I would say that for Analogue Pocket owners, a $99 dock is a very easy and cost effective way to be able to play retro games on the TV. With Open FPGA, you can play Megadrive, SNES, Neo Geo, GB, GG, Master system, PCE, Amiga etc. easily on a TV, With the Amiga, you can also connect a keyboard and mouse via the USB inputs (effectively getting an A500 mini). Being FPGA it's better than emulation IMO and I guess that if you want to emulate, you need to use or buy another device. This way you can have all of your retro games in one place and easily play handheld or on a TV.
I recently watched your other video on the review of the analog pocket and was looking for some thoughts on the dock, behold, you uploaded this one only a couple of hours ago. Good work, by the way, your video is very informative, and your B-roll is great.
Thank you so much! And, always glad when the timing works out like that. We were actually hoping to include info on the dock in our recent openFPGA follow-up video instead, but the dock didn't arrive until about a week or so after the video went live, about a year after ordering. (I'll never get over Analogue's extreme shipping delays.)
With Open FPGA, the dock essentially turns this into an Analogue Super Nt and Mega Sg Combo console. Pretty hard to be beat when you look at it like that.
@SToad Use of an FPGA to play games is emulation. It's just hardware-based instead of software-based. Analogue tries to distance itself from the "emulator" label, but it's all just marketing.
@@GameXData ehh saying it's all just marketing is disingenuous. The difference between hardware and software based emulation is significant enough to warrant the distinction. Emulators do all processes sequentially, whereas original consoles and fpga's do all processes parallel. That results in a difference of a noticeable amount of input delay. And even if you do 'run forward' with emulators, it messes with the animations. Fpga is legit the only thing as good as original hardware. I think it's actually better since it can be native hdmi and doesn't need to upscale to work as intended on modern tvs
@SToad Aye, no worries. Ultimately, it seems we're thinking pretty similarly. Although, with regards to playing ROMs via OpenFPGA specifically, I still wonder how much the average person could tell the difference between it and software emulation on a modern device for most games. It feels almost like an audiophile situation, in which there's a clear difference once you notice it but the difference isn't obvious until you do. @spencerhosch9825 It's literally just marketing on their end. They've always avoided calling their systems emulators or mentioning that their systems accomplish emulation. From my perspective, it's partly to avoid potential lawsuits and also to make their product feel more premium than other handhelds or system clones (which they admittedly are). We're all aware that hardware and software emulation are different, but, at the end of the day, they're both still emulation.
@@GameXData saying they're both emulation without context is disingenuous. So no, they're not just both emulation, one is pretending to be a snes and the other is actually a snes just using modern components.
I have a black Pocket on pre-order and decided to go for the dock at the same time. My reasoning was that if I received just the Pocket but then decided I wanted the dock, I'd have to go through another long waiting process. Another consideration is that my eyesight is not as good as it once was, and if I find my eyes getting tired looking at the Pocket screen, I could quickly switch to a bigger display.
I was gifted a Pocket for Christmas and it's fantastic. I've gone back and forth on the Dock, as I already have a Cyber Gadget Retro Freak. And while it's more of an emulation box, it supports practically all of my collection. Now if we get more Neo Geo support and the Atari Lynx cores show up, I might be more encouraged to pick one up.
Loved the video! Own both the Analogue Pocket and a MISTer and so far I still slightly prefer the MISTer. We live in pretty exciting times. Thanks for posting.
I’ve noticed that people aged < 30 don’t really value FPGA vs software emulation. While FPGA isn’t perfect and has its fair share of glitches. (My Chrono trigger ending glitched out while playing on superNT) What they don’t know is that it took close to 10 years to get the sound of the wind in the intro in Chrono trigger right in software emulation. In FPGA, they got it right the first time.
I'm not sure it's really an age thing. I think it's important to remember that most folks care about the outcome more than the process. How it feels to play specific games using specific methods right now is more important than how long it took to make those games playable. For that reason, the vast majority of people considering emulation aren't going to have a reason to choose hardware emulation over software emulation.
you can't just disregard the entire point of the device in your comparison. it's FPGA. If you compare to a mister, which isn't portable, and is more expensive.... The dock is a no brainer.
I placed an order for the device but opted not to order the dock. Cost is a factor as international shipping is so expensive and they charge even more for shipping if I add the dock to the order. After currency conversion, the dock alone is almost $200 after taxes and shipping and that’s not worth it imo here in canada
Great video - thanks! I've only just dived into my Pocket and the NES, SNES, and Megadrive cores and am having a great time. I have ordered a Dock as I want the option to play those cores on a big screen too. I prefer to keep the handheld games as handheld. I also have the Super Nt and Mega Sg but owing to a recent house move can't have everything connected so want the Analogue dock as a one-stop solution for home play. I'm a fan of Analogue's products and with the future OS updates and core development I think it will be quite hard to beat (the world of MiSTer confuses and frightens me).
I'd recommend the MiSTer FPGA over the Pocket by leaps and bounds. It has a lot more potential and gets new cores well before they are ported to Pocket. There are several console and arcade cores on the MiSTer that will never be ported to the Pocket and the Pocket is all but useless for early computer systems. Not to mention the ridiculously high price for the Analogue dock. I'm a huge fan of Analogue consoles and have bought more than one each of the Nt Mini Noir, Mega SG and Super Nt. I've even pre-ordered a couple of Duo consoles; however, I'm passing on the Pocket. I try to use MiSTer or one of my Analogue consoles for all the retro systems they can support. That said, I'm quite content to play retro handheld games on a handheld emulation console. There are reasonably priced handheld consoles available that can play Switch games with all earlier systems being no issue at all.
