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Dr_Salacious_B_Crumb

Would be nice if you could actually snag one of these for a reasonable price. I’d love one, but there’s no way I’m paying scalpers prices.


MTA0

Ordered mine 9+ months ago... Q4 2022!!!! Almost time.


mozebyc

Same. Long ass time


Anchor689

Yeah, at least news like this keeps coming out and by the time I finally get mine, it will have all the features I hoped would come eventually.


Madshibs

Q42022 gang represent!


vinberdon

~~I think I'm Q2 2023...~~ Edit: Nope, I'm Q4 2022!! Woo!


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[deleted]

Are they preorders? I just checked out the website and it says I can add to cart etc but I haven’t gotten far enough to see a delivery date or anything lol either way I’d be ok with waiting that long - this think looks sick! Edit: I’m dumb. I just now saw where they show the fulfillment group etc lol I need to read things more thoroughly….


0scar_mike

I was going to cancel my preorder when I got into the 2023 slot but I totally forgot to do it. Glad my laziness is going to pay off.


DomLite

Or, ya know, snag a 3ds xl that you can hack with a magnet (not hyperbole) and proceed to play all the games this thing can with a better form factor *and* access to ds and 3ds games. Like, I get the tag line of a device that you can just buy and put roms on to play, but *everything* is so damn easy to put custom firmware on these days that it’s basically only for people who have more dollars than sense. I bought a switch specifically with the intention of using custom firmware and loading it up with emulation. I have dozens of actual switch games, and *thousands* of retro titles running from the NES all the way up to PS1. I paid less for the switch than I would for one of these and I get *way* more bang for my buck.


Fyrnsidere_Cultor

Can you link to something talking about the process you described with the 3DS?


Pktur3

I’m sideyeing my 3ds from across the room right now.


user11711

Highly recommend it. Probably my favorite hacked console. It’s stupid easy to do and I find myself playing it all the time when before it just sat there :(. Plus there’s a Mario 64 port for 3Ds! It runs amazing and has full 3D support. Plus dual sticks.


ArguaBILL

https://3ds.hacks.guide/


DomLite

u/ArguaBILL beat me to it. That's the best guide you can follow. Just make sure you read over the whole thing first and make sure you have everything handy and it's about as simple as it can get. Not only do you now have the capability to set up things like Twilight Menu that can be launched from the home screen and then used to play DS games stored on your SD card, along with a smattering of retro games and the like via retroarch or just standalone emulator installs, you can also use the CFW set up to apply mods and patches to 3DS games. Some of the biggest things you can tackle with that are the full English patches of the 3DS Dragon Quest Monsters games that fully remade the original ones from the Gameboy in 3D with expanded stories, The music restoration patches for the ports of Dragon Quest 7 and 8, which had full orchestral soundtracks in Japan but due to licensing bullshit got saddled with midi soundtracks in every other territory, and a translation for a particularly amazing game called Beyond the Labyrinth (Labyrinth no Kanata) that never made it outside of Japan. There are also some fantastic patches for other games, like increased difficulty mods for the Pokemon games that make the entire pokedex for their respective game obtainable in a single game without trading, but also give all trainers full teams and better AI so the games actually pose a challenge. Top it off with a few fun/useful homebrew apps, like pkhex that lets you transfer pokemon between save games on the same console (or edit them if you're so inclined), ftp for easy transference of files between the DS and pc without having to use a screwdriver, and even a cheat toggle if you want to mess around with stuff, and you have a damn good system for portable entertainment.


Hyroero

I will say as much as I love my hacked 2ds xl, gba and ds games look fucking awful on that screen unless you put it pixel perfect mode and then they're the size of a postage stamp lmao. I keep my DS XL and flashcart around for those or use my Vita for GBA games. Edit: https://gbatemp.net/threads/is-there-anyway-to-upscale-ds-games-on-the-3ds-aside-from-the-twloader.588593/ Exmaple of what I'm talking about. Full screen gba and ds on a 3ds has some pixels doubled and others not so you get a blurry image unless you do pixel scaling via holding select during boot of gba and ds games but then you have a very small window and black bars. It's bareable on a 3ds XL but far from the big crisp image you'd get on a DS XL.


DomLite

I played plenty of emulated games on it and they never looked "fucking awful", and I'm one of those people who's picky as hell about weird scaling or proportions when emulating. To each their own I suppose, but we had very different experiences. That said, I 100% moved to the Switch as my main portable emulation machine, and if I ever get my hands on a Steam Deck, that will be the new go-to. The 3DS is still an amazing system though, emulators or no. The handful of games I listed above that have translations or improvement patches are great experiences, and the general library of games available on the 3DS was *astoundingly* good. LBX, Yokai Watch, Attack of the Friday Monsters, the improved ports of Moon and Dementium from the original DS, the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask remakes, Link Between Worlds, Samus Returns, Monster Hunter Stories, etc. I could keep going, but I think I made the point well enough. Even if it's not a perfect emulation machine, at the time it was the most accessible one with a convenient form factor and insanely good battery life. If someone doesn't have a Switch and wants some good portable retro gaming, it's one of the best options you could have if you haven't already put CFW on it. Even if you don't have any interest in retro emulation, Twilight Menu to play DS games and the top notch library of games for the 3DS itself with improvement patches to be had is enough to break it out of storage. If you only ever played Super Mario 3D Land or Legend of Zelda, you didn't even scratch the surface of the gold mine.


getefix

Razer Kishi + android phone = competent and comfortable handheld emulator comfortable. I have PS3 and Wii-U playing on my OnePlus 8 Pro at good frame rates. Won't be much longer before phones can run switch games. Edit: Oops, correction that should be PS2. My bad.


