Hey Johnny here's a tip that helped me immensely with games glitching. You know how you can change the background music to a custom song? Turn that off and back to the standard back ground music. Secondly, after updating your firmware turn the WiFi off entirely in settings. These two changes fixed my glitches try it!
I have a Polymega, and I also love it. It also has caused me to want to buy more older games for systems that I hadn't yet gotten into previously. It was a good purchase.
@@Jazz_FunkBassthat was their mistake. Yes. No matter what, these plug and play clones are gimmicks. But might as well go all out. FPGA is really the only way to get proper compatibility with a majority of games. Emulation is such a shot in the dark without proper testing. Especially sega saturn. That system to this day, has a majority of games unplayable. So this really needed to have it be an FPGA just for compatibility reasons. For that price, they got real lazy
Recently Polymega announced that they are starting to release their own licensed games compilations on DVD, in the much same way as Blaze does with cartridges for the Evercade. This makes the console even more interesting than it already is.
That crash you got on G Darius is a common problem. If you’re turn off the WiFi, it’s less likely to happen. I guess it’s gonna get addressed in a future update. Maybe the next update.
I was lucky in that I was able to get a Polymega early on, since I was one of the early-bird pre-orders, so I've had mine for a few years now. Personally, I really do enjoy the console & the ease of use with it; simply saying "It just works" truly is the simplest way to describe it. The database is always cool to just explore & discover new games through, the ability to add patches to both cartridge & CD games (for either mods or simple translation patches) is awesome & gives little to no hassle, and I love how the Neo Geo CD games have near-instantaneous loading through it, which is a godsend for that console. However, it's hard for me to heartily recommend the Polymega, at least in modern times. I do wish that Playmaji was more readily communicating, in general, instead of literal months of nothing before a new announcement or update is made. I wish that the long-planned in-console store would finally just get added, because I think that's where the console would truly have the edge over something like an Analogue FPGA console. I imagine the serial # copy protection on each console that Johnny mentioned was done for the sake of the store in the future, so you couldn't buy a game on your console & then simply have a friend make a free copy on theirs. Finally, the price for the console itself is just way too expensive right now at $550 for the base unit. When I pre-ordered it long ago it was closer to around $300 or so, which I felt was much more reasonable, so while I absolutely do enjoy my Polymega it's something I sadly can't just say "Go out & buy one for yourself!", despite really wishing I could. Maybe that could change once the in-console store actually happens, though, because the idea of a retro-focused console with its own equivalent to the Wii Virtual Console Store would be amazing to see nowadays.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the console! Could you please also tell me if save states work well on the Polymega? Not being able to save whenever I want is a real problem when playing on original consoles. I would also like to know if there are any CRT shaders and if they are any good.
@@janbiela8596 Save states work just fine. I don't tend to rely on them, in general, but I've used them for longer games that only offer passwords & they've been working well. As for the GRT shaders, I've never really cared for them in general so I can't really say how they are on the Polymega.
@@TheLandofObscusionthanks! It’s good to hear that save states work well. CRT shaders are a big deal for myself and so I will try to figure that out :)
Thanks for playing some Grandia music in the background. I played that game at launch when I was 11 years young and the story floored me, not the best rpg from the Era but my all time favorite.
I wish Sony would come out with a lock on module for PS5 that let us play PS3, PS2, and PS1 games. Or just include backwards compatibility in the base unit, but they would want that extra money.
Heh Johnny, the freeze issue is due to a bug when you have wifi enabled. They are coming out with a patch this month that is fixing that as well as other issues.
Hi quick question, did polymega stay in touch when they sent your order? I heard people saying they bought and never received the console or updates from polymega on the customer service.
I love mine also! Sounds like we got our Polymegas around the same time. As a Saturn fan, I love mine, but it comes with a cost: I cannot use all my varying Saturn controllers like the 3D controller for NiGHTS. That aside, throwing my PS1, Genesis, Sega CD, and other libraries onto it is amazing. I've also had issues with some demo discs, but for the ones that work, it's a great archiving console. I don't think people realize how great of a deal this is out of the box with all the disc-based formats.
I was a beta tester for it in 2020. It is a really cool idea, and had lots of pros and some cons. The modules were cool, but I found myself not knowing where to put the modules when not in use. The modules did have low latency controller inputs, so that was great. The usb controller port did have some lag as expected, and it bothered me where it did not bother others. After a year of owning it I decided to reduce the redundancies in my setup and I sold it. I kinda regret selling it now, but I was all about down sizing at the time, and I used the hefty profit for other endeavors. All logic sats I didn't need it, but I still find myself looking at it fondly. The controllers were a mixed bag. I never used the wireless controller. Their PC Engine controller is great, but their Genesis controller has a bad dpad in my opinion. The feature I miss the most about it is the save states. I know emulators have save states, but having a visual record of the save state is magnificent. Who knows, I may end up picking it up again, it happened before.
