Applying today (might not be a bad video follow up and how to apply the update and usb solution). Btw, did you notice the original pong is not on the console??? There's a version, but it didn't work for me and I don't think it was an original.
@@RedHorseAdventures Yeah, that's not such an omission. Pong never appeared "officially" on the VCS. There was a pong game as part of Video Olympics, of course, though.
Curious if you have checked the 1.1.1 update. In this video you did the 1.1.0 update, but there is another available that was released about a month after you posted this video. I will be getting the newer Flashback 12 Gold soon. There is a 1.1.1 update for that one released october last year and I'm hoping it comes with that update already done. Will report back.
It's awesome they are listening to the community. Another great video! I would prefer to wait until it has the original feel myself, but good on them for releasing an update for people to enjoy it better
I bought one of these a while back and I definitely support atgames and I’m happy to see that they are releasing additional firmware. But the entire idea in my opinion of a flashback unit is to relive the days of old and the glory that the Atari 2600 once was. It’s just not a good experience, even with the new firmware. I hope it gets better. My flashback is collecting dust as I continue to use emulation on the PC for my 2600 fix, especially for paddle games. Great video. Thank you for sharing and keeping us informed, Jon.
Thanks for the heads up. I was actually reviewing this system for my own channel, but was so disappointed over the paddle control that I never even finished the video. I'll have to try updating and see what I think of it.
I've seen the King of Nerds commercial about a billion times, and I'm not tired of it yet. The only Flashback I have is the 9, which I got for a low price at Wal-Mart several years ago. I suspect it won't be compatible with this firmware, unless the internal hardware is identical.
I have the Flashback 9, but it stopped working after 18 months of light use. I bought it new from the Dollar General. When I power it on the Atgames logo just comes up and stays there. It was unfortunate at the time because I was enjoying games like Pitfall, Beamrider, and Enduro. But today I can just play them on my computer with a SNES controller.
i just picked one up on amazon but idk if it already has new firmware update for paddles . i found this video and the others on the atari flashback very informative and entertaining , thnx u))))
Hey, a little surprised that you don't have a playlist for videos about this FlashBack Gold stuff. Just happened on all of them and playing them in the proper release order might have been made easier if there was a playlist for 'em. Danke.
I don't get a lot of traffic from playlists, but as a thank you for watching them and asking, I set one up. 😀 th-cam.com/play/PL13zHeyDr6xs63SpEv7QV2FRgk9-sgy1_.html
@@GenXGrownUp Danke. Was giving some thought to the console today, and all your videos were useful - binged them all together. I used to have an older Flashback - I think it was v2 - the one that could be modded to work with ACTUAL 2600 cartridges from the old days. It's been awhile since I messed with one of them. BTW, does true original Atari hardware work on this thing?
@@JoeSiegler If you mean joysticks & paddles, then yeah, they do! Of course you'll be missing the navigation & buttons on the player one stick, but they'll work. I haven't ever tried more obscure things like keypad controllers or Star Raiders numpad, but they should, I guess. Keep in mind that paddle misbehavior is a symptom of the firmware, not the hardware, so paddle control will be the same even with OG paddles. (But since you just binged all that stuff, I expect you knew that already!)
You certainly can. But the problem isn't the paddles, but in the A50FBG's interpretation of the paddles. You can see in my video (and previous ones) that I use these AtGames paddles on a genuine Atari 2600 and they work flawlessly. So swapping paddles isn't the issue (hence, the firmware update).
Great info, thanks Jon. I hope they someday get it right. Little nuances like these is why I will always prefer the real hardware. Emulation is definitely convenient, but analog controls on an analog display will always be the preferred way, for me.
The firmware is an improvement. The real problem is you have to use so much muscle to move the paddle you can't make a fine adjustment. Backgammon is unplayable now because you can't move it far enough to span the play field. I think the update did this. I now see the joysticks are a little touchy too. I'll come here rarely to see some obscure games, but what a fail .
