RetroN 5 $129.99 with free shipping @ ThinkGeek - The RetroN 5 deals thread

Drclaw411

CAGiversary!
Feedback
4 (100%)
CURRENT DEALS:

$129.99 with free shipping at ThinkGeek


Important Information
​Warranty registration - http://www.retron5.com/warrantyregistration_/
Patch Notes / How to Update (Last update 6/10/2014) - http://retron5.in/?src=98f13708210194c475687be6106a3b84

I've included the text from the pre-order era of this OP in spoilers for reference.
UPDATE 5/27/14: It's real this time. Hyperkin's June 6 release date is happening. Many mom and pop stores that have received their units have started selling them already, and many people who have ordered from Amazon (myself included) are reporting getting emails from Amazon notifying them that their orders qualify for release day delivery and are updating estimated delivery status to June 6th, no longer showing the "we need more time" placeholder. It's worth noting that so far only people who have ordered the grey unit from Amazon are receiving order updates (which coincides with Hyperkin reporting on their facebook page that they had shipped Amazon's grey preorder units, but Amazon had yet to place an order for the black units). All consoles that have been shown off online by reviewers, people who have been able to buy them before the street date, or Hyperkin themselves have all been grey consoles to this point. No word on black consoles. Another note: Chris Gallizzi of Hyperkin responded to an inquiry about Newegg orders by saying that he is not aware of any issues with Newegg's preorders, and they should be good to go for the launch.

UPDATE 5/22/14: Just one day after IGN and Polygon reported that Hyperkin would begin shipping units to retailers on May 22 (today as of this writing), Hyperkin essentially confirmed that. They have announced that the launch date for the long overdue RetroN 5 is June 6th, 2014. In a much quieter fashion (just by responding to a random person's comment) they confirmed this would be for North America only and that the console would launch in the UK in September. There is also one more small hitch. The rumor that the first batch of units would be only for mom/pop B&M retailers and that NO units from this batch would go to Amazon or Newegg has been gaining some serious steam. While Hyperkin has been responding to a decent amount of comments on their facebook page from excited fans, they continue to ignore questions about when Amazon orders will ship. So it seems those of us who preordered on Amazon still don't have a solid release date. Fulfillment could happen any time between June 6th through September or beyond.

UPDATE 5/21/14: IGN today reported that the RetroN 5 would begin shipping out on May 22 (tomorrow, as of this writing)! This coincides with Chris Gazzilli, Hyperkin's project manager, posting a picture on his facebook page of a massive shipping container full of RetroN 5 units. Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems hell may have just frozen over.

UPDATE 5/13/14: Hyperkin has listed the RetroN 5, and it's controllers, on their company wholesale store for authorized retailers to buy. The console (both colors) and controllers (both colors) are listed as sold out. I'm not sure if they were in stock and sold out quickly, or if they haven't been made available yet. Regardless, it's good news that the system is listed for the first time ever. Additionally, reviewers such as GameSpot and several youtube reviewers have received their review units, which appear to be retail units. The RetroN 5 seems to finally be around the corner. We'll see, but things look promising right now. One thing to note: the listing for the console on Hyperkin's wholesale page indicates that each wholesale box contains six units. If this is the case, it would seem to debunk the previous report of the console being shipped in quantities of four per retailer.

UPDATE 4/25/14: While this hasn't technically been confirmed by Hyperkin, I take it as fact. It's worth remembering that NOTHING has been officially confirmed by Hyperkin. Hyperkin has remained silent until unofficially confirming almost all known info in random interviews with various youtubers and forum members. Therefor, again, I take this as fact:

I spoke to Hyperkin today.

Here are the "unofficial" details.

The "end of May" release is a "soft" release. Meaning they really are waiting for the next batch due in the summer for the official real release. Amazon is NOT getting any of the units released at the end of May. Each retailer is only getting 4 units. Retail on the unit is $139.99 and $39.99 for the additional controller. The reasons for the price increase are both cosmetic and technical but if it works as it should then it should be a great retro system.

