Anbernic RG556 Setup Guide

Buy the Anbernic RG556 here: https://joeysrh.link/ANB_RG556

Recommended Accessories

• MicroSD Card: 512GB or 1TB (since the Anbernic RG556 can play even Switch games, you want the largest you can afford)
• MicroSD Card Reader: UGREEN SD Card Reader
• HDMI Out: UGREEN USB C to HDMI Cable (Be aware, dock’s aren’t recommended for the RG556 as you cannot charge and do video out at the same time)
• Charger: UGREEN 65W Charger

Initial Setup Guide

• Prepare SD Card (Android): You can prepare your SD card ahead of time. Follow the steps on this page, and that will get you all setup to get everything you need before getting your device.

Recommended Settings

• Play Store (Android): Sign in to the Play Store and do any updates that are in the app.
• FOTA Update: Use this app to update your device to the latest version from Anbernic.
• Ambient Light: Swipe down from the top, swipe over and you should see a quick panel toggle called Ambient Light. That controls the LED lights. If you push and hold on the toggle, you’ll get options to adjust the lighting.

Recommended Emulators – Android side

For a few of these emulators, Vita3K and RetroArch, you’ll want to use Obtainium to keep them up to date. Check out my Obtainium guide here.

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RetroArch – PS1 & Under – Nightly (RetroArch_aarch64.apk)

For RetroArch, you want to use the Nightly build, not the version off the Google Play Store. RetroArch will be your emulator of choice for everything under and including Sony PlayStation 1.

Click here for my RetroArch setup guide, which includes recommended cores and more.

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M64Plus FZ Pro – Nintendo 64

Unfortunately for Android, a lot of games are broken on RetroArch for Nintendo 64. It’s a shame as that’s the only way you can enable Retro Achievements. There are a few games that work just fine, Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64 etc., but most games will have a lot of texture issues and more (Mario Golf, Pokemon Snap etc.)

You’ll want to use M64Plus FZ Pro off the Google Play Store, and the paid version over the free.

Click here for my M64Plus FZ setup guide.

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MelonDS – Nintendo DS

For Nintendo DS emulation, the best emulator for Android is MelonDS from the Google Play Store.

Click here for my MelonDS setup guide.

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PPSSPP – Sony PlayStation Portable

For Sony PlayStation Portable emulation, the best emulator for Android is PPSSPP from the Google Play Store. The paid version is only required if you want to support the developer, otherwise there’s no difference.

Click here for my PPSSPP setup guide.

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Dolphin – Nintendo GameCube & Wii – Beta

For Nintendo GameCube and Wii, the best emulator for Android is Dolphin and the Beta version from the Google Play Store. It’s very important that you enable/enroll in the Beta version on the Play Store page, as that will give you the most up to date version of the emulator, which matches the development version on their website.

Click here for my Dolphin setup guide.

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NetherSX2 – Sony PlayStation 2 – Current

For Sony PlayStation 2 emulation, the current and best version is NetherSX2 – Current.

Click here for my NetherSX2 setup guide.

Recommended Frontends – Android

• Daijisho
• EmulationStation

Anbernic RG556 Tweaks

Emulator Settings

• Dolphin: Set backend to Vulkan for much better performance.
• Dolphin: To get analog triggers to work in games like Super Mario Sunshine, swipe down from the top, push and hold on the Ns mode toggle and set whichever control scheme you’re using to “Both”. Then, in Dolphin, when mapping controls – Set L, R, L Analog & R Analog to the trigger buttons.
• AetherSX2/NetherSX2: Set backend to Vulkan for much better performance.

Remap R button

Special thanks to hallstudios on Reddit for this!

• As default, the R button in the bottom left opens Anbernic’s RGLauncher frontend, and if you’re using a different frontend, no one wants that.
• Download & Install Root Uninstaller from here: https://root-uninstaller.en.malavida.com/android/ (be careful of ads, the download link is the big green one).
• Open the app on your device, click Search top right and search for RGLauncher. Tap it and then select Disable.
• Head to the Google Play Store, download and install Buttons Remapper: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.irishin.buttonsremapper
• Open the app, go through the setup, make sure that you enable it as an accessibility app. Then, click the plus icon bottom right, change Key to F10, Action to whatever you want that button to do now, I personally mapped it to open my frontend ES-DE, then click OK.
• Then, head to Android settings, Apps, See all apps, Buttons Remapper, Battery, set to Unrestricted.
• And you’re done!

Teardown & Replacing the stock sticks