It’s not quite as capable as some of the $100-$200 devices out there, but my modded PSP plays virtually every Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Master System, Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear, and NES ROM/disk image I’ve thrown at it almost perfectly; almost every GBA and Neo Geo ROM I’ve thrown at it almost perfectly; most CPS1 and 2 ROMs I’ve thrown at it almost perfectly; and a decent selection of SNES and TurboGrafx ROMs either almost perfectly or well enough to be acceptable. It also plays PS1 and PSP games natively, and the PSP also received a bunch of officially released retro collections, as well. It’s hard for me to justify investing in a handheld emulation device when it isn’t going to give me a lot more functionality over that.
Taki seems a bit sassy, ETA Prime is a tech nerd, retro dodo is more casual affair, and RGC is probably the best at solely focused on the scene.
Then there's r/SBCgaming, which unless someone has a better forum, is the best "mix of everything," place. I believe all the major players have their own subreddits, such as Miyoo, Anbernic, Retroid, AYN, PowKiddy, etc.
The long story made short for these things is they all use old phone parts and you're either seeking out the best Linux experience, which is very smooth, optimized, but has limitations versus an Android experience, which is more fiddly, potentially better performance, better streaming apps, and more of a media consumption device versus solely retrogaming.
The most popular stuff, like the Miyoo Mini and Ayn Odin line, are either routinely sold out or still on long back order. Anbernic has a ton of different models, and tends to be a bit more pricey than what you get, but the RG353p is probably the best entry for anything PS1 or older.
If you want Gamecube and newer, you're going to spend $300+ probably to get something, and you're better off with the Steam Deck ($400) at that price range. Below that, you're really looking at the sub-$100 and sub-$200 ranges, with more features, capabilities, etc. between the two. The Ayn Odin series is the rare middle-ground in the $250~ range.
Expect to learn how to setup the device (Retro Game Corp has great guides), as the "stock" experience on most of them sucks is generally okay, but you're leaving performance on the table. Finding the top fan-made Linux distros, like AmberELEC, or using Android front ends, like Daijisho, and customizing your experience is half the fun.
Many people cut their teeth on modding a PSP, PS Vita, or 3DS system (the DSi has limited emulation capacity). So you could always go that route first; all of those are now supremely easy to hack. Or if you have an old Android phone, you can use it for retro gaming with something like a Razer Kishi.
I plan on waiting to get an AYN Odin when they are done being backlogged or waiting for whatever comes next; that's the one downside, is you're likely to always want the next best thing.
(Green = safest; Yellow = Small Risk; Red = Don't, very risky; Gray = for experience buyers only, but has value)
1) Amazon - the device is likely already in the USA, but you're paying a premium for that. Lowest risk options, but at a higher price.
2) Directly from the vendor- the device is likely in China/Taiwan, the price is at the list price, and you're likely to get better refunds and/or repairs directly; Anbernic runs sales, as one example
3) IndieGoGo - this is a crowdsourcing site; technically not a purchase, but I do not know anyone who has been shafted from the bigger companies who used this (currently Ayn Odin Lites can be ordered on IGG)
4) AliExpress - the device is likely in China/Taiwan, likely the best pricing, but you have to know its from an official channel (like Miyoo's own storefront), otherwise it's a crapshoot
5) Unaffiliated Sites - Crapshoot; example would be KeepRetro... likely just drop shippers, I would not recommend them
6) eBay - for the new stuff you'll pay a premium, but for older stuff... it may still be at market pricing as demand seems to be growing? However, most folks seem to take care of their stuff (or it sits unplayed because they have 9 other devices). As always, be careful of what is or is not included, ensure the listing states its functional, and any mods done, if any.
7) Facebook, reddit, etc. - The community around this space is pretty good at being not-jerks; I have bought a used device from a rando, went well. The hobby is still niche, so not really a lucrative market for scammers (yet), thus if you get in a community (recommend ones like private Facebook groups), you can probably get feedback on sellers before you buy. Just use PayPal G&S for purchase protection.
Also, never, never, never use the stock microSD cards that come with them. They are cheap trash and are very likely to fail (some within days of usage!). Buy SanDisk or Samsung cards, stock up when they are cheap!
My only real "modding" experience is installing CFW on my 2DS so I could play GBA games and on the WiiU so I could use Nintendont, so the guides and walkthroughs are greatly appreciated.