Our 4 are already taken with pre-orders. If you know any stores locally that are getting units, and you want one for end of May, then i suggest you contact them and put money down. Keep in mind that each store is getting 4 units only for the soft launch.
UPDATE 4/17/14: Hyperkin has increased the price of the RetroN 5, saying "north of $100, between $129.99 and $149.99". Alll pre-orders from Amazon should be honored via their pre-order price guarantee. I believe Newegg has the same guarantee, I am not sure about Stone Age Gamer or 8 Bit Classics. Think Geek still hasn't opened pre-orders on the unit, instead offering a link to be signed up for email notifications as to when it will be available. Also on the Amazon front, they have sold out or pre-orders. Furthermore, it is more likely you'll learn the ETA from Amazon, Newegg, or whoever you ordered it from. Hyperkin has gone on record of saying they will never again announce a hard release date for anything.

UPDATE 4/12/14: After Hyperkin denied the console was delayed again and vigoruosuly shoved the month of April up everyone's ass for half a year, today they delayed the vaporware console yet again. At the Midwest Gaming Classic, they did their annual presentation. They ignored the planned April 2014 release, but finally somebody in the crowd asked about it. The Hyperkin rep said it was releasing in "30 days, guaranteed". This is not the first time they used the word "guaranteed", last time was about April so this doesn't mean jack shit. So maybe it'll randomly show up at people's houses at the end of may, maybe it wont, and maybe my ass will fly out of my ass.

Retron 5 Delay History:
-Summer 2013 (which they continued to say after summer was over, claiming they meant "Indian Summer" or "California Summer"....i'm not making this up)
-December 10 2013
-Quarter 1 2014
-Quarter 2 2014
-First two weeks of April
-April 2014, guaranteed
-Gauranteed within 30-40 days of April 12, 2014
-June 6 2014

DELAYED. ANY UPDATES FROM HYPERKIN WILL COME ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/HyperkinGames

UPDATE: In a recent interview, Hyperkin confirmed that the initial batch of units WILL NOT BE ENOUGH to meet day ome demand. Also confirmed was the ability for the system to act as a multitap. Example: in a four player SNES game, two players could use snes controlles, one player could use the retron controller, and one player could use a genesis controller. Interview can be found here.


Pre-order at Amazon (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order at Newegg: Black (SOLD OUT) or Grey (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order at Stone Age Gamer (DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, RELEASE DAY DELIVERY NOT PROMISED)
Pre-order at 8 Bit Classics (DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, RELEASE DAY DELIVERY NOT PROMISED)





UPDATE: Hyperkin claims that they opened up some packaged retail units and discovered some units had faulty pins. because of this, the Retron 5 has been delayed. No new release date has been announced, although Hyperkin has stated the unit will release in 2014 and that they are aiming for Q1. This is the Retron 5's third delay.

EDIT: Preorders are sold out at Amazon and Newegg.

Retron5 pre-orders have finally (about damn time) opened.

For those of you who have been following this console, you know it's quite highly anticipated and looks to be far better than any clone system released before.

For those unfamiliar, here's a little info:

  • It's one system that plays games for the following systems: NES, SNES, Genesis, Mega Drive, Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance.
  • Two controller ports for each console will be built in with the system. It will also come with one wireless universal controller.
  • Outputs in HDMI and upscales for HDTVs. Early impressions and videos of this have been extremley postive. From the website: "The RetroN 5 will up convert the video signal to show clearer and cleaner images, with vibrant colors on an HDTV with a resolution output of up to 720p through the use of shaders. You will also be able to select the aspect ratio in our GUI, from the standard 4:3 to the HD ratio of 16:9."
  • Features a user interface (dashboard. Somewhat similar of the PS3 interface in appearance, in my opinion).
  • Features save states. From the website: "Most games did not allow for you to freely save your games. The RetroN 5 will allow you to save their games at any point during gameplay, and will feature an autosave feature upon shutdown. You will be able to load your saves at anytime during gameplay."
  • Button reassignment supported. From the website: "Users will be able to program the controller to assign buttons to their preference. In turn, the RetroN 5 will save these custom layouts, so that users will not have to constantly reconfigure the button configuration. This feature will also be available to people wanting to remap their buttons on their original controllers."
  • 100% game cartridge compatibility, without lag.
  • Sega Power Base Converter compatible, allowing Sega Master System games to be played.
More information is here. It may be a bit dated since this was from back when they first announced the console, but I figured it was the best site to link since it also featured some screenshots as well. http://hyperkin.com/blog/2013/03/retron-5-details-revealed-from-the-midwest-gaming-classic/ There is also plenty of info on Hyperkin's facebook page.

