@@WulffDen hi Bob. Idk if you will see this, but how would you say this fares against the GPD XD+? I personally like playing gamecube games myself so just curious about that.
I just got mine last week and love it. I've had a lot of these emulator handhelds so far and its form factor and promise for Android 8 is awesome. Something to note is that it plays DS games on the Drastic emulator pretty well too. I've mapped the R trigger to switch screens, in case anyone was curious. I've only tested HeartGold on it so far, and its running pretty great.
These miniature multi emulators have become my constant quarantine obsession. Even moreso than the switch, because you can emulate so many games on these
@@CigsInABlanket Yeah buying a dedicated handheld is more about the experience than the capability even though that still matters. But for now I'm okay with setting up my phone and connecting an 8bitdo controller to it for some Street Fighter and likewise.
@@lucasokane492 Any android phone can work, though more powerful ones can handle more recent and graphic heavy games. I'm not sure about iOS, love iOS but it's not my forte so you'd have to ask someone else about that.
I've got one of these and I love it, but you have to love tinkering as much as you love playing. Installing 3rd-party emulators and the Pegasus frontend make it a dream, but it takes a lot of work.
Regarding the glitch @ 06:05: After changing the resolution you have to save the config and restart retroarch in order for the graphics glitch to disappear.
I bought one. It took a month to arrive. After a few days, I turned it on and the screen was broken. I saw pictures on reddit of other users who had screen that broke in the exact same way. I emailed the company and they are sending me a new screen. Other than this issue, it is a great device.
Update. They sent me a new screen. There weren't any instructions on how to replace it, but I managed with my limited cell phone repair knowledge. Basically they sent me the top shell that contained the new screen, buttons, and full front face. The back comes off first and everything needs to be moved from the old broken one to the new one. I managed to replace it in about an hour. My two recommendations are don't force anything that doesn't seem to want to move and also check the buttons click before you continue screwing parts in because you don't want to close the whole thing up and then find out that you misaligned a shoulder button.
Just when I think my wallet is safe, another retro emu handheld tempts me 😂. I’ve always wanted one but it’s so hard to decide which is right for what I’m looking for
I really like the idea of these retro pocket systems, but it seems like there are always such huge drawbacks because they need to be cheap. IMO if you want great performance, game compatibility, and ease of use, you're better off with an Android phone.
The only draw back there is the controls. Sure you can buy a external control or clamp on one. However I feel the appeal towards these is the pure portability of it.
After having mine for a couple weeks, I've come to this conclusion: it's a fantastic device, BUT you have to wrestle it into submission and adjust a lot of settings to get the most out of it. Hell, I even flashed their Android 8 beta on it, that OS version runs a looot smoother than 6 and handles some emulators a whole lot better too. I'm only now at a point where I can finally enjoy the Retroid Pocket 2 to its fullest extent - after having it for almost two weeks and hunting down solutions and hacks online. Whether or not that's worth it is a different discussion entirely and a very personal matter of taste to boost. I happen to like tinkering, so that aspect didn't bother me too much, I just wish it wasn't as necessary as I feel it is
@@thelookingcat well I wanted to buy one for my friend as a xmas gift. Im looking for relatively cheap, portability and a variety of games (he’s pretty good with os so don’t really have a preference there)
I'm getting one for Christmas as I don't have any real way to play any retro games (or many games at all) when I leave home. I have a beefy PC but I've never really like playing older games on it, and the idea of having these old games on the go has always appealed to me. The main reason I decided on this over the 350 (or even the 351 that I recently heard about) is mostly due to various points made in the video. The size is pretty good for what I want, and I personally prefer the joystick layout on the pocket 2 as I mostly grew up playing on Xbox controllers so I'm used to that style a lot more. When I found out it runs most N64 games pretty good I was pretty much sold on it. I didn't know it could run Dreamcast games (even if not too great), but if it's a software issue than I'm sure that may be improved in the future. I decided to get the indigo one as the first Game Boy I owned was a purple GBA, so it feels a bit nostalgic. Even though I do own a DS and can play GBA games just fine as it is, I feel like I'd use this kind of device more as I have access to a wider library of games that I can't play well when out of town.