I preorder the AP and the dock day one. - Also got the SuperNt MegaSg and the Nt mini Noir and a MiSTer. - I would say the AP is as good as it gets😎 (at lest for now). I'm also into using Everdrives and I've preordered the Analogue cart adapter pack for Lynx, NGP/(C) and PC-E. - I also play and collect physical carts by the way. - The only really important thing I think you forgot to mention is the upcoming Analogue DAC support
We seem to be underestimating the value of the Analogue Pocket & Dock with multiple cores (systems), roms (games) & being able to interchange controllers. I've realized I no longer need retro consoles or clones. Also I found out testing CD-ROM image support as PC-engine. It will be possible to play all retro games up to PS2.
I think you're missing three big advantages of the dock: It makes games look great on modern and large TVs thanks to the free for all cores CRT-Trinitron filter no emulator can beat this filter, they may have some kind of scanline filters but they aren't good enough to simulate what a CRT looked like. The second thing you've missed is the same plus we have with the steam deck or the Switch: You have your save files always with you, be it at home with the big screen or on the go with the pocket in hand. The third advantage is input lag, thanks to the system being FPGA you get almost no added input lag, which is important as most older games were quite harsh and designed with CRTs and literally no input lag in mind, added lag by a standard emulator can lead to a game over.
For me the real problem was logistics: trying to buy the dock (with other items) after getting my pocket, Analogue site insisted I order each item in a separate order and $60+ shipping which was really silly... I spoke to Analogue and they said you can't mix items with different availability dates in the same order which is stupid, hold on to items in stock until you have all items in stock and ship them together
It's confirmed that you can use an extended usb-c cable to plug your pocket with the dock. And with that knowledge its possible to play multiplayer games while docked, at least with one pocket. Analogue says that it doesn't work but that's not true😀
The Epilogue is amazing, but there are some cartridges that seem to be Read-Only, such as Gameboy Camera, which is a shame because I was hoping to use it as a silly webcam gimmick.
That's actually pretty interesting from my perspective of the Pocket as a handheld-first device. Out of curiosity, do you have other handhelds that you prefer to use at home instead? Or is it more of a preference for having the Pocket in a central location, playable with an external controller?
I just got the Analog Duo, but now i am rethiking about if i should cancel and get the pocket instead since it has TV out. Is there any advantage having the Analog Duo instead ? I don't have any PcEngine games and maybe the Analog Duo will not be able to run other cores... (that's an issue for me).
The Duo is purpose-built to play PC Engine games. Unless someone jailbreaks it, you shouldn't expect it to play anything else. If you don't have or plan to collect those games, you'd be better off canceling your order and looking into a MiSTer setup.
My 2.4G controller actually works natively with the dock after flashing some updated firmware from 8BitDo. Here's a link to that download if you wanted to check it out: support.8bitdo.com/analogue/Dock/
Unfortunately, no. The USB-C port on the Analogue Pocket doesn't have the ability to provide display out by itself. You need that extra hardware in the dock to make it work.
Thanks for the update on this handheld! I had it in my shopping cart ready to purchase about a year ago, but the problems reported with it stayed my hand. I have a question, though it's a bit of a tangent: Do 8BitDo controllers still suffer from the faulty PCB design that led to horrible dpad controls (specifically, unintentional diagonals)? Put another way, can you play Contra 3 with yours without dying on the first level due to unintended downward diagonals? (Note that most modern gamepads do not have this problem.)
I haven't personally experienced any issues with my 8bitdo controllers related to d-pads. Although, with all honesty, I think I might be a little bit less sensitive to those issues than most folks. I've seen a ton of people also claim the Pocket has an issue with down also pressing left or right, but I've yet to have that issue myself unless I'm really trying to push the d-pad to the side.
the fact they omitted wifi from the analogue pocket is beyond me. you could play multiplayer over wifi (or even internet). you could transfer roms from pc to the analogue pocket ETC. it's 2023 now and wifi is extremly cheap to build into devices.
Multiplayer over Wi-Fi would be nice, but transferring roms would not be something they ever advertise. They don’t officially support playing roms to begin with.
I guess the advantage of the dock is being able to take the same game portable, like a Switch. Have you noticed any lag on bluetooth controller vs 2.4g? I know 2.4g is meant to have less lag, but the Switch SNES BT controller looks more authentic and higher quality.
Are you aware of the Mister fpga, that platform is overall the better way to play on a TV, it's supports higher resolutions like 1440p, a lot more fpga cores and almost any controller works including orginal controllers.
Oh yeah, the MiSTer's great. (I've been eyeing getting into them for quite some time.) It's really a different value proposition though. If someone were only buying an Analogue Pocket to play it docked with openFPGA cores, MiSTer would probably make more sense. However, I've a feeling a lot of people (like me) would end up getting the dock to supplement a Pocket they would otherwise use handheld or with physical cartridges. In those cases, the dock probably makes more sense while enabling most of the same functionality.
@@GameXData Yep! I totally agree, the Analogue Pocket is the better option for handheld gaming and that dock is just an amazing bonus either way it's amazing to be retro gamer in 2023.
@@SC-lc7tm It sure is intimidating but you can do it or get someone with pc building experience to do it for you, it's easier now with all in one IO boards like the mister itx iron clad or mister multisystem
I used a Genki Shadowcast connected to my MacBook for this video. If I remember correctly, I think I first tried to connect it to my Elgato capture card using the dock but ran into some compatibility issues.
