In the retro handheld community, we’ve taken Anbernic into our hearts. After all, they have the master key! Their ability to recreate the elusive feel of a 1990s Nintendo handheld turns us to virtual mush—we can’t get enough of that sensation of 1998 at our fingertips!
So, naturally, the community is watching on with trepidation as our favorite retro handheld company is—potentially, at least—switching focus from its “RG” (Retro Game) range to its “Win” (Windows) range. Of course, this is simply conjecture at this point. Perhaps Anbernic will continue to develop Nintendolike Linux/Android based devices.
Whether or not we enjoy Windows-based devices, and the change in feel and aesthetic that goes with them, it can be argued that, functionally, the Win range is very well capable of playing our golden oldies. Therefore, it is our pleasure to cover the upcoming release of the Win701!
Specs
In this article, we’ll be piecing together information from patent submissions and leaks. As such, take the information here with a grain of salt—naturally, it is subject to change. However, the source of the leak—YouTuber Nittrx—has proven to be very reliable.
Processor
The leaked video footage of the Anbernic Win701 shows that it comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U! So, right off the bat, a substantial upgrade on the Win600’s AMD Athlon Silver 3050E.
RAM
The amount of RAM the Win701 will ship with is, unfortunately, unknown at this point. However, the Win600 had a total of 8GB of DDR4.
So, at the very least, we can expect the same or more.
Display
When it comes to the screen, it seems like we have an upgrade. Of course, we know that the Win600 employed a 6 inch display, with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It seems as though the screen on the Win701 is bigger, some speculating that it is 7 inches.
It might go without saying, but in the Nittrx leak video, we can see that the display is a touch screen.
Battery
When Nittrx tears down the Win701, a 5000mAh battery is shown. Of course, many will feel this is a small battery—was this a place holder in a prototype unit and will it ship with a better battery? Although, to put a positive spin on it, the 701’s predecessor, the Win600, only had a 4500mAh battery. But, let’s come back down to earth—the 7840U is going to drain more power.
Multiple Configurations
Of course, when we talk about hardware in Windows-based handhelds, there’s often a range of configurations. So, the leaked model could possibly be the high end model or the low end model. At this time, we don’t know if there will be more than one Win701 configuration. Although, it’d be a reasonable guess that there will be at least two/three variants as with the Anbernic Win600.
Appearance/Form
Prototype devices are famous for not having well-finished plastic. This means they can look incredibly cheap, covered in grubby fingerprints. However, it’s important to remember that even the cheapest devices won’t ship like that. The Anbernic Win701 will certainly have a professional texture to its shell.
In a departure from the Win600, the analog stick takes the primary position over the D-pad. Naturally, many will rejoice—especially the FPS fiends. Another camp exists, though: those of us who feel as though the D-pad should always be in the primary position. Let’s put this endless debate to bed, it’s a matter of taste—that’s it and that’s all.
Also noticeable are extra navigation buttons—these will come as a welcome addition, something the Win600 lacked.
With regards to drawing conclusions over comfort and ergonomics, it’s far too soon to label it uncomfortable. When the device is released and it’s in our hands, then we’ll be free to analyze the handfeel.
What Can It Emulate?
Of course, many users will purchase the Win701 to play contemporary Windows games. At RetroPM, though, that’s not really what we’re interested in!
So, let’s talk about emulation!
With an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U inside, we can confidently deduce the Win701 will easily run every platform up to and including the Nintendo Switch.
Competitors
The Win701, if it does indeed include the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U as leaks reliably inform us, then it will be more powerful than the Ayn Loki and its Zen3+ 6600U. Additionally, another device to slip under the Win701 is the GPD Win 4 with a Ryzen 7 6800U.
While the Win701 will be far from all conquering. We’ll can we expect it to eclipse even more competitors in AYANEO, ROG, and Orange Pi handhelds? Time will tell.
What will really make the difference is price.
Potential Price
And, well, we don’t know a potential price!
What we can do is look back at the Win600, which was priced competitively. The lowest model was $300, while the most powerful was $500!
Of course, the Win701, as a more powerful device, is going to be more expensive than that. To estimate how much, let’s look at a list of similarly powered devices.
- Ayn Loki – $489.00 – $649.00
- GPD Win 4 – ~$1200*
- ROG Ally – $699.99
- AYANEO Handhelds – $549 – $1099 (NB: specs vary greatly between models)
- Anbernic Win600 – $449.99
So, consider the above pricing of competitors, add in the impressive hardware inside the Win701, and then dampen your expectations on a price—the Win701 will certainly be the most expensive handheld Anbernic have ever released.
*Price at time of publication through Amazon.
Release Date
At this point, the release date is unknown.
However, going on prior Anbernic patterns of behavior, we can guess. Typically Anbernic seem to develop and release as fast as possible. Therefore, if we’re already seeing leaks of a complete prototype, then we could realistically see a release before summer’s end.
Origin of the Leaks?
The source is very reputable.
YouTuber Nittrx has been behind several handheld leaks. Most recently, Nittrix released early information about Anbernic’s RG Nano. Moreover, the footage of the Win701, especially the tear down, conveys an excess of credibility.
The leak is legit.
So, if you’re into handheld gaming, retro or otherwise, Nittrx is definitely worth subscribing to.
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