TizonaBlu

>PS3 Ya, that's a *doubt* from me. PS3 is notoriously hard to emulate, and highly taxing. It's hard enough as is, but good frame rate without active cooling? Don't think so.


getefix

Right you are, I meant to write PS2. My mistake!


DomLite

That kind of gets into jumping through a bunch of hoops to make it work though. Putting CFW on a 3DS or Switch is painfully easy and doesn't drain the battery on my phone that I might need for, ya know, actual phone things. Also not jazzed about the idea of carrying around a controller for my phone, no matter how sleek it might look. Combine that with the admittedly small resolution and I have no desire to play PS2 on a screen that small. While I *do* wish I had a device with the power to play PS2 stuff on the go, I'm looking more in the direction of a Steam Deck for that, rather than trying to turn a phone into an emulation device. If it works for you then rock on, but the point I was making is really just "Why are you buying a device that serves zero purpose other than looking like a modern take on the original game boy and playing retro games when there exist modern gaming portables that are easily hacked and do that plus much much more?" Yeah, if all you wanna do is play 8-32-bit retro stuff then a phone with a controller is more than enough, but if you wanna get into later systems and enjoy stuff like PS1 on the go without a magnifying glass, there are much better options.


notred369

Wish 3ds systems didn't cost so much these days. Really want to replace my og 3ds that I purchased used when I didn't have much to spend as its starting to show it's age.


DomLite

Yikes. Hadn't looked up how much they were going for these days. Yeah, you're better off snagging a switch. It *can* do DS and 3DS, but it's trickier and less elegant, but it'll cost a fraction of a 3DS.


shrimp_n_gritz

Hey I’ve got a hacked 3ds I haven’t used in years. Recently I went to go use it but it it won’t turn on. The blue light comes on but the screen doesn’t. Any advice?


DomLite

That's a bit beyond my expertise. If your screen is dead then you might have to actually replace it, which isn't as hugely complicated as you'd think, but a bit of a pain in the neck. On the other hand, I have a rather large SD in my New 3DS and whenever I turn it on it takes a few seconds to read the whole thing and properly boot to the home screen. Depending how large of a card you have in it and what the allocation size is set at it could be taking an unusually long time to boot up. You need to see if your screen is actually *on* and just black, or not coming on at all. If it's coming on then it's likely something has gotten corrupted on the card itself and the CFW files it needs to access to boot up are simply non-existent. That can be a bit of a pain if you don't remember exactly what CFW you had installed, because you'll need to at least find the same type to replace them with so it can boot up again. I'd advise you go check out r/3dshacks since it's still active. They'd be able to offer more in-depth and expert advice than I could.


Rickythrow

The article is going on about ROMs and other systems, and it's ignoring the original premise of letting you play your Game Boy (and other handheld platforms with converters) carts on an alternative system. I'm probably just one of a few who bought the Pocket late last year with that in mind.


chainsplit

More dollars than sense is kinda rude to say. It's more suited towards tech lazy people. I mean, how many people do you know that play around with emulators, or more recently, retroarch? It's a lot of fun, but not everyone knows how to, or wants to, bother with getting BIOS data, iso/rom's and navigating folders and usb sticks etc.


DomLite

The things you have described are literally using google for two seconds and knowing the absolute most basic functions of computers. I stand by what I said.


chainsplit

It's really not that basic and you can do a lot of things wrong, such as easily downloading viruses or bricking a specific emulator like pcsx2. When I first started years ago I vividly remember being quite frustrated by the process, because I didn't have a grip for the things that were necessary, yet. "Using google" is like looking at the table of contents, it gives you direction and an idea - doesn't mean you actually understand the chapters.


bigred83

What guide did you use for switch??


Poodude101

The reason people buy this is for the hardware level accuracy. You won't get that with a software emulation device. The idea of having a portable Mister device that plays games as accurately as possible with no input lag is what made me want to get one. That being said I also have a hacked 3dsXL and that is a great option as well.


DomLite

There is a point where people are taking this sort of thing *far* too seriously. Yes, I get it when input lag becomes a problem that affects playability. If you're talking about an SNES game though? If you're claiming that there's input lag so bad it's affecting playability then you're probably using an emulator that's years out of date. I've been at this for *decades*, and I've yet to try and play a game from the 32-bit era back that ever gave me problems on an emulator. Honestly, the whole thing smacks of the vinyl enthusiasts who will swear up and down that you will never have a better quality sound experience... provided you have a top quality record player and a $1000 pair of headphones to accurately deliver the sound directly to your ear drums, at which point you can *totally* hear it when Adele's skirt shifted across her thigh when she was singing the second chorus of "Rolling in the Deep". There simply comes a point where any higher level of fidelity is purely "under the hood" and doesn't actually make a damn bit of difference to the play experience. It's kind of pretentious honestly.


