Should You Use an Android Phone for Retro Gaming? (Gamecube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64)
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- I spent a couple weeks setting up an Android phone as a dedicated retro handheld gaming console. This video is a summary of my results.
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
01:43 unboxing and setup
03:14 interface and controllers
04:45 Android gaming
05:14 game streaming
05:56 Nintendo 64
06:35 PSP
07:57 Dreamcast
08:43 Gamecube
10:42 RetroArch
11:41 Sega Saturn
12:07 dealing with carriers
13:00 summary / likes & dislikes
16:18 conclusion
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Intro theme song sampled from "Hexadecimal Genome" by Bit Shifter:
bit-shifter.bandcamp.com/albu...
#Android #RetroGaming #RetroArch - Hry
Btw, you can just root the phone. You bought the phone. Take ownership of its hardware.
Came here to say this!!
😅 don’t know how....
Plenty of tutorials on rooting devices..
@@TerryFT86 I'm rooting for you !
@@iwinrar5207 Heh. Nice! *Thumbs way up*
An OLED screen on any current phone (Or the PSVita for that matter) makes wonders for pixel art graphics. Ultradefined blacks on contours of the caracters and low pixel response times are very welcomed for retro gaming.
Just be warned on buying a used OLED displays, they do burn in and if the same app was used all the time, it makes a mess of the displays. For example, someone uses google maps or Waze to get to work every day, after a year of that, the screen is toast, so a 1-2 year old phone could have bad burn-in.
@@TheCoolDave yes I KNOW
Oled for gaming is kinda bad, since it is easily burn and most of time game have coloured bar, long loading screen etc that will make the screen degrade faster
@@Yoedi16 My Vita screen is in pristine condition after 10 years.
@@Yoedi16 Nah, as they do burn in, it's not even close to what you say. Even my Vita that I have had from new is perfect, I have had days with 4-5 hours of gaming on it. I did have a Note 8 and I used Waze every day, after 6 months, it did have burn in on it. So they do burn in but, at very heavy use. It takes a lot to burn in a screen.
Last year when I had to finally retire my 6 year phone, I specifically went looking for a daily Android phone, which would also double as an emulation machine and to this day I think it was a great decision on my part, as I always have either an SN30 pro or and SN30 pro+ with a clip in my bag, depending on which bag I'm going out with (the sn30 pro and clip take up less space in my "man-purse" than many underpowered dedicated devices).
I would buy a dedicated handheld as well, but my personal experience thus far has been more than satisfactory - I already always have my phone in my pocket, I have been using my phone as my main music player for years as well, so adding emulation to the functionality was less hassle than most and with my tendency to play old JRPG games, I often don't have issues using the on-screen touch controls and just not bringing a controller with me.
However, I cannot deny that the "feel" of a dedicated handheld is a different matter entirely and in my opinion one shouldn't buy a second phone just to play games on it as you end up not using most of the features you pay for. I'd say - buy an emulation-capable phone when upgrading your daily driver, but if you have the funds to spend on just a second device - buy a dedicated handheld, which is built specifically for the purpose.
Buy an unlocked device! I've literally never bought a phone through a carrier and I always get new :) I do absolutely prefer a dedicated handheld though that's for sure
I definitely agree with you on the unlocked part. Furthermore, there are tons of websites that offer refurbished phones - I've gone that route several times and have never been disappointed.
Agreed 👍
@@MAGA_Patriot2024 do you mind sharing some of those websites that offer refurbished phones? I know zero about this stuff.
@@RetroGameCorps Did a bit of my own research, I just searched "unlocked Android phone" on Amazon, set the maximum to $100 (or however much you want), and there ya go. Wal Mart and Best Buy seem to have such options, but Best Buy seems to only really stock the newer/expensive models.
Not sure which models have good Snapdragon hardware, but the Samsung Galaxy A01 seems to fit around that price range, but seems to have some kind of Cortex Processor and not a Snapdragon. So might have to do a bit of work to find a good unlocked Snapdragon phone. Sorry I can't be of more assistance.
@@dabom88 this is good info, thanks!
Man, you forgot the best kind of emulation on android!
DS emulation!
Drastic was fantastic! It blew my mind how good it is
Yeah i just got drastic and i love it
That is actually a great point, since a DS emulation often needs a touchscreen and most handhelds tend to lack that particular feature from what I've seen
MelonDS is even better imo
Ppsspp even better
I think some of your gripes was due to your inexperience with android and the phone buying ecosystem. There are smaller phones. There are unlocked phones so you don't get the carrier crap. You can map buttons on the controller to work like hardware buttons so you don't have to swipe the screen. The pros outweigh the cons using the phone as a complete package. Especially when you factor in price vs. feature set. Good video. I enjoy your work.
Also, there are buyable clips that can be used for the main controllers, which would mitigate his issue with his second controller. Or one can be easily built using a car phone mount.
Moreover, controller latency tends to be much, much better using wired, up to the point I tend to simply plug in my PS4 controller using usb C to usb A adapter. This also natively work for most Xinput USB controllers.
Definitely and if you've got a decent fone and due an upgrade you'd be spending very little for a very capable retro setup, it's just the time and effort really but considering how much a similar spec dedicated retro handheld machine would cost it's probably well worth it.
I think he came to it with a concluded mindset and sought out confirmatory bias. Some of the "cons" are laughably transparent, the comparison is almost as fair to phones as userbenchmarks is to AMD.
He complains about "endless swiping" but doesn't seem to mind (and even compliments) the move of handheld emulators towards android and touch interfaces.
He complains about screen size on phones and form factor of "bulk" when you add telescoping controllers, yet brushes the exact same issues aside when it comes to handheld emulators. Look up his latest GPD XP video and how differently he approaches size and form factor when you have a handheld rather than a phone.
In the conclusion he presents a false comparison between the weakest phone hardware out there with non-existent future handheld emulators that can match it...