I was totally interested in the polymega 6 months ago when you had a video saying you got it and your first impressions. I got a Retron 2 HD from Hyperkin that plays both super NES and regular NES via HDMI. It has blown my mind and reignited that collector fire again! I was able to collect some really great gems this summer from childhood and look forward to finding more in the future!
Great video as always. With regard to older games and convenience I have to recommend the Steam Deck running Emulation Station. It’s the perfect setup for me. All my old games in a portable system that can be played on a TV as well as my Steam catalog. It’s not for everyone, but it’s really got me back into classic games.
I have one as well and i love it Im older and just having one to plug and play is great. Also me and my buddy who also got one have really enjoyed collecting again. We also go half and half on more expensive games which is nice.
Hi Johnny! Love the channel and been a subscriber for a few years. Just wanted to ask if you could probably turn the background music down a notch? The audio becomes a bit saturated when you're talking at the same time, making it harder to hear what you say. Thank you for making a video about the Polymega. Always been fascinated by this piece of tech!
From what I can tell, in your heart: this is a -B. Good, but not great or excellent. I was interested in this machine when it was first introduced, but rather took the emulation route. Batocera is my comfort zone now.
The simplicity and range of systems sold me. My favorite feature is the ease of installing translation patches. I agree $500 is expensive but the original systems are becoming crazy expensive too. Just speaking for myself but I've used it much more than my ps5.
I’ve had mine for about 2 and a half years a love it. Only real problem has been the mega controller’s d pad doesn’t work. Before the PolyMega I only really collected NES and PS1 games, but with the PolyMega I’ve been picking up stuff for a bunch of different systems and installed them to play later.
It’s cool don’t get me wrong, but I have all the original systems for my games and much prefer the OG way. Also just wondering, do the light guns work on it?
What really fails in this system is overall price and lack of fpga. We were all exited back then when this system was announced but we can all say that there are out there fairly better solutions with better price.
You will be disappointed of the flawed Saturn emulation. Get a MiSTer and play your own roms there. Even the Saturn core is not finished on the MiSTer. It's now better than sw emulation. ☮️
It's just an ancient pc running an emulator. If you're fine with software emulators (Polymega) buy a Pi and download those games. If you want to buy physical imports just get a system. Getting a Pi and a Saturn + pads will still be cheaper.
im curious if your going to try the Analogue 3D that comes out next year. its a n64 console that takes original cartridges and controllers and upscales to 4k. been sold out for a while but seems like itd fit your collection well.
I wish there was an FPGA version of the Polymega with it using an Arm chip to handle all of the front end menus and stuff. In its current form, it's just emulation, but great for backing up your games and being able translate games with it like with the Retron5. The build quality and the design is really nice. But it's expensive. What i do love about the Polymega is there control pads, some of them like the 6 button PC Engine pad are well worth it for the price. 6 button pads for the PCE can be a pain to find these days. Another thing with the console is you can hack it and turn it into a Raspberry Pi like device that can emulate almost everything upto the GameCube. Great for a living room setup. But this needs to get cheaper, if it's just emulation.
What song do you have playing starting around 7:15 (where you're talking about games that don't install)? It sounds like a platformer's take on an old movie musical, and it sounds incredible.
I was originally interested when it was announced, but when I found out how expensive it would be to have everything I wanted, I bowed out. I wish hyperkin could make a version of it that could succeed the Retron 5 cause I got a lot of use out of that when I started “retro gaming”. Great video HCG!
I noticed you didn't mention about using the original bios from the cd console. I was able to get all my cd games, including the demo disc, to work by simply by using Bios from the original console and putting it on the SD card. Polymega will detect it right away. Use that instead of what originally comes with the Polymega.
Oh, my Japanese Splatterhouse installed, but I did have problems with others. You may have to clean the contacts with an eraser to get it to read properly.
Have had my Polymega for a couple years and love it. The system is t perfect but it delivers everything I wanted…as an early adopter I only paid $250 for the system so that’s also plus!!!
I have all the Analogue devices so I never looked at the Polymega. To me the Analogues replicate the feel of playing on the OG console better. The Polymega, by copying everthing give more the feel of playing an emulator. I'm also old and pro convenience lol. I'm curious though, since you also have the Analogues, which you prefer.
I also have my Analogue Pocket, DUO, and 64 on preorder and the fact that ONE system can play hundreds of my installed games on multiple systems makes the Polymega my go to system. The UI and database is priceless and has gotten me to discover and buy games I never even knew about.
Nice to see some positivity for the Polymega. I personally love mine and have been having a blast with it for the past 8 months or so. Rather than the pack in controller, I’ve found that I use the retrobit Saturn controller probably 90% of the time when I play. I’ve loaded up 600 games on it, among every system it supports. The CD based systems work flawlessly, and the Turbo/PC Engine, NES, and Genesis work great too. For some reason the emulation on SNES got messed up with the last update, but it should be fixed with the next one. The N64 isn’t perfect, but it improves over time. This along with the Analogue Pocket covers most of my retro needs now.
