking something larger like the Steam Deck or even the Anbernic RG351MP isn't practical. As you can see above, both of those machines are absolute giants in comparison!

It's super-cute, and well worth it if you can get one for a good price and know that you have a use for it.

Last edited by Pengling on 23 Jan 2024 at 3:56 pm UTC