I've been looking forward to this for a long time, and i'm extremley excited that pre-orders are finally open. For one console that not only plays all of these console's games, but upscales them and features save states (either to the cartridge (if supported) or the console itself)...this seems like a great deal. And if you've been following the hype for the console, there is a good chance it could end up selling out. Hyperkin isn't a huge company and this thing has a TON of pre-release demand (just check out the comments on the facebook page). I like the look of the black one a bit better, because it seems to be the traditional console color nowadays. But I opted for the grey model because the black console and controller seem like they'd be fingerprint magnets.

Preorder either color here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-RetroN-Gaming-Not-Machine-Specific/dp/B00DZIX3CQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1378958043&sr=8-13&keywords=retron+5 or here at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=retron%205&N=-1&isNodeId=1&RandomID=65244712392254220130925161655

Here are pictures of the two consoles, since the pictures on Amazon aren't that great:

Grey:
Retron-5.jpg


Black:
e3_retron5_03550.jpg

 
Last edited by a moderator:
My Retron 5 still works perfectly. No hardware or software hiccups and all the cart slot pins have loosened nicely. I've used this thing pretty much every day since May (Amazon.com, 1st batch) and the usage is only going to rise due to Hyperkin implementing IPS/UPS patch support for using fan translations and hacks.

 
My Retron 5 still works perfectly. No hardware or software hiccups and all the cart slot pins have loosened nicely. I've used this thing pretty much every day since May (Amazon.com, 1st batch) and the usage is only going to rise due to Hyperkin implementing IPS/UPS patch support for using fan translations and hacks.
That's really got me interested as a lot of japanese snes carts are dirt cheap. Retron 5 took so long to go back in stock that I actually learned how to solder and fixed my genesis. I'm still waiting on a price drop but I get a feeling I'm going to be waiting a long time.

 
Kind of shocking, but this is still in stock at Thinkgeek.  Maybe there wasn't so much pent up demand as I thought?  Or maybe Thinkgeek has monopolized an entire shipment..

 
That's really got me interested as a lot of japanese snes carts are dirt cheap. Retron 5 took so long to go back in stock that I actually learned how to solder and fixed my genesis. I'm still waiting on a price drop but I get a feeling I'm going to be waiting a long time.
Price drop? You mean the hardware fixes... I'm more interested that they are producing the console with better, more reliable connectors and actually testing their games on the console instead of saying that they did. What probably happened was that the testers tried to test the games on the console and jammed/broke the connectors too many times. That would probably also explain all the delays they had and in the end they said fuck it, let's ship it anyway.

 
Maybe it's just me...

but in plain sight it says "this item is excluded from current site promotion"

meaning you're not going to get any sort of discount on it

 
Maybe it's just me...

but in plain sight it says "this item is excluded from current site promotion"

meaning you're not going to get any sort of discount on it
Yep, that's it. Sorry :( Didn't see any exclusions to the coupon terms, and didn't see the mention on product page!

 
Is this thing safe to patch and play yet? I havent touched it after it started deleting my saves off 20 year old cartridges. I heard it was good after the 1.3 patch.. but then that a later patch brought the issue back. Is the current version safe for me to put my carts in?

Honestly the whole system seems pretty meh to me after that. I mean thats a pretty god damn serious issue. People just losing saves that old? Yeesh, howd it even get out the door

 
Is this thing safe to patch and play yet? I havent touched it after it started deleting my saves off 20 year old cartridges. I heard it was good after the 1.3 patch.. but then that a later patch brought the issue back. Is the current version safe for me to put my carts in?

Honestly the whole system seems pretty meh to me after that. I mean thats a pretty god damn serious issue. People just losing saves that old? Yeesh, howd it even get out the door
I haven't had any problems with software. I even downloaded the 2.0 beta and it was fine. Guess I have been lucky. My has worked great and I play it every day. Best system I have bought in years.
 
