Coolbaby RS-97: Forum user says it doesn't beat PSP

Coolbaby RS-97: The €35 console that, according to a forum user, fails to outperform the PSP

A pocket console under €40 promises to emulate Doom 2, Neo Geo, and Mega Drive on your commute. The hook is real. What sales listings don't mention is that at least one buyer ended up reselling it months later, convinced no Chinese gadget has yet surpassed a second-hand PSP. The Coolbaby RS-97 RetroGame arrived with a more active scene than the Dingoo, but for this buyer, it ended up on Wallapop.

The device antiestéticatures an Ingenic JK4760 processor running at 600 MHz, nearly double the 360 MHz of the Dingoo. With OpenDingux installed, the community has added emulators and ports for Doom, Doom 2, and Quake. Prices have fluctuated based on seller and campaigns: from the initial $45 to €32 during promotions, passing through €38.50 for the model 2.1 with improved screen. This is a console designed for tinkering, not for display cases.

The version trap: 2.0, 2.1, and 3.0

Here lies the problem. The same machine circulates with at least four board revisions, and emulators that work on one won't boot on another. One buyer received a 3.0 unit and found no alternative firmware available; another specifically requested a 2.0 or 2.1, only to be told by the seller they only had version 1. The result is a half-baked ecosystem where compatibility depends on the batch you receive.

The community responded with patches, but not always in time. Development stalled in some areas while the hardware base fragmented. For those who just wanted to play, stock firmware worked; for tinkerers, the reward was a labyrinth. Opening the console to check the board version was the first step for anyone diving into modding.

The appeal of tinkering and the scene

What hooks users about the RS-97 isn't just what it emulates, but how easy it is to modify. Changing the battery is straightforward: they are standard Nokia cells, with replacements costing around €7-8. Internal memory can also be swapped. This accessibility fueled a very active scene, with dedicated technical forums and a community dissecting every hardware revision. Anecdotes illustrate the whole picture: the screen protector came installed inside, so removing it left a wrinkled corner. Details that distinguish a polished product from an experiment.

Is a PSP worth it over a Chinese console?

This question hangs over the topic, and the answer isn't simple. A second-hand PSP Slim costs around €50, and its retro emulators run well. The issue isn't software, but aging hardware: used screens often have defects, and batteries are the weak point. Originals cost a fortune; Chinese clones, according to a forum user's account, drain in 15 minutes.

Upwards, the PSVita offers a better screen and runs MAME more smoothly, but second-hand prices have skyrocketed, and it relies on proprietary cards and hacks like SD2VITA. All this pushes many back to the PSP. Some summarize the feeling: the PSP feels better in hand and materials, and cost €40—money well spent. The problem is that new PSPs are no longer available.

What the RS-97 doesn't handle: SNES, N64, and PSX

The promised catalog is huge, but not everything works. Neo Geo and Mega Drive are playable with some slowdown; SNES, N64, and PlayStation remain pending optimization. Here appears the technical bottleneck: 600 MHz falls short for 16-bit SNES and PSX. The repeated conclusion is that if they had used the 1 GHz processor from the Revo, things would be different. At this stage, one gigahertz shouldn't be expensive.

The screen, however, is a strong point. In revision 2.1, the Chimei Innolux EJ030NA-01B panel increases resolution and saturates colors more. The community also gained access to the Image Processing Unit (IPU), opening the door to solving aspect ratio issues. Good news that, for many, arrived too late.

The upcoming successor: Retrogame Plus with JK4770 chip

While the RS-97 unraveled, a revision with a new name and better internals was announced: the JK4770, more modern and comparable in power to the GCW-Zero. The new model adds an analog stick on the left—which actually replicates the D-pad—a larger battery, and removes the fake GBA cartridge slot to use the space. The promise remains attractive, and the price is contained. If it delivers, the scene will finally have a stable base to build upon.

---

The final balance is uncomfortable. The device costs €35, can be disassembled, has swappable batteries, hackable without antiestéticar, and a notable screen. Yet, at least one buyer returned it to the second-hand market almost unused. With that resume, one must ask if the problem wasn't the console, but the promise that cheap retro emulation was already solved. How many more revisions will it take before it stops being an experiment?