@@fabricenonez9098 The controller latency issues don't exist when plugged in - despite using a X2 with USB-C, he generalises the conclusion as being "there are latency issues", which is a dodgy conclusion and isn't comparing like for like:
A) Latency is with bluetooth, there are plenty of ways to get plugged in experiences. Plugged in, the controller latency is going to be no different from a built in one. There are an increasing number of ways to have a "plugged in" gaming controller on android, ranging from just plugging in your xbox or ps4 controller to telescoping controllers like the X2 and the Razer Kishi.
B) Emulator side latency is not unique to using phones - its down to the emulator that you use and is present on handhelds as well. So it isn't an inherent advantage of emulators - some emulators may come prepackaged with better choices and settings for emulators, but many also come with terrible ones that give a poor out of box experience.
C) Lots of lower end handhelds have latency issues stemming from low end hardware, which you don't have with more powerful phone processors.
Overall, fairly damn bias if you ask me.
@@JimIBobIJones I turned an old one plus 5t into a retro handheld, paired it with an ipega controller and I can't fault it for what I want it for. It goes straight into game mode whenever I start playing anything and I never have to swipe while playing anything thats compatible with controllers. Only major disadvantage is all the time spent downloading roms and setting up retroarch or whatever you want to use but once you get to know how it all works it's not a lot of effort really.
Very interested in this and your impressions, I'm diving right into it!
Android has replaced the need for any standalone emulation device, in my opinion. Controllers like the ones you use are perfect.
Retroidboy is making a kit to change your phone to a handheld gaming.
I can't wait to see it too!
There's already something like that available for Android and IOS Argos is selling them the price puts me off getting one though.
I’d love something like that, I love my Android phone for emulation but it never feels quite right bobbling around on the clip above the controller, and clamp controllers are either too expensive (like the razer kishi) or just flat out rubbish!
Yes, looking forward to see how this solution works out!
@@graemenicol6377 what's this kit called, I've had a quick look on argos and can't find anything?
Using the Galaxy S21 as an emulation device and it's been like a dream. My first time getting a new phone, emulation is amazing!
I have the s20 12gb of ram, with a 8 series snapdragon. Shit feeeeels good. I got Ark Browser and its amazing
Do you guys have any latency if you use gamesir x2 or Razer Kishi? Or any other controller?
@@JimmyMir I use the kishi, and I have 0 latency
@@squirtbottle3764 I also have the s20 and I wanna do some emulation. I was looking at getting a actually handheld emulator but if my phone works I might just stick with it. Does the s20 automatically come with a snapdragon? And what app should I use for emulating
@@genjuyt7265 phones so much more powerful and therefore better use retroarch download what cores u need or all of them if space isnt an issue and the install a front end which means u can install the games original artwork ad icons on yournhomescreen and click them to instamtly load the game automaticly chooses the correct emulator for u so ita seamless like clicking on a real android game i use a program called Dig it works great really makes it easy and if i show anyone my fone i have pages and pages of n64 ds and other conolles games and people r like wow how do u download that thru the playstore lol? Its rly good retroarch is pretty much all u need i use one or 2 other stamdalone emulators just from personal preference but thers no real need to retroarch does the lot and Dig makes it look pretty so u can add icons to the home screen for each game or each console and chooses the correct emulator for you so them 2 programs and your sorted retroarch and Dig :)
What a time to be alive. Cannot wait until Switch Games will work flawless.
Before watchng the video, I'm going to assume the conclusion is a resounding YES! I've been using my phone for retro gaming for years & as long as you have a controller for physical buttons, it's fantastic.
This is really interesting to me considering I've been using Android devices for things like gaming and media for a long time, and new to retro handhelds altogether (waiting for Retroid Pocket 2 to start shipping). Mobile tech is so fascinating right now and is seeing a ton of innovation. Would love to see a follow up to this if you spend any more time on Android devices.
Also, once you connect your phone, it has native android support. Shouldn't have to touch the screen anymore. Home button should work and whatnot.
The problem is you bought the wrong phone. 1st of all 80$ is too much for sd662, theres a lot of brand like xiaomi to buy much cheaper with no terms and condition for buying prepaid or to get a plan. I still do respect your opinion and thanks for sharing this vid to us
I've been doing this for a while now. I combine the razor kishi and my pixel 5 and retroarch generally would play anything. ita very convenient to just download and play anywhere. I sometimes get a bt controller and use it on a Lenovo Duet for a bigger screen experience
I do like the idea of having just one device in the pocket!
seems like the pixel + razor kishi is a common combo haha, just ordered one and gonna use it with my pixel 4a 5g
I came to the same conclusion in my mind ahead of time, but happy to see the research to validate it. As you said, the size and feeling of a dedicated handheld is what breaks the phone option for me.
True but with a 200$ budget you can have a phone that can run any ds 3ds and few switch games, all ps vita catalogue, plus dosbox for dos games like X wing, dune, fallout, Diablo, ported android games, (Minecraft, kotor, lego Star Wars, lego Harry Potter gta4 , vice city baldur gate and so on..) also the new snapdragon 870 can play ps2 and Dreamcast and GameCube. With 300 ish $ you have everything.
I don’t know.. on one hand I’d like a Linux dedicated handheld, but it simply doesn’t exist the one that can do everything a phone does.. also with 40 dollars you get that beautiful sn30pro controller that will be way better than any controller comes in any dedicated consoles
@@CapitanTavish Yeah, I just use my (modded) Switch for emulation, and my phone for anything the Switch can't handle (or anything on the go). I have a SN30PRO controller in the inside zipper pocket of my purse to break out whenever I want to play games that would need a controller, and carrying that is just as reasonable as carrying any sort of separate handheld. I've watched soooo many videos of these dedicated handhelds to see if any are worth it, and they all seem like walking e-waste. At least using a current phone or buying a used one gives extra life to a device before it bites it.
@@hannahvickery4683 bought 3ds, one of the Best Buy of my entire life
I use a z fold 2 so my games look amazing js
This line of thought sure went out the window now that the steam deck got revealed some months later after the comment lol
I did the exact same thing. I bought a phone just for the purpose of playing games, but I came to the same conclusion. It just never felt quite as good as playing on a dedicated device. I am just waiting for a dedicated device that can play up to Dreamcast and Saturn.
