Video summary

Нищие китайские портативки - Miyoo Mini Plus, R36S, Anbernic RG35XX Plus

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product(s) reviewed

A comparison of three budget / “modern Chinese” handheld emulation consoles (with custom firmware/emulator support):

  • Miyoo Mini Plus
  • Anbernic RG35XX Plus (RG35XX Plus)
  • Anbernic R36S

The speaker also briefly mentions upcoming clamshell portables (spinoffs in the style of the GBA SP).

Key points, features & performance (common to all three)

  • Emulation coverage: All three can run up to and including the first PlayStation (PS1).
  • Good baseline experience for the price: Emulation isn’t “ideal,” but the speaker frames it as good enough—enjoyable rather than technically perfect.
  • Overall build quality vs older trash consoles: Presented as a major improvement over earlier bad Chinese handhelds (better save states / emulation / build).
  • Hardware/software platform: Essentially Linux-based, using RetroArch / emulation layers via ArkOS / Retro systems (exact naming varies by model).
  • Screens & usability: Generally good screens, solid ergonomics, and USB-C charging.
  • Community firmware/customization: The speaker installs popular custom UI/firmware shells, emphasizing customization and flexibility.

Individual console breakdown

1) Miyoo Mini Plus (MIU Mini Plus)

Price paid (approx.): 5,282 rubles Positioning: “The weakest here,” but still base-quality and becomes cult partly due to clearer naming.

Main pros

  • Best feel/ergonomics and build quality
    • “Excellent buttons”
    • “Top ergonomics”
    • High-quality plastic
  • Onion OS installed (most popular community firmware)
  • Runs the full PS1-era set without exotic requirements
  • Pleasant to hold and use thanks to the plastic/buttons

Main cons

  • For PS1 specifically, benefits would come from higher resolution, but the device doesn’t offer much beyond baseline.
  • As games get heavier, lag/limitations appear earlier than the stronger units.
  • No “advanced tweaks” (e.g., frame skipping / resolution downscaling) are treated as pointless/ineffective here.

User experience notes

  • Out-of-the-box works, but the custom firmware shell improves experience significantly.
  • Loading/config work involves a “solid amount of fart/hellish” Linux/RetroArch fiddling—short, but annoying.

2) Anbernic RG35XX Plus

Price paid (approx.): 7,362 rubles

Positioning: “Most powerful of this bunch,” though assembly isn’t as refined as Miyoo.

Main pros

  • Better UI shell experience
    • Uses the “Basra” shell
    • Includes game cover art and short gameplay video thumbnails
  • Wi‑Fi ROM loading
    • With correct ROMs, can fetch a lot quickly
    • Speaker reports moving about ~1,500 ROMs
    • Speed isn’t very high, but workable
    • Mentions possible online play (not tested)
  • Improved PS1
    • Can double image resolution, making PS1 “much more pleasant”
  • Stronger arcade compatibility
    • Can run many arcade-like titles
  • Dreamcast & Nintendo 64
    • Works with varying success
    • Still enjoyable with the right games/settings
  • Analog-stick limitation handled
    • Lack of an analog stick isn’t framed as a deal-breaker universally
    • Some games work without it; others won’t

Main cons

  • Sega Saturn: “almost doesn’t work” (too complex)
  • N64 & Dreamcast: careful game selection needed due to no analog stick
  • RetroArch/setting sensitivity: changing settings can break things
    • Example: Dreamcast stopped running after a setting change; reverting/fixing settings made it work again (suggests configuration fragility)
  • External audio sync issues
    • Has HDMI-out
    • But on a TV via external screen, speaker observed sound lag / disappearing (possibly TV/cable/4K output related; couldn’t fully fix)

User experience notes

  • Titles cited as examples of “works great”:
    • Dreamcast: “De… Life 2” (spelling unclear), GTA 2, Resident Evil: Code Veronica
    • N64: “Taken Dark Resurrection” (title partially garbled), plus “some other things”
  • Titles cited as examples of “won’t work well”:
    • Dyna (Dreamcast): unplayable without stick
    • Saturn: largely not playable

3) Anbernic R36S

Price paid (approx.): 4,711 rubles Positioning: Slightly weaker than RG35XX Plus, but overall strong value.