My wife and I have a Pocket. I think it's great. Doesn't the OpenFPGA functionality work through the dock?? We don't have a dock but figure that would allow you to play Neo Geo, PC Engine, Sega, SNES, NES, MS, all the handhelds, etc. etc. on your HDMI TV. I think it's a good solution. I have installed OpenFPGA Cores into the Pocket and it rules. Collectively, the retro community preserving these games is a thing that has to happen because it's quickly getting ousted by less interesting games based on microtransactions and over the top open worlds and scope. :) 🙏
The easiest method I've found is using a Genki Shadowcast capture card with OBS for the video and USB-C for the power. Here's an affiliate link to the Shadowcast in case you're interested: amzn.to/3WXnsji
Great video, congrats mate! I was looking for a good review about the dock, and here you are!! I haven't enough time to try my dock but I was wondering if my 8bitdo's SN30 pro+ could work properly with the dock + AP. How about playing two players with two controllers? Did someone try this?
The SN30 Pro+ connects via Bluetooth. So, it should work just fine. The only controller setup I haven't been able to get working yet is the Steam Controller + dongle, likely due to limited USB peripheral support. I just tested multiplayer in Super Mario Kart (via the SNES for Analogue Pocket core) and it worked without a hitch with two controllers connected. I'd imagine that most cores emulating consoles that support multiplayer are also going to work fine. The only exception is currently for handheld systems (e.g., Gameboy Color) since those systems didn't support single screen multiplayer and the link cable port is blocked while docked. Any workarounds would need to come via an openFPGA core or GB Studio patch, but I'm unaware of anything like that currently existing.
Couple of points. The analogue pocket doesn't emulate games. It uses FPGA which is well known to be a superior option for playing old games than emulation. Given that open FPGA is now available on the pocket, You can play dozens of consoles directly from the it on to your tv with the dock. Nes, Snes, Genesis, Neo Geo, dozens of Arcades from the 80s and 90s, GB, GBC, GBA, Atari 2600 and 7800, Colecovision, etc without ever removing the pocket from the dock. All of these are rendered essentially hardware perfect with the FPGA cores, and theres zero compatibility issues for some of the trickier games. In my opinion, it is the absolute best way to play all of your 16 bit and oldet games from a single machine and the dock perfectly upscales that to your TV.
@@GameXData I appreciate the response! However, by definition fpga is not emulation. The concepts of emulation and FPGA are related but serve different purposes and function in distinct ways. Emulation involves mimicking the behavior of one system using another system, typically through software. The goal of emulation is to reproduce the functionality of a particular piece of hardware or software so that it can run on a different platform. For example, Like running a program designed for a particular operating system or hardware architecture on a different system. Running a game designed for a PlayStation console on a PC etc. Emulation relies on software algorithms that translate instructions from the original system into instructions that the host system can understand and execute. This translation process introduces overhead, making emulation slower than running the original hardware natively. FPGA is a type of hardware that can be configured (or "programmed") after manufacturing to perform specific functions. Unlike traditional microprocessors, where the functionality is fixed at the time of manufacture, an FPGA can be reprogrammed to implement different digital circuits. It consists of a matrix of configurable logic blocks connected by programmable interconnects. These blocks can be configured to perform as anything from simple logic gates to complex processors. When you "program" an FPGA, you're essentially defining how these logic blocks are connected and what functions they perform, which allows the FPGA to act like a custom piece of hardware. They can be used to create hardware accelerators, specialized processors, or to replicate the behavior of specific hardware systems. Emulation is a software-based process that mimics the behavior of one system on another, typically with some performance cost due to the overhead of translation. FPGA involves configuring actual hardware to directly implement the desired functionality. It doesn't mimic or simulate; it physically reconfigures itself to become a different piece of hardware. Emulation often involves a performance trade-off, as the software must interpret and translate instructions in real-time while an FPGA provides near-native performance because it operates at the hardware level. The reconfigurable hardware can execute tasks as efficiently as a dedicated piece of hardware designed specifically for that task. Emulation is highly flexible, allowing different systems to be emulated on the same hardware platform, like emulating different gaming consoles on a PC. FPGA is more specific; once configured for a particular task, it behaves like dedicated hardware for that task. However, it can be reprogrammed to take on a different role, but it doesn't "emulate" in the sense of running different platforms simultaneously or in a generalized way. Emulation is a software technique that allows one system to mimic another, with trade-offs in performance due to the need for instruction translation. FPGA is a hardware platform that can be reconfigured to perform specific tasks as if it were custom-designed hardware for those tasks. No overhead. FPGA is not considered emulation because it doesn’t mimic hardware behavior via software but instead directly implements the hardware logic. This distinction is why FPGAs are often used in applications where performance, flexibility, and the ability to rapidly prototype hardware designs are critical.
Can someone tell me how to play game boy ds games or game boy games? I tried putting them into my pocket but they don’t fit. I don’t see any adapter on analogues website that sells any to put the game in. I can play advance games but my ds games just can’t go in. Am I missing something?
@Falcon-um7vo nope! I read game boy games would work… in general. To my knowledge no. Yes everything else works. Doesn’t matter to me if it does it was cheap.
Wow, your review was so in-depth and thorough. I'm so amazed you aren't sitting in the 100k number of subs and views. Easy sub and going through your video catalog, I know you'll be pumping out even more high-quality content.
As of right now, no. The dock has additional hardware built-in to provide Bluetooth and display out signals. Because the Pocket's USB-C connector can't handle display out by itself, any third-party dock would need to include that extra hardware. So far, I haven't seen anyone attempt to do that.
What's not fair about it? Both are methods of emulation with their own pros and cons. If someone's considering spending money on a dock to play emulated games on a large screen, it's worthwhile for them to consider all their options.
@@GameXData I think you are clueless on why Dock is an interesting device for many emulation purists. FPGA provides exact replica experience of the games that play under their respective hardware. Software emulation on the other hand is a CPU processed replica that behaves differently based on CPU power and often comes with input latency and other undesirable effects. Just on NeoGeo and TurboGrafx games for example, DOC allows users to play those games at exactly as was intended. Play those same games on a typical emulator such as raspberry pie, you are faced with crap loads of input lag unless you significantly mess with Vsync, and even then it still has lags. Playing fighting and shmups on DOC is an amazing experience.