Hi There! You may want to check out their built in second OS - its a labled "Retroid" with the R as a logo in a grey box. Oddly, they have super optimized dreamcast there so I am seeing performance for Marvel Vs Capcom 2 that I can not seem to pull off on the basic Android experience, I believe their "Retroid" os is a tooled "Pandora's Box" which you see on some ebay custom built arcade controllers. The provided games were mostly hot garbage, but you can in settings via MENU button, clear out those games- which will not affect your retroarch ROMs folder. the retroid OS games folder is found under your card/games/download, then hit menu - "manage external games" and need to do a one time match game to emu, then it will good to go after reboots, etc. If intrested, conduct a test with some Dreamcast there to see the performance boost I am mentioning. You have restricted customization in that second OS, but its highly optimized to do one thing - run games vs the underlying weight of the typical Android phone OS needs. Also - "Airdroid" can be your best friend - an app you can get from google play store to manage this device remotely from your PC (file shares/even desktop remote navigation!) Nice review dude, sharing with everyone I can
Nice honest review. I feel most other reviews I see for these things are promoted videos that make it sound like you could plug in your dead grandma's soul into it and speak to them again. But like always all the downsides make it not worth the purchase when I already have a flashcarts and hacked 3ds and PSPs. The n64 and dreamcast emulations are never good enougn for me. Ah well still seems pretty cool for people don't have all their old sony and nintendo portables hacked already.
I have had this thing for a while now. I 100% agree with everything you stated in this video. My only real gripe are the way the dpad feels and when you run games on the Retriod OS (you have to install it from the toolbox app first. It has a much better U.I) the games have input lag and are miss named (but again a better U.I). It is overall not seamless, but the price point is what makes it a winner (especially with both HDMI out and bluetooth). At this point; it makes me wish Nintendo would just go of their way to secure a deal to put all retro console and arcade from 2000 and below; on the eshop (including movie, cartoon and comic based games like TMNT, X-Men, ect). After playing with these handhelds from China; it makes me want these games officially on the Switch as it would be way more convenient and I wouldn't have to research and buy these kind of things (provided that Nintendo also stops being lazy and give us all screen and filter options, while maintaining performance). Seriously; the way they went after rom sites; one would think they had some sort of plan to secure all the best retro games. It would certainly beat the resurgence of retro console devices and be less clutter to a home; if everything was just on the Switch.
Great device and nice reveiw as always. I got mine in PAL Snes colors. It really needs some time to setup it properly but its a pretty decent emulation device especially for that price range
I think a lot of us feel the exact same way. Seems like every month there's a new emulation machine released and instead of, what's the good features it seems always like, what's wrong with it, because it's always something. Then it's waiting for next month's release, rinse and repeat.
If the connection is good, it is fine. I wouldn't play big AAA titles but if you want to play retro-style steam games, especially pixel graphics style games it seems fine. It is like any other SteamLink wifi experiences, really.
My ex got me mine. I got the Atomic purple one. He upgraded the version of android and tweaked all my emulation settings to get this thing running ps1, n64 and Psp on mine. I wish I knew how he did it.
The Retroid Pocket 2 is definitely the most tempting retro handheld I've seen. I'd love to have a dedicated device, but until there's a handheld that can emulate all the same sysytems my phone can (e.g. Gamecube), I'm probably going to stick with my phone/bluetooth controller combo.
I ordered mine with a carrying case on September 5th, and chose the black color with colored buttons. Haven’t received my shipping notice but reached out to them and claim it will ship next week. I’m super excited, but a bummer it took over 2 months to ship, and will likely take another 2-3 weeks for delivery. So you gotta have patience.
My setup currently is my dream setup. Retroarch on Android and windows in sync with syncthing. My android phone for the tv and portable. And my windows pc connected to a crt computer monitor. These types of setups aren't discussed much or if they are it's in other forums so I thought I should add that for the weekend project type of folks.
I'm still convinced that the piboy dmg is a better handheld than the rp2. Unified interface for all emus (ES/retroarch), very good screen, very good perfs with a rpi4, and hdmi output. But of course It's a lot more expensive than the rp2... It may however be the ultimate retro handheld.
My First android emulation device and I gotta say im not disappointed! Plays everything I throw at it pretty well with some minor hiccups here and there!