@@Dairunt1 If you can find an unpatched switch that is. I got a used switch and it was patched which sucks as I was willing to "CFW" it basically and run things that are NOT part of the Stock Nintendo experience such as Netflix and emulators since I could use use the joycons as a controller and have a solid retro device with the likes of running android.
Ok can confirm, I used my Xbox series s/x controller via Bluetooth and retro-arch, and for the first time I can actually play games on my phone as smoothly as the original consoles. Otherwise if that didn't work I pry would have tried the controller you used, but I'm glad since I personally feel like these Xbox controllers are the best out of any controller I have used, they just fit right in my hands and have great build quality. Also was blown away at how well xcloud worked. I was playing Doom eternal and Fallout 4 on my phone with practically no lag (little frame dips here and there but barely noticeable). So games on the Android phone is a win after all as long as you have good controller hardware and the right apps ( this is the first time for me using RetroArch).
You can also buy one of those cheap 8" tablets with IPS display to play classic games, Zelda on a 8" is way better than on a 3" screen especially if you are getting old and your eyes have trouble with small and close stuff.
I can't find a cheap handheld console with a screen big enough for my eyes, so a cheap 8" tablet and a controler is the better option.
A phone just loses way too much screen when displaying SNES games.
Throw-in a 10 000mAh power bank ( INIU has affordable ones on Amazon with 3 years warranty ) and you don't have to worry about battery life.
Redream is brilliant on android, the games run amazing and look great with increased resolution.
The perils of emulating Dreamcast on a 5 year old phone: 12 seconds later: Low battery... Lol. Old Androids had poor battery life (2017 and before). The newer Androids are 100x better.
Don't understand why you wouldn't show what apps and how to install the emulators to the phone?? I thought that was the whole purpose this video.
Great Video, you answered all my questions about using a phone as a handheld..very well done!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love your early work. Great videos. You should do an updated version of this phone retro gaming content
I played Burnout Legends on my ZTE Axon 10 Pro with the new Gamesir X2 USB C gamepad and I instantly fell in love lol the controls and gameplay were so smooth with that controller and it was only $50 and it felt so comfy to hold in my hands,even more than holding my Nintendo Switch. I could easily get used to playing like this,it felt just like when I was playing with my original PSP 2000 Darth Vader edition that I had a very long time ago.
As someone that has taken this phone-as-a-handheld journey, I will say that the user experience varies widely based on the phone that you use as your handheld. At first, I used a $100 Walmart phone, and it was large and in charge! I was able to play up to Dreamcast with it with absolutely no issues. I upped the screen resolution for every system (SNES, N64, Dreamcast) that I was playing on to full-screen so that I have no borders or missing screen. However, I wasn't able to play Wii/GameCube on that phone - and then after a while, the phone stopped working altogether.
However, once I bought a used Galaxy s10e and installed my games on it, everything was copasetic. It plays Wii, GameCube and everything before that with absolutely no issues, without pop-ups or prompts to accept any phone carrier terms. Plus, it's a small phone, so small that when the Razer Kishi is on it, it's literally the same width as a Nintendo Switch. There are still small phones out there that are powerful.
So, all in all, I highly recommend using a phone as a primary handheld device - it just has to be the right phone for the games that you want to play. I recommend either using a former/current flagship phone that you already have, or buying a used phone(preferably unlocked) with a Snapdragon 845 or higher. Just about any phone with a chip like that will play everything before PS2. Any issues related to phone notifications, pop-ups or screen width ratio for certain games can all be easily rectified through emulator/phone settings. Many of the negatives that were listed in this video are not universal for everyone that uses a phone.
I would even go as far as to say that phones are actually a better option for playing retro games than any retro handheld on the market currently. They offer much more power for the money, have longer battery life, have Bluetooth/Wi-fi included, and play many more consoles than a current handheld does. And the phones are only getting more powerful with the onset of the Snapdragon 888 chips - which means all those 865/855+ phones are now former flagships that can be found for cheap. It's the handhelds that need to play catch-up to the phones, not the other way around.
I've got a Samsung S10e, but I have an otterbox on it due to how much I use it out in the field for my job, and I also mount it to my bike and large drops tend to make the phone fall off. Without the case, I'd have gone through lots of phones. That makes any telescopic controller that connects via USB C not a good option.
I just ordered an Anbernic RG351v for the 4:3 screen as well. But good to know if I ever want to try some portable gamecube/wii then it's good to go!
@@Michael-hn8bo Actually, I have the exact same setup - an S10e with the black Otterbox case over it. I bought a Razer Kishi as a telescopic controller for it, and recently discovered that I can put the whole phone with the case inside the Kishi by removing the rubber inserts that the Kishi comes with.
I was recently playing WWE Day of Reckoning, Smash Bros Brawl and Medal of Honor Frontline using this setup and it was flawless.
@@mrAPchem oh sweet!
I'll wait on a good deal for the Kishi then!
@@Michael-hn8bo They are now available at Walmart/Target/Best-Buy, which is quite different from when I bought mine!
Make sure you get the one for Android because there's also one for iOS and they look identical.
Be great to get the samsung fold 3 and have a massive screen to play on if i could aford one that wud be cool
Great review man, that’s a killer phone 📱. You get awesome prices compared to us here in the uk 🇬🇧, the same phone here is nearly twice the price that you get them for. Loved this video. 😎👍👍👍🇬🇧
I would in the age of over a year in lockdown this is honestly something i think people need
For producing a dedicated snapdragon handheld, I would imagine the problem could be cost and scale. Small companies making them can’t get access to those chipsets and manufacturing processes at those prices, so most solutions to bridge the gap end up being an unhappy medium. They’re just currently different market segments.
I’m looking forward to cheap and powerful SoCs and a maturing handheld market. For now, however, using a phone is not worth it to me. I’ve got a One GX1 Pro on the way that gets here in about a week, also got a 2tb nvme internal 2242 drive, and I’m gonna play all the GameCube, PS2, and Steam games I want.