@etvow I think you're underestimating software emulation and overestimating the ability of regular users to be able to detect the minute difference between hardware and software emulation. If you personally feel that hardware emulation offers notable benefits for your setup, I think that's great! A solution like a docked Analogue Pocket will likely be exactly what you're looking for. For most people, I think software emulation on the computers they already own would be more than enough (especially for SNES games) and spending a ton of extra money on a dock (or even an Analogue Pocket) would be unnecessary.
@@GameXData Are you stating Analogue Pocket set up on a Doc, hooked up to a monitor, and a fight stick connected to the doc, the NeoGeo games' input latency on it is not that much better than the horrible lag that is found on the NeoGeo emulated on a PC?
@etvow I've honestly no context for that, since I don't play NeoGeo games. SNES emulation is the main topic of this thread and one of the main points of my video. For SNES emulation, there's not a significant difference between the two approaches to emulation. If you find NeoGeo emulation better on the Analogue Pocket and a reason to buy the hardware, more power to you.
Already bought the pocket and it's dock. Can't wait to play pokemon fire-red through a fpga on a new TV. It is going to look so nice. It's going to be the ultimate Gameboy player at home.
Definitely take it with a grain of salt. Between a cheaper capture card and mixing the footage with video from other sources, the gameplay's not quite as pristine as it'd be in person. We've personally never noticed any real framerate problems in person, outside a brief glitch while working on the video.
As cool as an OLED screen would be, I feel like it'd cause the price to jump from ~$200 to $250 - $300 (before scalper markup). Add in the potential for burn-in for games with mostly static elements (e.g., all pokemon games), and I feel like the swap wouldn't be worth it in the long run.
But these are games from 1994. Would OLED really enhance games developed with CRT monitors and intended for consumers with CRT televisions? We even have filters with the scanlines and curved perspectives to better reproduce that.
If you don't want to capture HDMI footage directly from original cartridges, there's absolutely no reason to own a Analogue Dock. Just like if you don't want to play handheld games off of original cartridges, there's no reason to own an Analogue Pocket. Additionally, the overwhelming majority of users would never have a reason to use bluetooth controllers with the unit unattached to an external monitor in the first place, while a unit attached to a monitor would almost always be attached to a wireless controller, so might as well build the bluetooth into the device which would be the only context in which most users would be interested in using it.
Not yet, actually. We've mostly been using the Pocket for physical games we own. Given that our older games collection's 99% Nintendo and Sega, Amiga's a bit outside our wheelhouse. Are there any games you'd recommend? It seems like it'd make for a fun afternoon of exploration, but, tbh, I've no clue where I'd start.
I think most people would rather just buy a cheaper USB-C hub. However, the Analogue Pocket's unable to provide a video out signal through anything but the official dock.
I feel like this video was absolutely useless, comparing the dock to your MacBook was a night and day difference the MacBook didn't even look close to the right colors it was an instant answer which was the docked Analogue then trying to say it's a set back that you can't use 3rd party devices to transfer HDMi to your TV is like asking why your switch shorted out on a 3rd party dock...also how do you expect to connect a controller without the dock?? Not to mention kept saying is it worth the $100 when you clearly left out it comes with a $30 fast charging brick you would usually buy separately for your Analogue.
Depends on where you get them. If you own the legitimate copies of the games and especially if you dump the files yourself for personal use, there's nothing illegal about it.
@Falcon-um7vo They're also correct. Distribution of a ROM, especially for financial gain, is legally frowned upon and could potentially lead to penalties if the right holders pursued damages. Currently, dumping a ROM from a physical cartridge you own for personal use with an emulator is viewed as legal since you own both the license and the source of the backup.
@Falcon-um7vo Which is a stance they and other video game companies have yet to defend successfully in court. Besides, current copyright law does not apply to personal use (e.g., backing up a CD containing music tracks to your computer). If you are not distributing or selling copies of copyrighted work of which you own a perpetual license, there's likely no path in which they could claim legal damages.
I would say that for Analogue Pocket owners, a $99 dock is a very easy and cost effective way to be able to play retro games on the TV. With Open FPGA, you can play Megadrive, SNES, Neo Geo, GB, GG, Master system, PCE, Amiga etc. easily on a TV, With the Amiga, you can also connect a keyboard and mouse via the USB inputs (effectively getting an A500 mini). Being FPGA it's better than emulation IMO and I guess that if you want to emulate, you need to use or buy another device. This way you can have all of your retro games in one place and easily play handheld or on a TV.
I recently watched your other video on the review of the analog pocket and was looking for some thoughts on the dock, behold, you uploaded this one only a couple of hours ago. Good work, by the way, your video is very informative, and your B-roll is great.
Thank you so much! And, always glad when the timing works out like that. We were actually hoping to include info on the dock in our recent openFPGA follow-up video instead, but the dock didn't arrive until about a week or so after the video went live, about a year after ordering. (I'll never get over Analogue's extreme shipping delays.)
With Open FPGA, the dock essentially turns this into an Analogue Super Nt and Mega Sg Combo console. Pretty hard to be beat when you look at it like that.
Yeah, this is the point. The whole video does not mention the difference between emulation and the PFGA approach.
@SToad Use of an FPGA to play games is emulation. It's just hardware-based instead of software-based. Analogue tries to distance itself from the "emulator" label, but it's all just marketing.