My only real "modding" experience is installing CFW on my 2DS so I could play GBA games and on the WiiU so I could use Nintendont, so the guides and walkthroughs are greatly appreciated.
Retro Game Corps has a bunch of video and written guides; just know, like modding CFW on other devices, you want use the most up-to-date guides when it comes to written or video tutorials.
Unlike CFW, since these are all "open" devices, there's extremely low risk of permanent bricking. Like, you have to actively do something actively dumb, like turning off the device while updating, which pretty much every electronic device says not to do these days.
The Miyoo Mini was probably the easiest; it was drag, drop, wait, and done. Anything Android is the most time consuming, but most recent updates to front ends automates a great deal.
EmuDeck for the Steam Deck goes one step further and preconfigures all the included emulators for the platform itself!
Steam Deck with Emudeck is all you need. It even runs 3DS, Wii U, and Switch games very well (not full speed 100% of the time, but you can get pretty close with tweaking - they're certainly playable). Gonna be tough to beat that for $400
Taki seems a bit sassy, ETA Prime is a tech nerd, retro dodo is more casual affair, and RGC is probably the best at solely focused on the scene.
Then there's r/SBCgaming, which unless someone has a better forum, is the best "mix of everything," place. I believe all the major players have their own subreddits, such as Miyoo, Anbernic, Retroid, AYN, PowKiddy, etc.
The long story made short for these things is they all use old phone parts and you're either seeking out the best Linux experience, which is very smooth, optimized, but has limitations versus an Android experience, which is more fiddly, potentially better performance, better streaming apps, and more of a media consumption device versus solely retrogaming.
The most popular stuff, like the Miyoo Mini and Ayn Odin line, are either routinely sold out or still on long back order. Anbernic has a ton of different models, and tends to be a bit more pricey than what you get, but the RG353p is probably the best entry for anything PS1 or older.
If you want Gamecube and newer, you're going to spend $300+ probably to get something, and you're better off with the Steam Deck ($400) at that price range. Below that, you're really looking at the sub-$100 and sub-$200 ranges, with more features, capabilities, etc. between the two. The Ayn Odin series is the rare middle-ground in the $250~ range.
Expect to learn how to setup the device (Retro Game Corp has great guides), as the "stock" experience on most of them sucks is generally okay, but you're leaving performance on the table. Finding the top fan-made Linux distros, like AmberELEC, or using Android front ends, like Daijisho, and customizing your experience is half the fun.
Many people cut their teeth on modding a PSP, PS Vita, or 3DS system (the DSi has limited emulation capacity). So you could always go that route first; all of those are now supremely easy to hack. Or if you have an old Android phone, you can use it for retro gaming with something like a Razer Kishi.
I plan on waiting to get an AYN Odin when they are done being backlogged or waiting for whatever comes next; that's the one downside, is you're likely to always want the next best thing.
(Green = safest; Yellow = Small Risk; Red = Don't, very risky; Gray = for experience buyers only, but has value)
1) Amazon - the device is likely already in the USA, but you're paying a premium for that. Lowest risk options, but at a higher price.
2) Directly from the vendor- the device is likely in China/Taiwan, the price is at the list price, and you're likely to get better refunds and/or repairs directly; Anbernic runs sales, as one example
3) IndieGoGo - this is a crowdsourcing site; technically not a purchase, but I do not know anyone who has been shafted from the bigger companies who used this (currently Ayn Odin Lites can be ordered on IGG)
4) AliExpress - the device is likely in China/Taiwan, likely the best pricing, but you have to know its from an official channel (like Miyoo's own storefront), otherwise it's a crapshoot
5) Unaffiliated Sites - Crapshoot; example would be KeepRetro... likely just drop shippers, I would not recommend them
6) eBay - for the new stuff you'll pay a premium, but for older stuff... it may still be at market pricing as demand seems to be growing? However, most folks seem to take care of their stuff (or it sits unplayed because they have 9 other devices). As always, be careful of what is or is not included, ensure the listing states its functional, and any mods done, if any.
7) Facebook, reddit, etc. - The community around this space is pretty good at being not-jerks; I have bought a used device from a rando, went well. The hobby is still niche, so not really a lucrative market for scammers (yet), thus if you get in a community (recommend ones like private Facebook groups), you can probably get feedback on sellers before you buy. Just use PayPal G&S for purchase protection.