I’ll get a Powkiddy x18s when it comes out, and whatever Anbernic comes up with, but I’m not expecting the “dream” handheld to be out for another year or two. That’s okay though, I love collecting devices, experiencing all the oddities, and being along for the journey. Even if I was impatient enough to blow a lot of money on the one gx1 pro.
Android has always been one of the best option for retro gaming emulation for years. The first Galaxy Note served as my dedicate portable setup until it was replaced by JXD s7800B. Today my portable setup is GPD XD+, RP2 and a bit of Galaxy Tab 7 (which I also use for work as well).
That's quite the setup! I haven't tried out GPD devices yet but I hear good things.
Unless I'm mistaken, this is the first time I see someone on CZcams highlight that fallacy of buying Boost Mobile devices for this purpose...that it will continue to prompt you to activate the phone and even block your WIFI on it.
Buy a Boost Mobile phone, then activate it at home and just put it on the $3 a day plan
And that "blocking wifi" is solely on the Motorola phones, it doesn't do that on any other brand
Adb into it gone
@@c.w.8459 bullshit it don't
M64PlusFZ has a widescreen hack as well. Though it takes some fiddling to find, it's in the gliden64 plugin settings and you actually have to create a copy of the plugin to actually edit the settings, you can only edit the copy for some reason). There are also widescreen hacks that you can find that can be applied through cheat codes, which are generally less prone to graphical glitches.
Amazing video! Been thinking about getting a cheap phone for gamecube games and xbox cloud game pass, but for the retro stuff i think my rg351p is still the king
Yeah I think that's a good use case.
I did the same thing i got a cheap smartphone for Cloud Gaming (Xbox, GeForce, Stadia) and a rg351p for retro stuff and i'm really Happy.
Great video. You should definitely try a front end like DIG. It will find all of the game art and tie all the different emulators together. Also, a great controller option is an Xbox controller with a phone clip.
I use dig its brilliant on my old note4 i just wish i had a fold3 to put it on for big screen gaming that wud be sik
Love your video ❤️
I've been dabbling with android emulation for a while, and have been using my old Huwai that runs android 10, I also purchased a red knight retractable controller. I do enjoy using it but miss playing my RG351P, when doing so.
I honestly think the emulation you have shown will be what the X18s is capable off.
Don't forget to get a HDMI out power cord that you can plug into power and the TV at the same time so it stays charged.
"the bomb has been planted"
I just need this performance in my 351V! Still can’t get even a lot of my 2D jrpgs to run smoothly on that chipset. However, the form factor of the 351V is my favorite. PS1, GBA, WSC, and original GB/GBC look absolutely stunning.
I used to do all my emulation on my Samsung Galaxy S9+ with a Saitake 7007x telescopic controller. The pros I noticed were better screen quality (Brighter, Oled, higher resolution), better speakers, PC/cloud streaming, better emulation + the ability to play systems most of the handhelds on the market can't. Emulators can be updated through the Play Store and you can download your games straight from the phone, no taking out the SD card and plugging it into a computer or using FTP clients.
Cons: Black bars with most retro systems. As you pointed out there is a lot of wasted space because of the size and aspect ratio of smartphone displays.
Playing on a phone feels like playing on a phone. Most retro handhelds feel like a retro system and they try to emulate the look of them. It just feels "right" playing on a dedicated retro handheld with the design and screen size.
Choosing the right controller. My Saitake controller broke after a few weeks, then I bought a phone clip for my Xbox controller and the controls were great but it didn't feel right having my phone just floating there. I prefer the telescopic controller design but there aren't many options for those.
If you already have an Android phone or one just sitting around collecting dust I'd say give smartphone emulation a try. If you don't and don't care about playing harder to emulate systems a retro handheld is a good choice.
5 launchers to consider. ATV launcher used in this, or Pegasus. Or use reset collection, dig or lemuroid and use one of the apps that turn any app into a default launcher
Dig is the best launcher these days.
Agree with all your pros and cons; I have an rg351p (many thanks for all your help btw!) because I far prefer a dedicated handheld, but I also have xiaomi mi9 (£128 from eBay, great deal) and an sn30 pro+ with clip for dc/PSP/gc/ps2, and no matter how Cherry you set it up, it still always feels like a phone clamped to a controller. The price you pay to play final fantasy Xii on the go with the original licence board I suppose!
So which option do you recommend? I have most of the original consoles but never ran emulator because I didn't know where to get roms etc. But I would love to have a big collection on the go handheld.
Interesting Specs if you ask me we need to see that in handhelds we buy from Anbernic.
Big bummer regarding that popup.. 😑... awesome video like always 👌
Agreed, this chipset in a dedicated handheld would be awesome! Thanks for watching Wicked!
Guys I think they're just not used to working and thinking like this. So we might get handhelds like this later than we hope for if we wait for Chinese manufacturers. We should actually have them already. But it seems to me the manufacturers keep taking baby steps and then waiting until they sell enough inventory to at least get their investment back. Before they roll out the next model. Testing to see if the customer is willing to pay more for better. In their minds everyone wants everything cheap, cheaper, cheapest
I know Thomann (biggest online musical instrument store in the EU) orders their own brand of guitars in bulk from various Asian factories. There's no middleman or advertising costs. So they offer higher quality instruments for a lower price than their competitors. Such as Squier and Epiphone guitars
So actually any handheld fan who's good at designing can send those designs to the factory where for instance Anbernic or PowKiddy get their products from. Depending on the quality and amount you want to order they will give you a cost estimate. Then it's a matter of setting up a Kickstarter to get the minimum amount of orders needed to pay for the first run
Chinese products often get a bad rep. But those factories are definitely capable of delivering quality products. The buyer usually just wants to cut corners at any cost. But I'd gladly put down €200 for something like an Anbernic that can play GameCube games. So if you think you have the perfect design and specs in mind the only thing really stopping you is not reaching the amount of pre-orders required to get the investment capital that's needed. After that every extra unit you sell is pure profit
@@LilSirAxolotl selling phones is not like selling dedicated gaming devices.
phones are sold in masses, so there is always going to be revenue.
gaming devices on the other hand, are marketed toward certain type of consumers, and such market is not as big as phone market.. so, selling each unit with the same phone price won't make profit to them.
also, for decent GC/Wii/3DS emulation, you need anything from SD835 and up. 200€ won't buy you a phone equipped with SD730g,, let along SD8xx.
and a retro device powered by SD835 will definitely cost 350$-400$.