Any new news on updated paddle control or ways to upgrade with cover art? (2 different questions) Is the community doing anything with the 1.1.1? I tried a nexus pack that was supposedly to go over 1.1.1, but it kind of reverted paddle controls and what not.
Wish someone made new Pong console with hdmi output and good wireless paddle controllers. That would be fun with big screen or projector. I have original Telegames Atari Pong and we plan modify it composite output and maybe it would do trick with Retrotink 5x and projector but still trying to find tool open those special Atari screws. So far don’t know how open that thing..
I still like this little FBG. It has a great presentation for 2600 stuff, and with the upgrade, is a killer VCS nostalgia box. The My Arcade GSP, though, while having fewer 2600 titles, opens up the door to several other platforms (5200/7800/arcade) and has really kind of raised the bar.
Maybe I'm dumb, but I don't see why they're having such a difficult time getting a smooth, proportional reading from the paddles. Why is their firmware taking a reading that increases/decreases at a constant rate as you turn the paddle, and turning it into an irregular reading?
Is it weird that my set's regular controllers don't have the side buttons? I have a FB 9 which does, but they won't work with this set, which would operate a lot better with those buttons..
@@GenXGrownUp hm, I see. After the new firmware update, I didn't mind the paddle performance on the 50th. I felt it was basically fixed when I played it. But I'd rather have an X than a 50th, since the Nexus mods people made don't work with the 50th. So. I've just been trying to see if paddle performance was the same on the X. It's been hard to find answers, so I really appreciate your posting and replying back!
I just tried to download the firmware that fixes the paddle issues, and the link is dead. Does anyone know if it is archived, and or what firmware version it is? I have picker up a couple of the versions from the threads on atariage, and am not sure if any of them are the one that fixes the paddle. I bought the AFB50 for the paddles and it would be nice to play Breakout and Circus the way I remember them.
Jon, I am not sure if I misunderstood something or not. I have not added any games or anything like that, but I want to update the firmware for the paddle games. I won't lose anything, will I? Thanks for the great info. I love your channel!
@@GenXGrownUp Just updated it from the original firmware, so it's the first time my paddles were fixed. They are still not like the original Atari, but better. than before. As for the newest version firmware? It's supposed to fix something in the Bridge game, which I never played.
So let me ask this... How can someone play jitter free, lag free on paddle games on a new, big screen 4KTV? Is it possible at all? Best option I can see is to get all original hardware, have someone clean out/fix the original paddles, hook the 2600 up to a VCR and then hook the VCR to the 4kTV. Would that even work? I have this dream of playing a smooth, lag free, jitter free game of Warlords with my 3 kids on my big home theater setup that I've spent a lot of work putting together.
I have an original Atari modded with composite output that I run through a Retrotink to convert to an HDMI signal. I don't know of any VCRs with digital output. If your HDTV has composite in, you could connect an Atari through a VCR that way. There are much cheaper composite to HDMI adapters but the quality isn't that great and lag can be a serious factor, especially when playing something like Kaboom. There is also the 2600-daptor and 2600 PDL USB to 9 pin controller adapter which works great with the Stella emulator on a PC.
@@snuf23 you mean with the 2600-daptor or the other controller adapter, can i hook the paddles to a pc (unfortunately i have a mac) via stella and "boom"???
You can re-flash back to the old firmware. Following the instructions in my original upgrade vid will put you right back to where you were on firmware 1.0.0.
I was super excited about hearing this. ….until I learned it was only for the gold. I have a vanilla FBX. No update for that one yet. But atleast they are making progress.
@@GenXGrownUp correct. It didn’t come with paddles. But it does have a whole section of paddle games. And you can still use paddles if you have them. Which I do.
How long does the update actually take? Had it running for an hour last night - I think something is wrong. Thank you. *EDIT: I tried again. It works! 1000 thanks again to you for your valuable tips!