I have had zero problems as well.  Ive had it since the first batch of AMazon orders that people got the first week of June.  It has worked flawlessly.  I have the powerbase mini and that works great as well.  I have near 200 games for it so I have quite an extensive library of games to play on it and check out.  All have worked perfect.  Road Rash is just awesome.

Although I can understand why some people would go ouya (or something else) and do emulators.

 
Been rocking the 2.0 beta 5 firmware for the hack/translation patch feature. Still can only apply one IPS/UPS patch at a time which stinks for those specific patches that have been created that require updating the game ROM first to a newer revision (ie. 1.0->1.1 or 1.2) and then applying the translation patch over the updated game ROM. 

 
Yeah I think I'm going to finally pick one of these Retrons up soon. Seems like it'll be a lot of fun to finally play some retro games again. Plus I do want to build a collection of more games. 

 
I am debating on selling my gray REtron 5.  I also had close to 125 TOTAL PS3 games on disc.  I am down to about 15 PS3, and 8 PS4 games.  I have around 175 games for the retron 5.  Why have I been selling this stuff?  I've been a huge workout advocate the last 4.5 years after being badly out of shape.  I decided to put myself to a test and did a Spartan Race and did EXTREMELY well.  I am addicted and want to spend most of my time training to due multiple ones during the year.  

Its a hard decision but the training I did the last 4 months left me next to NO game time.  So its all just sitting there collecting dust.  I have the gray Retron 5, an extra controller, 2 charge wires, AND it has a squaretrade warranty on it as well which is good until May 31 of 2017.  and I just have to figure out how to transfer it to whomever purchases it.  I know you can with squaretrade just not sure how yet.  I also have the powerbase Mini, around 175 games between (SNES, NES, Sega, GB, and 1 famicom game).  All slots are tested and it is updated to the most recent firmware and will have a 2gb sd card with it as well.  Im just not sure what to charge.  I have all the boxing and paperwork (I think all the paperwork, not like it was really needed).  

 
My favorite part of all these recent developments is that IGN is still promoting this as a fantastic console even as recently as this weekend. Really, do they just ignore all of the rabble over these crappy firmware updates, possible litigation and the obvious throngs of unpleased customers...?
 
My favorite part of all these recent developments is that IGN is still promoting this as a fantastic console even as recently as this weekend. Really, do they just ignore all of the rabble over these crappy firmware updates, possible litigation and the obvious throngs of unpleased customers...?
Don't forget the crappy hardware itself, so many complaints about poor-fitting slots, bent pins, dead slots, dead or inconsistent controller ports, etc. I decided to pass on the Retron 5 after all that, it just seems like crap hardware that just won't last.
 
Yes, if you steal things you don't have to worry about pesky licensing issues...
The urban myths back in the day were that emulation for games you own is considered legal? I am currently drinking Coke and pop rocks, so i don't even know what to think anymore.

 
Really, do they just ignore all of the rabble over these crappy firmware updates, possible litigation and the obvious throngs of unpleased customers...?
I have a Retron5, and so far it has been a delight to use. There are some issues with the console, certainly. But overall I would say it is a very good idea.

The situation with the possible emulator litigation is dripping with irony. The specific complaints from the creators of the emulation software in question aren't that the Retron5 is using their software. They are upset that the Retron5 is locking off access to its firmware so that users can't make custom modifications to the system's software.

Most of the emulators in question are licensed under various open-source licenses. But these licenses specify that changes to the software in question have to be redistributed, and that any incorporation into commercial products has to be left open for further development. The Retron5 is not designed to be an open hardware platform, and thus doesn't strictly adhere to those standards. That's the real issue regarding the emulator licensing.

The irony is that Hyperkin has been attempting to lock down the system to AVOID litigation. If they allowed open access for users to mod the system as they please, one of the first things that would happen is a version of the firmware would be released that allowed you to run ROMs off of the SD card. As soon as that happened companies like Nintendo or Sega would be breathing down Hyperkin's neck for trying to produce and distribute an "emulator" box.