@@bassram3337 Oh that's definitely expensive yeah 🤔 But the PowKiddy X18S is rumored to be able to emulate up to GameCube and some Wii games even. While it's also estimated to cost around $200. I don't know much about chips etc. so I'm confused now. It has a Six-Core ARM CortexTM-A55 Processor 2.0 GHZ CPU, Mali G52 GPU and 6GB - 8GB RAM
The Niluanxy KT R1 however will have a Hexa-Core AmLogic S922X 1.8GHZ CPU, Mali-G52 GPU and 2GB - 4GB RAM and should be able to handle up to DreamCast and even God of War on PSP. So definitely not as powerful as the X18S but better than the RG351 range. Estimated cost between $100-$200
So I'm possibly interested in that instead of an RG351. It does seem like the promise of GanmCube and Wii games on the X18S might be a little too optimistic. But I'll wait for the reviews on both anyway before I buy anything
@@LilSirAxolotl while X18S spots a half decent GPU for GC emulation, its CPU is just awful for the task. CORTEX-A55 is straight up bad for Gamecube emulation, and emulators are CPU heavy.
also, 200$ for a Chinese retro handheld is too much since you can get Nintendo Switch lite for the same price which offers performance equivalent to SD835 and quality materials
Great video! I always wants to get an Android for just the emulators/gaming purpose and this is a great guide for me to start with!!!
Some smartphone complies with USB C thunderbolt specifications. You can connect a USB C hub with PowerDelivery, HDMI output and 2 USB ports, creating a powerfull portable console or multimedia center. Try It!!
I've considered doing this too.. I always had Android, so I know these are good to use for emulation.. The issue is, you have to use more than 1 emulator, manually to play these. I like Android because there isn't much limitations 👍🏻😁
It's a good result for someone new to android, but I'd like to make the following suggestions:
1) Telescopic controllers are kind of ridiculous for the reasons you mentioned. Something like an 8bitdo pro 2 controller + clip is the way to go. Their new clip design eliminates any concerns about the setup feeling unbalanced and you end up with console quality controls, better than any handheld that has ever been made. It does not feel like playing on a phone at all.
2) Your controller should natively support back and home functionality - this helps a lot.
3) The choice of phone is super important! That carrier BS you went through is completely unacceptable. IMO it's best to go used. You can get a good deal because you don't care about features most others pay more for, like a good camera. Hell, even a cracked back wouldn't matter really as long as the screen is good. Must haves: microsd slot, good battery, acceptable chipset. Dual speakers and especially an OLED screen are great stretch goals. A case is recommended.
4) A good frontend will be a game changer for getting away from that phone feel. I suggest Dig or Lemuroid. Launchbox will be great in the near future as well, it just needs a little more dev time. Good frontend + the right controller solution makes it feel like a dedicated handheld.
I use my main phone - a flagship from 2018 (mate 20 pro), connected to an 8bitpro 2 via their new phone clip. Best handheld experience of my life. Controller cases are small, cheap and make it all just as portable as a handheld (you're always carrying your phone anyway). It plays nearly all gamecube games and even some Wii like a champ, console quality controls, easy to hold for hours. Plus, the OLED screen changes the experience completely. I just launch the frontend app and away I go. Battery life is fantastic - 7+ hours playtime on a full charge, but even better, it charges up to ~50% in about 15 minutes, something no dedicated handheld can do and that's huge. Also, android emulation is one of the best supported emulation frontiers out there. It's just a fantastic experience when set up right.
thanks to your comment I learned about new 8bitdo clip, thx!
The issue with a clip is the weight distribution. The telescopic controllers (like the Kishi shown in this video) have much better in-hand feel than a phone stuck to a regular controller with a clip.
Holy shit you’re a genius. I’m not very tech savvy. Just purchased my first emulator and looking forward to getting it in a few weeks. I’ll be watching your videos as a guide for setup. Also, definitely recommend the clip controller with the sn30pro+. Keep up the great content 👍🏻
I imagine you could flash lineage to the phone, then stick a launcher like ArcBrowser as a more traditional retro-handheld experience that circumvents any carrier bull and removes all the bloat. Should be easy through TWRP. I still love my GPD xd+ though.
It's should can be accomplish via Rooting but again it's waste time for now as Android more robust platform to use except for older phone which never get support anymore, well to me who have Android 5 it's still good to play i even can play some modern Android game like PUBG clone Free fire without any problem except maybe some lags coz online connection.
I was thinking about custom ROMs as well, or at least ADB debloating this carrier-bloated device.
But not all devices have a good community for custom ROMs so it's a bit of a hit or miss situation.
If you end up with a phone that barely has a custom ROM community at all, you'll have fewer guides to help you unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery/ROM, which increases the risk of bricking your device. And since unlocking the bootloader and flashing custom ROMs voids your warranty, that's probably a bit too scary and risky for those who bought brand new phones and/or are flashing for the first time.
So for those who are familiar with custom ROMs and know how to flash them, sure... it's a great option.
But for first time Android users or complete beginners, I wouldn't recommend it.
@@bhirawamaylana466 Lol what? Custom roms are insane compared to stock they also provide better performance and control over clock speeds
@@lolhaha9376 like I said it's pointless and waste time at this point coz Android already robust platform but again there also example like those super console x which use cheap Android box and turn them into emulation station that use emuelec and perform quite good than it's Android counter part.
You can try the DIG frontend for a seamless integration
1- you can change the default interface to give you home and back button on the screen
2- you can unlock the phone which gets rid of their terms and conditions pop up. alternatively turn the cellular off and don’t insert a Sim card
3- turn on no disturb and it turns all notifications off
As for controllers, I'd recommend getting the phone holder clamps for 8bitdo controllers, though it's way better using the SN30Pro+ since it has handles for better balancing or else the phone is gonna weight too much on the front on your controller.