Yo, i recently got a pc drive with 60k games, and i usually play mario and pacman and wat ever else My friend owns every nintendo device, but he dosent know abt my drive
@@GenXGrownUp not really, no! It was the paddles in the end, i went on degrading amd upgrading firmware when the problem was one of the new paddles was broken (somehow). It works ok with my original atari paddles with the new firmware.
@@otherreality Thanks for reporting back! I was planning to do some investigative work myself today and you saved me a ton of time. Awesome follow-through! (On the downside, sorry about your busted paddle controller. 😔)
@@GenXGrownUp sure, i didn't want to prevent people from upgrading after realising the culprit. On the other hand, shame about the quality of the paddles included, it was really used only for 10 minutes, can't quite understand how this thing got busted. At least I got a set of the original paddles which still work (after 40+ years of use lol)
There's a new community firmware which includes this firmware and still supports the 1000+ game USB expansion. t.co/bfoN7v4edY
Applying today (might not be a bad video follow up and how to apply the update and usb solution). Btw, did you notice the original pong is not on the console??? There's a version, but it didn't work for me and I don't think it was an original.
@@RedHorseAdventures Yeah, that's not such an omission. Pong never appeared "officially" on the VCS. There was a pong game as part of Video Olympics, of course, though.
@@GenXGrownUp ah ok, I’ll look for that. I’m introducing my 3 year old and looking for simpler games for her. Thanks
Curious if you have checked the 1.1.1 update. In this video you did the 1.1.0 update, but there is another available that was released about a month after you posted this video.
I will be getting the newer Flashback 12 Gold soon. There is a 1.1.1 update for that one released october last year and I'm hoping it comes with that update already done. Will report back.
@@TheDilligan I did check it out. 1.1.1 doesn't make any changes to the system's overall behavior, but only fixes a but in one of the games.
Spot on job as always. Thorough. It’s amazing how much tinkering these things require.
Thanks, Mur. Fun tinkering is fine (expansion, modding), but I shouldn't have to run scientific experiments to prove the paddles don't work! 😁
It's awesome they are listening to the community. Another great video! I would prefer to wait until it has the original feel myself, but good on them for releasing an update for people to enjoy it better
Agreed.
I bought one of these a while back and I definitely support atgames and I’m happy to see that they are releasing additional firmware.
But the entire idea in my opinion of a flashback unit is to relive the days of old and the glory that the Atari 2600 once was. It’s just not a good experience, even with the new firmware.
I hope it gets better.
My flashback is collecting dust as I continue to use emulation on the PC for my 2600 fix, especially for paddle games.
Great video. Thank you for sharing and keeping us informed, Jon.
You bet. Thanks for watching.
As always, great review and update Jon - thanks for all you do bud!
My pleasure, Dan. Always appreciate you, my friend!
🤜🏻🤛🏻
Thanks for the heads up. I was actually reviewing this system for my own channel, but was so disappointed over the paddle control that I never even finished the video. I'll have to try updating and see what I think of it.
Nice job, Jon. Thank you for sharing what you found.
Thank you for the update Jon. I appreciate it.
You bet
I've seen the King of Nerds commercial about a billion times, and I'm not tired of it yet.
The only Flashback I have is the 9, which I got for a low price at Wal-Mart several years ago. I suspect it won't be compatible with this firmware, unless the internal hardware is identical.
I'll be sure to let Greg at KoN know! 😀
No, I read that this is intended for this model ONLY. You could try it, but no guarantees.
I have the Flashback 9, but it stopped working after 18 months of light use. I bought it new from the Dollar General. When I power it on the Atgames logo just comes up and stays there. It was unfortunate at the time because I was enjoying games like Pitfall, Beamrider, and Enduro. But today I can just play them on my computer with a SNES controller.
I play Atari and other older things on my RetroPie system. 🙂
Thank you SO MUCH for this!
You're so welcome!
