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The original was posted on /r/sbcgaming by /u/sammysy on 2024-09-12 22:28:32+00:00.
Left: TrimUI Smart Pro running Stardew Valley; Right: Anbernic RG35XX-SP running Space Cadet Pinball
Last month I picked up an RG35XX-SP since the price was good and I really wanted to try a 4:3 device. Having set it up and played with it in the recent weeks, I would like to share my experience in a comparison with TrimUI Smart Pro.
Things that the RG35XX-SP does better than the TrimUI Smart Pro:
- With the compact 3.5" 4:3 480p screen in a foldable form factor, the SP is quite portable even if it's a bit thick. I like the screen is naturally protected in transport.
- MuOS's Portmaster support is better. It's able to play games like Space Cadet Pinball and RVGL that don't currently run on TSP's Crossmix.
- Because the device boots the OS from an SD card with an optional secondary card for roms, it's easier to deal with multiple custom firmwares compared to TSP's use of an internal flash storage for the OS.
Things that the TrimUI Smart Pro does better than the RG35XX-SP:
- TSP's seamless low-power sleep and wake operations are magic. In contrast, how SP's stock OS or MuOS (like MM+'s OnionOS) handles sleep mode is far more cumbersome. TSP is a true pick up and play device. This is going to be a requirement for all my future handheld devices.
- The 5" 16:9 720p screen is much prettier and practical. It displays 4:3 content like a 4.1" 4:3 display. It's very noticeably larger than the common 3.5" screen. Furthermore, there's surprising amount of stuff to take advantage of the 16:9 aspect ratio, like light/medium weight PSP games, some portmaster games, PS1 games with wide screen hacks. I will always be happy to sacrifice some portability for more display flexibility.
- I can play the horizontal TSP with its rounded sides without causing pain or irritation on my hands. The SP is not bad, but the lower right corner of the case digs into my hand.
- I like the TSP dpad and face buttons more than the SP. The stiffness is just right, and the dpad has a perfect central pivot. On the SP, I can press both left and right simultaneously (that's terrible!). All the buttons are slightly too stiff.
- TSP's 5000mah battery does mean a longer battery life than SP's 3300mah.
- At the moment, Crossmix works better than MuOS (I haven't tried Knulli). Crossmix supports on-device image scraping and SMB network file sharing (not just sftp).
Overall, the TSP is a better fit for my use cases. Anbernic created a great product in SP too, and I can see values with its cheaper price, additional portability and ruggedness. At the end of the day though, I don't need the SP when I have the TSP running smoothly.