I personally have been really enjoying this machine as a way to simplify the playing of my games catalogue and without having too many consoles / devices setup which I would struggle to have space for. It certainly has its own set of issues but thankfully I'm not too bothered by them and have been enjoying my experience so far.
I was really going back and forth on getting one of these, but now they are backordered 😢. I think its worth it for the convenience since i collect a lot of systems. Hopefully back in stock soon my xmas bonus will be waiting.
Thanks for your always honest thoughts. I was very interested early on when Polymega was talking FPGA. I''m more on the fence with it being emulation only. Still, it seems to have a market and it sounds very easy to use.
Yeah I was super interested in the polymega but was unsure if it would ever come out or if it would be any good so I didn't preorder it. But I still think about it, cause it is such a unique system and very versatile. I do like the way it organizes all the different systems.
I have the ability and privilege to have a CRT-TV, a shelf with my SD consoles, and an AV-switcher, so I play my old games that way. Other than that, emulation works for me. The PolyMega is a cool idea and I’m glad it exists. Not for me though.
I was interested in the Polymega, but I ended up diving into the world of Analogue systems, which was probably a better idea as I didn't have a large libray of physical games. Now, I probably would only consider getting the Polymega as something I could take if I was traveling, instead of having to choose one system over another. Or to let a younger relative borrow, minus the games, so you didn't have to worry about losing anything important (if the damn thing was cheaper lol). Regarding not being able to share a sd card filled with your games with your friends, I've long thought they should try to get these into ma and pop shops so you wouldn't have to get all the modules. And maybe, the stores could throw some of their rarer titles in their inhouse collection onto your system for free, which to me would be more exciting than just tossing roms on other ecosystems.
Guess what game I am playing right now, Johnny! Phantasy Star on my Switch! Great show! Not really, I downloaded the game, but can't find it😢 guess I'll try out Valkyria Chronicles 4 instead.
I would recommend trying some of those Genesis games that don’t work through a gamegenie or something similar, just to use as a pass through adapter, it “might” work that way
I got really excited about it, but the console price is steep and is required for the modules. If they had a ps1/2/3, gamecube/wii, xbox/360 console, I would buy it no problem. It does look like a slick console
I absolutely 💯 love my PolyMega console. I've had it for almost a year now. It's been worth every single penny for me. I get it, for those who don't like it.
I would love to jump start my retro collection, but the entry price is simply too steep for me. I will have to exists in the realm of emu...for now. Great vid, Johnny!
Hi Johnny,I have all the modules and a 4tb nvme and it's arriving the lightgun. the only Minus for me is the last firmware update introduce glitch on the SNES/sf emulation . For the plus you can use the 8bitDo arcade Stick (Nintendo switch version) and it's perfect for street fighter; you can also use the polymega modules's controller on the original hardware. Another plus it's the wiki information for every game(developer, publisher, mega, etc.)with only a few errors. Overall it' s an amazing console. My last concerne is about the space: every game you install on nvme drive save some data also on the primary drive(29gb) and for me after almost 2tbof games installed on nvme I have on the primary drive only10%of space, that means when the primary is full you cannot install more games on the 4tb nvme even if you have more than 1tb free on it like on a PC (in fact the polymega is a celeron base PC)
Even if I am a little disappointed with the snes module, I am in LOVE with the Poly. I totally agree with you , we are getting old, and my knees hate standing over and over to swap games 😂. Also, save states is a blessing 🙌
Considering how much this thing is and how it isn't as optimized as what I'd hope it would be, it would be interesting if someone some day decides to homebrew this system to make it more tolerable for all the people who already bought it and managed to get it in the mail.
I would love to get one of these at some point! I have the Retron 5 and the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro but this would be a great option in the future for me aswell! I've had this on my radar for sometime and I like your review! Long time viewer of the channel! Thanks for the great review!
It makes beyond zero sense to buy one of these, especially if you already have an android emulator machine. This things existence makes zero sense. Or at least, supporting it's existence.
I’m loving my Polymega had it for a year now and it’s brill, I’ve got all the modules👍🏻🍺😎. Will you be getting the Atari module? and Polymega are releasing physical games🤯, I’ve order one of the games to see what’s it’s like.
The transferring games reminds me of the original xbox. So much time spent putting games on the HD from disc although most transfer in lest than 5 minutes.
I have been eyeing this thing for years. I really hope that they can get Dreamcast running on it because that is the system that I have the most old school games for.
Now that I think of my situation, I think I don't really want it. I already have many disc systems setups that still work. So I don't really need it. If I didn't have my disc systems setup than maybe I would consider this. What I am looking for now is a Saturn mini, psp mini and a ps vita mini that has all the games.