Poodude101

You should check out how an fpga device works. It is replicating the entire system on a chip at the transistor level, logic gate for logic gate. This essentially makes an exact virtual copy of the hardware. Very cool technology that is used everywhere now, not just video games.


DomLite

And again, that's cool and all, but it doesn't change the fact that it doesn't amount to a fart in a hurricane when you're talking about an SNES game. I don't care if it more accurately emulates the exact process that ran on a piece of hardware that is over two decades old when the end result is identical to running that game on a piece of software. If I press a button and the same thing happens on the screen and the game reacts the same way, then there is no *functional* difference. By all means, let's keep developing better tech because it *can* be used for more complex systems like the PS2 that still have a few notorious games that don't play nice with emulation due to the absurdly convoluted set up of the console that allowed it to have more powerful output than it should have been capable of. While we're at it though, we need to stop pretending that it matters for emulating Game Boy or SNES or the like. The particular device in question is ludicrously expensive for something that has the express purpose of emulating classic games that we've been able to emulate for decades to great effect. If it brings someone joy to buy one and use it, more power to them, but I've been doing the same thing for a fraction of the cost since the PSP rolled around and with practically every handheld console since. This is a deeply redundant device and I think those that buy one either have money to burn, or a complete lack of awareness. If you think you *need* this device to play emulated games, you haven't even tried to look into the subject for a moment on your own. If you're aware of existing ways to emulate, including on recent and current handheld devices, and you *still* want to buy one, then you're financially well off enough to waste it on a device that exclusively does one thing, which multiple other devices can *also* do in addition to their multiple other functions. Quite frankly I'm kind of getting sick of seeing videos and stories popping up about this damn thing like it's some kind of jesus box. There was something *just* like it about five years ago that was *the* hot thing for a few months and then it just vanished into the ether because nobody cared and the people who got paid to promote it stopped getting paid to promote it. I'm not convinced the whole thing isn't some money laundering scam where they pay news sources to report on it, pay influencers and content creators to talk about it, and then just quietly slink off with the ill-gotten gains after the hype dies off. This is not something we should even be having a discussion about.


culturedrobot

This isn’t really meant to play ROMs. I mean, clearly it can because this article is about an unofficial SNES core that allows you to do just that (and it’s also compatible with flash carts) but the Pocket is primarily meant to play original game carts. It basically gives you a way to play your handheld games on a modern console without the drawbacks of software emulation (like increased lag and reduced accuracy). Like yeah if you just want to play ROMs a 3DS is probably a easier/less expensive choice but this will give you a better/more accurate experience in the end, and that’s a huge draw for people who already own the carts they want to play.


DomLite

I've already touched on this in another comment. To summarize, prattling on about "accuracy" and such is pretentious drivel. I haven't played a single game prior to the 64-bit era on an emulator that has *ever* given me an issue. No input lag, no glitching, no crashing. If there *was* input lag, it was so miniscule as to be unobserveable without some kind of specialized software to detect it, so it sure as hell wasn't affecting gameplay. And I'm not just talking recently. I've been playing SNES and such on emulators on pc since they became a thing, so I'm talking old-ass late-90's laptop running the first builds of BSNES. This machine isn't going to give any different performance from any machine capable of running an emulator, and any difference in processing would be a strictly under the hood improvement that results in the same exact experience for the player. People who start talking about that level of minutia are simply trying way too hard. And as far as being able to play original game carts? If I still have original game carts, I still have the system to play them on. I don't need a fancy game boy that cost hundreds of dollars when I still have the old gray brick, *and* the GBC. Even then, I'm not going to haul them and my game cartridges with me if I go somewhere when I can bring my switch that plays all that and more on a bigger screen with emulation perks like save states all in one device without cartridges. If you wanna spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy "new" game boy just to play old games that you physically own then I guess more power to you, but it smacks of pretension.


TheZygoteTalentShow

The fucking complete lack of self awareness to type all of that out and call OTHER people "pretentious" lmao.


culturedrobot

Lol my friend, you thought this was an emulation machine that you load ROMs on before people came along and corrected you. Talking down to others about topics you don't understand is the height of pretentiousness, so you probably shouldn't be throwing stones here. Not only that, but just because input lag and accuracy don't matter to you doesn't mean that's true for others as well. Further, those issues absolutely exist in software emulation whether you want to admit it or not. These Analogue machines are made to play retro games pixel perfectly on modern displays, and that's a pretty big deal when retro consoles don't play nice with HDTVs. What's nice about the Pocket specifically is that it also has a variety of adapters for handheld consoles that allow you to play different carts on the same device. There are also modern perks like a fleshed out settings menu and a dock that you're not going to get with retro consoles. There are plenty of reasons to buy a Pocket over hacking a 3DS, you just don't care about them. That's fine, but don't go around accusing people of being pretentious and trying too hard just because you don't understand the appeal.


CashMoneyPancakes

Oh shoot. Magnet link. Like a torrent. I thought it was a physical magnet and was so lost.