Main pros

  • Great price-to-performance
    • Speaker considers it “top for your money”
  • Runs everything in the database perfectly (same general scope as the others)
    • Handles Dreamcast / N64
  • Analog sticks
    • Big upgrade for N64/Dreamcast games that need them
  • Battery life (measured): longest of the three
    • Miyoo Mini Plus: ~4 hours
    • R36S: ~6.5 hours
    • RG35XX Plus: ~7.5 hours
  • Two USB‑C ports
    • One for charging
    • Another labeled differently
    • Speaker expected video-out but confirmed no image display support (tested with an adapter)
  • Updated ArkOS
    • Latest version installed (speaker mentions aesthetics/feel)

Main cons

  • Build quality is noticeably worse
    • Buttons rattle / feel less pleasant
    • Plastic not as nice
  • More frame drops than RG35XX Plus
    • Compared Dreamcast and Metal Slug 3 (MAME); observed more “frames sinking”
    • Speaker suggests it could improve with different RetroArch emulator choices/settings

User experience notes

  • Analog sticks described as “pretty good” and supported well by emulators.
  • Ultimately recommended mainly due to price.

Price comparison (as stated by speaker)

  • Miyoo Mini Plus: 5,282 rubles
  • Anbernic RG35XX Plus: 7,362 rubles
  • Anbernic R36S: 4,711 rubles

Direct recommendations / overall verdict

  • All three “do their jobs perfectly” for their class.
  • The best pick depends on priorities:
    • Best ergonomics/build feel: Miyoo Mini Plus
    • Strongest performance + nicer UI + PS1 resolution doubling
      • Also has HDMI out (but speaker reports audio lag issues)
      • RG35XX Plus
    • Best value + analog sticks + longest battery
      • R36S
  • The speaker says R36S is certainly recommended given his ~4,700 ruble price and acceptable compromises.
  • He suggests buying whichever you can find cheaper, since AliExpress/Ozon pricing fluctuates heavily.

Mention of other product(s) (context)

  • Mentions “spiders v90” as “concentrated garbage”:
    • Terrible assembly/screen
    • Slow even on PS1
    • Basically a warning against bad clamshells
  • Praises the clamshell form factor (GBA SP style)
  • Says Miyoo and Anbernic have announced clamshell consoles soon
    • Implies they’ll use similar chips/buttons/screens as the reviewed models
    • Could be worthwhile

Unique points list (consolidated)

  • Overall framing: modern Chinese portables improved a lot, but budget compromises remain.
  • All three run PS1 and older systems well; no “exotic features” promised.
  • Firmware/shells by model:
    • Miyoo: Onion OS
    • RG35XX Plus: Basra shell
    • R36S: ArkOS
  • Miyoo: best ergonomics/buttons/material feel.
  • RG35XX Plus:
    • strongest performance
    • nicer library UI (covers + short gameplay videos)
    • Wi‑Fi ROM download experience
    • PS1 resolution doubling
    • HDMI out, but speaker saw audio lag
  • RG35XX Plus compatibility notes:
    • Dreamcast/N64 vary
    • Sega Saturn mostly fails
    • No analog stick blocks some games
  • R36S:
    • analog sticks present and well supported
    • weaker build quality
    • more frame drops
    • two USB‑C ports but no video-out/image display
    • best value
  • Battery life (measured):
    • Miyoo ~4h, RG35XX Plus ~7.5h, R36S ~6.5h
  • Price sensitivity:
    • speaker emphasizes fluctuating marketplace pricing
    • recommends buying the cheapest among the good models
  • Clamshell guidance:
    • some are garbage (spiders v90)
    • upcoming Miyoo/Anbernic clamshells may be worth watching

Speakers

  • Single speaker only (no separate voices indicated in the subtitles).

Original video