I’ve had it since December 2023. Love the system as I could play import PS1 European games & some Japanese games of Saturn games. I am annoyed some of my PS1 games like Time Crisis 1 & Xenogears disc#1 wouldn’t want to be installed. Polymega just announce they will release physical disc games too. I am excited as well. Can’t wait in December though as they are going to send me a light gun to play Virtua Cops & Point Blank series again.
Hey Johnny. I just finished ys10. It was good, but not one of my favorites in the series. I didn't enjoy the ship aspect at all. Where would you rank it in the series? I felt it was better then 9 however
Sure you cannot give a save card to your friend but what you can do is they can bring their Polymega over and you can install all the games they want on that systems memory cards.
I got mine at the very end of a bad day, and it was a Tuesday. I had the same concern everybody else had after updating my system and that was the disappearance of most of the pre-installed games, they're still working on it I guess. In any case I got the package with the 4 modules (N64 was not included). With what I did have, it came to varying results. Those crashes you've seen with G Darius don't seem to happen with only CD games. It's happened to me several times playing cart games. I have some trouble with some NES/FC games being recognized, but I keep trying. With some games it'll recognize that there is a rom and even read it, but it won't allow save states unless you can in put the info yourself. One game that it doesn't work for is Amazon's Training Road more than likely because it's new. The Data East collections by Retro Bit don't work either, at least I can say that about both the Brawl Bros and Joe & Mac carts. One such game I did have to do a go around for was the Limited Run release of Assault Suits Valken. I could play the game, but if I wanted save states it had to be recognized as something, so I put it under Cybernator. I had done this earlier with my copy of MegaMan the Wily Wars and would later do this with a repro of Magical Chase. While I do have an actual PC Engine card of Wonder Momo the rom looks a tad glitched, for some reason the graphics on the top of the screen just appear at the bottom of the screen, with junk data being seen too. Another problem I've run into was when I wanted to play Pop'n Music I couldn't make use of the controller even with a USB adaptor. I can still play the game no problem, but I can't use the controller for it on account they haven't patched in original PlayStation controllers. I brought up a lot of the issues I've been having with Playmaji inc. and they've been pretty good about addressing some concerns I've had, but I'm still waiting for that patch that'll bring back the pre-installed games. I'm really hoping they'll take my advice and release future Polymega's with a controller input companion piece to their CD unit since the "dust cover" it comes with becomes absolutely useless once you get a module.
Hey Johnny. You know how people have their feel-good series or book. I just want to thank you for being my feel-good youtube channel.
Same
Same here!
Same
Ídem!
100%
This seems like the most sincere review of this product that I’ve seen. I would use it the same way and probably start with neo geo cd as well.
Hey Johnny here's a tip that helped me immensely with games glitching. You know how you can change the background music to a custom song? Turn that off and back to the standard back ground music. Secondly, after updating your firmware turn the WiFi off entirely in settings. These two changes fixed my glitches try it!
I wanna try that!
I ran into some glitches running Saturn games - will try this out.
I have a Polymega, and I also love it. It also has caused me to want to buy more older games for systems that I hadn't yet gotten into previously. It was a good purchase.
Just checked the price $549 starting!!! No thanks! You're a unicorn for having one 👍
And it'd not FPGA
@@Jazz_FunkBassthat was their mistake. Yes. No matter what, these plug and play clones are gimmicks. But might as well go all out. FPGA is really the only way to get proper compatibility with a majority of games.
Emulation is such a shot in the dark without proper testing. Especially sega saturn. That system to this day, has a majority of games unplayable. So this really needed to have it be an FPGA just for compatibility reasons. For that price, they got real lazy
Just seems like an expensive and roundabout way to rip your roms and emulate them? I'd rather have Analogue consoles then.
@@teneesh3376 Lazy? I'd say greedy tbh.
@BigBillKelly-x2z who says it can't be both?
Recently Polymega announced that they are starting to release their own licensed games compilations on DVD, in the much same way as Blaze does with cartridges for the Evercade. This makes the console even more interesting than it already is.
That crash you got on G Darius is a common problem. If you’re turn off the WiFi, it’s less likely to happen. I guess it’s gonna get addressed in a future update. Maybe the next update.
I was lucky in that I was able to get a Polymega early on, since I was one of the early-bird pre-orders, so I've had mine for a few years now. Personally, I really do enjoy the console & the ease of use with it; simply saying "It just works" truly is the simplest way to describe it. The database is always cool to just explore & discover new games through, the ability to add patches to both cartridge & CD games (for either mods or simple translation patches) is awesome & gives little to no hassle, and I love how the Neo Geo CD games have near-instantaneous loading through it, which is a godsend for that console.
