GameStick $17/$20 (in store/online) at Gamestop

Quick question: How come ES File Explorer only shows about 2.14GB of free space on the internal storage? Isn't the stick 8GB? I realize some is taken up with Android but 6GB? Is there something else I need to turn on to see the hidden space? Root explorer didn't seem to do it.

Edit: It seems like storage under settings lists some as internal storage and some as internal sd card. There is about 3.26GB of space on the internal storage, is that not accesible? Probably more of an Android question.
 
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jkam said:
Quick question: How come ES File Explorer only show about 2.14GB of free space on the internal storage? Isn't the stick 8GB? I realize some is taken up with Android but 6GB? Is there something else I need to turn on to see the hidden space? Root explorer didn't seem to do it.

Edit: It seems like storage under settings lists some as internal storage and some as internal sd card. There is about 3.26GB of space on the internal storage, is that not accesible? Probably more of an Android question.
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It separates it into the sd card which is not to be confused with the ext sd card which is a removable one you insert.

 
This device is better at playing videos than my home PC and I haven't even bothered to root it yet. Waiting for the hold on the Dock to expire so I can reserve it myself. Anyone for owns the Dock have any comments on it?

I have this device plugged into a HDMI switch and was wondering how I could turn if off when not in use instead of just pulling the power plug. I switched inputs yesterday after using it, but realized later that it was still powered on and overheated.

 
nadohawk said:
This device is better at playing videos than my home PC and I haven't even bothered to root it yet. Waiting for the hold on the Dock to expire so I can reserve it myself. Anyone for owns the Dock have any comments on it?

I have this device plugged into a HDMI switch and was wondering how I could turn if off when not in use instead of just pulling the power plug. I switched inputs yesterday after using it, but realized later that it was still powered on and overheated.
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You don't turn it off, it's the nature of the product. How do you mean it overheated? As in it got hot or it actually froze up? I've had like 20 of these things with a tv on 24/7 and haven't had one fail on me yet.

 
zebular said:
It separates it into the sd card which is not to be confused with the ext sd card which is a removable one you insert.
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No I'm not confusing it with the ext SD Card. If you look in ES File Explorer it shows 2 "sd cards" The internal at 2.14GB and my external which has 3.5ish GBs left. If you go into the Android settings app > storage, you will see 3 options: Internal Storage, Internal SD Card, and External SD Card. It seems as if about 4GBs of internal storage is not accessible. I don't have much on the stick except for a few apps, no way I should only have 2 out of 8gbs left unless about 4 of that is not touchable.

 
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jkam said:
No I'm not confusing it with the ext SD Card. If you look in ES File Explorer it shows 2 "sd cards" The internal at 2.14GB and my external which has 3.5ish GBs left. If you go into the Android settings app > storage, you will see 3 options: Internal Storage, Internal SD Card, and External SD Card. It seems as if about 4GBs of internal storage is not accessible. I don't have much on the stick except for a few apps, no way I should only have 2 out of 8gbs left unless about 4 of that is not touchable.
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Yeah, /Device is where the other memory is allocated. Basically it's anything that isn't put into sdcard0 folder (which is the internal sdcard memory)

Go to Settings (in android) and select Storage. You'll see what I'm talking about.

 
zebular said:
Yeah, /Device is where the other memory is allocated. Basically it's anything that isn't put into sdcard0 folder (which is the internal sdcard memory)

Go to Settings (in android) and select Storage. You'll see what I'm talking about.
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I'm not sure where we are crossing lines here, Settings (in android) > Storage is where I was. This is showing 3 spaces of storage. There is internal storage (which is the device itself) that has almost 4GB free that we seem to have no access to whatsoever. Then i have the internal SD Card which has a little over 2GB free (also the device itself), and I have a 4GB ext SD Card which has over 3GB left. If I took out the SD card I'd still have 2 pieces of internal storage (1 marked Internal Storage, and 1 marked Internal SD).

The first which isn't showing up in ES File Explorer has over 3GB free and I'm curious as to why we can't seem to access that storage? Is it setup as the recovery partition? Even if it is the settings in android show a lot of free space that isn't showing up in ES File Explorer. At the end of the day I'm not going to cry over 3GB but it seems like a lot of space is left on the table of what is an 8GB device. I have very few apps and no emulators installed and I only have a little over 2gb free of space.

 
jkam said:
I'm not sure where we are crossing lines here, Settings (in android) > Storage is where I was. This is showing 3 spaces of storage. There is internal storage (which is the device itself) that has almost 4GB free that we seem to have no access to whatsoever. Then i have the internal SD Card which has a little over 2GB free (also the device itself), and I have a 4GB ext SD Card which has over 3GB left. If I took out the SD card I'd still have 2 pieces of internal storage (1 marked Internal Storage, and 1 marked Internal SD).

