Miyoo Mini Vs Rg35xx: A Detailed Handheld Comparison
If you are looking into buying your first emulation handheld, the Miyoo Mini and the RG35XX are two of the most talked‑about options on the market. In this deep dive comparison we review the key aspects that matter to retro gamers: design, display, performance, battery life, software ecosystem, and price. By the end of the article you’ll have a clear picture of which device fits your needs.
Design and Build Quality
Both handhelds aim for a compact, pocket‑friendly form factor, but they achieve it in different ways.
- Miyoo Mini: Measures roughly 95 mm × 62 mm × 13 mm and weighs under 120 g. The chassis is a single piece of matte plastic with a textured back, giving a secure grip without the need for additional rubber pads.
- RG35XX: Slightly larger at 100 mm × 70 mm × 15 mm and a bit heavier (≈130 g). Its design features a glossy finish on the front and a metal‑reinforced frame that adds durability but also makes the device feel a touch more premium.
Both devices have a D‑pad, four face buttons, and two shoulder triggers, but the RG35XX’s shoulder buttons are slightly larger, which can be a benefit for games that rely heavily on shoulder inputs.
Display Quality
The screen is where the handheld experience truly shines.
- Miyoo Mini: Uses a 3.5‑inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 640×480 px. The panel delivers decent color reproduction and wide viewing angles, though brightness peaks at around 250 cd/m², which can be modest in bright outdoor settings.
- RG35XX: Sports a 3.5‑inch IPS LCD as well, but with a higher native resolution of 640×480 px and an improved brightness of up to 300 cd/m². The RG35XX also supports a wider color gamut, making games look a bit more vibrant.
Both screens are protected by a thin layer of anti‑scratch glass; the RG35XX’s glass is marginally tougher, according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Performance and Compatibility
Under the hood, the two handhelds rely on different system‑on‑chips (SoCs) and operating systems.
- Miyoo Mini: Powered by a Rockchip RK3326 quad‑core processor (1.5 GHz) and runs a customized Linux‑based firmware. It handles most 8‑bit and 16‑bit titles flawlessly, and can run many 32‑bit games (e.g., SNES, Genesis) with minor slowdowns on demanding titles.
- RG35XX: Equipped with an Amlogic S905Y2 processor (1.8 GHz) and also uses a Linux‑based OS, but with a more extensive emulator library pre‑installed. The extra clock speed and larger RAM buffer (512