However, it's hard for me to heartily recommend the Polymega, at least in modern times. I do wish that Playmaji was more readily communicating, in general, instead of literal months of nothing before a new announcement or update is made. I wish that the long-planned in-console store would finally just get added, because I think that's where the console would truly have the edge over something like an Analogue FPGA console. I imagine the serial # copy protection on each console that Johnny mentioned was done for the sake of the store in the future, so you couldn't buy a game on your console & then simply have a friend make a free copy on theirs. Finally, the price for the console itself is just way too expensive right now at $550 for the base unit. When I pre-ordered it long ago it was closer to around $300 or so, which I felt was much more reasonable, so while I absolutely do enjoy my Polymega it's something I sadly can't just say "Go out & buy one for yourself!", despite really wishing I could.
Maybe that could change once the in-console store actually happens, though, because the idea of a retro-focused console with its own equivalent to the Wii Virtual Console Store would be amazing to see nowadays.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the console! Could you please also tell me if save states work well on the Polymega? Not being able to save whenever I want is a real problem when playing on original consoles.
I would also like to know if there are any CRT shaders and if they are any good.
@@janbiela8596 Save states work just fine. I don't tend to rely on them, in general, but I've used them for longer games that only offer passwords & they've been working well.
As for the GRT shaders, I've never really cared for them in general so I can't really say how they are on the Polymega.
@@TheLandofObscusionthanks! It’s good to hear that save states work well. CRT shaders are a big deal for myself and so I will try to figure that out :)
Thanks for playing some Grandia music in the background.
I played that game at launch when I was 11 years young and the story floored me, not the best rpg from the Era but my all time favorite.
2:45 - That lock on technology would make a Sonic and Knuckles cart blush. Oooohhhhhh baby!
As a fellow old man doesn't always know how to do stuff involving emulation this would come in handy.
"Is it in right? Sometimes I still have trouble with that."
Oh buddy, I've been married for 10 years and even I sometimes have trouble with that
Nice dad joke!
I wish Sony would come out with a lock on module for PS5 that let us play PS3, PS2, and PS1 games. Or just include backwards compatibility in the base unit, but they would want that extra money.
Sony wants you to buy those games again
Stunning channel Johnny keep up with your good work and content, always waiting for the Sunday’s to see next video 😁😁🤗
Heh Johnny, the freeze issue is due to a bug when you have wifi enabled. They are coming out with a patch this month that is fixing that as well as other issues.
I was in when it was initially FPGA.
Love love love my Polymega. Preordered in 2019 and received in 2022
Hi quick question, did polymega stay in touch when they sent your order? I heard people saying they bought and never received the console or updates from polymega on the customer service.
I love mine also! Sounds like we got our Polymegas around the same time. As a Saturn fan, I love mine, but it comes with a cost: I cannot use all my varying Saturn controllers like the 3D controller for NiGHTS. That aside, throwing my PS1, Genesis, Sega CD, and other libraries onto it is amazing. I've also had issues with some demo discs, but for the ones that work, it's a great archiving console. I don't think people realize how great of a deal this is out of the box with all the disc-based formats.
i am sticking with emulation because i don t collect games but i would love to have such a machine with your library
I was a beta tester for it in 2020. It is a really cool idea, and had lots of pros and some cons. The modules were cool, but I found myself not knowing where to put the modules when not in use. The modules did have low latency controller inputs, so that was great. The usb controller port did have some lag as expected, and it bothered me where it did not bother others.
After a year of owning it I decided to reduce the redundancies in my setup and I sold it. I kinda regret selling it now, but I was all about down sizing at the time, and I used the hefty profit for other endeavors. All logic sats I didn't need it, but I still find myself looking at it fondly. The controllers were a mixed bag. I never used the wireless controller. Their PC Engine controller is great, but their Genesis controller has a bad dpad in my opinion. The feature I miss the most about it is the save states. I know emulators have save states, but having a visual record of the save state is magnificent. Who knows, I may end up picking it up again, it happened before.
I was totally interested in the polymega 6 months ago when you had a video saying you got it and your first impressions. I got a Retron 2 HD from Hyperkin that plays both super NES and regular NES via HDMI. It has blown my mind and reignited that collector fire again! I was able to collect some really great gems this summer from childhood and look forward to finding more in the future!
Great video as always.
With regard to older games and convenience I have to recommend the Steam Deck running Emulation Station. It’s the perfect setup for me. All my old games in a portable system that can be played on a TV as well as my Steam catalog.
It’s not for everyone, but it’s really got me back into classic games.
I wish there was something like a Polymega but for DVDs where you could rip your disks onto the device and have your whole movie library on one box.
There is. It's called a PC.
I believe they just announced some limited edition game CDs, Asteroids and Karate Champ.
Johnny I’m dying to get one. I just want it for the turbo games and Neo geo cd games as my Neo geo cd console took a shit.
I have one as well and i love it
Im older and just having one to plug and play is great. Also me and my buddy who also got one have really enjoyed collecting again. We also go half and half on more expensive games which is nice.