I have no idea how this will play out. Worst case scenario, Hyperkin will be forced to "unlock" the Retron5 for software modifications. This will open them up to unwanted attention from big companies with dangerous legal teams, but as long as the standard firmware distributed with the system is kosher, they will have a defensible position.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have a Retron5, and so far it has been a delight to use. There are some issues with the console, certainly. But overall I would say it is a very good idea.

The situation with the possible emulator litigation is dripping with irony. The specific complaints from the creators of the emulation software in question aren't that the Retron5 is using their software. They are upset that the Retron5 is locking off access to its firmware so that users can't make custom modifications to the system's software.

Most of the emulators in question are licensed under various open-source licenses. But these licenses specify that changes to the software in question have to be redistributed, and that any incorporation into commercial products has to be left open for further development. The Retron5 is not designed to be an open hardware platform, and thus doesn't strictly adhere to those standards. That's the real issue regarding the emulator licensing.

The irony is that Hyperkin has been attempting to lock down the system to AVOID litigation. If they allowed open access for users to mod the system as they please, one of the first things that would happen is a version of the firmware would be released that allowed you to run ROMs off of the SD card. As soon as that happened companies like Nintendo or Sega would be breathing down Hyperkin's neck for trying to produce and distribute an "emulator" box.

I have no idea how this will play out. Worst case scenario, Hyperkin will be forced to "unlock" the Retron5 for software modifications. This will open them up to unwanted attention from big companies with dangerous legal teams, but as long as the standard firmware distributed with the system is kosher, they will have a defensible position.
I don't see why they would go after Hyperkin for that when being able to use emulators was one of the Ouya's biggest selling points It's why I even own one. Also why wouldn't they go after Google for allowing Emulators on the Android store?

 
Just played the Orignal X-MEN for Genesis... What a flashback!! Although it was game over on stage 1, the jungle. But so exciting hearing the intro.... CHUANNNNNNNNNNN....

Also Played the Adventures of Batman and Robin the other day but it wasn't as fun as I remember it.

 
I don't see why they would go after Hyperkin for that when being able to use emulators was one of the Ouya's biggest selling points It's why I even own one. Also why wouldn't they go after Google for allowing Emulators on the Android store?
As with many open-source projects, it's a matter of principles, not money. Hyperkin isn't a big financial target, this is about open-source software developers wanting the terms of their licenses to be respected. Hyperkin isn't under any obligation to pay royalties. They are simply using the software as the license stipulates they shouldn't.

The OUYA is an open platform. You can root it right out of the box and do whatever you please with it. There were no steps taken on the part of the OUYA team to prevent such actions. That's why those same emulators on the OUYA do not violate any licenses. Ditto for most Android devices. Android is an open operating system, and you can re-compile and edit it however you please. Emulators released on the Google store also don't violate those licenses.

Hyperkin went out of their way to lock down their hardware to prevent such alterations or customization of the firmware. It's why you have to have an extra step in updating the Retron5's firmware. It allows them to run a check against the individual hardware's ID. That is what's getting the emulator developers noses out of joint. Those sorts of actions are not in keeping with their software's original intentions.

 
I still want one because of the ability to apply translation patches to Japanese carts.  The Japanese versions of snes rpg's are absurdly cheap and this would allow me to get the carts without having to sell a kidney for the U'.S. Versions.

 
As with many open-source projects, it's a matter of principles, not money. Hyperkin isn't a big financial target, this is about open-source software developers wanting the terms of their licenses to be respected. Hyperkin isn't under any obligation to pay royalties. They are simply using the software as the license stipulates they shouldn't.

The OUYA is an open platform. You can root it right out of the box and do whatever you please with it. There were no steps taken on the part of the OUYA team to prevent such actions. That's why those same emulators on the OUYA do not violate any licenses. Ditto for most Android devices. Android is an open operating system, and you can re-compile and edit it however you please. Emulators released on the Google store also don't violate those licenses.