Insane. Seems the only way (after nearly half a century) to experience true Atari paddles is on the original hardware.
Thank you for the update.... 👍👍.
You bet
Thanks! I will give this firmware a try. I bought this unit especially for the paddles and was very disappointed about the accuracy of them.
I have updated the firmware and it is much better now but there is still room for improvement.
Any idea if they are shipping any new units with the updated firmware and if you could tell from looking at box before purchase??
I'm sure new units are shipping, but no way to know from the exterior which firmware is included.
Great follow up video Jon! Hopefully they'll get it right next time :-)
You and me both!
i just picked one up on amazon but idk if it already has new firmware update for paddles . i found this video and the others on the atari flashback very informative and entertaining , thnx u))))
There is a new version 1.1.1 now. I don’t know if they did anything to address the paddles, as I didn’t see any patch notes.
Nope. It fixed a bug in a game's emulation.
@@GenXGrownUp Ah… Well, not the biggest update, but it could be worth the mod community to patch that version too, so everything is working.
Hey, a little surprised that you don't have a playlist for videos about this FlashBack Gold stuff. Just happened on all of them and playing them in the proper release order might have been made easier if there was a playlist for 'em. Danke.
I don't get a lot of traffic from playlists, but as a thank you for watching them and asking, I set one up. 😀 th-cam.com/play/PL13zHeyDr6xs63SpEv7QV2FRgk9-sgy1_.html
@@GenXGrownUp Danke. Was giving some thought to the console today, and all your videos were useful - binged them all together.
I used to have an older Flashback - I think it was v2 - the one that could be modded to work with ACTUAL 2600 cartridges from the old days. It's been awhile since I messed with one of them.
BTW, does true original Atari hardware work on this thing?
@@JoeSiegler If you mean joysticks & paddles, then yeah, they do! Of course you'll be missing the navigation & buttons on the player one stick, but they'll work. I haven't ever tried more obscure things like keypad controllers or Star Raiders numpad, but they should, I guess. Keep in mind that paddle misbehavior is a symptom of the firmware, not the hardware, so paddle control will be the same even with OG paddles. (But since you just binged all that stuff, I expect you knew that already!)
@@GenXGrownUp Yeah, I meant Joysticks and paddles. But hey, maybe someone wants to try that old Bert & Ernie kids controller! haha.
@@JoeSiegler Oh, yeah! The Sesame Street Kids' Controller or something, right? Never laid hands on one, but I remember that!
Can you use the original paddles as the unit does have the 9 pin headers on the board?
You certainly can. But the problem isn't the paddles, but in the A50FBG's interpretation of the paddles. You can see in my video (and previous ones) that I use these AtGames paddles on a genuine Atari 2600 and they work flawlessly. So swapping paddles isn't the issue (hence, the firmware update).
@@GenXGrownUp OK, fair enough. Makes sense now. Thank you very much.
Great info, thanks Jon. I hope they someday get it right. Little nuances like these is why I will always prefer the real hardware. Emulation is definitely convenient, but analog controls on an analog display will always be the preferred way, for me.
Can’t believe they still can’t get the paddles right…..
Cheap junk by a second rate company. 😢
The firmware is an improvement. The real problem is you have to use so much muscle to move the paddle you can't make a fine adjustment. Backgammon is unplayable now because you can't move it far enough to span the play field. I think the update did this. I now see the joysticks are a little touchy too. I'll come here rarely to see some obscure games, but what a fail .
@@davidcooklock129 horrible, what a shame
Maybe update #2 in 3 months will fix it from 8 (from 12) slides to 4
Any new news on updated paddle control or ways to upgrade with cover art? (2 different questions) Is the community doing anything with the 1.1.1? I tried a nexus pack that was supposedly to go over 1.1.1, but it kind of reverted paddle controls and what not.