I never knew about this! Thanks for letting us know! mann!! Thats so cool!
Definitely been curious about this, ty, for update video!
Hi Johnny! Love the channel and been a subscriber for a few years. Just wanted to ask if you could probably turn the background music down a notch? The audio becomes a bit saturated when you're talking at the same time, making it harder to hear what you say.
Thank you for making a video about the Polymega. Always been fascinated by this piece of tech!
Just had a question;why copy the game if you already have the physical version? I'm new to this .
...But 500 bucks? That's a raspberry pi, snes style controllers, full fridge and some good whiskey
A distinguished gentlemen.
That's more you would spend on a MiSTer or analogue 3d. ☮️
The polymega seemed interesting but nowadays I'm all about FPGA consoles or the Mister project.
From what I can tell, in your heart: this is a -B. Good, but not great or excellent. I was interested in this machine when it was first introduced, but rather took the emulation route. Batocera is my comfort zone now.
The simplicity and range of systems sold me. My favorite feature is the ease of installing translation patches. I agree $500 is expensive but the original systems are becoming crazy expensive too. Just speaking for myself but I've used it much more than my ps5.
Was interested when it was originally going to be FPGA based. When they switched to emulation I just didn’t see the value tbh…
I’ve had mine for about 2 and a half years a love it. Only real problem has been the mega controller’s d pad doesn’t work.
Before the PolyMega I only really collected NES and PS1 games, but with the PolyMega I’ve been picking up stuff for a bunch of different systems and installed them to play later.
It’s cool don’t get me wrong, but I have all the original systems for my games and much prefer the OG way. Also just wondering, do the light guns work on it?
Looks great! Too bad about some of those games, though. It looks like it's currently sold out, too. Bummer. Thanks for the video!
What really fails in this system is overall price and lack of fpga. We were all exited back then when this system was announced but we can all say that there are out there fairly better solutions with better price.
Woo hooo, first comment! I’ve been looking at the Poly for quite sometime. Thanks for the video.
This video has pretty much sold me on the poly mega. I'd like to get for sega Saturn and ps1/ japanese imports since I can get those games locally
You will be disappointed of the flawed Saturn emulation. Get a MiSTer and play your own roms there. Even the Saturn core is not finished on the MiSTer. It's now better than sw emulation. ☮️
It's just an ancient pc running an emulator. If you're fine with software emulators (Polymega) buy a Pi and download those games. If you want to buy physical imports just get a system. Getting a Pi and a Saturn + pads will still be cheaper.
im curious if your going to try the Analogue 3D that comes out next year.
its a n64 console that takes original cartridges and controllers and upscales
to 4k. been sold out for a while but seems like itd fit your collection well.
I wish there was an FPGA version of the Polymega with it using an Arm chip to handle all of the front end menus and stuff. In its current form, it's just emulation, but great for backing up your games and being able translate games with it like with the Retron5. The build quality and the design is really nice. But it's expensive. What i do love about the Polymega is there control pads, some of them like the 6 button PC Engine pad are well worth it for the price. 6 button pads for the PCE can be a pain to find these days. Another thing with the console is you can hack it and turn it into a Raspberry Pi like device that can emulate almost everything upto the GameCube. Great for a living room setup. But this needs to get cheaper, if it's just emulation.
What song do you have playing starting around 7:15 (where you're talking about games that don't install)? It sounds like a platformer's take on an old movie musical, and it sounds incredible.
Definitely install the new update they just released. It fixed a lot of issues for me.
Not sure about the Polymega have the Analogue Super NT and thinking of getting an Analogue 3d for the Nintendo 64 cartridges
That’s all well and good Johnny, but what does this have to do with my Japanese PS2?
I was originally interested when it was announced, but when I found out how expensive it would be to have everything I wanted, I bowed out. I wish hyperkin could make a version of it that could succeed the Retron 5 cause I got a lot of use out of that when I started “retro gaming”.
Great video HCG!
I noticed you didn't mention about using the original bios from the cd console.
I was able to get all my cd games, including the demo disc, to work by simply by using Bios from the original console and putting it on the SD card.
Polymega will detect it right away. Use that instead of what originally comes with the Polymega.
I was an early adopter and beta tester. I thought the Polymega was a great idea, and I love the direction Atari is bringing them.
Oh, my Japanese Splatterhouse installed, but I did have problems with others. You may have to clean the contacts with an eraser to get it to read properly.
Totally awesome video man 😎!
Have had my Polymega for a couple years and love it. The system is t perfect but it delivers everything I wanted…as an early adopter I only paid $250 for the system so that’s also plus!!!
I have all the Analogue devices so I never looked at the Polymega. To me the Analogues replicate the feel of playing on the OG console better. The Polymega, by copying everthing give more the feel of playing an emulator.
I'm also old and pro convenience lol. I'm curious though, since you also have the Analogues, which you prefer.