Hyperkin went out of their way to lock down their hardware to prevent such alterations or customization of the firmware. It's why you have to have an extra step in updating the Retron5's firmware. It allows them to run a check against the individual hardware's ID. That is what's getting the emulator developers noses out of joint. Those sorts of actions are not in keeping with their software's original intentions.
Maybe I misread or am just not comprehending that link's message clearly enough but to my limited understanding, I thought their major problem was that Hyperkin is using a bunch of this company's emulators that are licensed for free public use and that Hyperkin is making money with their inclusion. (What's the word I'm looking for here, "monetarizing"...? I think that's the one.) I didn't get any part of the 'users should be able to do as they please with the software so we're pissed' vibe, it seemed more personal than that. Again though, I can easily be mistaken by what I skimmed and perused for five minutes if that.
 
I didn't get any part of the 'users should be able to do as they please with the software so we're pissed' vibe, it seemed more personal than that. Again though, I can easily be mistaken by what I skimmed and perused for five minutes if that.
You're allowed to make money while redistributing most open-source licensed projects. Good Old Games does it all the time when they redistribute compiled versions of DOSBox and SCUMMVM with the commercial legacy games they sell. They don't get into any trouble with that, despite those emulators often being necessary to run the games on modern hardware.

The specific scenario being outlined in that link was one where Hyperkin was distributing the emulators on a closed hardware system. The commercial sale of that closed hardware system is incidental as far as the license is concerned. If the Retron5 wasn't a locked-down hardware system, it wouldn't be in breach of the particular license in question, whether it was being sold for a profit or not.

It's not about being able to do what you want with the software. People could already do pretty much whatever they pleased with the software. It's open-source, which gives you complete access for making changes and re-compiling at your leisure. Hyperkin is locking down the hardware, and incorporating these particular open-source projects into a closed system like that is in violation of those open-source licenses.

 
I don't see why they would go after Hyperkin for that when being able to use emulators was one of the Ouya's biggest selling points It's why I even own one. Also why wouldn't they go after Google for allowing Emulators on the Android store?
The point is Hyperkin CLAIMED they made EVERYTHING from scratch, yet they didn't. They stole basically 95% of the software that powers the device. AND it's being sold COMMERCIALLY. Not to mention these emulators were STOLEN without permission.

And violate the licensing agreements of nearly every single one.

It's even right in the fucking source they only put up on their website AFTER they were caught red handed. And it's not even the whole source code.


Emulators put on android markets and the like are done so by the people who actually make them and often for FREE.

You're allowed to make money while redistributing most open-source licensed projects.
This is ONLY if the license of said software ALLOWS it. They could've ALSO licensed the software SPECIFICALLY from said creators.


The SNES and MD/SG cores of the Retron 5 SPECIFICALLY FORBID Commercial redistribution. (Check the source yourself)
Meaning without those two cores they not only STOLE but are violating the licensing of and would literally be left with ZERO options other than to ACTUALLY MAKE EMULATORS THEMSELVES. BUT WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT WHEN THEY CAN JUST STEAL AND SAVE MONEY?


The Frontend is also a TIVOzation of the Retroarch Front end (Which they also stole btw)

I'm amazed and appalled how little people care about this.

Spread this around to everyone you know.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
In regards to the Ouya, those emulators are still being made available. FOR FREE> By the creators. They aren't being sold WITH the device, and they are NOT claiming credit for them. And they are not on a closed ecosystem.


For more discussion and explanations from some of the actual platform creators (IE: From the creator of the entire Libretro system the Hyperkin ALSO stole and is running on, and others)

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?53571-Retron-5-source-code-discussion&p=776865#post776865

 
Last edited by a moderator:
And it's pointless to keep using the term "stolen." Open source projects are distributed freely by their very nature, no matter what their licenses stipulate. You can't steal something that someone else is handing out free of charge.

The issue at hand isn't theft, it's misappropriation. Call it what it is. Throwing around such language is just a blatant attempt to incite controversy.

At the end of the day, this is an issue for the software creators to be upset about, as indeed they are. There's no particular reason for general consumers to be reaching for the torches and pitchforks.

 
In regards to the Ouya, those emulators are still being made available. FOR FREE> By the creators. They aren't being sold WITH the device, and they are NOT claiming credit for them. And they are not on a closed ecosystem.


For more discussion and explanations from some of the actual platform creators (IE: From the creator of the entire Libretro system the Hyperkin ALSO stole and is running on, and others)

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?53571-Retron-5-source-code-discussion&p=776865#post776865
The point is Hyperkin CLAIMED they made EVERYTHING from scratch, yet they didn't. They stole basically 95% of the software that powers the device. AND it's being sold COMMERCIALLY. Not to mention these emulators were STOLEN without permission.

