SBC Gaming

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SBC Gaming is for Single Board Computer aimed to play video-games, also called Retro Handhelds


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Hi guys, I would like to port my savegames from an Android/retroarch to the R36S running ArkOS. Not sure how to do that. Any guides? I already tried to sync savegames between two android devices, but Retroarch on the "new" device did not recognize the saves, hence I am close to giving up.

Any help will be appreciated!

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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by ceiron to c/sbcgaming@lemmy.ml
 
 

So I narrowed it down to these 2 and looking for some feedback.

I mainly want to play GameCube and Wii games but would also be interested to play Wii U and Switch games in the future, so would like a device that can in principle support those.

I understand the Ayn Odin 2 is more powerful, but I wonder if the ~$80 price difference is justified based on performance alone considering the Retroid Pocket 5 has a better screen and battery.

Again if that difference is what is going to make or break emulating Wii U and Switch at some point in the future, then it would be money well spent in my view. Just not sure that’s actually the case - What would you advise?

And if it is the Odin 2, is the Base model going to be OK or would I need more RAM as in the Pro and Max models?

Bonus question: I’m in the EU - Should I order them from the official websites shipping from China or find a EU reseller on AliExpress? They’re actually a bit more expensive on AliExpress, but I’d really like to avoid having to pay a 20% import fee if I buy from China.

Thanks!

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Received the new screen and want to share my impressions about the device.

New screen

For those unaware of the screen drama, I'd suggest to read this article first.

Once Retroid announced they will send free new screen replacements, I immediately filled a request for one. They prioritized US citizens due to upcoming tarifs, so I had to quite some time until they shipped mine.

It arrived in a Retroid Pocket 5 box - looks like they just reused existing packaging. I saw some people on Discord got theirs in a Retroid Pocket Mini box instead. The package includes a full black shell, since that's the only color they offer. So, owners of other colors now have a black RP Mini with different button colors 😄

But honestly, black is the best color for this device. Combined with the OLED screen, it makes the letterboxing practically invisible, which is perfect for retro gaming.

The replacement process was easy for me. I just followed their official video. It's not very optimal, though. Sticks and fan disassembly is completely unnecessary, you can skip those. I also occasionally checked this disassembly stream recording.

The screen has rounded edges, but I actually like it. The taller screen (31:27) makes Android interface less painful.

But most importantly, it plays nicely with most retro games. In RetroArch I enabled Integer Scale and set Integer Scale Scaling to Smart. This way games will use overscale, but fallbacks to underscale if when the image is cropped too much. Retro games was designed with overscan in mind, so no important content is cut, the image occupies maximum possible space and everything is pixel perfect. I usually don't enable integer scaling on high resolution screens like this, but it works great for this specific device.

No surprise, GB, GBC and Pico8 looks great. They won't take fullscreen with integer scaling, but it's very close.

But the best systems to play for me are actually SNES and NES! They were played on 4:3, but their actual aspect ration is close to a square. So for SNES9x core I set the aspect ratio to Uncorrected and for Mesen (NES) I set it to No Stretching. I know they were developed with 4:3 in mind, but this way they occupy the entire screen and look pixel perfect!

Systems like Dreamcast and PS1 look exactly the same, I don't have to turn integer scaling off, they take all horizontal space.

In Dolphin, widescreen hacks work well with the taller screen, so you can fill the entire display. However, I usually play Dolphin on my Steam Deck, since the Android version doesn't support RetroAchievements.

PS2 widescreen hacks don't work well with this screen, but it still looks fine in 4:3 - identical to how it looked before the screen swap, except with now properly aligned pixels.

PSP isn't a great fit for this device, but thanks to the OLED and black color, the letterboxing is barely noticeable. I've seen some people stretch the image, but I'm not a fan of that.

Device

Here's what I like about it:

  1. Great battery life when using Android. I usually leave a game running, and it barely drains any battery while idle. This makes it easy to earn RetroAchievements in hardcode mode.
  2. Pocketable. The sticks protrude a bit, but I found it pretty comfortable to carry in my jacket.
  3. The stock OS is fairly clean, though I do wish I could install LineageOS.
  4. It can run mainline Linux.
  5. Powerful enough to handle all my favorite games.
  6. Ergonomic. I can play for hours without my hands hurting.
  7. And now it also has a great screen.

However, I would't recommend this device. Here is why:

  1. ABXY buttons feel awfull. It's hard to explain, but I simply don't like pressing them. Even swapping to more quite PSX-style buttons from Etsy didn't help. I think it's because of the membrane and glass front. Controls are very important for me.
  2. Glass front looks nice, but it's marky. Also dirt easily accumulates on edges on edges and its hard to remove it. I prefer to keep my devices clean.