@@GameXData ehh saying it's all just marketing is disingenuous. The difference between hardware and software based emulation is significant enough to warrant the distinction. Emulators do all processes sequentially, whereas original consoles and fpga's do all processes parallel. That results in a difference of a noticeable amount of input delay. And even if you do 'run forward' with emulators, it messes with the animations. Fpga is legit the only thing as good as original hardware. I think it's actually better since it can be native hdmi and doesn't need to upscale to work as intended on modern tvs
@SToad Aye, no worries. Ultimately, it seems we're thinking pretty similarly. Although, with regards to playing ROMs via OpenFPGA specifically, I still wonder how much the average person could tell the difference between it and software emulation on a modern device for most games. It feels almost like an audiophile situation, in which there's a clear difference once you notice it but the difference isn't obvious until you do.
@spencerhosch9825 It's literally just marketing on their end. They've always avoided calling their systems emulators or mentioning that their systems accomplish emulation. From my perspective, it's partly to avoid potential lawsuits and also to make their product feel more premium than other handhelds or system clones (which they admittedly are). We're all aware that hardware and software emulation are different, but, at the end of the day, they're both still emulation.
@@GameXData saying they're both emulation without context is disingenuous. So no, they're not just both emulation, one is pretending to be a snes and the other is actually a snes just using modern components.
I have a black Pocket on pre-order and decided to go for the dock at the same time. My reasoning was that if I received just the Pocket but then decided I wanted the dock, I'd have to go through another long waiting process. Another consideration is that my eyesight is not as good as it once was, and if I find my eyes getting tired looking at the Pocket screen, I could quickly switch to a bigger display.
Congrats on the pre order! I was thinking about getting one myself. Have they given you any idea on when they will ship yours?
@@411sponge72 "Shipping in 2023" is all they've told me.
@@brianstuntman4368 Ok. Thanks for the update. I was hoping they would give you a more specific time frame. Good luck and happy gaming!
I was gifted a Pocket for Christmas and it's fantastic. I've gone back and forth on the Dock, as I already have a Cyber Gadget Retro Freak. And while it's more of an emulation box, it supports practically all of my collection. Now if we get more Neo Geo support and the Atari Lynx cores show up, I might be more encouraged to pick one up.
This is exactly why I didn't get the dock. Then retrofreak already takes care of most everything
Loved the video! Own both the Analogue Pocket and a MISTer and so far I still slightly prefer the MISTer. We live in pretty exciting times. Thanks for posting.
SAME 😎👌
What a great video, you speak very clearly & intelligently as well. Thanks dude
just what i was wondering about getting a dock
I’ve noticed that people aged < 30 don’t really value FPGA vs software emulation. While FPGA isn’t perfect and has its fair share of glitches. (My Chrono trigger ending glitched out while playing on superNT) What they don’t know is that it took close to 10 years to get the sound of the wind in the intro in Chrono trigger right in software emulation. In FPGA, they got it right the first time.
I'm not sure it's really an age thing. I think it's important to remember that most folks care about the outcome more than the process. How it feels to play specific games using specific methods right now is more important than how long it took to make those games playable. For that reason, the vast majority of people considering emulation aren't going to have a reason to choose hardware emulation over software emulation.
you can't just disregard the entire point of the device in your comparison. it's FPGA. If you compare to a mister, which isn't portable, and is more expensive.... The dock is a no brainer.
I placed an order for the device but opted not to order the dock. Cost is a factor as international shipping is so expensive and they charge even more for shipping if I add the dock to the order. After currency conversion, the dock alone is almost $200 after taxes and shipping and that’s not worth it imo here in canada
Great video - thanks! I've only just dived into my Pocket and the NES, SNES, and Megadrive cores and am having a great time. I have ordered a Dock as I want the option to play those cores on a big screen too. I prefer to keep the handheld games as handheld. I also have the Super Nt and Mega Sg but owing to a recent house move can't have everything connected so want the Analogue dock as a one-stop solution for home play. I'm a fan of Analogue's products and with the future OS updates and core development I think it will be quite hard to beat (the world of MiSTer confuses and frightens me).
I'd recommend the MiSTer FPGA over the Pocket by leaps and bounds. It has a lot more potential and gets new cores well before they are ported to Pocket.
There are several console and arcade cores on the MiSTer that will never be ported to the Pocket and the Pocket is all but useless for early computer systems.
Not to mention the ridiculously high price for the Analogue dock. I'm a huge fan of Analogue consoles and have bought more than one each of the Nt Mini Noir, Mega SG and Super Nt. I've even pre-ordered a couple of Duo consoles; however, I'm passing on the Pocket. I try to use MiSTer or one of my Analogue consoles for all the retro systems they can support. That said, I'm quite content to play retro handheld games on a handheld emulation console. There are reasonably priced handheld consoles available that can play Switch games with all earlier systems being no issue at all.
I preorder the AP and the dock day one. - Also got the SuperNt MegaSg and the Nt mini Noir and a MiSTer. - I would say the AP is as good as it gets😎 (at lest for now). I'm also into using Everdrives and I've preordered the Analogue cart adapter pack for Lynx, NGP/(C) and PC-E. - I also play and collect physical carts by the way. - The only really important thing I think you forgot to mention is the upcoming Analogue DAC support
We seem to be underestimating the value of the Analogue Pocket & Dock with multiple cores (systems), roms (games) & being able to interchange controllers. I've realized I no longer need retro consoles or clones. Also I found out testing CD-ROM image support as PC-engine. It will be possible to play all retro games up to PS2.
N64 unlikely
I think you're missing three big advantages of the dock: It makes games look great on modern and large TVs thanks to the free for all cores CRT-Trinitron filter no emulator can beat this filter, they may have some kind of scanline filters but they aren't good enough to simulate what a CRT looked like. The second thing you've missed is the same plus we have with the steam deck or the Switch: You have your save files always with you, be it at home with the big screen or on the go with the pocket in hand. The third advantage is input lag, thanks to the system being FPGA you get almost no added input lag, which is important as most older games were quite harsh and designed with CRTs and literally no input lag in mind, added lag by a standard emulator can lead to a game over.