And violate the licensing agreements of nearly every single one.

It's even right in the fucking source they only put up on their website AFTER they were caught red handed. And it's not even the whole source code.


Emulators put on android markets and the like are done so by the people who actually make them and often for FREE.

This is ONLY if the license of said software ALLOWS it. They could've ALSO licensed the software SPECIFICALLY from said creators.


The SNES and MD/SG cores of the Retron 5 SPECIFICALLY FORBID Commercial redistribution. (Check the source yourself)
Meaning without those two cores they not only STOLE but are violating the licensing of and would literally be left with ZERO options other than to ACTUALLY MAKE EMULATORS THEMSELVES. BUT WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT WHEN THEY CAN JUST STEAL AND SAVE MONEY?


The Frontend is also a TIVOzation of the Retroarch Front end (Which they also stole btw)

I'm amazed and appalled how little people care about this.

Spread this around to everyone you know.
What I find Hilarious about this is that someone would be upset about a company "stealing" software that was intended to allow people to steal games in the first place! Unless you are one of the programmers of the software that was used by hyperkin, I kindly encourage you to get off your high horse!

 
So, in the end, all you people are paying for a Rom dumping device that emulates Roms using RetroArch. Can't see why people are paying for this, as RetroArch is free and available for a lot of devices and OSes (Android, Windows, Linux, PS3, 360, Wii...)

Not to mention they ripped off RetroArch and many emu developers.

 
So, in the end, all you people are paying for a Rom dumping device that emulates Roms using RetroArch. Can't see why people are paying for this, as RetroArch is free and available for a lot of devices and OSes (Android, Windows, Linux, PS3, 360, Wii...) Not to mention they ripped off RetroArch and many emu developers.
I really wanted this but I'm just gonna stick with the Ouya. Sure it has it's problems but it plays everything the Retron did and more and cost a whole lot less. Wish they would update it with better specs and hardware than it would be a pretty damn amazing emu/xbmc machine.

 
anyone who actually bought this garbage must feel stupid
I still enjoy the grey console I bought for $76.19. I was also happy with my black console I bought for $76.19, but I ended up selling the black one for $220. I was planning on keeping it, but I wanted to sell while the demand was high. Overall I don't feel any stupider than I normally feel everyday.

Since buying the Retrons I've also been having fun hunting down game cartridges at local pawn shops. Last week I bought metroid fusion and a handful of other decent GBA games for $2 a piece. The main thing that's annoying is cleaning these old pawn shop/Goodwill cartridges, but that's because I take them apart and clean them with an eraser. Doing that makes me feel stupid, but I don't want to get any pins dirty, and I don't want to use any cleaning chemicals.

I honestly haven't checked this thread much since the console was released. I just wanted to share the CGR review. I have to get caught up on this copyright controversy stuff I guess. What did I miss?

 
anyone who actually bought this garbage must feel stupid
I dont feel stupid. I think it's the best system I have purchased in a long while. I have had zero problems with it. Thats more then I can say for my PS4 that didnt work out of the box and two controllers broke in less than a month. Its an example of no matter who manufactures a console you will have people who get bad ones. Anything machine assembled has a chance of being bad right out of the box. Plus everyone makes these things as cheap as possible using the cheapest labor and parts. Thats why they are made in China anyway.

Sure I can download roms and play them on my computer or wherever but as a collector I enjoy the hunt for games, bringing them home and cleaning them up, making them look new again. Did I need a Retron5? No, I already have every console but with limited space it's nice to have just one system out with one power cable and one TV connection. Plus I can put the original systems back in there boxes and store them so I know they are going to stay in great shape. So is it garbage and stupid? Not to me but that my opinion and everyone has one, just like everyone has an a**hole.

 
I still want this system. Every time I get ready to sell a game I always have to look through piles of cords and controllers just to make sure it's all clean and working properly before shipping it. This would make my life so much easier. I'm still waiting on the price to drop though >_<

 
bread's done
Back
Top