Revisit your favorite Nintendo DS games on this affordable Android clamshell

The Nintendo DS was a groundbreaking console when it launched more than two decades ago, but there are vanishingly few ways to play DS games on modern hardware. ANBERNIC is here to change that with the RG DS, and it’s now available for pre-order at a surprisingly low price.

With two 4-inch IPS displays and a clamshell form factor, the RG DS is roughly the same physical size as the Nintendo DSi LL, but features two additional sticks on either side of the bottom screen. The screens themselves have a resolution of 640×480, which is higher than the original consoles, but doesn’t offer perfect integer scaling. In other words, some games with pixel graphics may look a little off to the discerning eye.

The device is powered by an RK3568 chipset from Rockchip, confirming the leaks last week. This is a relatively weak chipset for an Android-based handheld like this one, although ANBERNIC has showcased the device running many DS games, and even some 3DS games. That said, it’s likely to be limited to the DraStic emulator, which works well on low-power devices but lacks modern features such as RetroAchievements.

Apart from that, it has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There are no other configurations, so you’ll need to load your games onto an external microSD card if you have a sizeable library.

There are three colorways available: Black & Crimson Red, Turquoise Blue, and Polar White. Each ships with a matching capacitive stylus, although it doesn’t house into the body of the device like a classic DS. It’s also worth noting that the capacitive screen operates differently from the resistive touchscreen on the original, and it may introduce an additional element of input latency.

In any case, pre-orders are open now, with the device costing $93.99 during the pre-order period. Note that this doesn’t include shipping or customs fees, which will bring the total to well over $100. It’s expected to begin shipping before December 15, after which the price will increase to $99.99.

The RG DS joins several other clamshell handhelds released in recent months, such as the AYN Thor and AYANEO Pocket DS. However, those devices cost an order of magnitude more than the ANBERNIC RG DS, starting at $259 and $519. Other affordable options, such as the MagicX Zero 40, can play DS games but lack a clamshell form factor.