Awesome information for many who had been ready for customized firmware for the Anbernic RG35XX; group member Black Seraph has created Garlic OS!

It’s a free customized firmware that’s out there proper now to put in in your RG35XX to unlock its true potential. Something that even Anbernic themselves couldn’t ship.

If you’ve gotten saved up with any early opinions for the RG35XX, you’ll know that the inventory working system was the primary grievance throughout.

It was clunky, dated, and lacking a variety of useful options.

And it’s a disgrace that Anbernic continues to ship their consoles with an OS that you simply most actually will need to substitute as quickly as you obtain it.

But for many who are in a position to do some mild tinkering, Garlic OS is right here to save lots of the RG35XX.

The RG35XX’s Fatal Flaw

After taking a more in-depth take a look at the RG35XX machine, we really thought it regarded fairly nice, and it was certainly one of Anbernic’s strongest showings from their busy 2022 schedule.

It had much less buttons than the crowded RG353V, and was aimed to compete instantly with the extremely pocketable Miyoo Mini which took the primary spot on our high consoles for 2022.

The RG35XX regarded like the right measurement. Not too large, not too small.

And the button configuration meant you’d be utilizing it to play 8-32 bit period video games. My gold zone.

So actually, the one factor that was holding the brand new RG35XX again was the truth that Anbernic had not shared their supply code for the console with the group to permit for customized firmware to be in early improvement.

Or that they don’t simply construct a greater relationship with that group and rent any individual like Black Seraph to construct their subsequent OS.

Knowing that the OS was so unhealthy and no customized ones had but been developed… that was loads motive to not be in any rush to choose up the RG35XX.

Some say that Anbernic is a bit cussed by holding their OS hostage.

But you possibly can additionally contemplate that it could have had one thing to do with the license settlement with the CPU producer.

It has been stated on Discord that this chip was an older one which had by no means been open supply, so we shouldn’t count on it to be now.

Open supply code or not, it has by no means stopped the group from rallying collectively and making miracles occur.

They did the very same factor for the Miyoo Mini and created the Onion OS… a brilliant minimal interface that labored very properly for the straightforward console.

Garlic OS

The wait is over and we now have a viable customized firmware for the RG35XX that completely redeems the console.

Garlic OS is Black Seraph’s nod to the Onion OS on the Miyoo Mini.

It has a really related feel and look. It’s clear, it’s minimal, and it will get the job achieved.

The working system was constructed round RetroArch, our favourite all-in-one emulation suite.

And Garlic OS even takes full benefit of the RG35XX’s skill to enter true sleep mode.

You can press the facility button to pause sport play and put the machine to sleep with out draining the battery (which was an issue with early makes an attempt to unlock the machine).

It additionally provides help for a lot of extra consoles than the RG35XX may initially emulate. There at the moment are over 30 programs supported in Garlic OS, with extra on their manner.

Garlic OS remains to be fairly new (just some days previous), and we must always count on to see it proceed to enhance and develop in its capabilities.

Installing Garlic OS

Getting Garlic OS onto your machine goes to be precisely the identical as most different customized firmwares we have now seen for Linux based mostly units.

You can seize a disk picture of the OS on Black Seraph’s Patreon web page (you don’t must be a paid subscriber to get it, they’re providing it completely free).

You then load that disk picture to a brand new micro SD card and it ought to be able to rock n’ roll.

If you’ve obtained any issues in regards to the course of, our man Russ from Retro Game Corps has a full information that he loaded to his Youtube channel in the present day.

Russ may be very thorough on his guides, I’ve used them fairly just a few occasions myself!

Conclusions

Overall, we’re simply completely satisfied to see the customized firmware lastly exists for the RG35XX, which seemingly saves the machine from its maker.

We have stated it many occasions earlier than: Anbernic simply can not ship a console that’s 100% upon supply.

We shouldn’t have to repair our consoles once we obtain them, however that’s simply type of the way it goes with these Chinese emulators.

For now, we must always simply contemplate Anbernic a reasonably good {hardware} producer. And the software program is finest within the palms of the superior emulation group.

Thank you Black Seraph for offering all of us with such an superior vacation reward.

Anthony has been a online game lover ever since he can bear in mind. He turned a fulltime nomad in 2018, residing all through most of Asia. He targeted his ardour in retro gaming and started making a sport for the Game Boy Color whereas residing in Nara, Japan in the course of the 2020 pandemic. He is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the place he spends most of his time gaming, happening lengthy walks and assembly as many stray canine as doable.