Can the Anbernic RG DS play 3DS games? The honest answer

"Can the RG DS play 3DS games?" is the top question under both Anbernic dual-screen models, and it's a fair one. They look like a 3DS, they have two screens, and they cost under $160. The honest answer needs three separate things kept apart: what Anbernic actually says, what the hardware implies (which is my inference, and I'll label it), and what someone has actually tested. They point the same way.

1. What Anbernic says

Neither RG DS nor RG DS Plus page mentions 3DS. Android Authority's review notes that Anbernic showed 3DS games in its pre-launch previews, but the store listings themselves don't promise it. That gap between preview footage and product page is the first clue.

2. What the hardware implies (my inference)

• The chip is entry-class. The RK3568 is four Cortex-A55 cores, Arm's small, efficiency-focused design, with no big performance cores at all. The Retroid Duo's Q-7790 and AYN Thor's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 both have large performance cores. 3DS emulation leans on single-core speed, which is exactly what the A55 lacks.
• Azahar sets a floor above it. The Azahar README lists its Android minimum as "Snapdragon 835 SoC or better", with "2GB of RAM. 4GB is recommended." The RK3568 isn't in the Snapdragon 835's class, and the RG DS's 3GB sits between Azahar's minimum and its recommendation.
• The RG DS Plus is below the stated minimum. Anbernic lists 1GB of RAM, against Azahar's 2GB minimum. It also runs Linux only, while Azahar's Android build (the one used on handhelds like these) needs Android 10 or later. On paper, the Plus isn't a 3DS device at all.

3. What reviewers found

The most detailed test I can link to is Android Authority's RG DS review by Nick Fernandez, published 14 December 2025. On 3DS: "Despite ANBERNIC showing off 3DS games in previews, they're mostly out of reach for this device." And: "Only a few lightweight games like Rune Factory 4 managed to run at full speed in Azahar, and even then, the top screen suffers from letterboxing."

The same review has a surprise for DS players. Testing a few games in the more accuracy-focused melonDS emulator, Fernandez writes that "none ran at full speed" and calls it "well beneath what I would consider playable." I haven't found a reviewer test of the RG DS Plus's 3DS performance, which fits the spec sheet: there's little reason to expect one.

So who should buy one?

• Buy the RG DS (from $94.99) if you want the cheapest real dual-screen clamshell for DS, GBA and older systems, and you're happy trying different DS emulators for speed. The Android 14 option gives you the most emulator choice.
• Buy the RG DS Plus ($94.99–$124.99) only for a Linux-based DS-and-older device with sharper 1024×768 screens. Don't buy it for 3DS.
• Skip both if 3DS is the point. The cheapest dual-screen devices with a chip in the right class are the Retroid Pocket Duo Lite Plus ($219) and the Duo ($269), both on the Q-7790. The AYN Thor's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 models (from $329) have the most headroom. They're compared in Retroid Pocket Duo vs AYN Thor and Duo vs Duo Lite.

If you do end up on a device that can handle 3DS, setting up Azahar for two screens covers the layout settings. And the ground rule for all of it: play games you own. See is emulation legal?