$90 and Amazing for Retro Emulation (RGB30 Review)
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- The PowKiddy RGB30 is a surprising device. With a 4-inch, 1:1 (square) aspect ratio and 720x720 resolution, it scales a number of retro systems extremely well, making it a real contender for classic retro emulation. It's quickly becoming my favorite device for many systems: GB/GBC, NES, SNES, GBA, Pico-8, and vertical arcade games.
Buy one here:
PowKiddy website: bit.ly/pkRGB30
^^ use code "retrogamecorps" for 5% off your order
AliExpress: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dlp...
Amazon: amzn.to/46IOjnC or amzn.to/3FFYw8c
RGB30 Starter Guide: • PowKiddy RGB30 Starter...
Screen comparison tool: shauninman.com/utils/screens/?
X55 starter guide: retrogamecorps.com/2023/07/05...
Netplay tutorial: • Ad-Hoc Multiplayer on ...
Pico-8: www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php
Lazy Devs Academy: / lazydevs
Victor Iemini: / @victoriemini
This was a review unit sent to me by the manufacturer. All opinions are my own, they did not see this review ahead of time, and no money was exchanged in any way.
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
02:28 specs, colors, and pricing
04:02 unboxing and impressions
05:42 d-pad testing
06:51 analog stick testing
09:23 audio and ports
11:35 size comparison and pocketability
13:09 software experience
14:44 Game Boy and Game Boy Color
20:59 Sega Genesis (and other 4:3 systems)
22:23 Game Boy Advance
24:16 NES
26:12 SNES
28:31 Nintendo DS
29:35 Arcade games
30:57 PSX, N64, Saturn, Dreamcast, PSP
33:32 Pico-8
38:25 HDMI and Bluetooth testing
39:06 summary (likes and dislikes)
41:33 conclusion
If you want to support the channel, please consider Patreon: / retrogamecorps
Find me on Discord! / discord
Theme song written by Jim Gray of Our Ghosts:
ourghosts.bandcamp.com/track/...
More music here: / posts
Note that this description may contain affiliate links. By clicking on an affiliate link and buying something, I may earn a small commission of the sale at no extra cost to you. You can read more about that here: retrogamecorps.com/about/
This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only.
#emulation #PowKiddy #retrogaming - Hry
![The Best Retro Handheld Under $90 Right Now [PowKiddy X55]](/img/n.gif)
If it weren’t for Russ reminding me to grab a drink and a snack I don’t think I’d ever eat
😅
Facts I only eat when he uploads
Yeah man you gotta do it.
@@freesiuI agree his life is at steak.
Nostalgic father vibes
Whether intentional or accidental I think Powkiddy have created a wonderful new niche corner of the market.
Just ordered mine. I love niche devices!
I'm sold on it. I want one now.
its the main best part of the market not niche
Yaaaaaahoooo! 40 min review, you are a god damn machine man! So happy to see my game on 37:30 ❤
That big square 1:1 screen is easily the most impressive selling point for this device and I think I could live with the thumbsticks the way they are. I'm primarily interested in SNES and MAME and the RGB30 looks so tempting! Thanks for another great in-depth review!
Thanks for the shoutout, Russ! I agree with your observations. This is a fantastic device for Pico-8. The screen is killer
This one has become my daily driver. Really one of my favorite handhelds of the year
Nice! What are your top favorites then?
@@PinkDan12345 I'd say this year: the 405m, Rgb30, Max3, and (somehow) the flip if I travel, in that order. But there are so many good ones this year. The x28, 353v, rk2023. This has really been the year of great handheld choices.
I don't know whether to pay more for this or just get a 35xx. I only really want up to ps1.
@@54356776 this is a super valid point. I might suggest the rk2023 then. The 35xx is around the same price but the rk just performs a bit better.
@@jedewitz wtf is the flip???
I’m very glad to see that the Analogue Pocket is getting some criticism. They’re heads are way too big over there.
The Analogue is a great device and if I could afford it and actually get it ordered, I would get it.
@@Raphtor13 same here at that price I'd be worried to take it outside incase I lose/drop
Huge props for showing Shaun Inman's scaling tool ( and props to Shaun for MIN UI too ! ). The 8:7 scaling with overscan for SNES and PCE/TG-16 have caught my attention. Now stuck with an unreasonable desire to pick up yet another handheld...
You only live once. Buy it!
Powkiddy is always the weird brand that always have product that got it wrong & right at the same time.