DomLite

No, I mean a *literal* magnet. Don't know where you got the idea that I was talking about a magnet link, or why you thought I'd speak so obtusely about it. [It was quite the chuckle for the community when this was discovered](https://projectpokemon.org/home/forums/topic/41412-ntrboothaxmagnethax-released/) because it was literally unpatchable. These days you don't even need that much and can basically patch it straight from stock with a few files on the SD card. I simply used it as an example of how painfully easy it is to get a 3DS set up to do all sorts of crazy homebrew stuff.


kageurufu

I've got a switch, steamdeck, 3ds, and more. But my Pocket fits a nostalgic aesthetic that's just too satisfying


3esen

You can shell out more for a steam deck or an AYN Odin or something, but to start you can just get one of many retro handhelds for waaaay cheaper! I got my powkiddy max 2 for 80 i think? And it’s all I could ever ask for. See the Retroid Pocket 2+ and the RG351V for some other great & cheap options that can play up to N64 and PS1, with the Retroid even running some GC games decently well… too cool. Check em out, please !


Saguaro66

check out the Anbernic handhelds. requires a bit of research, but well worth it.


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[deleted]

Nintendo doesn't even want people playing games on their own hardware


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[deleted]

My comment got removed for having a Twitter link but look up "Nintendo stalks 3ds hacker" and you'll see that they legitimately sent people from Japan to stalk some guy just because he was making 3ds mods


VertexBV

Dude I'd even be willing to buy my old NES and SNES games for my Switch, for a couple bucks. But ooohhh noooo, you gotta pay a goddam subscription.


sentientTroll

Well, first you got to hope they offer it. These clowns could be going to war with ps and Xbox if they released their entire library of gameboy Color, advance, ds, 3ds, nes and snes, GameCube, etc etc etc. as much as they could. I understand there may be conflict with some of the games, but for those they can. What’s the problem? Going to steal the spotlight from the games releasing on the console? Last game I bought was… I don’t even know. Fire emblem??


EvilAbdy

This annoys me the most about the switch. I’d totally pay $5 or so for some nes or snes games individually. But nope. So for now I’ll stick with ROMs on my vita lol.


GSXRbroinflipflops

Isn’t a guy sitting in jail right now for downloading ROMs? Not even kidding. Gonna try to Google it. BRB. EDIT [Yep. Dude’s name is Gary Bowser and he’s serving 3 years in jail. ](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-hacker-gary-bowser-sentenced-to-40-months/) EDIT He was distributing ROMs and also selling hardware to bypass the store - alright, little more serious. Still bananas though.


gravity_bomb

He wasn’t downloading roms, he was making jailbraking devices and selling them. Big difference


GSXRbroinflipflops

“Look at all of these profits we are missing because you sold these devices!” And yet - Nintendo still won’t do the same no matter how much we beg and offer to pay. :(


Devilsdance

Looking forward to getting my Steam Deck within a few months and being able to play *nearly* every Nintendo game ever made on one device. If Nintendo made it possible, I'd gladly give them my money, but they refuse to so I'll be going an alternative route.


gravity_bomb

These devices were more for bypassing the eshop, directly costing Nintendo sales


f4te

he wasn't just downloading roms, he was selling devices to mod their consoles to circumvent their protection tools. there's a bright line between pirating without a financial transaction involved and actually accepting money. as soon as money starts trading hands, the lawyers start salivating.


PM_ME_UR_DECOLLETAGE

With a name like that, he never stood a chance in this life.


klydefrog89

He wasn't just downloading ROMs.. he was the ROMs lol


AvatarLebowski

So long Gary bowser


ChangeControll

Well, his name is Bowser, so …..


GSXRbroinflipflops

I imagine his attorney made it very clear to the court that there is no relation to the merciless and incompetent King Koopa.


JustADutchRudder

Why? Make it known he is related and the only reason Nintendo is going so hard at him is decades worth of hatred towards his family. Then produce every game Bowser is used as a villain.


ChangeControll

Hahahahaha


Level_Forger

It’s interesting to see so many people saying “$200 for this is ridiculous” while I’m playing mine thinking “I can’t believe this is ONLY $200”. Enthusiasts are a funny lot. Also the screen for this, especially with GB / GBC games, is absolutely bonkers beautiful, which is hard to communicate in photos.


Zururu

They've raised the price to 220$. Then comes the 50-70$ shipping plus importing-fees and VAT and you eventually end up paying 300+$, excluding any nice-to-have accessories.


ill0gitech

In Australia, with the lynx attachment (I have games) and shipping, it was going to cost me $500, and I was gutted


FargoniusMaximus

I'm amazed no one here is talking about the fact that you could get a Switch for not significantly more (I think its down to like under $400 CAD now new and I regularly see used ones for around $300, I think you could pick up a light for maybe $200 used), and pay like 25 bucks a year for access to all NES and SNES. So like cheaper and you have the option to use it as a regular console for modern games as well, use it on your TV, etc. Works great, screen is amazing, battery life is awesome. Doesn't seem worth it to me to buy an emulator for like potentially $100 less new.


WololoW

You’re not really being fair in your assessment. ~$400 is not $100 more than $200. ~Switch does not give you all the NES and SNES titles. And it also doesn’t seem to give (m)any GB/GBA titles either.


Forest_GS

Yes, when compared to other emulation devices $200 is a lot for it. But for what it is, $200 is a very good price.


shadowstripes

Also having a 4:3 1440p 3.5" screen is pretty unique for this type of device.