For me the real problem was logistics: trying to buy the dock (with other items) after getting my pocket, Analogue site insisted I order each item in a separate order and $60+ shipping which was really silly... I spoke to Analogue and they said you can't mix items with different availability dates in the same order which is stupid, hold on to items in stock until you have all items in stock and ship them together
Same thing happened to me lmao. It really is stupid af.
@donmcron3334 so far this stupid policy of them cost me more than $250
It's confirmed that you can use an extended usb-c cable to plug your pocket with the dock. And with that knowledge its possible to play multiplayer games while docked, at least with one pocket. Analogue says that it doesn't work but that's not true😀
Can you undock the pocket while a game is running on a tv?
The Only problem I have with this dock is that it only supports 2 player wireless. How about Turbo GrafX-16 five Player Bomber man battles??
The Epilogue is amazing, but there are some cartridges that seem to be Read-Only, such as Gameboy Camera, which is a shame because I was hoping to use it as a silly webcam gimmick.
I love my dock. I will probably only use the analogue pocket in handheld mode when traveling
That's actually pretty interesting from my perspective of the Pocket as a handheld-first device. Out of curiosity, do you have other handhelds that you prefer to use at home instead? Or is it more of a preference for having the Pocket in a central location, playable with an external controller?
I just got the Analog Duo, but now i am rethiking about if i should cancel and get the pocket instead since it has TV out. Is there any advantage having the Analog Duo instead ? I don't have any PcEngine games and maybe the Analog Duo will not be able to run other cores... (that's an issue for me).
The Duo is purpose-built to play PC Engine games. Unless someone jailbreaks it, you shouldn't expect it to play anything else. If you don't have or plan to collect those games, you'd be better off canceling your order and looking into a MiSTer setup.
Very good video! What do you use to connect the sn30 wireless controls? Do you use the usb wireless adapter 2?
My 2.4G controller actually works natively with the dock after flashing some updated firmware from 8BitDo. Here's a link to that download if you wanted to check it out: support.8bitdo.com/analogue/Dock/
@@GameXData thanks 🙏 😊
Can we replaca the doc by a usb-c > hdmi adapter ? (just for the video out) ?
Unfortunately, no. The USB-C port on the Analogue Pocket doesn't have the ability to provide display out by itself. You need that extra hardware in the dock to make it work.
Thanks for the update on this handheld! I had it in my shopping cart ready to purchase about a year ago, but the problems reported with it stayed my hand.
I have a question, though it's a bit of a tangent: Do 8BitDo controllers still suffer from the faulty PCB design that led to horrible dpad controls (specifically, unintentional diagonals)?
Put another way, can you play Contra 3 with yours without dying on the first level due to unintended downward diagonals? (Note that most modern gamepads do not have this problem.)
I haven't personally experienced any issues with my 8bitdo controllers related to d-pads. Although, with all honesty, I think I might be a little bit less sensitive to those issues than most folks. I've seen a ton of people also claim the Pocket has an issue with down also pressing left or right, but I've yet to have that issue myself unless I'm really trying to push the d-pad to the side.
the fact they omitted wifi from the analogue pocket is beyond me. you could play multiplayer over wifi (or even internet). you could transfer roms from pc to the analogue pocket ETC.
it's 2023 now and wifi is extremly cheap to build into devices.
Multiplayer over Wi-Fi would be nice, but transferring roms would not be something they ever advertise. They don’t officially support playing roms to begin with.
I guess the advantage of the dock is being able to take the same game portable, like a Switch.
Have you noticed any lag on bluetooth controller vs 2.4g? I know 2.4g is meant to have less lag, but the Switch SNES BT controller looks more authentic and higher quality.
Fellow Vita owner! My man!
Are you aware of the Mister fpga, that platform is overall the better way to play on a TV, it's supports higher resolutions like 1440p, a lot more fpga cores and almost any controller works including orginal controllers.
Oh yeah, the MiSTer's great. (I've been eyeing getting into them for quite some time.) It's really a different value proposition though. If someone were only buying an Analogue Pocket to play it docked with openFPGA cores, MiSTer would probably make more sense. However, I've a feeling a lot of people (like me) would end up getting the dock to supplement a Pocket they would otherwise use handheld or with physical cartridges. In those cases, the dock probably makes more sense while enabling most of the same functionality.
@@GameXData Yep! I totally agree, the Analogue Pocket is the better option for handheld gaming and that dock is just an amazing bonus either way it's amazing to be retro gamer in 2023.
problem with mister is that I can't get focused enough to get the parts, i want it ready built but then it costs a fortune.
@@SC-lc7tm It sure is intimidating but you can do it or get someone with pc building experience to do it for you, it's easier now with all in one IO boards like the mister itx iron clad or mister multisystem
Bro really said niche as nich 💀
06:59 the Pocket is not an emulator, but a hardware simulator.
Then why do neo geo games require the darksoft ROM set? Those are molested roms, they are not 1:1 bit perfect copies of the neo geo cart dumps.
6:54 how are you recording gameplay from the analogue pocket??
I used a Genki Shadowcast connected to my MacBook for this video. If I remember correctly, I think I first tried to connect it to my Elgato capture card using the dock but ran into some compatibility issues.
@@GameXData okay thank you!!