Rg351 is out and is the same price I think. Anyone wanting a retro handheld should look into those first. There's also the RG280V, which may interest some people because of the shape
Question: 1) 10:00 to 10:20 -- You transferred the ROMs under the "RetroidOS Folder", to the "Roms Folder under RetroArch"? Or you transferred ROMs from outside (and into the Mirco SD Card)? 2) From what I gather and understand, the RP2 Unit/Micro SD Card comes with pre-loaded ROMs; however, said ROMs were encrypted(?) and can only be read and run under the RetroidOS. 3) If item #2 is indeed the case, then one would need to load ROMs into the ROM Folder under RetroArch. That is, the RP2 out of the box, the RetroArch "comes with zero playable games"(?). Apologies if I misunderstood and made mistakes. I am not tech savvy =[
Now if only they had local wireless communication so that if you and a friend had them, you could play stuff like GBA Pokemon together. ROM Hacks with Multiplayer are always fun, especially if you go in blind.
I only need one of these, so I did some research and ordered this. They finally shipped it Tuesday so I look forward to getting it for Christmas. Of course the anbernic released their RG351P and I got a bit of buyer's remorse due to its pick up and play functionality. But not much. PSP and DC emulation, WiFi and HDMI our all mean something to me. Of course I say I only need one, but I've already gone ahead and pre-ordered the Funkey. It looks stupid tiny, but travelable af.
I keep watching these videos and waiting for Bahb to say "THIS IS THE ONE, THEY MADE THE PERFECT ONE". That would convince me that it might be a better solution than my phone and n30 pro 2.
Was actually kinda cool to see that you had most of the same complaints that I had about this thing. I REALLY hope someone finds a replacement for the top portion of the right stick, one that can be just dropped right in, because the top part of the stick rubs against the shell and makes the movement not good at all. I noticed though that if you remove the top of the stick, the analog stick itself DOES in fact move fluidly. It's the top piece that's the problem. I actually emailed the creators of the unit about this issue and they basically told me oh well, too bad. Their customer service is pretty lacking I must say. I also didn't find the unit very comfortable to hold, specially when trying to use the L2/R2 buttons. They feel awkward to me. I would actually prefer it if they weren't extended/stuck out from the back shell like they are, cus this seems to make them even less comfortable to use imo. I kind of doubt that this thing went through much testing while they were designing it. They likely just designed it in CAD or whatever software they use and that was probably that.
This is good coverage, but the one thing I wanted to see was how hooking up several controllers worked out. Testing games like secret of mana for instance. And it has wifi for multiplayer but does that apply to the emulated games too? Could you play the original gameboy version of Quarth against someone else for instance? Finally, I'm not sure where I saw this but I think another review talked about DS emulation on this device as well. Worth a look.
Despite owning an Anbernic RG351P (which I plan on updating tomorrow), I also ordered one of these Retroid Pocket 2 units, thinking it did well with N64 an similar games. I may send it back if it can’t play the few PSX, PSP, and N64 games I’d like to play.
The bad analogues and incorrect d-pad placement are deal breakers for me. I like the N64, PS1 and PSP compatibility and also the price point. If you want an awesome NES, GB, GB Color, GBA and Genesis handheld in a GBA SP clamshell form factor with a brilliant screen get a Powkiddy V90 for $30 (only negative is it doesn't play super FX SNES games well).
well.. im now close to changing my mind about picking up a 2ds xl and putting homebrew on it , if they emulate gamecube in the future then i would be mind blown
They problem is the price of the hardware. For the next 5 years i doubt you can get enough power to run GC smoothly for 80$. Gamecube needs a x64 CPU while these devices have ARM. There are ARM-CPUs that can run GB but they dont run flawless (the Radpberry Pi 4 is such an example). Normally a company tries to keep the item's price as low as possible so that many people could buy it.
Hey Bob! Don't know if you'll see this but there is a relatively simple way of turning android's UI suitable for this type of machine, they are called frontends. They are launchers like Nova Launcher if you have used it before but since you said you were an Iphone guy before... Anyway my favorite channel for these types of things is ETA Prime he has tutorials for many android frontends I recommend you check them out. After setting them up the experience becomes 10 times better, and if you don't like one you can always choose another. Hope this helps!
