Just an unboxing video. Nothing super special.

So, Armada OS just released! This is pretty much everything I've wanted out of these handhelds since I first got my RP4+! It's basically just Steam OS for ARM based systems, and it seems like a good portion of games run really well after only being available for a few weeks. So, I want a device that can run it! (Ignore the fact that I already have it running via an unofficial fork on my RP Flip 2, I think he's a bit underpowered for this job. He'll be getting sold soon 😅)

So, the choice is between the Retroid Pocket 6 12GB and the Ayn Odin 3 8GB. It's a real face-off! One has the better RAM, one has the better CPU. I prefer the smaller size and smaller price of the Retroid, but the more powerful CPU on the Odin is calling to me.

I already have an ROG Ally X, so I don't want to spend too much on a secondary device. I don't think I could justify spending the used Z1E cost for a system getting half the performance. The primary point of this device will be for taking it on the go in situations that the Ally is too big for (most situations). I understand going in that I'm absolutely not getting the same performance.

What do you all think?

I noticed that there is a steam folder in the ESDE Rom Directory that Russ from Retro Game Corps made. Is there a video or some way you guys could tell me how I can go about installing steam games to my sd card and then into my handheld?

Odroid Go Advance in Turquoise colour really does look beautiful both in indoor and outdoor lighting. Anyway i have been playing Dyna brothers 2 on the japanese language and have been wondering if it ever got translated in english.

Have any of you bought one of these? I love a good clamshell but this looks a little thick.

I'm travelling to Vietnam / Hong Kong / Shenzhen from this coming Saturday. I'm aware that I can purchase from AliExpress, but am likely to take the opportunity to add to the collection whilst I'm away (I've got 4 devices ready for the flight!). The price in Vietnam looks cheaper anyway.

I've eyed up both the Thor and Odin 3 for some time, but am asking for some real user views. Currently my go to devices are a Mangmi Pocket Max, 40xxv, rg rotate and flip v2. I have a legion go but won't be taking due to crap battery life and you can't use portable chargers on the airline I'm flying with.

I'm looking to emulate, generally, from Dreamcast, GameCube, PSP, up to switch and steam games via gamenative (or similar). I'm not a huge DS fan, so naturally the Thor isn't a priority. The Pocket Max isn't great with steam (some work, most don't).

Could users of either device please provide some feedback / recommendations on their experiences with these systems. I'm leaning towards the Odin but would appreciate some insight, rather than relying on watching countless YT vids. Thanks in advance

I got a really good deal on a 12GB RG 477V. This is my experience after a week of playing with it.

It’s a 4:3 so higher end GameCube, Wii and PS2 is awesome.

D-pad up top with that screen is so good for retro games

I heard the complaints about the Dimensity 8300 perf for GameNative and switch emulation, but besides a few switch games like Super Mario Wonder, I’m not using it for that.

It’s big and my eyes are bad, so the big screen helps a lot.

Not usually a fan of vertical handhelds, but this is changing my mind for powerful ones.

If you find one for under $150, I recommend it.

I know Steam supports 4:3 for a bunch of indie games, I was curious if GoG is just as smooth, because the Nova is looking very tempting

Sir please tell me wich OS can I flash to my new sd card before the built in microSD got corrupts 🙏

Here is a kind of part two to my previous videos. I wanted to post a quick video of my little gaming set up in action. I took a cheapo Dell Chromebook 3100. I am playing my Anbernic RG40XX H on the Chromebook using an HDMI Cable, going into an HDTV HDMI Video Capture Card. And to round things out, I am using a cheap PS3 style game controller. So now my Anbernic RG40XX H is acting like a stand along game console.

A little more explanation. The reason I am playing my Anbernic device through my Chromebook is because, yes, my Chromebook can do emulation. And I do plat emulated games using RetroArch Version 1.22.2. But, at the end of the day. The roms simply play smoother on the Anbernic device. The Chromebook does have a more robust CPU than the Anbernic, but the Chromebook's CPU is being shared for many other tasks in the background. So there can sometime be some lag.

Also, you may ask why I don't use a TV. Well I don't have one. I was recently released from federal prison and am still getting on my feet. So, I am using a Chromebook that was gifted to me, and everything else I have to make this set up work was pretty cheap.

Just wanted to share my set up in action guys. Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement on my last post. You guys rock.

Hi guys 👋 hope you’re all well

I’m looking to buy my first emulation handheld. It’s very important to me that I get something pocketable (literally to carry around in my pocket).

I found a practically new retroid pocket 2s locally for 70usd in my currency. It was listed 4 months ago so I’m sure there will be room to negotiate.

Is this slightly older model still worth it? My other option is a used anbernic cubexx for 40 usd. If neither is a good deal I’ll pass for now and wait for some more to get listed but living in South Africa makes getting my hands on handheld devices like this a little tricky.

