ultimate Emulation Rig

Shadowarez

Shadowarez

Gawd
Joined
Jul 8, 2019
Messages
909
hi all i was tinkering with alot of the pocket go things you can get for portable emulation while working late nights, but i was looking and surprisingly the Surface Pro 3+ seemt o check all the boxes if im going to just use it for older emulation not thinking anything crazy like PS3+ only the older consoles from my youth,

1, HD display 10-12in
2. core i5-i7 cpus
3, igpu strong enough in most for at least upto n64,
4,bluetooth,
5, usb type c on later models

i can pair a xbox controller on this and go to town once i learn how to make retro arch program butons properly,
 
Should be fine for that. It's just that you're paying 8x as much for a system that won't be handheld. Are you really going to be missing N64 games that much?

I've been pretty satisfied with my PocketGo 1 running custom firmware, and the PocketGo 2 should be fast enough to play SNES and PSX smoothly. I've just been waiting for the custom firmware to get sorted out before I jump-in.

There's also the ODROID GO Advance that officially releases next week: 1.3 ghz quad-core A35, widescreen for better GBA/PSP compatibility) You have to assemble it yourself, but it's slightly cheaper than the PocketGo 2. All signs point to N64 being lot more playable than PocketGo 2, but the screen isn't IPS.
 
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oh i know i found a few for sale like $a Surface Pro 5 for $250, figured i might as well get a system capable,
 
Shadowarez said:
oh i know i found a few for sale like $a Surface Pro 5 for $250, figured i might as well get a system capable,
Click to expand...


Oh, yeah I was figuring something closer to $400 for refurb or closouts.

Yeah, if you think those might be trustworthy auctions, the it sounds like a good call!

The attraction for buying the Surface Pro is for people who like a more grown-up platform for touchscreen games, while still having a complete PC hiding inside. The only downside will be playing anything widescreen/4:3 on that 3:2 display, but it will fit GBA games perfectly!
 
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oh i have a few apps like big box and i have been writting code to try force proper resizing of these, still tempermental but im learning, its more a curiosity to build test my coding on lol. why i dont mind if i lose $200 ish,
 
Another option you can go with is RetroArch for Android, if you like the size of your phone's screen. Any recent high-end phone will have more than enough CPU and GPU power to run N64 flawlessly.

I've been using my years-old Pixel 2 with this adapter made specifically for the One S controller, and it's been a lovely experience! (haven't tried N64 yet, but SNES and PS1 has been beautiful) I've also been using Steam Link when I'm out of the house/cant be bothered to turn on the TV screen.

a 10 dollar adapter is a lot cheaper than buying a computer to do the job! and I get that sexy OLED panel to stare at!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B..._title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=hardfocom-20
 
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i want a bigger screen lol plus i can test out some code with this, only if i can get it at steal of a price, the nicer higher end androids are in the $700 range so id rather get something that can do more then just game, plus if i wanna spend close to that i can get a higher end surface and just toss in bliss os, and emulate android, plus id be able to do more with it,
 
Honestly, you should take a look at the Moqi i7s. It's a crazy portable Android gaming device that is also a complete phone. Aside from not having L2/R2, it's capable of playing a TON of stuff on emulators up to even Gamecube/Wii. It's not perfect, but I'm actually considering getting it in the future.
Moqi i7s
 
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thats not half bad actually just he price is bit much if i can find it cheaper at $518 cad+ shipping and duties its nice but not enough if i can get a surface which will work with a 8bit do controller and still be more capable, like the portability though and built in thumb sticks,
 
Totally understandable. I think you could probably go to something like Aliexpress or something and get it for cheaper as Amazon usually has an extra bit of money tacked on to special niche electronics.
 
yeah wish we had old Sega Gamegears around someone could prob mod those with RP4's lol or some other SBC and change out screen, thatd bring back old school Nostalgia.
 
Shadowarez said:
yeah wish we had old Sega Gamegears around someone could prob mod those with RP4's lol or some other SBC and change out screen, thatd bring back old school Nostalgia.
Click to expand...

There IS a really cool portable(and upgradable) Raspberry Pi portable console called the Digi Dock. I have no clue when it comes out, but it looks absolutely amazing and the Raspberry Pi can be upgrade to pretty much any future version.
Digi Dock

Edit: Also, if you're looking at portable console, check this site out: Obscure Handhelds
 
damn that digi dock looks might y impressive, and ty for that obscure handhelds list some of those iv bought lol, im gettin them for the place i work as time permits, there amazing for the clients i work with,
 
That's tempting, but anytime you go with an Integrated Android gaming device, you-re stuck with a crappy screen, a crappy controls layout, the limited Snapdragon 710 APU, and the fact that you probably won't use this bulky thing as a normal phone (means you'll be carrying two around)

That thing is almost the size of the Switch, so it's not something you'd just throw in your front pocket (like my Pocket Go 1).

I'd rather carry around a real comfortable Xbox One controller, and use the adapter on my existing phone. You can then spend the money you saved not buying a second phone on a top-end phone to power your emulation nneeds, with a beautiful OLED screen! Because let;'s be honest, an A75 at 2.2 GHz is NOT good enough for playing demanding Gamecube games.
 
Oh definitely, I feel that all these handheld devices will eventually lead to a magnum opus device that will be so good that even if it had flaws it will be so good that it can overcome them. Just waiting for that day. I remember having my Nvidia Shield Portable and thinking how great another smaller more powerful version of it with a bigger screen.
 
yeah i will soon have my Galaxy S9+ free for this task as im awaiting the S20 Ultra as next upgrade, but still prefer the power of a surface Pro 4 or higher, only if its a good price though, if i can find another for under $400 that i think will be enough for my emulation needs, just a matter of luck, first one went to fiancee for Christmas, so that means hands off,
 
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