Reminds me of Amstrad products
sounds exactly sort of like chinese nintendo if you ignore the fact they dont make any games lol..... and the fact that nintendo made the virtual boy and wii u and whatever the nintendo cardboard stuff was about lol...
i will add the powkiddy white RGB10 Max 2 was a sexy device and on a par with nintendo devices... and was the first powkiddy device i owned.... the screen, the form factor, the grips, the symmetrical control scheme was chefs kiss!
I feel like this is the perfect companion to the Steam Deck, use this for everthing pre-ps1 and then everything else on the deck, at this price point with the insane pixel density this will provide, this is the first retro handheld I've been super excited for since the RG351V.
steamdeck large and unwieldy i feel.... not really handheld or portable... steamdeck along with these other jhandheld pc type devices are in another category and price range too.... most of the interesting retro handheld devices are sub 200bux even sub 100bux..... anything over 200bux is android or windows and will emulate and play anything anyway
@@antwangoit's pretty heavy as well that's why I didn't get one😅 I will wait for a light er device
AYN Odin 2 is all you need for emulation. Pretty much the perfect handheld considering the performance, size, battery life and price
@@little_fluffy_clouds Price is too high for me to play a handful of gameboy games every so often.
@@sneekz07 true, but it does a lot more than GameBoy. If you only want to play GameBoy games, then Miyoo Mini or Mini Plus are perfect
Amazing review. Love the detailed discussion of PICO-8 and why it's great!
Yes agreed. This device really motivated the Pico8 ecosystem.
Fantastic video. You basically sold me on the machine. I know that isn't the intent of the video, but your endorsement means quite a bit.
I honestly think this is the best all rounder. Comfortable in your hands, and offers much better support on the square and vertical games, while offering the same horizontal screen size as Retroid Pocket 2 and Miyoo Mini Plus but in higher resolution (720 horizontal as opposed to 640). As someone who thought RP2's bottom bezel is a dumb waste of space, this one looks perfect. I wished it was touch-sensitive for DS and 3DS though.
Great review as always! Thanks for looking out for us vertical shmup fans.
Been waiting for this one!! Got one coming in the mail in a week, can't wait I love that square screen
I've actually been wanting something with a 1:1 screen that was a good size so that I can better enjoy the handheld systems I missed out on.
Just ordered mine using your provided link. This will be my 1st emulator of any kind, handheld or console. Thank you for review and setup videos, super helpful!
Cool to see something a little bit different. I've been tuning out for a while now because I've been happy with my RG351V and a Miyoo Mini, but recently a couple of things have started catching my eye again like this one and also that chunky new Anbernic RG405V cracked me up a bit. Might be fun to pass along my older devices and try out a new one this fall.
So after years of being in the emulation scene and looking at these retro consoles I've finally picked up my first retro handheld, this screen is just really amazing to me along with the pico 8 stuff. Your video help pushed my decision over the edge to get this device. Thanks!
I just watched your review and purchased the RGB30 and used your discount code.
Awesome detailed review. Thank you
I had grabbed the Miyoo Mini Plus a while back but my hands are still a bit too large for it to be completely comfortable, and I already have a Steam Deck so while emulating N64 and onward isn't really an issue for me, I've also been looking for something smaller that I can play older systems on while I'm laying in bed and this seems like a perfect fit. Your channel has been incredibly interesting and before I started watching you I honestly didn't pay very much attention to any of these handhelds, but having seen them in your reviews they really speak to me as someone who loves to tinker. Keep up the stellar work!
Love that screen size tool! Thanks, Russ!
Great review. Nice to see a proper look at the hardware, system by system settings and conclusion. I’ve got one on order, I’m especially looking forward to play Pico8 natively, Vert arcade games and PC Engine.
This is exactly the kind of video I am looking for. It clearly identifies the niche for the device and highlights the best handheld for that niche. Then gives you specific settings for optimizing the particular handheld. Perfection. I would love to see more of both in the future. Best handheld by system or niche is far more useful to my mind then by price range. And if we can just follow directions to get the best experience out of the box, think of the cumulative thousands of hours saved.
The dream is a vertical 4:3 handheld with a great dpad or one of those neo geo CD style rockers but this is pretty close!
Yes, this is exactly what I was looking for!! Thank you!! 🙏🏼 ❤
Another awesome, comprehensive review! Great stuff as always!
Thank you for this amazing video, Russ! Just a suggestion: I really appreciate when you compare the sounds of handhelds with similar price, I think is useful for us who consider the buying of some of those 😊
By the way, I think this device is really nice, and for those who prioritize GB-GBC, Arcade and NES experience it is amazing! I am still waiting for something compact in 3:2 with good PS2 performance and video output (yes, KT-R1 was close...), since I like to play several systems different from each other in a single handheld.