The first which isn't showing up in ES File Explorer has over 3GB free and I'm curious as to why we can't seem to access that storage? Is it setup as the recovery partition? Even if it is the settings in android show a lot of free space that isn't showing up in ES File Explorer. At the end of the day I'm not going to cry over 3GB but it seems like a lot of space is left on the table of what is an 8GB device. I have very few apps and no emulators installed and I only have a little over 2gb free of space.
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You can access it, you can create a folder on the root of the stick outside of sdcard0

 
Not sure if this has been addressed, but for those of you using the dock, how do you access the SD card in the dock slot? I can only see the files in my microSD.

 
fatalwing said:
Not sure if this has been addressed, but for those of you using the dock, how do you access the SD card in the dock slot? I can only see the files in my microSD.
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Keep clicking parent directory until you get back to sdcard0 or 1 (cant remember which one) but thats where it is.

 
Mine was working fine but now the launcher keeps freezing. And anytime I run an app it'll work fine for a while and then become unresponsive. I guess you get what you pay for
 
So after this thing is rooted is there away to do the same process over again? I mean I feel I've messed with the thing too much now and I need a fresh start. Holding the switch while plugging in the power doesn't seem to work anymore. Anyone root this thing more than once?
 
Someone asked if MAME worked. Yes. Some games better than others. You'll need to play w the settings and some ROMs load in mame4all while others load on mame4droid. You'll have to experement but yeah it does work.

Someone else asked for opinions about the dock. I love it. And for $5 I'm going to say it's a must have for Ethernet, cooling fan, USB ports and power switch. Only downside is if you need to transfer data to the microsd card you need to disconnect everything to get the dock open.

I assume you can FTP direct to the sd card but I haven't been able to connect yet. Odd as I have no problem FTP'ing files from my phone to my vita or pc. Will keep tinkering.

Love this thing.

Oh yeah, I have a Bluetooth android gaming controller I need to test. It's a moga pro controller. I'll report on that when I give it a go.
 
Is it just not possible to use Amazon Prime Instant Video with this thing?  Got Mario Kart 64 working great, Netflix works over wifi but Amazon Prime doesn't load and just crashes, whether through the app or through the site.  Was planning to use this to binge some Avatar on Amazon Prime.  :(

 
So if you have the dock you can keep the micro sd in the stick as well as get another sd slot? I was thinking since the micro sd sticks out a tiny tiny bit it wouldnt be both for some reason.
 
Maybe someone can help on this issue. I got it working and yey! but in kodi while in genesis I can stream videos but there always offset. case in point, lets say I stream star wars, the opening in stead of being center would be offset and you would still be able to see the video but only it cuts out the right portion of the video. I can't seem to figure it out.

 
Squall280 said:
Maybe someone can help on this issue. I got it working and yey! but in kodi while in genesis I can stream videos but there always offset. case in point, lets say I stream star wars, the opening in stead of being center would be offset and you would still be able to see the video but only it cuts out the right portion of the video. I can't seem to figure it out.
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It's a resolution conflict between the OS and Kodi. Go to the Android settings and set your resolution to 720p. It'll work.

 
Got one thanks to this thread (in the Colorado Springs area... apparently quite a few more in town, too), and set it up on Sunday while I watched the Broncos lose (sniff.)  Next year I can run NFL Sunday Ticket from this thing, but for now, Plex, Netflix, Hulu, and XBMC will have to do.  

Anyone know if there's a hacked APK to connect to Amazon Instant on stock Android? (Is that against TOS to ask?)

 
elbarto1 said:
Someone asked if MAME worked. Yes. Some games better than others. You'll need to play w the settings and some ROMs load in mame4all while others load on mame4droid. You'll have to experement but yeah it does work.

Someone else asked for opinions about the dock. I love it. And for $5 I'm going to say it's a must have for Ethernet, cooling fan, USB ports and power switch. Only downside is if you need to transfer data to the microsd card you need to disconnect everything to get the dock open.

I assume you can FTP direct to the sd card but I haven't been able to connect yet. Odd as I have no problem FTP'ing files from my phone to my vita or pc. Will keep tinkering.

Love this thing.

Oh yeah, I have a Bluetooth android gaming controller I need to test. It's a moga pro controller. I'll report on that when I give it a go.
Click to expand...
Many years ago when I was messing with MAME on Dreamcast, I had gotten many games to work by changing the screen resolution manually, rebuilding the binaries (also released them), so wonder if that be the same case this time around to get more compatibility by reducing screen resolution, if it is an option (less memory was consumed, which was what made the games run).