I ordered the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 after asking for a screen replacement, and somehow they managed to deliver it earlier. But I'm enjoying it much more - it's more pocketable, has a bigger screen, and avoids the drawbacks of the Mini. And it's only $20 more.

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I'm playing Pokemon Unbound and the clock is out of wack. It also think it's 2024.

I've tried the following options:

  • Emulation Station - There's a section to change the time zone but I would need to set the time zone incorrectly to display the correct time.

  • RetroArch - I couldn't find anything.

  • IUX (the basic system UI) - There's a section to change the time and date under the settings tab. It was way off. Years in the past and completely the wrong time. Changing the settings didn't do anything.

What I think would fix it would be connecting it to the internet using a driverless dongle and a USB C adapter. Unfortunately my wireless adapter doesn't seem to work so I would have to buy another one.

My RG Nano had an option to configure the RTC (real time clock) so I thought there might be a standalone app for it but if there is something like that in PlumOS I can't find it.

The Retro Games Corps How to Make the GKD Pixel II Software Suck Less doesn't seem to say anything about this.

Does anyone have any ideas?


Update: I just read about Rogue OS and it apparently has an app similar to the one I had on my RG Nano. Is one OS really more feature rich than the other?

Update 2: I switched to Rogue OS. The setup process was a bit weird. I had to flash version one then update the SYSTEM file to get the latest version.

Rogue OS seems fine. There were some shaders turned on for GBA I didn't care for and the firmware uses a different core for GBA so I changed both.

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My Retroid Pocket Flip 2 finally arrived!

The screen is way bigger than my RP Mini - even for 4:3 content. Surprisingly, the device is even more pocketable.

The screen upgrade for the Mini is on the way. I'll make a proper comparison once it arrives. For those unaware of the screen drama, here's a good article about it: https://retrohandhelds.gg/the-retroid-pocket-mini-v2-has-arrived-but-dont-wait-too-long-to-order-one/

@sbcgaming

#retrogaming #handheld #retroid

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If you have a device like the Miyoo Mini Plus that has no touch screen or analog sticks this might be helpful.


RetroAchievements

ROMHacking .net


The RetroAchievement's lists aren't complete. A lot of games haven't been catalogued on the RetroAchievement's website. I imagine results are also going to vary a lot from game to game. For example Stardew Valley can be played with PortMaster on handhelds like the RG35XXSP, you don't need analog sticks a majority of the time, but you do need analog sticks to move around where you want to position buildings on your farm. It wouldn't surprise me if stuff like that comes up.

How has your experience been playing DS and PSP games on devices without touch screens and analog sticks? Can you think of any games that you would recommend?

I'd be interested to hear any other ROM hacks that remove or minimize their use.

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Well, if you are not, this changes now: KNULLI Gladiator has gone public! The brand new version of KNULLI comes loaded with a whole lot of new features and improvements, such as:

  • Added device support for the Anbernic RG34XX (including tate mode)
  • Improved support for TrimUI devices (toggle switch support, RGB, suspend mode, d-pad-as-stick toggle)
  • Switched default file system to exFAT
  • Introduced access via USB in MTP mode
  • Added quick resume mode to boot directly back into your game
  • Improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Automated assignment of controllers to players
  • Automated switch between Bluetooth audio and built-in speakers
  • Extended power management settings in EmulationStation
  • Integrated RGB settings into EmulationStation
  • Improved RGB behavior
  • Improved power management and battery saving
  • Improved EmulationStation launch speed
  • Replaced Drastic-Steward with Advanced Drastic as a new NDS emulator
  • Added MPV media player
  • Automated detection of ScummVM games
  • Applied 60 Hz patches for RG35XX SP, RG34XX, and RG CubeXX (Thanks to @TheGammaSqueeze!)
  • Added USB Audio support
  • Added ZRAM swap support
  • Tons of bugfixes and performance improvements

The information above is from the Release Notes section of the GitHub page. The actual change log page has more information.


Has anyone tried it out yet on the RG35XXSP?

I was unsuccessful in getting a lot of PortMaster games working Knulli despite following the recommended installation instructions. My post from nearly a year ago about trying to get Stardew Valley working can be found here. I was able to get PortMaster working on MuOS at the time but I prefer Knulli's frontend.

I also noticed an issue where connecting a display to the HMDI output would not work and prevent the system from booting though I admittedly only tried this briefly.

The developer has stated because it's a major update people need to reflash their SD cards. Most of the changes that come with this update aren't things I care about so I figured I'd ask before switching over.

Apparently there is some kind of fix for exFAT file systems in regards to PortMaster so I may try that first. I'm relatively confident my system is running EXT4 though.