Thanks Russ! Great review, I'll pick this one up!
I have one on the way and I can't wait to try it out (it's already cleared customs! 😀). I've been looking for a device to use as a Pico-8 machine. I'm also impressed by how good stuff like Gameboy looks, and it has me wanting to try out more systems that can take advantage of that screen, like NeoGeo Pocket.
Very comprehensive revires thanks a lot 🎉
Only missed you talking about moonlight streaming but that’s ok I’ll try it on my own as soon as mine comes home. Cheers 😊
Great review! I'm good with retro handhelds, but I have a few gamer friends who I'd probably get this for them as a gift as they love retro games as much as I do! It sounds like a great starter device for any retro gaming enthusiasts!
I love a few things here:
1) Pico-8 development to play test right on it! 3D print a stand and it's set up like a little 8 bit computer. I wanted to do this with the Steam Deck but it was such a clunky pain to setup and use, buttons didn't work on the deck so I had to use the keyboard, huge disappointment.
2) Video out! Anbernic, are you watching this? FFS get your HDMI working.
3) being a square screen makes it work with any aspect ratio without shrinking vertical mode.
4) WiFi, BT, two USB ports. Great as a console with better controllers and output to the big screen, playing MAME arcades with the kids and friends on the big screen, and again the keyboard for wireless development. I assume a mouse can drive a pointer in PICO-8 running on JELOS (never used JELOS).
5) Horizontal control/screen layout.
6) Great screen. Vibrant and colors look right as best that can be evaluated from Russ' cam and CZcams.
Things I don't like:
1) cheesy plastic design of that case. I prefer Anbernic metal.
2) Dual speakers are wired as mono as per another review site's tear down.
Question:
1) @RetroGameCorp Does the device factor in the external screen resolution? Not concerned about 4k output lol, but can PSP fill an HD screen or is it only outputting 720x720 in the center of a 16:9 so PSP would be HD in that 720 square? It would be weird to watch on the big screen and it's 1/9th the size of the screen.
I need to watch that part again in case I missed something. If it's in the video I'll edit this.
Edit: I think PSP would fill the screen as I understand it, if the settings are set to 16:9 (Russ used 8:7 as the example) clearly the front end works but I hope games can too, and seems so.
Mine is almost here and will update this comment when I can test it.
I asked Taki Udon (who tore this device down) if it was wired for stereo and he said yes? Which site said it wasn't? Mine has cleared customs so I'll know soon enough anyway, but I do hope it's true stereo.
Taki also showed PSP on HDMI out and it filled a 16:9 external display. I am hoping Final Fantasy Tactics runs well on this.
@@straggler4213 I can't remember the video now. But I'm hoping you're right. Thanks for the update! As soon as one of us finds out, reply back here. Mine is in the US according to tracking info.
I just want to express my gratitude for your thorough guides and diligence in the way you put your videos together. Makes everything super easy to understand, and you really helped get me into emulation and handhelds. I tried to figure this all out several years ago, but gave up on it since it all seemed so confusing. Now I'm not only really enjoying playing all my old systems, but enjoying the process of learning and setting it all up as well. 👍
Thanks for you review. Here in brazil we have so much good reviewers, but yours is perfect.
Thank you for your in-depth reviews
As a big SHMUPS lover this handheld looks awesome.
@@ramrodbldm9876 Fanboy of.. good handhelds? SHMUPS? Either way I’m fine being a fan boy..
@@ramrodbldm9876 Says the guy with the name “RamRod”? 😂 Pretty sure you’re the only “little fruit” around here.
This looks amazing. I just ordered one before the video was even over.
Hubby said every time he hears this intro, another retro shows up at our house 😂
My wife just doesn't get it
"Is it more powerful than the last one?"
"Aren't you just going to be playing the same games on it?"
"You already have so many of those things!"
"You spend more time setting it up than you do playing it."
And she's completely right! 😂
@@ungratefulmango just mention all the other hobbies that can get out of hand far more than retro handhelds, stuff like mech keyboards, headphones, photography etc. 😀
@@ColinRowlands Well I like all those too, so I might just keep quiet about them 😁
*Coughs in gunpla* 😂
I also pre-ordered this wonderful machine- I see it’s been shipped already.. so now I’m just checking my mailbox every 2 hours 🤣🤣 Great video - AS ALWAYS ! Thanx for all the content and hard work you do man ! 👍👍👍
Thanks for mentioning Victor Lemini and this looks like a really cool handheld.
