I’ve just published my time with the Anbernic RG DS Plus, the bulk of this is the usual review things, but of some note was that I got to chat directly with Anbernic about the device and their take on it: why they revisited the original RG DS, the new NNDDSS emulator and some of the design decisions behind the Plus.
The RG DS Plus itself is Anbernic's second iteration of making a NDS-focused retro handheld. I love this one so much.
I also spoke with the devs behind Cocoon, who are working on bringing Cocoon (a super 3DS-ish front-end/launcher for dual screen handhelds) to the RG DS Plus very soon. Just a bit of a chance to look a little beyond the hardware itself and at what this could mean for dual-screen Linux handhelds going forward, Cocoon for the DS Plus isn't far off now (they're moving from being Android-only to both Android and Linux!)
If you’re interested in the RG DS Plus, DS emulation or where these weird little dual-screen handhelds are heading, you might like this one!___
I really want one. It's a little cheaper than the original RG DS, has larger screens, ships with Linux OOTB (and sacrifices the memory needed by Android, which never ran well to begin with), has an integrated stylus, and comes in pink too! (I'd rather have a lilac, but you take what you get)
The only thing I'm waiting on is Rocknix support. It looks like the new NNDDSS still needs a bit of work too (can you change it to Drastic in stock firmware?). GammaOS Nano is also able to run on this apparently, which is pretty exciting. Will definitely wait for CFW, since Anbernic's stock OS is never all that great.
If I do get one, this would be my first dedicated handheld (I've mostly used my laptop and phone for it right now), and I'm eyeing a dual-screen option since it will fulfill a use case that neither device does very well. The candy bar devices are all excellent, but they're essentially smartphones with a controller attached to them (smaller ones, but an extra device that fulfills a similar function nonetheless)
I think the RG DS is better if you want a smaller device that can do more RAM intensive stuff (like Android or PortMaster), or perhaps you just like Turquoise or the Red/Black dualtone over the Deep Blue or Pink (white is present on both), but for me, I would take the Plus any day.