Wish someone made new Pong console with hdmi output and good wireless paddle controllers. That would be fun with big screen or projector. I have original Telegames Atari Pong and we plan modify it composite output and maybe it would do trick with Retrotink 5x and projector but still trying to find tool open those special Atari screws. So far don’t know how open that thing..
Thank you Jon. How are you liking this unit vs the myarcade atari that just came out?
I still like this little FBG. It has a great presentation for 2600 stuff, and with the upgrade, is a killer VCS nostalgia box. The My Arcade GSP, though, while having fewer 2600 titles, opens up the door to several other platforms (5200/7800/arcade) and has really kind of raised the bar.
Thank you, JON!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, sir.
@@GenXGrownUp very cool at games has been good since 2018
Can someone link to the video on applying the update via OTG cable?
I link to it at the moment in the video when I say, "I'll link to that video" while talking about the firmware update via OTG.
Maybe I'm dumb, but I don't see why they're having such a difficult time getting a smooth, proportional reading from the paddles. Why is their firmware taking a reading that increases/decreases at a constant rate as you turn the paddle, and turning it into an irregular reading?
i'll wait for the correct paddle control. i was never good at most 2600 games and need all the help i can get.
This is a good step forward for that Mini console. I only wish the paddles worked well on the Reton 77. Ugh…..
Is it weird that my set's regular controllers don't have the side buttons?
I have a FB 9 which does, but they won't work with this set, which would operate a lot better with those buttons..
Was hoping you would superimpose the old breakout points you graphed above the new test point results for comparison. Missed opportunity!
wow they still didnt fix it ? i was excited to watch this.
Sorry it wasn't the findings you (and all of us) were hoping for. Thanks for watching!
Did anyone ever check the paddle performance on the Flashback X? Was it better or worse than the 50th?
Not I. I did hear that it's the same hardware & software, so I'd expect identical performance.
@@GenXGrownUpok, thanks. Hmmm, I wonder if the latest firmware for the X also improved the paddle performance. Can't find any mention of it.
@@jblackpost I don't believe so. The most recent FW only address a glitch in emulation of a game. Bridge, maybe?
@@GenXGrownUp hm, I see. After the new firmware update, I didn't mind the paddle performance on the 50th. I felt it was basically fixed when I played it. But I'd rather have an X than a 50th, since the Nexus mods people made don't work with the 50th. So. I've just been trying to see if paddle performance was the same on the X. It's been hard to find answers, so I really appreciate your posting and replying back!
I just tried to download the firmware that fixes the paddle issues, and the link is dead. Does anyone know if it is archived, and or what firmware version it is? I have picker up a couple of the versions from the threads on atariage, and am not sure if any of them are the one that fixes the paddle. I bought the AFB50 for the paddles and it would be nice to play Breakout and Circus the way I remember them.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention and Happy New Year. The AtGames developers have been notified and should have it up and running on the 2nd.
Jon, I am not sure if I misunderstood something or not. I have not added any games or anything like that, but I want to update the firmware for the paddle games. I won't lose anything, will I? Thanks for the great info. I love your channel!
Updating to firmware 1.1 will only have a positive impact on a stock A50Gold Flashback. So flash away, and thanks for watching!
@@GenXGrownUp I believe you lose Favorites and Recently Played when doing the update.
You won't lose any of the games, but those special folders will be emptied when you factor reset with new firmware, yes. Just have to go re-star them.
@@GenXGrownUp AND w/ the "mod'd" 1.1 all the ADDED games came back!
Can you play warlords with 4 players using all paddle controllers. You said the joystick has to be plugged into console to select games
I don't have them to test, but once the game is selected, you could theoretically swap out for another set of paddles and play four player.
New firmware: V. 1.1.1 (released on Jul 26, 2023)
Oh, yeah? How is it?
@@GenXGrownUp Haven't done it yet!
@@GenXGrownUp Just updated it from the original firmware, so it's the first time my paddles were fixed. They are still not like the original Atari, but better. than before. As for the newest version firmware? It's supposed to fix something in the Bridge game, which I never played.