Also, never, never, never use the stock microSD cards that come with them. They are cheap trash and are very likely to fail (some within days of usage!). Buy SanDisk or Samsung cards, stock up when they are cheap!
Great information. I agree with pretty much everything except I have had good luck with KeepRetro. I have read about some others with bad experiences on reddit but not sure if that is a vocal minority. Perhaps they have changed in terms of reliability but I was able to acquire my Miyoo Mini Jan 29th earlier this year. Sometimes KeepRetro is the only option as the official store goes out of stock too frequently and KeepRetro at least allowed me to reserve a place in line.
Either way, I think the Miyoo Mini is worth going through the hassle to acquire if you can get it for under $70. OnionOS's 4.0 update makes the device easy to just hop in and out of games on the go. I bought a gripcase from an etsy shop (listing is hidden since it is out of stock atm) that protects the device in my pocket and can turn into a nice grip for my hands if rotated sideways.
Pokemon Sword and Shield Mystery Gift codes for Genesect, Volcanion and Marshadow are being distributed over the next month. Genesect and Volcanion cards are at Gamestop from yesterday until the 29th. Marshadow cards will be at Target from Oct 30 to Nov 12. In Canada, Gamestop will distribute them all with the same timeframes. Anyone in Australia, all 3 will be at JB Hi-Fi from Oct 21 to Nov 18.
Halloween Forever for $4.99 I highly recommend. The Takedown for $3.99 a no brainer for those who like beat em ups like streets of rage 4 and final fight with a bit of other driving and flying action.
It's been finished, someone actually got to play it due to an error on Nintendo's part. My hope is that, at this point, they're waiting to find a good slot to release it; being that this is decided months in advance.
I guess it could still be possible that they'll wait until the war is over or just cancel it outright.
Does anyone here need a family share member for Nintendo Online? Mine is expiring in a couple of days and the user I shared with last year is not responding to my pms.
Does anyone here need a family share member for Nintendo Online? Mine is expiring in a couple of days and the user I shared with last year is not responding to my pms.
Does anyone here need a family share member for Nintendo Online? Mine is expiring in a couple of days and the user I shared with last year is not responding to my pms.
Thanks for the details. If no response by the day of expiration, I'll plan on starting a new cag fam. I guess pm me if you understand it's a pending issue and are still interested in a new slot.
Thanks for the details. If no response by the day of expiration, I'll plan on starting a new cag fam. I guess pm me if you understand it's a pending issue and are still interested in a slot.
He only has like 1 or 2 days to respond correct? I will be interested in joining a new one asap as another user has invited me but his starts on November 6th and I would rather not go that long without having the sub.
Based on joining last year, yes it should be something like that. I think I was the first cag to join and that was on 10/23. I've looked and don't think I can see the exact date of expiration.
I sent the current host a pm asking about it 2+ weeks ago. So it's a reasonable amount of time.
Based on joining last year, yes it should be something like that. I think I was the first cag to join and that was on 10/23. I've looked and don't think I can see the exact date of expiration.
I sent the current host a pm asking about it 2+ weeks ago. So it's a reasonable amount of time.
Well I sent messages to alexb54 and iTETSUO to let them know we're trying to continue the group. Gospelman, would you mind starting a thread in the trading forum so we can continue to fill the slots? Thanks for offering to host
Well I sent messages to alexb54 and iTETSUO to let them know we're trying to continue the group. Gospelman, would you mind starting a thread in the trading forum so we can continue to fill the slots? Thanks for offering to host
I just sent a DM to my family plan's members, so make sure to check your inbox if you're with me.
Plan is currently good until 10/27, meant to send a reminder on the 20th but it slipped my mind.
I was trying to figure out before I bought an online membership; what are the benefits of a family plan, other than saving money? Do you get to share games between accounts?
I was trying to figure out before I bought an online membership; what are the benefits of a family plan, other than saving money? Do you get to share games between accounts?
The Nintendo premium online membership still needs more benefits to get me to convert. Especially after that Target deal with the Animal Crossing DLC. Now I have the Animal Crossing DLC and the Mario Kart DLC, so unless I want to play the N64 games, its tough to want to spend the extra above the basic online membership. I wonder what else they could add to make it more worthwhile.