I was waiting your review to buy it with your code, hope it will help to support the channel
They are really onto something special and unique with this one! However, with GB and GBC, I feel that even the Anbernic RG353PS screen is too large and that is a smaller space for those limited pixels.
Just ordered my RGB30 (Yellow) yesterday, thanks to this great review. This will be my first foree into retro gaming handhelds. Looking forward to Super Metroid on the go!
a new budget king is born. finally someone had the balls to make a 1:1 screen handheld and 720p is icing on the cake. i didnt think it would be powkiddy but here we are. hats off to Team PK for going to the road less traveled. now we just need a premium version i.e better SoC and controls: 2S dpad/hallsticks/buttons/analogtriggers. next summer 720p displays will be more common. next-next summer we'll see 1440p screens. i dont know what Analogue plans to do but eventually they will have competition for their display once tech catches up--which is already yesterday lol
640x640 would be better for pixel-perfect pico-8 scaling
Maybe someday there will be a manufacturer that finally gives us a 6-button face layout for N64/Genesis/Saturn/extra mappings for L3/R3, etc.
Can't wait for mine. Great video as always Russ
Thank you for thos Russ i got accross your channel this last 3 months and i love ypur work/support. I ordered my first retro handheld i still owm my first nintendo DS but it feels outdated on screens compare to this and am not sure how to work around this. I must have somewhere my psp and gameboy at my parents house however i was thinking of steam deck. Maybe the oled on a later stage as i feel this will give me plenty of fun prior wanting more. As a PC gam3r i prefer something more portable and small for some games at sofa or bed. Huge plus for trains and airplanes🙏🙏
Thanks for another stellar review. Thanks to your demo of overscaling SNES that pushed me over the edge since the devices I'm most interested in are SNES, GBB/GBA, and PS1, and i LOVE interger scaling. Looking forward to comparing this to my RG353VS and R35S.
You're the first review of this thing that i've watched that actually talked about having to pay for Pico-8. Thank you!
Omg! I left this in 2x speed and was laughing so hard after the intro! haha your opening music double speed is amazing!
It looks very nice. I have ordered useing your code. Thanks a lot...
Thanks for the tool. I was looking for something like that.
Great video! Man, Game Boy looks perfect on here. I like the color tones over the Analogue Pocket. Also Pico 8 is a no brainer. - Stub 😎❤️
I'd also like to hear your take on this POOOOOWWkiddy
I like this. I've been looking for something horizontal. I love my miyoo mini but the bigger screen look fantastic here.
i ended up buying one, i own other handhelds including miyoo mini, rgb 10 and steam deck but i just think this is such a great system for specific systems i wanna play and as a hobbyist dev and fan of pico 8 i think its one of the best systems for it we've seen in years. i told myself i had enough systems but by golly powkiddy won me over with this one this is such a neat thing and very unique compared to what else is on the market
21:46 Sonic looks surprisingly more smoother on Analogue Pocket, would be nice to see side-to-side comparison between these new systems against it.
Got this a couple of days ago. It really does make Gameboy/Gameboy Color games look AMAZING.
Excellent review as always! How is multiplayer gaming on it? Is it possible to connect 4 bluetooth controllers to have an Arcade session?
Just got mine yesterday. The device and screen is much better than i ever expected. A must have if you enjoy PS1 and below games.
Not sure how I missed this one. Definitely going to pick this one up.
being a vertical scrolling shootemup fan, i've been waiting for a device that has vertical games in mind with a vertically orientated screen and this seems to come close to that. I may get one of these.
Hey Russ! Would love to see you cover the brandless R35S, apparently the BEST value handheld for around 50-60 bucks.
thanks for the video , this sold me, I just bought a blue one... but i kinda wish i got the white one, and mod it with white buttons later on.
muito legal ver o russ mencionando o victor iemini! duas lendas do meio de retro emulação, sou muito fã dos dois!
This thing is pretty cool. I'd like to see something in the WonderSwan form-factor someday, personally.
Thanks russ . Another device you convinced me to buy. Can't wait to play chrono trigger for the first time on this beauty.
Powkiddy is often the king of the gimmicks, some of which land, many of which don't. This one seems like a slam dunk, credit where due! I could definitely see this being a nice choice for a secondary device at this price point.
Thank you for "breaking the video up by system!" I love it!
I just snagged an RG552 at a price I couldn't say no to, but if I hadn't I'd definitely be considering this, seen a few trending videos on it and it looks nice. The sharp design of it's a bit of a bummer, didn't notice it with the black model.