Now how do you fix the joy stick lag?
With a wire. 😉
So let me ask this...
How can someone play jitter free, lag free on paddle games on a new, big screen 4KTV?
Is it possible at all? Best option I can see is to get all original hardware, have someone clean out/fix the original paddles, hook the 2600 up to a VCR and then hook the VCR to the 4kTV. Would that even work?
I have this dream of playing a smooth, lag free, jitter free game of Warlords with my 3 kids on my big home theater setup that I've spent a lot of work putting together.
I have an original Atari modded with composite output that I run through a Retrotink to convert to an HDMI signal. I don't know of any VCRs with digital output. If your HDTV has composite in, you could connect an Atari through a VCR that way.
There are much cheaper composite to HDMI adapters but the quality isn't that great and lag can be a serious factor, especially when playing something like Kaboom.
There is also the 2600-daptor and 2600 PDL USB to 9 pin controller adapter which works great with the Stella emulator on a PC.
@@snuf23 you mean with the 2600-daptor or the other controller adapter, can i hook the paddles to a pc (unfortunately i have a mac) via stella and "boom"???
I didn't see the video until the end and I lost Nexus :( anyway you can keep adding games, isn't there a way to remove the update?
You can re-flash back to the old firmware. Following the instructions in my original upgrade vid will put you right back to where you were on firmware 1.0.0.
Is it possible to use 4 paddle?
Sure.
Going to wait, Great info and breakdown Thanks.
God Bless, Viva Cristo Rey!
Glad it was helpful!
I'll buy it when they have wireless controllers.
They tried that. th-cam.com/video/mwGoos8611g/w-d-xo.html
I was super excited about hearing this. ….until I learned it was only for the gold. I have a vanilla FBX. No update for that one yet. But atleast they are making progress.
The standard FBX didn't have paddles, did it? What benefit would this firmware update do for an FBX?
@@GenXGrownUp correct. It didn’t come with paddles. But it does have a whole section of paddle games. And you can still use paddles if you have them. Which I do.
@@ButterSpider3 Oh, duh. Of course you could just plug in your own paddles. That makes sense. Thanks for the education! w😜
Wouldn't hold my breath on @Games coming out with another fix... but then again I would have said the same thing before this update so...
Send your paddles to nasa for proper calibration, then the flashback is technically up to date.
I missed that in the instructions. 😉
lol!!!
They did it 😂 but they didnt
How long does the update actually take? Had it running for an hour last night - I think something is wrong. Thank you. *EDIT: I tried again. It works! 1000 thanks again to you for your valuable tips!
You beat me to the response. Glad you tried again and it worked out. Hope you enjoy!
Yo, i recently got a pc drive with 60k games, and i usually play mario and pacman and wat ever else
My friend owns every nintendo device, but he dosent know abt my drive
Emulation is fantastic. But as illustrated here, sometimes it falls well short of the original experience.
The firmware broke my 2nd paddle completely. Can't play 2p games. Beware
Oh, my goodness! Really?!
@@GenXGrownUp not really, no! It was the paddles in the end, i went on degrading amd upgrading firmware when the problem was one of the new paddles was broken (somehow). It works ok with my original atari paddles with the new firmware.
@@otherreality Thanks for reporting back! I was planning to do some investigative work myself today and you saved me a ton of time. Awesome follow-through! (On the downside, sorry about your busted paddle controller. 😔)
@@GenXGrownUp sure, i didn't want to prevent people from upgrading after realising the culprit. On the other hand, shame about the quality of the paddles included, it was really used only for 10 minutes, can't quite understand how this thing got busted. At least I got a set of the original paddles which still work (after 40+ years of use lol)
to not worth the firmware update. because i dont have paddles and i dont want to loose all the extra games.
First 🎉
🏆
🥪🍹
Commendable but ill pass
👌🏼