 
Thinking of picking one of these up from a local store around here. Any suggestions on what accessories to get with it? Dock? extra controller?

 
Toyed around with this for a few hours last night. Only tried the gamestick controller! but it seemed like certain buttons weren't working with the emulators. No jump on NesOid for instance,and the Start didn't work with the stock NES Emulator. sNESoid kept crashing on me. I really need to get an adapter for the MicroSD, that way I can load the Roms straight to it, instead of downloading on the Stick. Can't figure out how to move files unless I copy them.

Anyone know or try, PS4 or Xbox One controllers wired?
 
The gamestick forums actually say it overheats from playing emulators and quite a few have taken to modifying the case and adding a better heat sink. I'll post some links as well.
 
Skywise said:
Got one thanks to this thread (in the Colorado Springs area... apparently quite a few more in town, too), and set it up on Sunday while I watched the Broncos lose (sniff.) Next year I can run NFL Sunday Ticket from this thing, but for now, Plex, Netflix, Hulu, and XBMC will have to do.

Anyone know if there's a hacked APK to connect to Amazon Instant on stock Android? (Is that against TOS to ask?)
Click to expand...
Amazon released an app that lets you use amazon instant on android.

 
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Skywise said:
Got one thanks to this thread (in the Colorado Springs area... apparently quite a few more in town, too), and set it up on Sunday while I watched the Broncos lose (sniff.) Next year I can run NFL Sunday Ticket from this thing, but for now, Plex, Netflix, Hulu, and XBMC will have to do.

Anyone know if there's a hacked APK to connect to Amazon Instant on stock Android? (Is that against TOS to ask?)
Click to expand...
what are you using to watch live sports? Is it an xbmc addon?

 
angel98 said:
what are you using to watch live sports? Is it an xbmc addon?
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Sportsdevil and yes its an xbmc addon.

Also,

Gamestick #1 - Works great, using Genesis via SPMC to stream media, I couldnt get TVMC to work, I left it at my parents so they can use it.

Gamestick #2 - Works great, every time i try to download Genesis it doesnt download in SPMC, I tried TVMC and it setup perfectly and i can use Genesis on it flawlessly. I just don't understand why each stick performs different? Also I tried streaming a local 720p mkv file from my pc using TVMC and it would have to buffer every 30 seconds using wifi. I have a beast of a router aka Nighthawk. So yea this thing sucks for local media streaming

 
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nadohawk said:
This device is better at playing videos than my home PC and I haven't even bothered to root it yet. Waiting for the hold on the Dock to expire so I can reserve it myself. Anyone for owns the Dock have any comments on it?

I have this device plugged into a HDMI switch and was wondering how I could turn if off when not in use instead of just pulling the power plug. I switched inputs yesterday after using it, but realized later that it was still powered on and overheated.
Click to expand...
Becareful with the dock. It is possible to insert the Game Stick backwards and upside down.

 
Zebular, could you make a video on how to change the controls in Retroarch to work with the Gamestick controller? Or could anyone give me some tips? Tried to play Mame, SNES and Genesis with the Gamestick controller last night through Retroarch and I couldn't change the controls for anything. 

 
Grabbed one today with my hold for Tales of Heart R. Hope the Lego Android games are supported. My son will freak.
 
For those asking, i think the dock is a Key accessory. I wouldn't put this hot-as-hell Gamestick in my 4 year old sons room without it (24/7 steaming cartoons). the fan actually works quite well. i have 2 Sticks and 2 docks. I'm considering getting another one of each just to fill out the rest of the TV's in the house (and maybe another for the kitchen if i can find a cheapo tiny HD TV). These things rock!

 
wilkix said:
Zebular, could you make a video on how to change the controls in Retroarch to work with the Gamestick controller? Or could anyone give me some tips? Tried to play Mame, SNES and Genesis with the Gamestick controller last night through Retroarch and I couldn't change the controls for anything.
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Honestly, I gave up on Retroarch and use the individual system emulators. The emulator is great, but the UI is just garbage on Android. Mame4droid is pretty great for that arcade goodness.

 
Thanks to this thread and helpful tutorials, I got KODI working with all of my add-ons with the gamestick. I am having one issue now and that is the fact that I cannot pair the gamestick controller after I used this CFW Droid O/S. The only way I can navigate through the menus is by hooking up a USB mouse to the power USB to micro USB cable through the gamestick directly. Additionally, I could get a PS3 dualshock 3 controller to do this as well, but I cannot BT pair the gamestick controller or the ds3 controller no matter what I do. I press the BT pairing button on the controller and I don't see any blue tooth devices in the droid settings as it detects nothing and I press the PS home button and this also does nothing. How can I pair one or both of these BT wirelessly so I can have a wireless remote controller?