Pretty good screen that's square, and integer scales gba games. Runs pico8 with keyboard and display out - it's practically a development system. Has usable bt, wifi and hdmi out. Runs up to date linux distro and launcher. Costs less than 100 bucks.
Hell, I'd pick it up just for tetris with that screen, I'd doubly pick it for pico8. But they really check all the boxes for everything up to psp games.
This seems like my best bet for a device dedicated to GBC and GBA with dome nice integer scaling for both! Glad to finally see something that does the trick for me.
Thanks for the review Russ. You make a compelling case for this not being as strange a choice as first glance suggests, I could talk myself into buying one, $90 is just outside my impulse buy range though. We'll see. Always nice when Good Powkiddy triumphs over Evil Powkiddy. Did I make the DoDonPowkiddy joke already? 🙂
Hands down best intro on CZcams right now
Dude I just want to say thankyou for introducing me to the Ambernic RG35XX
Could not stop playing MGS last night when it arrived. Really tired at work but so worth it.
MSG is also what I look forward most to! So much atmosphere
Nice device and interesting design. I like the square screen for GB and Pico-8. I prefer Anbernic build quality so will wait and see if they make a competing device like this.
Man I'm so tempted on picking this up
That website to see how the screen will look is awesome!
It's a rad device, I'm tempted to get one. My preference is to use handhelds that are sort of "optimized" for certain systems, so this one is pretty interesting.
I hope there will be more handhelds in the future with this screen ratio, its just amazing. with the battery as heat shield I always feel like it could explode at any time, so maybe someone will address that in a new device (hopefully).
Can’t wait to get my Retroid and see if I can get it running as well as Russ did!
Is it pretty straightforward to center the image on the screen. This looks really interesting / a good alternative to the analogue pocket I can’t buy but I do I feel like having uneven margins would drive me a little crazy.
Great video, I really appreciate the level of detail you went into for each of the console settings.
I used DraStic when I had a Raspberry Pi. I'd get around the lack of touch screen by having the right stick control the stylus and right trigger for pressing. Naturally it's not ideal for games that make heavy use of the touch screen (like that Wizard of Oz game) but it's adequate for games that require little to no touch screen usage. Personally I wish it was possible to map certain areas of the touch screen to certain controls (like the keymapper on the Retroid Pocket), which would no doubt make so many more games playable.
This device is what I been waiting for Anbernic to do for so long. All black with no gigantic logo on the screen, and when anbernic does release one without a huge logo in front, there's no all black option 😠 So shoutout to powkiddy, I'm buying one.
I have this device ordered...hope it gets here soon.
Got it for $69 as my rg35xx successor 💪 thanks for another great review
“Hip to be Square” plays when I see that screen
Surprisingly, I also agree that the black bars at the top and bottom are much more acceptable than pillar bars on the left and right.
The RGB30 1:1 screen with 720p display (actual good display) and comfy layout and D-pad for me is really good!
All together with JELOS os makes it for me the best handheld retro device in 2023 and the best device from PowKiddy that they ever made.
I'm in love with this device!
(I also have 2 Anbernic device RG351V and RG353M, which are also good device)
+1 for pico-8 mention!
Great video as usual, this one looks like a solid effort from PowKiddy. Oh and you got crushed by your son in the Pico-8 challenge 😃👍
Now I kinda want one, great video! I have a V90 though, and the diagonals on this one seem to be even worse, which would be a deal breaker for me. I wonder if it's easy to disassemble/reassemble the device to fix the D-PAD if you're not good with this stuff.
I ordered one this morning! Super excited to replay all the Gameboy, GBC, and GBA games of my childhood!
Have you tried Neo Geo Pocket/ Pocket Color on this? This thing reads like a NGPC visually to me, so it feela like a great fit!
Yes it's a great fit! I showed it off briefly in the Starter Guide video I released today.
Thanks for the excellent review and I’ve just received my own RGB30. Would you have any tips on connecting to wifi? I can’t see anywhere to find my own wifi even under network settings 🤷🏼
Thanks for the review! 2 questions, are the analog sticks clickable? and is it possible to stream games by steam link, game pass, moonlight, etc...?
4:25 reviewing how comfortable it is to hold is very important to me!
after this really nice niche handheld, if it gets the success it deserves, for the next year I hope powkiddy will do a full vertical screen handheld with touchscreen
Russ, it turns out this is exactly the niche handheld I wanted so I just ordered one.
I'd love to see a vid of you going through what you actually play on these things and how they play a part in your everyday life
Thanks Russ!