I also have my Analogue Pocket, DUO, and 64 on preorder and the fact that ONE system can play hundreds of my installed games on multiple systems makes the Polymega my go to system. The UI and database is priceless and has gotten me to discover and buy games I never even knew about.
Nice to see some positivity for the Polymega. I personally love mine and have been having a blast with it for the past 8 months or so. Rather than the pack in controller, I’ve found that I use the retrobit Saturn controller probably 90% of the time when I play. I’ve loaded up 600 games on it, among every system it supports. The CD based systems work flawlessly, and the Turbo/PC Engine, NES, and Genesis work great too. For some reason the emulation on SNES got messed up with the last update, but it should be fixed with the next one. The N64 isn’t perfect, but it improves over time. This along with the Analogue Pocket covers most of my retro needs now.
I REALLY wanted the Polymega when it was announced back then ! Didn't knew it was released ! Thanks man ! :)
Just checked the price, 780 US$ is a bit steep for my budget but it's still something I want to get for mostly the same reasons as you !
Surprised you didn't put any links in this for the system!!
I personally have been really enjoying this machine as a way to simplify the playing of my games catalogue and without having too many consoles / devices setup which I would struggle to have space for.
It certainly has its own set of issues but thankfully I'm not too bothered by them and have been enjoying my experience so far.
I was really going back and forth on getting one of these, but now they are backordered 😢. I think its worth it for the convenience since i collect a lot of systems. Hopefully back in stock soon my xmas bonus will be waiting.
So many ways to enjoy retro it's amazing! This may not be for everyone but I'm so happy it's here! 🎉
Def want one been looking into it for a while. It isn't cheap, but I think well worth the price if you're into retro.
How did you get ROMs onto it? Their official website states: "There is no support for loading ROM files directly on to the machine".
9:38
Magical Chase is present. Johnny, do you own that for US TG16? :O
Since I'm all about redundancy. I'm still really interested in the polymega. It's on my list as a collector.
Buying all those modules on top of the main unit itself seems like it can get very costly 😮
This is a really great idea!
Game Sack Joe did an in-depth review of the Polymega happy you are as well Johnny it’s good
Thanks for your always honest thoughts. I was very interested early on when Polymega was talking FPGA. I''m more on the fence with it being emulation only. Still, it seems to have a market and it sounds very easy to use.
Welcome back to another episoooode
Yeah I was super interested in the polymega but was unsure if it would ever come out or if it would be any good so I didn't preorder it. But I still think about it, cause it is such a unique system and very versatile. I do like the way it organizes all the different systems.
If it wasn't a module-based system, I'd get it. I kinda want an all-in-one experience out of the box.
I have the ability and privilege to have a CRT-TV, a shelf with my SD consoles, and an AV-switcher, so I play my old games that way. Other than that, emulation works for me. The PolyMega is a cool idea and I’m glad it exists. Not for me though.
I was interested in the Polymega, but I ended up diving into the world of Analogue systems, which was probably a better idea as I didn't have a large libray of physical games. Now, I probably would only consider getting the Polymega as something I could take if I was traveling, instead of having to choose one system over another. Or to let a younger relative borrow, minus the games, so you didn't have to worry about losing anything important (if the damn thing was cheaper lol).
Regarding not being able to share a sd card filled with your games with your friends, I've long thought they should try to get these into ma and pop shops so you wouldn't have to get all the modules. And maybe, the stores could throw some of their rarer titles in their inhouse collection onto your system for free, which to me would be more exciting than just tossing roms on other ecosystems.
I like it, I wish they could increase the resolution to 4K and also added some new features
The Sega and PC Engine games were designed to run on Motorola 68 series chipsets, so those are easy to emulate.
I have wanted a Polymega for a while, but every time I check the site they are sold out. Do they ever come back into stock?
I dont think full compatibility on devices like these will never be perfect. It does still seem a very impressive devide.
Guess what game I am playing right now, Johnny! Phantasy Star on my Switch! Great show! Not really, I downloaded the game, but can't find it😢 guess I'll try out Valkyria Chronicles 4 instead.
I would recommend trying some of those Genesis games that don’t work through a gamegenie or something similar, just to use as a pass through adapter, it “might” work that way
I got really excited about it, but the console price is steep and is required for the modules. If they had a ps1/2/3, gamecube/wii, xbox/360 console, I would buy it no problem. It does look like a slick console
I absolutely 💯 love my PolyMega console. I've had it for almost a year now. It's been worth every single penny for me. I get it, for those who don't like it.
I would love to jump start my retro collection, but the entry price is simply too steep for me. I will have to exists in the realm of emu...for now. Great vid, Johnny!
Hi Johnny,I have all the modules and a 4tb nvme and it's arriving the lightgun. the only Minus for me is the last firmware update introduce glitch on the SNES/sf emulation .