For someone who emulates all kinds off stuff on my Android phone (Razer phone 2) the android os is a plus to me :) with the right tweaks using mupen64 fz emulator I can run most 3d N64 games at good frames. All though my phone is more powerful but I think this is still worth the buy. Heck for 80 even if it doesn't work well I'll just play gb and gba games. Good review thanks!
I like the Anbernic rg351v best, so thats what I bought. Plays up to PSone perfect. n64 some are perfect...mario 64, F zero...but stuff like Mortal Kombat Trilogy isn't good. Dreamcast is kind of similar, some games are fine some not. Has similar specs (Quad Core, 1gb RAM, etc, 3900mha battery, 640x480 IPS, built in Wifi) and has the Gameboy shape. Build quality, similar to Switch Lite. ArkOS is light and runs fantastic, I didn't want a heavier OS like Android.
The main reason why I'm holding back on these Emulator-Devices, is because aside of the 2D emulation, I want a well functioning N64 Emulator. Because of the issue with the right stick, I'll just hold back a little longer. Maybe they'll get it right with the Retroid Pocket 3.
Hey, clicked this as my first video on the subject. I really want a portable emulation device (have none yet) but I need something a bit bigger. My hands are big and I'd never be able to use that D-pad with any sort of comfort for more than 10 minutes. If this is the best that the marked has to offer, then I think I'll hold out for another year or two
All of the issues can be fixed installing Retroid, from the toolbox in Android, it will install a layer-specific to play, with different emulators and even some roms
I'd suggest trying ReDream for Dreamcast emulation unless that was one of the ones you tried that didn't work. Appreciate the review. I'm holding off getting a handheld emulator console until PSP emulation is almost 100%.
Yeah as of now, due to the outdated android system it's running (I think android 5 marshmallow or lollipop) it's not able to get redream. I heard there was going to be a update to put it at android 8, but we wait and see.
The N64 emulator that I use is the M64Plus FZ emulator, one of the best emulators I have used for an Android device and for an Acer Chromebook model and it works perfectly well with a bluethoot controller, you just need to change the sensitivity of the controls to work correctly and you just assign buttons and that's it and most games work fine, there are some minor glitches like missing textures in oot, but some games are really slow like super smash brothers for me, but if that happens you can change the emulation, so that it works perfectly. 10/10
not tryna discount anyone's experience with this device, but mine's just collecting dust now. yes, it plays many consoles but plays them all not very well. it's just slightly too weak and it's kinda frustrating imo, i'm always fighting with framerates. i don't hate the device, it's quite attractive and when it's playing well, it's quite good. just probably would buy a different handheld if i could go back.
Hey Bob, the retroidos is pretty cool, would be great for a noob who doesn't wanna tinker with settings etc. Go to tools in the app drawer > install retroid pocket app
The right stick isn't an analog stick, more like a d-pad with a stick on top and no L3 or R3. Only one SD card slot. Screen apparently breaks very easily.
That’s one nice shot with the sunset through the windows man. Gotta appreciate the care punt into your compositions
Thanks man 🤗
@@WulffDen I doubt you'll ever see this, but the photogenic touch you give your videos makes them very satisfying to watch.
when i saw sm64 in the intro i could hear Bob say "maeyrio" in my head
Is that a smg4 reference?
Lol I did the same!
@@linkcraft6435 that’s a bob reference
@@AlexT-md9df yesh i know. i just tried (and failed) to meme it more
Superb review, that crispy B roll. 👌
Oh hey! Love your videos man keep it up ❤️
Bob always got that crispy B roll and high quality content ✊
Oh hey thanks man :3
@@WulffDen hi Bob. Idk if you will see this, but how would you say this fares against the GPD XD+? I personally like playing gamecube games myself so just curious about that.
@@thelookingcat this is what I use :) I'm wondering why this isn't included.
I just got mine last week and love it. I've had a lot of these emulator handhelds so far and its form factor and promise for Android 8 is awesome. Something to note is that it plays DS games on the Drastic emulator pretty well too. I've mapped the R trigger to switch screens, in case anyone was curious. I've only tested HeartGold on it so far, and its running pretty great.
Man, I'm probably gonna skip thi...