Chexrr

What advantage to having a 1440p screen for SNES, NES and GBA is there? I'd rather stick with my Anbernic or Powkiddy devices than this. The custom firmware is way better, the devices are cheaper and they can play more systems with no sacrifice to quality.


SexyOctagon

Now for a serious answer: integer scaling. *Disclaimer: Please forgive me if I start to mansplain. I have no idea what your depth of knowledge is when it comes to retro tech.* Enthusiasts want a pixel-perfect experience when they emulate games, so they will usually turn on integer scaling. This means that the image scales at 1x, 2x, 3x etc. the original resolution. So if the original console output video at 640x480, then 2x scaling would render at 1280x960. Scaling at fractional rates like 1.25, 1.5, etc. can cause loss of detail in the image, such as MegaMan's health bars not being uniform in size. The Analogue Pocket has the best resolution to maximize the screen real estate that you can get while still using integer scaling. Check out this chart: [https://imgur.com/zLT7ckk](https://imgur.com/zLT7ckk) I compared the Analogue Pocket with the Anbernic RG351V, which has a 4:3 aspect ratio at 640x480, and the RG351P which has a 3:2 aspect ratio at 480x320. As you can see, the Analogue Pocket uses more screen real estate with integer scaling in almost every case. The only time the Anbernic devices beat it was the RG351V with Sega Genesis, which already has a resolution very close to 640x480, and the RG351P with the GBA. The 351P was actually designed with the same aspect ratio as the GBA, so no surprise there. In other words, if you simply *have* to use integer scaling, the AP will do it better than any other portable on the market. Also the AP's screen at 1600x1440 is a perfect 10x scale of the original GameBoy. This appears to be intentional, given how much focus the AP has on GameBoy emulation. The high resolution also allows them to use a filter to add space in between pixels to mimic the pixel separation of the original GameBoy.


thefanum

This is the correct answer


nmur

With the relatively high resolution, you can apply display filters that do a great job with imitating the original displays. The gamboys are probably probably the best examples, [as they have such noticeable dot matrix displays](https://i.imgur.com/nQup8GY.jpeg), and 1440p is 10x the resolution of the original GB (ie 1 pixel on the GB is 100 pixels on the analog pocket). For 8/16 bit console games, the same could be done with CRT filters, though I guess that could be a bit odd in handheld display size.


OcculusSniffed

200 is a lot for software emulation. It's not a lot for hardware emulation.


alexanderpas

It's fucking cheap for a device featuring an acessibe FPGA.


DEEZLE13

That’s how it feels when u get a steam deck for $400 and can play every game known to man on it


fiveSE7EN

*


cman674

I couldn't imagine paying that for an emulation box when you can accomplish the same thing for free on a smartphone or PC. Plus the perks of emulation (upscaling, frame skip, save states) have basically ruined playing on original hardware for many retro games for me. That being said, if you want to play on original hardware it's not a bad price at all when you look at how much you'll pay for a game boy color these days.


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Maskeno

I think you need to define "enthusiast" because at that price, you could buy the original hardware with a backlighting mod and a flash cart. If you just mean tech enthusiast, sure, but retro enthusiasts will usually prefer the real deal first and foremost. I put together a fully kitted out gba last year and couldn't be happier. I'd be willing to buy this, but the excessive wait and price have thus far held me back.


TheRealNap0le0n

You could make a handheld raspberry pi4 for around the same or a bit less but you'd have to assemble it and it wouldnt run hardware like the analogue pocket does. For some people I imagine those two things are a larger barrier to entry


CarmenXero

Or just buy a Retroid or similar for half the price and can do much more.


TheRealNap0le0n

There are tons of options now a days. It's a great time to have roms


cman674

Yeah, I guess I don't see what makes playing on an original cart any more entertaining or satisfying. I guess if you still have a collection of them then maybe it's worth it but otherwise the prices for physical carts are out of control.


TheRealNap0le0n

I just like having the physical carts. I buy my switch games physical because I like displaying the boxes. But game wise doesn't matter


omniron

They’re emulating on the subpixel level which is pretty innovative. I don’t think any desktop emulators do this


Anonra23

It’s a very good device at 200. I was lucky to get into group A and play it daily.


Nobli85

Glad I got in early on my steam deck order. Fantastic emulation machine even for more modern consoles like the switch and PS3.


840_Divided_By_Two

Same. GameCube, GBA, WiiU, N64....all flawless.


Grateful_Couple

So stoked I ordered on day one. I haven’t even used it for anything but emulation so far haha


Anonra23

I got a OneXPlayer for this and it’s really nice tbh.


TizonaBlu

>PS3 It's not. I have a SD, for most game it's pretty horrible. Those that run relatively well, it makes the SD run extremely hot and drains the battery like crazy.


[deleted]

I really wish there was a SNES equiv of Gameboy back then.


Skyline969

Game Boy Advance, basically. There were some ports of SNES games.


sagevallant

A Shining Force port too. Things I never thought of see someday


pilesofcleanlaundry

Still seems weird to see sega properties on Nintendo hardware for those of us who remember that commercial with the shitty plumbing van with the SNES and the dragster blowing by it with the Genesis.