I would love any advice

Thanks 🙏

Edit: purchased an on the way for a little over 70. Thanks for the advice guys

The RP Nova announcement has me feeling a little conflicted.

On paper, I think Retroid absolutely nailed it. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-class performance, active cooling, 120Hz AMOLED display, compact size, and price all make it look like an incredible handheld.

Honestly, I don’t have many complaints about the hardware itself.

The only thing I keep wishing is that it existed in the Flip form factor.

I started out emulating on my phone with a controller, and over time I realized I really wanted a dedicated handheld. One thing I didn’t expect was how much I’d value a clamshell design. Being able to simply close it, toss it in a bag or pocket, and not worry about scratching the screen feels like a much bigger quality-of-life feature than I originally thought.

Looking at the Nova, I can’t help but think that if Retroid took essentially the same internals and built a Flip Nova, it would probably be my ideal handheld.

Am I the only one who feels this way?
Would you buy a Flip with Nova internals? Would you choose it over the Nova if it cost another $40–60? Or do you prefer the traditional slab design?

I’m genuinely curious whether I’m in the minority, or if there’s still a strong market for premium Android clamshell handhelds.

I just moved and after a few months finally unpacked some of my handheld devices from storage. Since they were all moved together, they were all at least unused for several months, but some of the older devices like my Miyoo Mini v3 have been unused longer since I have moved on to using newer devices.

However, I found that in many of the devices the batteries would no longer hold a charge, and some were even completely dead. Others did charge up but seemed to be draining more quickly than I remembered. Is this a common experience for handheld device batteries? Is there any way to prevent this if so, and are some devices more immune to this than others?

My last post got deleted for not including the name of the Retroid pocket classic.

As I stated the buttons aren’t working within retroarch when I open up es-de They’re working fine. I don’t know if it’s the ports or in override. I’ve tried setting Back to the default settings and saving the configuration with no change. I’d appreciate any help. Please know. I’m not very sappy when it comes to these devices. This is only my second day with it. I bought it on Facebook marketplace used preloaded with Games

EDIT: for GKD Pixel2, NOT the Google Pixel 2
Hi everyone,

Thanks for your input and help over the past week. We have been finalizing the ROCKNIX port for the Pixel2, which is now ready for broader use!

Core Features include:

1. Suspend to memory (I.e deep sleep)
2. Latest RetroArch Cores
3. Portmaster support
4. WiFi dongles
5. USB storage mode and USB SSH Networking
6. Menu Hotkey for screen brightness and RetroArch
7. LED indicator for charging/battery level.

We are merging the last of our edits soon. Feel free to try the latest Alpha 1.4 here:
https://github.com/Jacob-Matthew-Cook/distribution/releases/tag/pixel2-alpha-1.4

I hope folks in the community revisit this device now that the various CFWs for this handheld (TwigUI, Knulli, and now ROCKNIX) are maturing. I enjoy using this thing as my tiny pocket Gameboy/Gameboy Color device!

Even if you use this Alpha, you can always manually update to the ROCKNIX nightly after the changes are merged (in a few days, stay tuned)!

Let me know if you have any issues, questions, or concerns!

I got this crazy set up to work. I know that many people will question why I'm choosing to even have an entry level Dell Chromebook 3100 in this set up at all. The easy answer: I'm broke and I don't own a tv. I was recently released from federal prison and am getting on my feet.

That being said, I wanted to share my set up with you. I truly didn't think I would be able to get this to work. But check it out. I am using my Anbernic RG40XX H like a regular game console. I bought a HDTV HDMI Video Capture card. My chromebook does not have any HDMI inputs, so I had to use the capture card. I also had to get a HDMI to Mini HDMI cable that runs from my Anbernic console to the capture card. I also have a knock off wired game console going into the type c input of my anbernic.

Once I have everything connected, I then had to go onto a website called NERDZAP. I had to use this site to see and hear the images coming from my Anbernic. And it works.

I actually had some guys tell me this couldn't be done on another post, but i made it happen with the help of Chat GPT4. And my computer looks like hospital patient with all these wires and cords coming out of it. I dont really know how to upload videos on here, but if I can figure out how, I'll gladly post one. But these are pictures of my set up.

I was also able to just go and get the RetroArch emulator on my computer, and that is what I did for quite awhile. But I already have thousand of games on my console, including the completely full 128gb micro sd card that has tons of Sega Dreamcast, PS1, PSP and Segat Saturn games on it. Not to mention the NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA, N64, and yes, Virtual Boy games I went and downloaded myself. Also, my Anbernic seems to run most of these roms better than my chromebook does. Granted, the Chromebook has a more robust CPU, but the CPU isn't completely dedicated to gaming. So playing games in this ridiculous way seems to work. And it will do until I can finally upgrade my system and get a decent TV.

