Anbernic will ship RG DDS handheld starting December 10

Anbernic will begin gradually shipping its RG DDS handheld on December 10, 2026, with pre-orders open directly from the company.

Anbernic said on October 9, 2026 that it calls the RG DDS the Dream Dual-Screen, describing its clamshell design as inspired by Nintendo‘s New 3DS family. TweakTown said on October 10, 2026 that the device sits above the RG DS and RG DS Plus as Anbernic’s most capable clamshell yet. The new model replaces the Rockchip RK3568 processor found in earlier Anbernic dual-screen handhelds with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G2 Gen 2. Anbernic said on October 9, 2026 that the RG DDS uses displays with different aspect ratios that closely match Nintendo’s original 3DS arrangement, and that the dual-screen layout keeps maps and menus below the main action rather than squeezing both views onto one display.

The RG DDS pairs a 4.7-inch upper screen at 1200 × 720 pixels with a 4-inch lower touchscreen at 960 × 720 pixels, and both IPS panels carry ratings of 500 nits brightness and roughly 300 PPI. The upper display renders the 3DS’s 400 × 240 per-eye image at 3x integer scale, while the lower display shows its 320 × 240 touchscreen image at the same scale. TweakTown called the custom IPS displays purpose-built for 3DS emulation on October 10, 2026.

Anbernic fitted a 6,000mAh battery, up from the RG DS Plus’s 4,000mAh, to give more reserve power to the processor and dual displays, though no official battery-life estimate has been announced. The device includes an active cooling system to help manage heat during gaming sessions. Memory options are 8GB with 128GB storage or 12GB with 256GB storage, and both versions have a microSD card slot supporting up to 2TB of extra storage.

Connectivity and software include Android 16, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, 1080p display output, a six-axis gyroscope and a 3.5mm audio jack. Anbernic said the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 can emulate more than just 3DS titles. TweakTown noted on October 10, 2026 that the chipset is the same one found in the Retroid Pocket G2, putting it a step above the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the AYN Thor.

For Nintendo DS-focused players, the RG DS Plus uses the Rockchip RK3568 processor and dual 4.3-inch displays. The RG DDS adds a larger upper display and the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 processor.

The handheld includes a retractable stylus stored inside, two full-sized analog sticks, shoulder buttons, a four-button layout and front-firing stereo speakers. It also has dual full-sized analogue sticks and a Z-axis linear vibration motor for haptic feedback. A bottom-screen touchpad acts as a trackpad for the upper screen, and a lower Dual Screen Control Centre places performance, cooling, brightness and volume controls on the lower screen.

On October 9, 2026, reporting said the retractable stylus suits games that alternate between physical controls and touchscreen input, with players using the D-pad and face buttons for movement and the stylus for precision. The same coverage said the two analog sticks, shoulder buttons and four-button layout accommodate games that benefit from extra analog input, including titles originally designed for later Nintendo 3DS hardware.

Anbernic’s AI Game Workshop uses cloud and on-device AI models to create HTML5 games (browser-based games built on the web standard), with the player’s written text determining the game’s rules, controls and style. Anbernic said, “AI Game Workshop uses AI models in the cloud and on the device itself to create HTML5 games.” A dedicated AI button provides game guides, gameplay strategies and real-time translation during play. The system also includes an AI assistant that can search the internet for solutions when a player gets stuck, along with automatic translation of text shown on screen.

The RG DDS will run Android 16, so customers can use the many emulator apps available, Anbernic said. The device has no glasses-free 3D graphics, unlike the original 3DS, and Anbernic has not advertised glasses-free stereoscopic 3D support. Actual Nintendo 3DS emulation performance will depend on the game, emulator and settings, and the announced specifications alone do not guarantee smooth gameplay at 3x rendering resolution. Touchscreen response and game compatibility for the RG DDS had not been established as of October 9, 2026.

Sources dispute the pricing. Anbernic set the RG DDS at $299.99 with a temporary pre-order discount of $284.99, while Time Extension lists prices starting from $284.99. TweakTown suggested a price around $200 lower than the Retroid Pocket Duo. Engadget said on October 17, 2026 that the price is almost double that of the original Nintendo 3DS.

The RG DDS will come in Glacier White, Basalt Black and Phantom Blue, and it has been shown in black, white and blue. Pre-orders are open directly from Anbernic with a temporary discount.