For the plus you can use the 8bitDo arcade Stick (Nintendo switch version) and it's perfect for street fighter; you can also use the polymega modules's controller on the original hardware.
Another plus it's the wiki information for every game(developer, publisher, mega, etc.)with only a few errors.
Overall it' s an amazing console. My last concerne is about the space: every game you install on nvme drive save some data also on the primary drive(29gb) and for me after almost 2tbof games installed on nvme I have on the primary drive only10%of space, that means when the primary is full you cannot install more games on the 4tb nvme even if you have more than 1tb free on it like on a PC (in fact the polymega is a celeron base PC)
Even if I am a little disappointed with the snes module, I am in LOVE with the Poly.
I totally agree with you , we are getting old, and my knees hate standing over and over to swap games 😂.
Also, save states is a blessing 🙌
Is the freekin poly!
Considering how much this thing is and how it isn't as optimized as what I'd hope it would be, it would be interesting if someone some day decides to homebrew this system to make it more tolerable for all the people who already bought it and managed to get it in the mail.
I would love to get one of these at some point! I have the Retron 5 and the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro but this would be a great option in the future for me aswell! I've had this on my radar for sometime and I like your review! Long time viewer of the channel! Thanks for the great review!
It makes beyond zero sense to buy one of these, especially if you already have an android emulator machine. This things existence makes zero sense. Or at least, supporting it's existence.
MotoRoader seriously Johnny? lol Wow you own Magical Chase? That thing is super valuable. Ninja Spirit is soooooo underated. That game is AMAZING!
How have been playing all your old stuff until now?
I’m loving my Polymega had it for a year now and it’s brill, I’ve got all the modules👍🏻🍺😎. Will you be getting the Atari module? and Polymega are releasing physical games🤯, I’ve order one of the games to see what’s it’s like.
The transferring games reminds me of the original xbox. So much time spent putting games on the HD from disc although most transfer in lest than 5 minutes.
I have been eyeing this thing for years. I really hope that they can get Dreamcast running on it because that is the system that I have the most old school games for.
I’d never heard of it till today
Now that I think of my situation, I think I don't really want it. I already have many disc systems setups that still work. So I don't really need it. If I didn't have my disc systems setup than maybe I would consider this. What I am looking for now is a Saturn mini, psp mini and a ps vita mini that has all the games.
I’ve had it since December 2023. Love the system as I could play import PS1 European games & some Japanese games of Saturn games.
I am annoyed some of my PS1 games like Time Crisis 1 & Xenogears disc#1 wouldn’t want to be installed.
Polymega just announce they will release physical disc games too. I am excited as well.
Can’t wait in December though as they are going to send me a light gun to play Virtua Cops & Point Blank series again.
Hey Johnny. I just finished ys10. It was good, but not one of my favorites in the series. I didn't enjoy the ship aspect at all. Where would you rank it in the series? I felt it was better then 9 however
if you want something plug and play for original hardware I would reccomend the RAD2x from Retro Gaming Cables in the uk
I often have a hard time "getting it in" as well.
Sure you cannot give a save card to your friend but what you can do is they can bring their Polymega over and you can install all the games they want on that systems memory cards.
Happy Sunday 😎 goVote
I got mine at the very end of a bad day, and it was a Tuesday. I had the same concern everybody else had after updating my system and that was the disappearance of most of the pre-installed games, they're still working on it I guess. In any case I got the package with the 4 modules (N64 was not included). With what I did have, it came to varying results. Those crashes you've seen with G Darius don't seem to happen with only CD games. It's happened to me several times playing cart games.
I have some trouble with some NES/FC games being recognized, but I keep trying. With some games it'll recognize that there is a rom and even read it, but it won't allow save states unless you can in put the info yourself. One game that it doesn't work for is Amazon's Training Road more than likely because it's new. The Data East collections by Retro Bit don't work either, at least I can say that about both the Brawl Bros and Joe & Mac carts.
One such game I did have to do a go around for was the Limited Run release of Assault Suits Valken. I could play the game, but if I wanted save states it had to be recognized as something, so I put it under Cybernator. I had done this earlier with my copy of MegaMan the Wily Wars and would later do this with a repro of Magical Chase.
While I do have an actual PC Engine card of Wonder Momo the rom looks a tad glitched, for some reason the graphics on the top of the screen just appear at the bottom of the screen, with junk data being seen too.
Another problem I've run into was when I wanted to play Pop'n Music I couldn't make use of the controller even with a USB adaptor. I can still play the game no problem, but I can't use the controller for it on account they haven't patched in original PlayStation controllers.
I brought up a lot of the issues I've been having with Playmaji inc. and they've been pretty good about addressing some concerns I've had, but I'm still waiting for that patch that'll bring back the pre-installed games. I'm really hoping they'll take my advice and release future Polymega's with a controller input companion piece to their CD unit since the "dust cover" it comes with becomes absolutely useless once you get a module.