TL;DR
- Anbernic teased the RG Slide, a new gaming handheld with a PSP Go-like sliding mechanism.
- Sony’s patent for sliding controls is set to expire next month.
- No specs have been revealed yet, although it’s most likely an Android device.
The Sony PSP Go might not have been a big seller, but the sliding form-factor was hugely innovative at the time. It was later used in the iconic Xperia Play smartphone, which was Sony’s last real attempt to make sliding devices work. The Xperia Play 2 was canceled before it went to market, but a new sliding device has emerged from a surprising source more than a decade later.
In a video teaser posted today on YouTube (above), Anbernic showed off its latest handheld, the RG Slide. It looks very similar to Sony’s sliding hardware of the past, but larger. Unfortunately, the video only shows the device from the back, although the thumbnail reveals a rounded design, again harkening back to the PSP Go.
No specs were revealed in the video, but a small fan port can be seen on the back of the device. The need for active cooling indicates a more powerful chipset. Most of Anbernic’s Linux-based devices, such as the popular GBA-like RG-34XX, do not feature active cooling, which leads us to believe the handheld will be an Android-based gaming handheld.
Sony’s patent on sliding controls is set to expire next month.
Regardless, this is the first sliding handheld of its type in more than a decade, and for good reason. Sony has been sitting on the patent for sliding controls, but it’s finally set to expire on June 28. This could be the first of a number of handhelds to use the form factor. The popularity of clamshell devices like the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 and Anbernic’s RG-35XXSP proves there’s a market for unique emulation handhelds.
This is the third handheld Anbernic has announced this year after the powerful RG-557 and the upcoming RG-35XXPro. The company released 12 handhelds last year, so expect more announcements in the coming months.
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