My wife and I have a Pocket. I think it's great. Doesn't the OpenFPGA functionality work through the dock?? We don't have a dock but figure that would allow you to play Neo Geo, PC Engine, Sega, SNES, NES, MS, all the handhelds, etc. etc. on your HDMI TV. I think it's a good solution. I have installed OpenFPGA Cores into the Pocket and it rules. Collectively, the retro community preserving these games is a thing that has to happen because it's quickly getting ousted by less interesting games based on microtransactions and over the top open worlds and scope. :) 🙏
How do you get the dock to work with my Macbook Pro M1? Thanks
The easiest method I've found is using a Genki Shadowcast capture card with OBS for the video and USB-C for the power. Here's an affiliate link to the Shadowcast in case you're interested: amzn.to/3WXnsji
Great video, congrats mate! I was looking for a good review about the dock, and here you are!! I haven't enough time to try my dock but I was wondering if my 8bitdo's SN30 pro+ could work properly with the dock + AP. How about playing two players with two controllers? Did someone try this?
The SN30 Pro+ connects via Bluetooth. So, it should work just fine. The only controller setup I haven't been able to get working yet is the Steam Controller + dongle, likely due to limited USB peripheral support.
I just tested multiplayer in Super Mario Kart (via the SNES for Analogue Pocket core) and it worked without a hitch with two controllers connected. I'd imagine that most cores emulating consoles that support multiplayer are also going to work fine. The only exception is currently for handheld systems (e.g., Gameboy Color) since those systems didn't support single screen multiplayer and the link cable port is blocked while docked. Any workarounds would need to come via an openFPGA core or GB Studio patch, but I'm unaware of anything like that currently existing.
Couple of points. The analogue pocket doesn't emulate games. It uses FPGA which is well known to be a superior option for playing old games than emulation. Given that open FPGA is now available on the pocket, You can play dozens of consoles directly from the it on to your tv with the dock. Nes, Snes, Genesis, Neo Geo, dozens of Arcades from the 80s and 90s, GB, GBC, GBA, Atari 2600 and 7800, Colecovision, etc without ever removing the pocket from the dock. All of these are rendered essentially hardware perfect with the FPGA cores, and theres zero compatibility issues for some of the trickier games. In my opinion, it is the absolute best way to play all of your 16 bit and oldet games from a single machine and the dock perfectly upscales that to your TV.
Hardware emulation is still emulation.
@@GameXData I appreciate the response! However, by definition fpga is not emulation.
The concepts of emulation and FPGA are related but serve different purposes and function in distinct ways.
Emulation involves mimicking the behavior of one system using another system, typically through software. The goal of emulation is to reproduce the functionality of a particular piece of hardware or software so that it can run on a different platform. For example, Like running a program designed for a particular operating system or hardware architecture on a different system. Running a game designed for a PlayStation console on a PC etc.
Emulation relies on software algorithms that translate instructions from the original system into instructions that the host system can understand and execute. This translation process introduces overhead, making emulation slower than running the original hardware natively.
FPGA is a type of hardware that can be configured (or "programmed") after manufacturing to perform specific functions. Unlike traditional microprocessors, where the functionality is fixed at the time of manufacture, an FPGA can be reprogrammed to implement different digital circuits.
It consists of a matrix of configurable logic blocks connected by programmable interconnects. These blocks can be configured to perform as anything from simple logic gates to complex processors.
When you "program" an FPGA, you're essentially defining how these logic blocks are connected and what functions they perform, which allows the FPGA to act like a custom piece of hardware. They can be used to create hardware accelerators, specialized processors, or to replicate the behavior of specific hardware systems.
Emulation is a software-based process that mimics the behavior of one system on another, typically with some performance cost due to the overhead of translation.
FPGA involves configuring actual hardware to directly implement the desired functionality. It doesn't mimic or simulate; it physically reconfigures itself to become a different piece of hardware.
Emulation often involves a performance trade-off, as the software must interpret and translate instructions in real-time while an FPGA provides near-native performance because it operates at the hardware level. The reconfigurable hardware can execute tasks as efficiently as a dedicated piece of hardware designed specifically for that task.
Emulation is highly flexible, allowing different systems to be emulated on the same hardware platform, like emulating different gaming consoles on a PC.
FPGA is more specific; once configured for a particular task, it behaves like dedicated hardware for that task. However, it can be reprogrammed to take on a different role, but it doesn't "emulate" in the sense of running different platforms simultaneously or in a generalized way.
Emulation is a software technique that allows one system to mimic another, with trade-offs in performance due to the need for instruction translation.
FPGA is a hardware platform that can be reconfigured to perform specific tasks as if it were custom-designed hardware for those tasks. No overhead.
FPGA is not considered emulation because it doesn’t mimic hardware behavior via software but instead directly implements the hardware logic. This distinction is why FPGAs are often used in applications where performance, flexibility, and the ability to rapidly prototype hardware designs are critical.
This was a good well rounded informative video. Thank you.
Can someone tell me how to play game boy ds games or game boy games? I tried putting them into my pocket but they don’t fit. I don’t see any adapter on analogues website that sells any to put the game in. I can play advance games but my ds games just can’t go in. Am I missing something?
Analogue Pockets cannot play Nintendo DS games.
@Falcon-um7vo nope! I read game boy games would work… in general. To my knowledge no. Yes everything else works. Doesn’t matter to me if it does it was cheap.
It's easy to tell which is the pocket and which is MacBook. Screen ratio.
Wow, your review was so in-depth and thorough. I'm so amazed you aren't sitting in the 100k number of subs and views. Easy sub and going through your video catalog, I know you'll be pumping out even more high-quality content.
How tf does this not support hubs? If it's got USB how can it not? The central USB controller is literally a hub
Can you use a a third party dock?
As of right now, no. The dock has additional hardware built-in to provide Bluetooth and display out signals. Because the Pocket's USB-C connector can't handle display out by itself, any third-party dock would need to include that extra hardware. So far, I haven't seen anyone attempt to do that.
you cant compare FPGA snes core vs emulator. its not fair
What's not fair about it? Both are methods of emulation with their own pros and cons. If someone's considering spending money on a dock to play emulated games on a large screen, it's worthwhile for them to consider all their options.