Anyways. I just wanted to share this with you. I'm quite excited because there was some trial and error that went into making this work. Today, I got it working. And it all came down to the website I ended up using to get both Video and Sound to work. For a few days, I could only get the video to work. Then I decided to stop asking Google AI. Went and asked Chat GPT and that AI got my stuff working on the first try.

Side note. Google AI has absolutely no problems giving you false information and straight up lie to you. Plus, it loves giving me outdated information. For some reason it thinks that I am using some ancient version of ChromeOS. I can't tell you how many times it sent me to a location on my chromebook, what I'm trying to find not being there, then tell me how there were lots of changes in the latest updates to ChromeOS. Like, really? Why not just tell me the latest info on the latest OS?

Well, I'm off to play so Conker's Bad Fur Day, for old time sake. Peace!

The Anbernic RG 34XXSP is probably my favorite handheld, but one of the things that has always bothered me is how bad the stock joysticks are. When I disassembled the handheld, I noticed that the joystick module was practically identical to the modules used for the Nintendo Switch. I ordered a set off aliexpress and they just came in today.

Pulling the old module out was incredibly easy. 4 screws to pull the backplate off the handheld, carefully remove the battery connector, and then lift the small tab that holds the ribbon cable in. The module itself is not even screwed in, because it presses up to the backplate of the handheld, so it's firmly in place regardless. The entire module comes right out at this point.

The problem is getting the new modules in. The standard joystick caps for the Nintendo Switch are far too large to fit through the gap available on the RG 34XXSP, so we need to take the ones from the old modules. Unfortunately, this isn't a straightforward process. You can't just pop them off like you can with so many other handhelds, so it was time for some surgery.

There are metal tabs that hold the joystick assembly together. If you carefully bend these tabs out, you can open up the assembly. Then, it's just a matter of pulling all the guts out until you get to the actual joystick, rotating it 90 degrees and pulling it out. Then you put the donor joystick in its place, pop everything back in, and bend the metal tabs back in place. It will never look as pretty as it originally did, but it doesn't have to, it just has to hold things together.

Now for putting the module into the handheld, you'll want to start by inserting the ribbon cable. This almost threw me off because it stops long before it feels like it's fully inserted, but I promise you, it doesn't have to go that deep! Push the small plastic tab back down to lock it into place, and then slide the module into position. It might fight you a little bit due to the mangled metal tabs, but just gently work it in. Finally, you can reconnect the battery and screw the backplate on.

Now, did it solve my issue? I mean, kind of... The new joysticks are... better, but they still aren't great. The cardinal snapping is a software issue, so hardware was never going to solve that completely, but it's less noticeable with these sticks. They are smoother, and have less resistance than the original modules, but joycon joysticks are never going to feel amazing.

Overall, I'm happy with my upgrade, but I wouldn't recommend this to everyone. It's a lot of work for only a small improvement. It's my favorite handheld, so it was worth it for me, but it's hard to say that this is something every RG 34XXSP owner should do.

Hi! I'm thinking about buying the AYN Thor Pro and I want to get it as cheaply as possible, so I'd like to ask those of you who already own one or have been following it closely.

Specific questions:

- Is it cheaper to buy it from AYN's official website or the official AliExpress store? Are there any differences in price, shipping, taxes, or warranty that I should know about?

- Do you know of any discount codes that are active right now or that usually come out during batch releases or pre-orders?

- Are there any upcoming sales (11.11, Black Friday, AYN promotions, or AliExpress sales) that are worth waiting for?

- I've read that there have been recent price increases due to RAM shortages. Do you recommend buying now before prices go up even more, or do you think they'll go down at some point?

- If you bought one recently, how much did you pay in total and where did you buy it?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your shopping experiences, price comparisons, or any advice. Thanks!

Not sure if this goes against community guidelines, but climbing on the meme bandwagon + Thor appreciation post

One of the reasons I never stuck with any of the Linux devices I owned was because I thought I couldn't use USB transfer with them. I read so many threads and comments about how it could corrupt the SD card.

I ended up using winSCP to connect to them instead but it added a layer of network annoyances and also started affecting what I consider to be just okay battery life to begin with. I hate popping the microSD since I always feel like I need to find a spudger and then my adapter to plug it into my computer as well as shutting down the device every single time.

Recently, I got a reply from someone here that USB Transfer is not a HW issue but a CFW issue and mentioned that muOS and Knulli had good USB transfer.

I was wondering what devices and cfw combos have good usb transfer? I've only ever tried usb transfer on a brick with nextUI which didn't end well but considering trying linux again when the RG SP comes out. I don't currently have any linux devices to test stuff out, just curious what the state of USB transfer is. I would love to be able to just plug it in like an Android device.