 
GohanX said:
Honestly, I gave up on Retroarch and use the individual system emulators. The emulator is great, but the UI is just garbage on Android. Mame4droid is pretty great for that arcade goodness.
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Yeah it's just too complicated, thanks I'll give Mame4droid a try

Went and ahead and bought a dock from my local Gamestop, for under 5 bucks I figured why not

 
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If anybody finds an extra dock nearby and would help out a CAG, please let me know. The closest one to me is 100 miles away.
 
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Tarskidx said:
Thanks to this thread and helpful tutorials, I got KODI working with all of my add-ons with the gamestick. I am having one issue now and that is the fact that I cannot pair the gamestick controller after I used this CFW Droid O/S. The only way I can navigate through the menus is by hooking up a USB mouse to the power USB to micro USB cable through the gamestick directly. Additionally, I could get a PS3 dualshock 3 controller to do this as well, but I cannot BT pair the gamestick controller or the ds3 controller no matter what I do. I press the BT pairing button on the controller and I don't see any blue tooth devices in the droid settings as it detects nothing and I press the PS home button and this also does nothing. How can I pair one or both of these BT wirelessly so I can have a wireless remote controller?
Click to expand...
You need the Sixaxis app from google play to sync the ps3 controller

 
Vulcan2422 said:
If anybody finds an extra dock nearby and would help out a CAG, please let me know. The closest one to me is 100 miles away.
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I went into my store and they shipped one from a different store about 45 miles away for free took a few days. Probably cost more to ship than what they are selling it for.

 
Many thanks to Zebular and everyone else who provided information in this awesome thread.

Like a few others my box had been opened before, the controller had been taken out of the bag but all the cables were still sealed.  Irritating.

I watched the videos linked in the OP and was able to flash and set up most everything without issue.  My HDMI port layout required me to use the cable extension from the start.   My K400 Christmas gift worked like a charm and I was able to setup up Genesis and other addons right through SPMC.  The only minor issues I encountered were boot loops after I set up my Google account (solved by shutting off the TV and turning it back on) and a power overload on my TV's usb port after I loaded a live wallpaper.  Wifi works fine even with bluetooth on and Google Play loaded once I set date and time.

One thing that I haven't seen anyone mention is using your TV picture modes and aspect options to make the picture fit the screen?  When I was flipping through my picture modes I noticed that the picture fit was better on some so I just picked the mode that made the stick image take up the entire screen.  This seemed to work for the desktop and some HD TV episodes using SPMC but I didn't have time to try Netflix or SD content.

Thanks to the person who linked the Amazon Instant Video app.  It's not on Google Play and the instructions I found to get it loaded through the shopping app didn't work.

Edited to add - I think I needed the phone version of the shopping app instead of the tablet version so maybe it will work once I try again this evening.

Now I just need to research the emulation piece.  I had to look up MAME if that gives you any indication of my knowledge in this area.  I was a PC gamer and never owned any of the pre PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii systems or games.  In the past three or four years I have managed to amass a ridiculous number of controllers so I should be able to find something that will work for gaming.  I will save this task for the weekend though as I suspect I will need more than an evening to figure everything out.

 
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I got the Gamestick and set it up fine, but then I moved it into my room, and the wifi is pretty weak in there. I have a USB Ethernet adapter I used to use with my Nintendo Wii, if I used that, what kind of additional setup would be required, or is it just plug-and-go?

 
Hey zebular, thanks for introducing me to this device/deal. I have set up my gamestick and flashed it to enable ethernet. I recently got my dock though and need to switch from wifi to ethernet. How do I get to that screen that pops up when you initially flash the ethernet rom? I can't seem to find it. I hope I don't have to wipe it and reflash the rom. That would be annoying.
 
Fudge should of picked a dock when they had it in stock and I'm in no mood to drive 20-30 mins to pick one up. Hopefully they drop in price over at amazon atm $19.

 
samnite said:
Hey zebular, thanks for introducing me to this device/deal. I have set up my gamestick and flashed it to enable ethernet. I recently got my dock though and need to switch from wifi to ethernet. How do I get to that screen that pops up when you initially flash the ethernet rom? I can't seem to find it. I hope I don't have to wipe it and reflash the rom. That would be annoying.
Click to expand...
Sorry but unfortunately you do.

 
If I do wipe it and flash it with the ethernet can I still use wifi later? I may just forego ethernet if after reflashing it I can't use wifi.
 
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