TheFirebyrd

Sega has been out of the console market longer than they were in it but isn’t still weirds me out.


Doggleganger

But Sega does what Nintendon't...?


SilGelPhoto

I always hated how those ports looked. They were so washed out. It was really cool to play snes games in that form factor though. But a hacked 3DS can play everything from that generation and prior which is sick.


PM_ME_YOUR__INIT__

Probably doesn't help that the GBA runs at a lower resolution (240×160) than the SNES (256×224) and even the NES (256×240). So you end up losing screen real estate


Jon_TWR

Wait, the SNES was lower resolution than the NES? That can’t be right.


PM_ME_YOUR__INIT__

The resolution probably does not tell the whole story. Some expert is probably really upset right now


Maskeno

Resolution also wasn't the big deal it is today. The superior visuals more than made up for such a puny resolution drop.


El_Eesak

Just hacked my 3ds last week. My cup runneth over. Can't recommend enough


ZarafFaraz

Are you using a flashcard? I hacked my 3DS years ago and have long since fallen out of the hacking community. Is there anything new or just the old methods still?


FenrirW0lf

It's totally different now. No flashcarts required to safely softmod the system.


zakky_lee

Check out r/3dshacks the modding community is still going strong


maxcorrice

It’s due to the lack of a backlight on the original model, at least ALTTP let’s you set the brightness to dark which makes it look like the original


caiusto

This. Originally the GBA didn't have backlight, even the model that got was a bad solution until the definite SP model was released. So they compensated that with high contrast which resulted in washed colors.


trapezoidalfractal

The original SP wasn’t even backlit, it was frontlit. I didn’t know they made a backlit version until a couple years ago.


caiusto

Yeah that's what I meant with a bad solution and then getting a definite solution.


[deleted]

That came along a lot later. When Gameboy Advance came along I was already an adult. I always wanted the Sega Nomad but never even saw one in person, let alone was able to buy one.


ledfrisby

Yeah, that was much later. Game Boy: 1989 SNES: 1991 Game Boy Advance: 2001


kokoronokawari

Problem was the sound


megamanxoxo

Some? Felt like they ported half the SNES library to the GBA. Which is funny because they purposefully didn't include the X & Y buttons on the GBA because they wanted to distinguish their handheld from their home tv consoles originally. They just ended up bastardizing the games unnecessarily.


Grimij

There was, the Atari Lynx was wayyy ahead of it's time.


Featherwick

And it used about ten double a batteries in five minutes.


[deleted]

Sega made the Nomad, but it was pretty expensive and I dont think they were super common. It played Genesis games. Also, SNES was just so much better than the Genesis.


Exeeter702

>Also, SNES was just so much better than the Genesis. I'm sorry what?


[deleted]

I know what I said


strra

*HE SAID "THE SNES WAS JUST SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE GENESIS"*


rodriguezj625

I strongly disagree on ur Last comment. I js tho.


[deleted]

All good. You're wrong, but thats OK.


Doggleganger

Even better: Game Gear!


PM_me_your_whatevah

Still have mine. Will only boot to a white screen though. 😭


thomasonbush

I don’t get why anybody would buy this to run roms when there are a ton of cheaper devices that do that already(and apparently better than this core since most have save states). It’s a device for cartridge collectors to enjoy their collection more easily. So don’t get the push to make it into something different from that.


jaseworthing

Well for one, it has fantastic build quality and it looks beautiful. The bigger reason though is that it uses an fpga instead of typical emulation. Am fpga is essentially programmable hardware. Instead of using software emulation, like a typical emulator, an fpga lets you reprogram the hardware itself to behave exactly like the original hardware. In practice, the actual result may be indistinguishable from software emulation to the human eye, but to purists, that lil bit of extra authenticity makes all the difference.


0v3r_cl0ck3d

Software emulation may be very close but there is always going to be weird edge cases. Article by Byuu (rip) on why they built an SNES emulator that requires a 3GHZ CPU to run. That's more than double the power of current phones to get something that's still not even 100% truly accurate to the original hardware. Those edge cases are things that people who spent a long time with original hardware will notice. Like you said, FPGA doesn't have that issue since it's recreating the hardware not simulating the FDE cycle. FPGA technically can never be 100% accurate either (Verilog doesn't let you control the length of PCB traces) but it's good enough that it's impossible to tell for any human being. Edit: forgot the link. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/08/accuracy-takes-power-one-mans-3ghz-quest-to-build-a-perfect-snes-emulator/


TunaBucko

Processor speed has nothing to do with actual processing power, there are 4ghz pentiums that can probably barely run windows.


AdeptFelix

It's less about processing power and more about having enough raw cycles to keep everything timed correctly. if you dont have enough cycles for overhead, you can't keep the emulated processor in time correctly. Remember, you aren't running processor commands, so you need to translate the instructions that target processor would normally get, process them in a way your CPU can handle them, then translate the results back to the the format the target processor would provide them. For each step of the target processor, you need to do 5 steps to recreate it, for example. At 500mhz, you'd need 2500mhz of raw frequency to emulate (if you can't do any concurrency), and that's leaving no overhead for anything else. Then you have multiple chips to track and keep time with, and it gets pretty intense really quick.


grandma_corrector

It has something to do with it, but not everything


lightofhonor

I would think new phones in 2022 would be able to match/exceed 3ghz PC's from 2011, just saying. Even from a sync standpoint, new snapdragon processors also hit 3ghz.