There are cheap alternatives as well, like ípega controllers that have a huge variety of forms. They are cheaper and lots of them have clamps built into the controller. I really liked the PG9025 that is very portable, but the PG9076 is way better since it's moddeled after the PS4 controller.
I would use a phone absolutely so yep, but that particular phone is all I would use it for just gaming, run a nice dig frontend, then I go about finding a good game pad for the device. Oh and keeping up with the updates👍🏾 awesome video as always, still watching 👌🏾
I still prefer using my dedicated retro handheld than my powerful phone, it really feels different
Nice video as always : ) how about a video about RetroArch Shaders such as CRT , xBRZ and ScaleHQ?
xBRZ is quite heavy for a snapdragon 662 i think
I made one of these with a note 20 and used Dig as the front end. Probably one of the best emulation devices. Does everything all the way up to ps2 and even does some switch games.
Yea, I still have a Note 10+ and I was playing GameCube games with no issue.... it's pretty amazing..
I think another key aspect that shouldn't be overlook is that the best GB/GBC/GBA emulators (Pizzaboy Advance and MyBoy) on Android can do cable link (you can do it with just your one device or with other devices) which allows for stuff like trading pokemon, play multiplayer, and unlock more content in select games, something that these retro handhelds with all their various firmwares and OS can't even do or support. And also Nintendo DS emulation using Drastic is miles ahead and even has the GBA slot feature, allowing you to add a GBA rom to a compatible NDS rom, and access more content.
Definitely need to add DIG to your build! Awesome video though!
Totally one if not the best frontend for android
I like Arc Browser more.
I kove dig been telling everyone to get it lol
I vote dedicated device. Phones and tablets are solid options but a dedicated device is where its at, IMO. If we could get a snapdragon in an Anbernic device 😲🤯😬🥳🤓 ...also like many others have said try out Dolphin MMJR.............and congrats on 25k Subs👍
thanks for not putting any music on it, greatly appreciated
I have an S21 Plus that I use exclusively as a gaming handheld, with an Xbox pro controller and Ipega game clip. I love playing PS2 on AetherSX2, as well as a variety of other good emulators. I realize the S21 is a lot more expensive than the Moto phone in the video, but I got mine at a sharp discount.
I see Horizon Chase over there, awesome!!!
It's a lovely little game.
One of the few mobile games that im willing to pay
I set up my daily phone (a jailbroken iPhone) with some emulators for retrogaming. I wouldn't recommend it for the following reasons:
1) Newest jailbreak needs the phone to be re-tethered and reactivated after every restart (annoying).
2) Phone randomly restarts during a gaming session! (super annoying)
3) A bunch of my regular apps stopped working due to the jailbreak (citing security risk).
4) Finding controllers to fit the iPhone specifically was a pain. They won't work for all installed ROMs (annoying).
I was trying to save some $$ by going this route but I wouldn't recommend it. Either get a dedicated game device or a dedicated phone for retrogaming, do not try to make your regular phone into a gaming device. Too annoying.
I have a entry level gaming laptop and a snapdragon 860 phone (poxo x3 pro) and I love that the performance of both my devices is almost the same, although I have only played upto psp and ps1 games, I am certain that games like BOTW will run better on my laptop compared to my android phone, but considering the price of an android phone, you really cannot complain.
I use Galaxy S6 Android phone from 2015. It has a 5.1 inch super Amoled 1440p screen, dedicated home/return buttons and as a bonus I also have a Gear VR goggles for it with motion controller (GearVR store still works although abandoned by both oculus and Samsung) so you can play some games there and watch movies although only in 3DOF but for me it is far more comfortable then 6DOF. Coupled with that, I use Ipega 9028 controller which has a clip on the top so you can place your phone on top of it firmly. Controller is great because it has an Xbox style buttons and joysticks on it and a touch pad along with analog trigger buttons. It also works natively with android with x-input mode so you can control your entire phone without touching the screen and even if you want to you have a touch pad and its fairly cheep, comes with its own rechargeable battery that can last about two days.
This is not the best setup, Galaxy S7 is a better option for a phone as its the same as S6 but it has an SD card support and a larger battery along with a bit more powerful CPU/GPU and more RAM, and wireless Xbox controller with an addon clip for holding the phone on the top is a better then any Ipega (with the Xbox controller you can drew a perfect circle with analog stick while Ipega can't)
Here are the links of the specs for all if anyone is interested:
Galaxy S6 specification: www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6-6849.php
Ipega 9028 controller: ipega.hk/gamehandle/53-116.html
Samsung Gear VR: www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/gear-vr/
Galaxy S7 specification: www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7-7821.php
Xbox One Controller: www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories
A phone seems much better, but I love getting my RG351 just to play and forget about the world
I have a note 20 ultra but I just ordered a 351v
RG350 too:)
Been replaying some GameCube favorites on my LG G8 with a telescoping controller. It's not the snapiest experience with it's Snapdragon 855 but I hear phones with a Snapdragon 888 get near perfect GameCube performance. I'm upgrading to the Galaxy S21 for this reason since I already need to buy a new phone cuz I'm switching carriers. G8 has served me well. Played Resident Evil 4, Twilight Princess and I'm currently doing Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door on the G8. About 85% of the time these games run at 60fps.
No don't. Sd888 sucks. It has heating issues. Wait for s22 or buy a gaming phone with a built in fan like the redmagic 6 pro.
@@jaswanthkumar8365 Already bought a Sony Xperia 1 iii (that has an SD888). I haven't noticed any crazy heating issues so far but I've heard the horror stories. I had to switch to Verizon rather suddenly so I only had a few options for phones with the most modern processor and a headphone jack. The ROG phones were a close contender but just too "gamery" for me.
@@pressxtojason good choice. That's the one that has minimal heating issues. But it's performance is also reduced to avoid heating. Should be fine tho.
@@jaswanthkumar8365 It's definitely performing much stronger that my G8 was so I'm happy with it. Of course my gaming laptop can still run circles around this phone for when I want the full experience, but my inner child is smiling ear to ear with the fact that I've got a high performance GameCube in my pocket now. I do recommend the Sony if you've got the money for it, but it is a hella expensive phone and kinda has a controversial camera (but I happen to like the cam tho).