@@GameXData I think you are clueless on why Dock is an interesting device for many emulation purists. FPGA provides exact replica experience of the games that play under their respective hardware. Software emulation on the other hand is a CPU processed replica that behaves differently based on CPU power and often comes with input latency and other undesirable effects. Just on NeoGeo and TurboGrafx games for example, DOC allows users to play those games at exactly as was intended. Play those same games on a typical emulator such as raspberry pie, you are faced with crap loads of input lag unless you significantly mess with Vsync, and even then it still has lags. Playing fighting and shmups on DOC is an amazing experience.
@etvow I think you're underestimating software emulation and overestimating the ability of regular users to be able to detect the minute difference between hardware and software emulation. If you personally feel that hardware emulation offers notable benefits for your setup, I think that's great! A solution like a docked Analogue Pocket will likely be exactly what you're looking for. For most people, I think software emulation on the computers they already own would be more than enough (especially for SNES games) and spending a ton of extra money on a dock (or even an Analogue Pocket) would be unnecessary.
@@GameXData Are you stating Analogue Pocket set up on a Doc, hooked up to a monitor, and a fight stick connected to the doc, the NeoGeo games' input latency on it is not that much better than the horrible lag that is found on the NeoGeo emulated on a PC?
@etvow I've honestly no context for that, since I don't play NeoGeo games. SNES emulation is the main topic of this thread and one of the main points of my video. For SNES emulation, there's not a significant difference between the two approaches to emulation. If you find NeoGeo emulation better on the Analogue Pocket and a reason to buy the hardware, more power to you.
its good, but can't justify getting this when i have a mister fpga.
Already bought the pocket and it's dock. Can't wait to play pokemon fire-red through a fpga on a new TV. It is going to look so nice. It's going to be the ultimate Gameboy player at home.
6:49 Wow the pocket snes core looks terrible. Great color but that frame rate.
Definitely take it with a grain of salt. Between a cheaper capture card and mixing the footage with video from other sources, the gameplay's not quite as pristine as it'd be in person. We've personally never noticed any real framerate problems in person, outside a brief glitch while working on the video.
@@GameXData whoops seems like you are correct. Just tested it out with SMW and f-zero and it’s silky smooth. Thanks.
I prefer the Game Boy Player with the GBI project on the Gamecube
There seems to be screen tear
My nigga. It doesnt have a OLED screen and it is 2024. How can it nit have a Oled screen😒🤨
As cool as an OLED screen would be, I feel like it'd cause the price to jump from ~$200 to $250 - $300 (before scalper markup). Add in the potential for burn-in for games with mostly static elements (e.g., all pokemon games), and I feel like the swap wouldn't be worth it in the long run.
But these are games from 1994. Would OLED really enhance games developed with CRT monitors and intended for consumers with CRT televisions? We even have filters with the scanlines and curved perspectives to better reproduce that.
If you don't want to capture HDMI footage directly from original cartridges, there's absolutely no reason to own a Analogue Dock. Just like if you don't want to play handheld games off of original cartridges, there's no reason to own an Analogue Pocket.
Additionally, the overwhelming majority of users would never have a reason to use bluetooth controllers with the unit unattached to an external monitor in the first place, while a unit attached to a monitor would almost always be attached to a wireless controller, so might as well build the bluetooth into the device which would be the only context in which most users would be interested in using it.
Have you considered Computer cores.... Like the Amiga ;-)
Not yet, actually. We've mostly been using the Pocket for physical games we own. Given that our older games collection's 99% Nintendo and Sega, Amiga's a bit outside our wheelhouse.
Are there any games you'd recommend? It seems like it'd make for a fun afternoon of exploration, but, tbh, I've no clue where I'd start.
lag ruins 16 bit emulation. Incant get anywhere near my lap times on snes mario kart when playing on snes classic compared to the Pocket.
Just use the switch pro controller. Geez
What’s up with the western saloon music in the background, distracts from your words
I would honestly just buy a USB c hub
I think most people would rather just buy a cheaper USB-C hub. However, the Analogue Pocket's unable to provide a video out signal through anything but the official dock.
I feel like this video was absolutely useless, comparing the dock to your MacBook was a night and day difference the MacBook didn't even look close to the right colors it was an instant answer which was the docked Analogue then trying to say it's a set back that you can't use 3rd party devices to transfer HDMi to your TV is like asking why your switch shorted out on a 3rd party dock...also how do you expect to connect a controller without the dock?? Not to mention kept saying is it worth the $100 when you clearly left out it comes with a $30 fast charging brick you would usually buy separately for your Analogue.
100$ more like 700 on ebay
Well it’s a $100 from AP if you’re willing to wait a year 🥴
The cheat code is to pay $297 + fees = $340 total on StockX and get it in a few weeks! You’re welcome everyone
Glitch and lag filled emulation is not as good as FPGA HW Emulation.
roms are illegal tho
Depends on where you get them. If you own the legitimate copies of the games and especially if you dump the files yourself for personal use, there's nothing illegal about it.
@Falcon-um7vo They're also correct. Distribution of a ROM, especially for financial gain, is legally frowned upon and could potentially lead to penalties if the right holders pursued damages. Currently, dumping a ROM from a physical cartridge you own for personal use with an emulator is viewed as legal since you own both the license and the source of the backup.
@Falcon-um7vo Which is a stance they and other video game companies have yet to defend successfully in court. Besides, current copyright law does not apply to personal use (e.g., backing up a CD containing music tracks to your computer). If you are not distributing or selling copies of copyrighted work of which you own a perpetual license, there's likely no path in which they could claim legal damages.