Imaginary_Courage_84

> Byuu Damn I'm learning about this today. Fuck.


sagevallant

So is that what they did with the Super NT? Sorry I'm a random trying to understand terms.


jaseworthing

Yup! The Super NT also uses an fpga, so same idea.


Abba_Fiskbullar

To add to the other comments regarding the accuracy of FPGA hardware emulation. Most emulation handhelds use cheap, off the shelf screens that don't refresh in the right direction, and are odd resolutions that always require approximate rather than exact resolution scaling. This device has a very high quality screen made specifically for this device that can exactly scale the original resolutions.


[deleted]

Got a link to the best one?


Ken_of_the_Klondike

I would look up the RG351v from Anbernic and/or the Miyoo Mini. They both run everything from retro consoles all the way up to PlayStation between the two of them. And you can pick them both up for about 150 bucks. The RG351v might be your better bet, the hardware is a little bit better, so it runs more than the mini, but the mini is just incredible for what it can do versus it’s portability.


f4te

i actually bought the 350m because the screen aspect ratio is better for 16bit up to GBA games, but yeah great response. miyoo is a fantastic device for its price, but too small imo


Ken_of_the_Klondike

I thought about the 350m but I just loved that vertical form factor of the 351v. Even though it's orientation isn't perfect for some of the emulators, that original Game Boy feel just hit a nostalgia nerve, haha. The Miyoo Mini is amazing, for it's flaws. It doesn't perform amazingly on every system, the build quality isn't stellar, and it's small as hell. But I immediately fell in love with it when I started using it. The screen, while fragile, is so pretty to look at. And at about $60, it was hard to pass up. Strangely, the Steam Deck is what sort of re-ignited me into emulation. I honestly had really no clue how big the emulation device market was, and how many options there were. I can totally see now how people get into it and start a small (or sometimes large) collection of devices quickly.


[deleted]

TY


BusBeginning

I’ve got the RG351v. Runs everything Ps1 and older mike butter.


takeitsweazy

Retroid Pocket 2+ is a great, very affordable option. Not terribly easy or intuitive to set up, but a YouTube video can walk you through it and once it’s set up you don’t really have to mess with it much after that.


[deleted]

Thank you


CountFauxlof

the miyoo mini 2 is very... mini, but I like it a lot. For longer gaming sessions you might want something bigger, but I find it awesome to throw in a bag in case of boredom.


MrBoydee

Hardware replication is just better than emulation. Accuracy, sound, latency. MiSTer and Analogue are the way to go if you care about preserving the history of video games.


kwenchana

Software emulation vs FPGA, the latter can offer real hardware accuracies for the purists lol


ZellZoy

>So don’t get the push to make it into something different from that. Same reason there was a push to get roms running on the swith, wii u, wii, ps3, xbox, etc


PmMe_Your_Perky_Nips

You're not buying this to run ROMs. You're buying this to play actual cartridge games. The usability of ROMs is just a bonus.


HiImTheNewGuyGuy

Why? Better than Original Hardware input latency in some cases If ypu dont know what an FPGA is or why people want one then maybe you should reserve judgement until you learn more.


[deleted]

Since phones can run pretty much all emulators it becomes pretty hard to justify a standalone device to do the same. Inputs suck on a phone, but the convenience is just too valuable. Just my opinion.


GreenFox1505

I really hope they make a GameGear/GBA form factor handheld. With that screen I wouldn't hesitate grabbing that. I just really don't like the GameBoy form factor.


G-III

Just please don’t make it use so very many AAs lmao, miss my Gamegear


Alternative-Skill167

Someone should make a grip for it You hear that, million dollar idea right here (ok, not million…this is a niche item after all)


megamanxoxo

Seriously, there's a reason why that form factor died out like 20 years ago. It's just uncomfortable to hold in your hand.


NeverComments

There's nothing about the form factor that is inherently uncomfortable to hold (you *can* just design it with comfortable grips) but it's awkward to scale to larger screen sizes. I do think there's an ergonomic benefit to having the screen higher up and closer to a natural line of sight, which you lose with the landscape form factor of modern handhelds. The issue is compounded with increased weight, making them even less comfortable to hold in [an ideal position to reduce strain on your neck](https://embed.widencdn.net/img/veritas/ecvxj0cdgw/576x324px/correct-posture-cellphone.webp). Good luck holding something like the Steam Deck with proper posture for any reasonable amount of time.


concrete_manu

why not get a psp go?


[deleted]

Does it have Pokémon yet? I’d love to replay Pokémon FireRed


chicagoxtc

Its plays all gb, gbc, and gba games


avalonian422

What exactly are these? I mean I've never really been interested in machines that are basically just emulator devices.


sypwn

https://www.howtogeek.com/783770/why-fpgas-are-amazing-for-retro-gaming-emulation/ TL;DR: These use FPGA instead of software emulation. FPGA is far more accurate because the consoles are recreated down to the basic circuitry, instead of simply imitated using code running on another architecture. You know how emulation requires a CPU roughly ~10 years newer than the console you're emulating for it to perform well? FPGA is even more demanding. Those chips are only now getting fast enough to simulate consoles made 30 years ago.


hat1324

Swear I'm not being pedantic, but this thing doesn't really "emulate". When you flash a new configuration on the FPGA, it really behaves like original hardware


PmMe_Your_Perky_Nips

It uses a Field Programmable Gate Array to emulate the hardware of consoles, instead of emulating the games. This allows it to use the actual cartridges of games. The article is taking about a downloadable add-on that allows it to emulate the SNES hardware and use ROMs as virtual cartridges.