"Am2r comes preinstalled"
Well fuck
These miniature multi emulators have become my constant quarantine obsession. Even moreso than the switch, because you can emulate so many games on these
Oop
*Me playing my emulators on my phone*
"Ah yes I should buy a handheld"
Can u tell me which one
Pretty sure most people who buy these have a phone that is a much more capable emulation machine.
Many reasons why.
@@CigsInABlanket Yeah buying a dedicated handheld is more about the experience than the capability even though that still matters. But for now I'm okay with setting up my phone and connecting an 8bitdo controller to it for some Street Fighter and likewise.
@@lucasokane492 Any android phone can work, though more powerful ones can handle more recent and graphic heavy games. I'm not sure about iOS, love iOS but it's not my forte so you'd have to ask someone else about that.
@@lucasokane492 Now if you're talking emulators, I got you covered.
I've got one of these and I love it, but you have to love tinkering as much as you love playing. Installing 3rd-party emulators and the Pegasus frontend make it a dream, but it takes a lot of work.
I've been meaning to get one of these, but just can't decide on which one to get. This video definitely helps, so thanks. 🙂
Just be prepared to wait at least 2 months
@@jjoymax Ding ding ding! I ordered Sept 9th, and am still waiting. SMH!
Regarding the glitch @ 06:05: After changing the resolution you have to save the config and restart retroarch in order for the graphics glitch to disappear.
Amazing how this background song sounds so close to a Pokémon song without it actually being so.
That's what I was thinking the entire time!
"Is it a Pokémon song? I have a feeling it's not, but it sure sounds like it!"
I’d buy it to play those old Pokémon games.
You can play all the old Pokémon with a hacked 3DS
You can also find them for 50$
Does the trade function work in these emulator? Kinda want to buy two devices to play pokemon with my son
wait this was uploded only 4 minutes ago how can you be 3 hours early
Sir how how have you achieved time travel
I bought one. It took a month to arrive. After a few days, I turned it on and the screen was broken. I saw pictures on reddit of other users who had screen that broke in the exact same way. I emailed the company and they are sending me a new screen. Other than this issue, it is a great device.
Update. They sent me a new screen. There weren't any instructions on how to replace it, but I managed with my limited cell phone repair knowledge. Basically they sent me the top shell that contained the new screen, buttons, and full front face. The back comes off first and everything needs to be moved from the old broken one to the new one. I managed to replace it in about an hour. My two recommendations are don't force anything that doesn't seem to want to move and also check the buttons click before you continue screwing parts in because you don't want to close the whole thing up and then find out that you misaligned a shoulder button.
Just when I think my wallet is safe, another retro emu handheld tempts me 😂. I’ve always wanted one but it’s so hard to decide which is right for what I’m looking for
I’ve been WAITING for this video thanks dood. Love the emulation handheld vids
Oop
I really like the idea of these retro pocket systems, but it seems like there are always such huge drawbacks because they need to be cheap. IMO if you want great performance, game compatibility, and ease of use, you're better off with an Android phone.
The only draw back there is the controls. Sure you can buy a external control or clamp on one. However I feel the appeal towards these is the pure portability of it.
@@johnhancock2667 for about 100$ you can get an android that can play ps2 and wii with no problem
@@shlokshah5379 dude, that's not the point. Nobody wants to play with touch controls or bring a controller with them everywhere
Damn it Bob I'm never gonna get my school work done if you keep posting : )
Oop
Oop
Gotta Appreciate how much love the DMG color scheme still gets to this day
I have one. Played Chrono Trigger for the first time, and finished it! This is a great device to motivate and encourage people to try out older games
Thanks so much for puttin the music used in the description, appreciated 👍🏼
After having mine for a couple weeks, I've come to this conclusion: it's a fantastic device, BUT you have to wrestle it into submission and adjust a lot of settings to get the most out of it. Hell, I even flashed their Android 8 beta on it, that OS version runs a looot smoother than 6 and handles some emulators a whole lot better too. I'm only now at a point where I can finally enjoy the Retroid Pocket 2 to its fullest extent - after having it for almost two weeks and hunting down solutions and hacks online. Whether or not that's worth it is a different discussion entirely and a very personal matter of taste to boost. I happen to like tinkering, so that aspect didn't bother me too much, I just wish it wasn't as necessary as I feel it is
So which is better?