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Fascinating work done by a community member, which strongly suggests that the Retroid Pocket Mini may in fact just be a 3.92" 1080x1240 AMOLED panel (same as in upcoming RP Classic) but with part of the panel hidden to achieve a 4:3 aspect ratio.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/25050675

If you use https://es-de.org/, which themes do you like the most?

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ES-DE Molla

I was hoping this update would enable pure black mode (which looks awesome on the borderless display of the black model). But it turns out that feature was added in Android 14 😢

I really wish retro handhelds were supported by FOSS Android distros like LineageOS.

Still, I'm quite happy with the update. This time I decided to try Molla launcher and ES-DE 🙂

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submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by Shatur@lemmy.ml to c/sbcgaming@lemmy.ml
 
 

I used buttons for the Odin 2 Mini from SakuraRetroModding on Etsy. They fit without any modifications, except that the original buttons are glued to the membrane. Thankfully, it's easy to unglue them by cutting through the glue with nails.

Here is how the unglue process looks like. The video is for RP5, but the approach is the same for the Mini.

The new buttons are quieter, have a lower profile, and feel similar to an Xbox controller overall. I'm really happy with the mod!

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ROCKNIX is a continuation of JELOS and I have it installed on my RGB30 because ArkOS wasn't letting me enable WiFi. I want to use it as a dedicated PICO-8 machine and have it boot automatically into Splore, the PICO-8 cartridge browser, but I can't seem to find the setting to do this. Which seems strange considering how many modern firmwares have this.


I'm starting to think ROCKNIX doesn't have an option for this. I've clicked around the settings but haven't come across anything. I'd like appreciate it if someone could confirm my suspicion.

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It's a very cool hack, highly recommend!

It lets you switch between 4 different characters on the map screen. Each one have unique physics and a special move. Also there is one additional unlockable character.

Bosses also very interesting. Each have unique mechanics. They are way harder then the original, but not super difficult.

What I didn't like is that many surfaces are slippery. It makes the game feel a bit unfair sometimes.

Retroachievements for this game are fine, but I disliked the speedrun and deathless one.

Here is the link to the patch.

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While it can play up to PSX I feel like the small screen size and cramped controls have pushed me to towards looking for RPGs on the NES, SNES, GB, and GBC.

I was wondering what else people have played on their smaller handhelds like RG Nano, Game Kiddy Pixel, or FunKey S.

I'd even be happy to hear about ROM hacks or homebrew. I've gotten a bit tired of vanilla Pokemon.

The NES homebrew of 2048 is my other go-to game. It can be played with one hand and is good for 5 to 30 minutes.


The photo is of my RG Nano and after about ~6 months in my work pants pocket with my keys. I'm surprised how well its held up considering I devolved into the mindset of it's better to use it and break it than have it in a case, in a backpack, where I'll never touch it.

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It's a port of the original Super Mario Bros from the NES to the Game Boy Color. The physics feel very nice, and I like how the sprites are adapted.

The port also extends the game. After the 8 original worlds, Quest B adds 8 more with new enemies, mechanics, and even bosses! I had so much fun playing it.

Also, the game is FOSS: https://github.com/Mico27/SuperMarioBrosMini

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I just wanted a pocketable device, so I decided to pick Mini over 5.

Originally, I wanted to order the white color but ended up choosing the black one because it makes the bezels and pillar boxes blend into the case. It also looks like a small SteamDeck 😅

When I'm not programming, I'm playing GTA III on it and earning RetroAchievements 😃

With SteamDeck

GTA III

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It might be because I'm not using Reddit anymore but I feel like I've been hearing increasingly less about the Miyoo Mini Flip.

I remember a lot of people being disappointed by the Miyoo A30 and a significant amount of the hype seemed to be around having a better version of the Powkiddy V90 but I feel like the RG35XXSP is working for a lot of people.

Having the extra sticks could be nice but I am not sure how they'll feel for N64 and PSP. Maybe someone who has used a vertical handheld with similarly placed sticks like the RG353V, K36, R36S, and so on could answer that though.

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For devices with joysticks I typically use a case because I feel like they are going to get snagged or damaged but I've stopped using them for devices like the GXD Pixel and the RG35XXSP and I find I'm using them more often and getting my moneys worth of out of these devices.

I've also never been a big fan of those belt clips or holsters.

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I’ve been playing Minecraft on my iPhone and am considering a handheld to play more comfortably. Any recommendations?

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submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by oneguynick@lemmy.world to c/sbcgaming@lemmy.ml
 
 

I encountered the Game Pudding in the electronics shops that darted the Musaffah strip malls in Abu Dhabi. It was an oddity that started the love of retro handhelds that continues today. It's pretty crazy how far we have come!

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