In 2020, the retro-handheld market was exploding. Devices like the Anbernic RG351P were hitting the market, powered by the Rockchip RK3326 processor. This is an ARM-based chipset (similar to what is in a Raspberry Pi or a smartphone).
While these devices were great at emulating consoles like the PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, or PSP, they hit a hard wall with PC emulation. Windows games are built for x86 architecture. Emulating x86 on ARM requires immense processing power—far more than the RK3326 chip possessed. The prevailing wisdom was that playing classic Windows games (like Diablo II, Fallout, or Heroes of Might and Magic III) on a cheap handheld was impossible.
ExaGear on the RG351 is now effectively a historical footnote. Its reign ended with the rise of Box86 (and later Box64), developed by ptitSeb.
Box86 is an open-source userspace emulation layer that focuses on x86 to ARM translation. Because it is open-source, developers were able to optimize it specifically for the quirks of various handhelds. Box86 utilized dynamic recompilation much more efficiently than ExaGear ever did.
On the RG351 and its successors (like the RG353 series), Box86 now provides superior performance, compatibility, and ease of use. It runs faster, crashes less, and works seamlessly with modern frontends like PortMaster. exagear 351
ExaGear 351 is not a standalone emulator. It is a specialized, community-ported version of Eltechs' ExaGear—a proprietary x86-to-ARM translation layer. In simple terms, it is a "wrapper" that tricks Windows PC games into believing they are running on an Intel x86 processor, when in fact they are running on the RG351’s Rockchip RK3326 ARM CPU.
Because the RG351 runs on a Linux-based operating system (usually AmberELEC, ArkOS, or 351ELEC), ExaGear 351 creates a WINE (Wine Is Not an Emulator) environment inside this translation layer. The result: You can run legacy Windows 9x/XP games at full speed on a handheld that fits in your pocket.
ExaGear had significant flaws that eventually led to its downfall in the community:
It is important to note that the RG353 series (with its more powerful Rockchip RK3566) does not need ExaGear 351 in the same way. The RG353 can run Android, which has native Winlator. However, for owners of the older RG351P/M/V, ExaGear 351 is the only way to play classic Windows RPGs on the go. In 2020, the retro-handheld market was exploding
The community development has stalled as of late 2024, but the current build (Version 3.1.3) is stable. Do not expect updates for new games.
ExaGear 351 is a fascinating piece of emulation history – a last breath of official ExaGear hacking before it faded away. It works surprisingly well for turn-based and 2D strategy/RPGs from the late 1990s to early 2000s.
✅ Use it if: You have an old Android phone (Android 8–10), love tinkering, and want to play classic PC games on the go.
❌ Avoid it if: You want plug-and-play, modern 3D games, or have Android 11+ without willingness to downgrade. This report is based on community knowledge as of 2026
Recommendation: For new users in 2026, try Winlator first – it’s actively maintained, uses better translation (Box86/Box64), and supports more games out of the box. Only fall back to ExaGear 351 for specific legacy titles known to work better on the older ExaGear engine.
This report is based on community knowledge as of 2026. ExaGear is no longer supported, and no official download exists.
If ExaGear 351 is too slow or unstable, consider:
| Alternative | Best for | Platform | |-------------|----------|----------| | Winlator | More modern game support, better performance | Android (active development) | | Mobox (Termux-based) | Advanced users, DXVK support | Android (Termux) | | Box64Droid | x86-to-ARM translation for Linux apps | Android | | Steam Link / Moonlight | Streaming from a real PC | Any Android |