@@Miz2077 GPDXD plus for high power, this for portability. Or just android 8 if ur asking about the os.
@@thelookingcat well I wanted to buy one for my friend as a xmas gift. Im looking for relatively cheap, portability and a variety of games (he’s pretty good with os so don’t really have a preference there)
If you guys plan to order one, patience is key- I’ve been waiting two months for mine to come in the mail 😓
Me too, I ordered mine on the 25th of September, still no sign of it being shipped
@@1979mattant I ordered about 10 days before you, mine just shipped on Saturday.
@@siyat528 mine shipped on Monday, hopefully it won’t be long now and the wait is finally over lol
Where did you guys order it from
@@Steven-sq2yi retroid website 🤙
I need one of these
I'm getting one for Christmas as I don't have any real way to play any retro games (or many games at all) when I leave home. I have a beefy PC but I've never really like playing older games on it, and the idea of having these old games on the go has always appealed to me.
The main reason I decided on this over the 350 (or even the 351 that I recently heard about) is mostly due to various points made in the video. The size is pretty good for what I want, and I personally prefer the joystick layout on the pocket 2 as I mostly grew up playing on Xbox controllers so I'm used to that style a lot more. When I found out it runs most N64 games pretty good I was pretty much sold on it. I didn't know it could run Dreamcast games (even if not too great), but if it's a software issue than I'm sure that may be improved in the future.
I decided to get the indigo one as the first Game Boy I owned was a purple GBA, so it feels a bit nostalgic. Even though I do own a DS and can play GBA games just fine as it is, I feel like I'd use this kind of device more as I have access to a wider library of games that I can't play well when out of town.
i got this because my childhood GBA SP broke. but now i love all the old pokemon games
I love the increase in quality in each vid keep up the great work dude!
We're getting there, swap the thumb stick placement and once we get some that can run GameCube (well), that might be my trigger
Hi There! You may want to check out their built in second OS - its a labled "Retroid" with the R as a logo in a grey box. Oddly, they have super optimized dreamcast there so I am seeing performance for Marvel Vs Capcom 2 that I can not seem to pull off on the basic Android experience, I believe their "Retroid" os is a tooled "Pandora's Box" which you see on some ebay custom built arcade controllers. The provided games were mostly hot garbage, but you can in settings via MENU button, clear out those games- which will not affect your retroarch ROMs folder. the retroid OS games folder is found under your card/games/download, then hit menu - "manage external games" and need to do a one time match game to emu, then it will good to go after reboots, etc. If intrested, conduct a test with some Dreamcast there to see the performance boost I am mentioning. You have restricted customization in that second OS, but its highly optimized to do one thing - run games vs the underlying weight of the typical Android phone OS needs. Also - "Airdroid" can be your best friend - an app you can get from google play store to manage this device remotely from your PC (file shares/even desktop remote navigation!) Nice review dude, sharing with everyone I can
Nice honest review. I feel most other reviews I see for these things are promoted videos that make it sound like you could plug in your dead grandma's soul into it and speak to them again. But like always all the downsides make it not worth the purchase when I already have a flashcarts and hacked 3ds and PSPs. The n64 and dreamcast emulations are never good enougn for me. Ah well still seems pretty cool for people don't have all their old sony and nintendo portables hacked already.
Thank you Bob, I am picking one of these up as my first portable retro handheld.
These videos are well detailed and the music is relaxing. I play games while listening to this. 👍🏾
Oooh, unlisted, I feel special. But seriously, thanks for this review, I'm always interested in these little devices.
Bahb your videos are the only things getting me through online high school right now. Thanks for being cool
I have had this thing for a while now. I 100% agree with everything you stated in this video. My only real gripe are the way the dpad feels and when you run games on the Retriod OS (you have to install it from the toolbox app first. It has a much better U.I) the games have input lag and are miss named (but again a better U.I). It is overall not seamless, but the price point is what makes it a winner (especially with both HDMI out and bluetooth). At this point; it makes me wish Nintendo would just go of their way to secure a deal to put all retro console and arcade from 2000 and below; on the eshop (including movie, cartoon and comic based games like TMNT, X-Men, ect). After playing with these handhelds from China; it makes me want these games officially on the Switch as it would be way more convenient and I wouldn't have to research and buy these kind of things (provided that Nintendo also stops being lazy and give us all screen and filter options, while maintaining performance). Seriously; the way they went after rom sites; one would think they had some sort of plan to secure all the best retro games. It would certainly beat the resurgence of retro console devices and be less clutter to a home; if everything was just on the Switch.