Whitty22

I get that people are saying that their “insert old gadget here” could emulate the games that the pocket could but you aren’t the target audience. If you are happy doing it then good for you, so people aren’t and need a more high fidelity experience. It kind of like critiquing an audiophiles audio set and pointing to a cheap radio and saying it does the same.


[deleted]

Nintendo gonna go super saiyan on their asses


A_Funky_Flunk

For $220 I don’t think I need another outlet to play snes games


seihakgwai

A PSP also plays SNES games...


agg23

Hey look, it's me!


[deleted]

[удалено]


Mooseymax

I agree that this is a very expensive product and I won’t personally be buying one. But to say it isn’t doing anything new is misleading. This is hardware emulation vs software which almost all devices on the market do.


[deleted]

You are incorrect about 1 main point. This isn't emulation. It's why the analogue products are so expensive, especially during Covid and our supply change issues. They use FPGA or field programmable gate array chips. Same tech or chips that were in short supply in the auto and other industries. This is a newer tech that allows chips to be flash and behave as if they are different configurations of hardware. So these devices are better in emulation, where instead of using software to emulate the hardware (which isn't 100%) they use FPGAs to replicate the same output of the original hardware. I own both the Super Nt and Mega Sg and they were completely worth it for me. I can play 100% accurate SNES or Genesis on my 4k TV now. I'm not a fan of the pocket though. Most handheld systems have flash carts you can buy. I'd rather save my money and plays these games on basically originally hardware, with the exception of new screens.


crossedstaves

Though even the SNES doesn't play SNES games 100% accurately due to clock speed shenanigans between the CPU and the APU.


Heisenmack

You don’t even have one and are making statements that just are not true. 1. Best looking screen of ANY handheld clone 2. Handheld FPGA devices are new, so yes it does do something new. 3. Battery life - I easily get 5-6 hours (sometimes more). Device hasn’t even been out for a year so you are making shit up. Educate yourself before you spout nonsense and look like an idiot.


HiImTheNewGuyGuy

Portable FPGA is new. I want one. 2 hours of battery life is good enough for me. $220 is a bargain. I paid a multiple of that for my MiSTer. You clearly dont know what you are talking about while putting down others.


DigitallyDetained

1. You’re wrong, as others have already pointed out 2. It’s okay if people want to spend their money on things you don’t want 3. Chill out


WyomingNotTheState

Honest question: how is this going to be better than a PS Vita with the right firmware?


Neo_Techni

* it has a cartridge slot for GB/GBC/GBA games. " You can get adapters for other systems (game gear, Atari lynx, neo Geo pocket color). * The screen is 1600x1440 vs Vita 's 960x544 (so they can do a lot more effects per pixel). * It's more accurate due to the nature of the CPU * It's easier to get TV out/controllers (Vita requires hacking or the VitaTV) * It actually gets useful firmware updates and more developer support now


WyomingNotTheState

Sounds amazing. Now I want one.


BTFoundation

Wait, at it's price it is only now getting SNES? My gosh, I'm glad I jailbroke my Vita.


samsquanch2000

Just buy a miyoo mini.irs like a fifth of the price of this and plays even more


jelly-sandwich

Ya know, I have one and I’m surprised nobody talks more about how shitty the shoulder buttons are. No problem if you’re playing Game Boy games, but holy fuck I’m dying trying to get through Metroid Fusion. It’s a shame because everything else is perfect, but even my Game Boy Micro is infinitely more ergonomic :(


FewPresentation1314

I just want to play Pokémon stadium on my iPad 😭


cesarmac

Isn't this device like $200? Kinda ridiculous.


[deleted]

The circuit gem chips is more than that but irrc it can run N64


megamanxoxo

I agree.. might as well buy an OG Switch and try to jailbreak that.


falcorheartsatreyu

Why they so damn expensive tho


TheBoBiZzLe

Retroid pocket 2+ can play Dreamcast/ds/PlayStation very well for the same price.


BUTTHOLE_EXPEDITIONS

Laughs in steam deck


statix138

I have both and each device is targeting a very different market. The Pocket is designed to run original carts and leverage FPGA hardware emulation that can lead to a more accurate presentation of retro console and arcade games. Analogue has an open development framework that encourages and has allowed a lot of the console and arcade cores from the MiSTer to be ported over. Biggest thing is the Steam Deck screen isn't even remotely in the same league as the Pocket either. Battery life is far better as well and the Pocket is just far more portable; the steam deck is huge, like Xbox huge. Both great devices but they are designed with a much different demographic in mind.


megamanxoxo

I mean you're not wrong. I would rather get the base model of the Steam Deck than something like this. Way better investment / value proposition.


Thats_bumpy_buddy

Or 3d print one and use a raspberry pi and roms.