@@pressxtojason yea Sony is great and the camera is also great. Just that it doesn't have much of post processing.I like to edit my photos and want them to be natural like Sony. I'm also interested in getting a Sony next year. I'll probably go for the smaller 5 series cuz I don't like bug phones that much
If you have a fold, the inside screen is a nearly perfect 4:3. It's amazing having retro games in full fidelity on a screen this large in your pocket.
If you flip it vertically it's good for DS emulation too.
Thanks for this video. I’ve been thinking of going this route too but finding a phone that doesn’t require service is a pain in the ass.
If you end up returning it, look for a used LG V20... A little old but the screen is 16:10 1440p, so you get less black borders and the pixel density is better. Performance is similar to this, anything up to Gamecube.
I have an LG V20 laying around. Was thinking about doing this with it.
@@Realyst Do it, works great, still using mine for this
I have a lgv30 can it run PS2 and Wii and 3Ds
since using only as dedicated gaming device, I would go with a used snapdragon 845, 855 phone with bad esn. A free frontend like Dig works great too and you can get a phone clip for the 8bitdo controller.
This is what I do. Bought a bad esn lg V40 with 845 for 80 dollars. Works amazingly
I used the amazon fire hd10 2019 for my little mobile setup along with my xbox controller, worse than nearly all phones spec wise but you get the 10" HD screen. Phones are probably the cheapest while also most powerful in this small form factor though for sure and considering everyone already has a phone it's a good use for them no doubt.
There seems to be at least 4 methods for rooting this phone from what I can see on the Net. Once you've done that, disabling "Carrier Device Manager" and "Carrier Hub" via adb (or other software like Titanium Backup) seems to stop the pop-up (at least until you cold restart the phone.)
You could also use "System app remover" on the Google store (free) on a rooted phone to completely remove those services.
Worth investigating.
my biggest issue definitely is that you always have to take out your phone case if you want to attach the gamepad
Good point
I use my phone as my main retro console because it's not a dedicated device. It's just my phone doubling as a console. With an HDMI adapter I can even use it on my TV 😎
The best emulation device I ever had it's an old Xperia Play of mine. I've installed a custom clean ROM and it plays 8~32 bit games smoothly (except Sega Saturn). It's compact, discrete and has superb controllers and sound for the price (an used one costs around 35 dollars on eBay)
Seems like the Xperia Play came back to mainstream, after all. Looking right now they are selling it for $75+ on eBay.
I agree with this video completely. I love my rg351p and how it feels and ill hold off till you can get a handheld that does the more powerful stuff.im sure its not far away. The form factor and the experience on a retro handheld is more comfortable and immerive than trying to make a phone what isn't...
Waiting for GPD to stop messing around with Windows and come back to Android and a successor to the XD +.
September my friend
I bought this phone in September on sale for $229 CAD$, unlocked, so I own it outright and can use any sim and wifi I like. Mind you it's the International version of the Moto G power, the Moto g8 power. It's great for retro gaming. You can plug it into a TV with a renkchip miraplug adapter. I have a cheap bt controller with abxy d pad two joy and l1l2r1r2 select and start. I prefer just plugging it into my tv. The renkchip works with just any phone with otg ability.
I actually just bought a used OnePlus 6T of EBay for just this purppse. Great timing for me. Welcome to the Android Emulation community!
Few things:
1. I recommend looking into the GameSir X2 2021/D-pad version. I like the d-pad better and it's not as wide as the Kishi (I have both).
2. USB-C controllers are the best bet if worry not lag.
3. There are some front-ends like Arc Browser and DIG that work like EmuElec.
4. The Moto G Power is no where close to a flagship phone. It's mid-range at best.
4. I'm surprised you ran into issues with a Boost Mobile phone. ETAPrime usually doesn't mention issues
I did this years ago in 2014. Walmart was selling a prepaid Verizon Moto G Gen 1 for $20. I bought it with the intent to use it as a dedicated streaming device/remote for my Chromecast. Turned it into a solid gaming/retro gaming handheld for my kids until it met its tragic end in 2019 after a kids dropped it. One of the best tech purchases I’ve ever made.
To your point about carrier mess, the phone would ask you to activate on Verizon’s network at startup but wouldn’t pop up after that.
You should do a full video review of your cat.
You mean....this? czcams.com/video/CnVFYeUrT8M/video.html
I love 8bitdo as well, it's a better controller, but Ipega makes some great controllers with built in phone clips above the controllers as well, at rather low prices..
I love my Ipega 9167
@@simonecaraffi7490 Ahh, I find the form factor and the way everything sits on the 9025 to be a lot more manageable over all, but that 9167 looks like it beats the razor by quite a lot for efficent use of space
What ipega controller is your recommendation? There's so many variants
@@Ramza30 IKR? Most of them feel similar, seems like theyve been upgrading they hardware in them a bit over the years, i have a pg-9021 and 9025, the 9025 is great for pocketing, phone sits flat against it when its in the clip, just a great experience, the 9021 feels like a meh, okay quality xbox controller with a built in phone clip, totally does the job , all the other ones i;ve played with worked just as well..they seem to be easily recognized by phones , batteries last a damned long time, etc... still not quit the same quality as the spendy ones, but they tend to be fairly cheap for completely acceptable quality and functionality.. i havent tried their newer and more featured offerings as of yet, but lots of them look real sexy,
I have noticed some lag when playing retro games using a bluetooth controller. It's not the worst thing ever, but it still made the experience less enjoyable. I found that I could get around this by connecting the controller directly to the phone via USB. Seems to basically eliminate lag for me. The downside, of course, is the need to have the appropriate cable with you, on top of carrying the controller you already need. Though depending on the controller and phone you have, your existing charging cable may work fine.
Thank you :)
Russ have a look at the rotor riot controller for android. It inclueds a phone clip and a wired usb c connection. I think you would have a much better experience with something like that
it's wired? :-O I already own 2 wireless controllers for my phone but if I knew this thing existed I'd buy it instead, I hate having to charge the wireless ones I have!
Edit: although it is kinda on the expensive side... :-(
After watching lots of videos on this channel and having trouble zeroing in on a device that could run the games I wanted while also streaming games from my computer and having a decent screen for various resolutions... I realized the phone I was watching the videos on already did all the things I wanted! So I snagged a refurbished Kishi for $50 and it's been game changing (pun intended).
I'm not wild about the d-pad on the Kishi itself, but otherwise am enjoying the ability to freely stream and emulate so much stuff.
Note: If you don't want to deal with a carrier or with used phones, you can just buy a new phone from a vendor like Amazon. My current phone was one I got new, for relatively cheap, after being frustrated with my carrier trying to upsell me on flashier, newer models. It was easy enough to activate it and so on, but if you were buying it with no intention of activating, that would be even easier.
The clip on controllers can compensate for a variety of physical issues finger size, reduce minor tremors, possibly help with carpal tunnel, etc.
Actually I've thought about making old smartphones into dedicated retro handheld gaming systems.
I've got several other ideas which I simply don't have the resources to invest in immediately every time.
Please check out pegasus frontend for android. It's more customizable and faster than DIG. IMO much better choice.
I kept wonder why he wouldn't just use his daily phone and then he said learning android
This does make sense in terms of buying dedicated hardware. If you do end up using your phone for everything it can make sense to toss in a Bluetooth controller or grab the kishi in the go bag. If you invest in your phone (there are a considerable amount of people who have good phones and either do not have or do not daily drive on a computer), then adding accessories like this and even a lapdock could fill your needs without more devices. You get the benefit of not being dependent on wifi as well.
Cool!
I remember back in 2011 I got the XPeria Play which looked alot like the PSP Go and at one time was supposed to be able to stream PS3 games directly, but at the end it just stayed as a retro PS1 emulator, with acces to the playstore to purchase PS1 games, later, many people managed to mod the system in order to play retro games, it had a single core Snapdragon procesor, android 2.3 and had a 4 inch dsiplay, but it was perfect to run any CPS1, CPS2, NEO-GEO, Atari, NES, SNES, SEGA, Gameboy(color, advanced & some DS), Gamegear and even some N64 and Dreamcast games, with some lag.
I like how this genre has evolved and where all this is going, if you keep on learning about android, I bet you will learn to tweak your phone to adapt on how you wanna play, keep it up, hope to see future updates on this topic!
Thanks for watching!
I hope you cover the new powkiddy rgb10 max coming out soon! Was really going to get the 351P but wanted to see your opinion on this first!
The only information available until today is the estimated specifications. Dodo said it will be released in late April but I don't really believe it. But I agree that you may need to wait before deciding.
If you don't mind my two cents on the subject I had the 351M... (for the built-in wifi)
Just in my opinion it felt great if not a bit too heavy for even slightly long playtime's, but... Yeah the simple fact is I could wipe a average $50 phone and load it with Linux and watch it run circles around it that way...
Or better yet leave the Android software on it where all the development seems to be going to these days...
This guy is right on the mark pointing out the ONLY thing that will be better is the form factor! (like an Arcade Stick for people who miss portables)
If you can find any workaround that does it for you I strongly recommend the more compatible devices every single time...
Otherwise I can't blame you in the least for wanting to play the games the way you remember feeling them...
two more cents here, got the 351P and the screen's backlight died after 5-6 days, took care of it like a baby and still failed. Got a Vita and no regrets at all.
The two handhelds I have are the PlayGo V2.2 and Odroid Go Super. The PlayGo is great as a pocket handheld for quick play sessions on low res systems, but I find the 3.5 inch screen too small to really enjoy PS1 and integer scaled SNES. The Odroid Go Super, which the RGB10 Max is based on, is great for the latter.
Boost apparently just started doing that to their phones in October 2020. Had no idea. Dumb.
It’s not dumb, you’re getting the phone at a cheap price because they expect to get the money back.
They don't make any money if people buy the device and don't activate it, especially at $85.
I don't like it either.
The conclusion is really good, it solves my puzzle too
Happy to be of service!
I'm a retro gaming fan and I think Android do an awesome job in emulation. I use my regular phone (Samsung S20 FE, 6GB RAM) and 8bitdo Pro 2 (with smartphone clip) as a controller and everything feels amazing. In the specific case of Samsung, you can add 2 amazing things (I'm not sure if any other have a counterpart):
1 - When you activate Game mode, you can deactivate all notifications (or select some to still be there, if you are in stand-by for a job, for exemple)
2 - You can eventually use dex mode when you want to play in a bigger screen
Other thing all Android can do is sync files with your PC (or even Raspberry PI) and keep your saves sincronized when you use multiple devices. Now You can play on the phone during a flight and when you are home you can continue in your PC exacly where you were before.
Just turned my moto Z3 into a emulator station. Would love to buy a handheld emulator, but once you go OLED.... It's hard to go back!
Are you using that with the Moto Mod controller?
@@stevethorpe9755 I had one, modded the buttons on it to use Nintendo DS membranes under the buttons. Still didn't like the poor ergonomics of the controller. After 10 mins my hands would be in quite a lot of pain. Now I just use a clip on my Xbox one controller. Not as stream lined, but way more comfortable.
@@klwarhouse totally agree. I went for a Moqi I7S to replace and it is great
My first retro hanheld was my phone, SE Xperia Play, i loved that thing, too bad sony sucks suporthing their handhelds (aside psp)
For the controller latency, you can connect a usb wired controller through a Type C to USB adapter. To avoid pop ups or messages just the phone on airplane mode or "do not disturb" mode. You can easily get an unlocked phone without carrier and not paying anything else. Just use it through wi fi or use your other phone as a hot spot for it. For me the touch screen can speed up some things like going through menus. Plus you can download games easily than most of dedicated portable devices.
One thing you could’ve done for dolphin was under the enhancement settings and aspect ratio set it to stretch to window with the widescreen hack enabled, you’ll get the borders to reach the end of the screen no matter if the game officially supports it or not.