Great device and nice reveiw as always. I got mine in PAL Snes colors. It really needs some time to setup it properly but its a pretty decent emulation device especially for that price range
Wow I love your lighting and production!
I think a lot of us feel the exact same way. Seems like every month there's a new emulation machine released and instead of, what's the good features it seems always like, what's wrong with it, because it's always something. Then it's waiting for next month's release, rinse and repeat.
damn, I was hoping for some good SteamLink on this.
ugh, thanks for the heads up.
If the connection is good, it is fine. I wouldn't play big AAA titles but if you want to play retro-style steam games, especially pixel graphics style games it seems fine. It is like any other SteamLink wifi experiences, really.
My ex got me mine. I got the Atomic purple one. He upgraded the version of android and tweaked all my emulation settings to get this thing running ps1, n64 and Psp on mine. I wish I knew how he did it.
The Retroid Pocket 2 is definitely the most tempting retro handheld I've seen. I'd love to have a dedicated device, but until there's a handheld that can emulate all the same sysytems my phone can (e.g. Gamecube), I'm probably going to stick with my phone/bluetooth controller combo.
1:24 Cheeto dust on the joystick lol.
Thanks Bob I got the Pocket Go on your recommendation and loved it but wanting an upgrade. Just ordered the this and really excited.
You really put an incredible amount of effort into the review. What a legend
I just ordered the Retroid Pocket 2 on amazon I'm excited to get my unit.
did you get it yet?
@@pcbuys7281 yea I got my unit
My thought is: wait 2 weeks for the next handheld to come out
In a years time this will probably be considered to be 3 generations ago.
I’m just waiting until I’ll have to ride a bus to work again. Maybe 2022?
I still think the New Nintendo 3/2DS consoles are still the best retro emulators.
I own this handheld device and it's not so bad I like it more and more everyday because I learned it's limitations so I am have fun for my money
I ordered mine with a carrying case on September 5th, and chose the black color with colored buttons. Haven’t received my shipping notice but reached out to them and claim it will ship next week. I’m super excited, but a bummer it took over 2 months to ship, and will likely take another 2-3 weeks for delivery. So you gotta have patience.
Nothing better than logging in to TH-cam after work and seeing a new bob video ❤️
loving all the content and podcasts lately!
Finally!!! I was waiting for Bob to get this for so long !! This makes me so happy !!!!
My setup currently is my dream setup. Retroarch on Android and windows in sync with syncthing. My android phone for the tv and portable. And my windows pc connected to a crt computer monitor.
These types of setups aren't discussed much or if they are it's in other forums so I thought I should add that for the weekend project type of folks.
I'm still convinced that the piboy dmg is a better handheld than the rp2. Unified interface for all emus (ES/retroarch), very good screen, very good perfs with a rpi4, and hdmi output.
But of course It's a lot more expensive than the rp2... It may however be the ultimate retro handheld.
Duuuude ive been waiting for this one since you hinted it and its finally here you da best bruh 👏👏
I'm a fan, it's my first portable emulator device. Honestly, haven't loaded any ROM's. I play the Retoroid app, has a bunch of games on it. Thanks!
very cool that you cover these
My First android emulation device and I gotta say im not disappointed! Plays everything I throw at it pretty well with some minor hiccups here and there!
I'm actually interested in getting one of this, thanks for the review. if I can get it for cheap I will definitely buy one
I hope you review the Pocket 2+. It has a touch screen and a custom android UI, but with the option to use the old one.
Wow! That new intro is very cool!
Also you can hold the Home button and it will switch between cursor and game pad mode.
The second I saw that thumbnail I couldn’t resist
Rg351 is out and is the same price I think. Anyone wanting a retro handheld should look into those first.
There's also the RG280V, which may interest some people because of the shape
Question:
1) 10:00 to 10:20 -- You transferred the ROMs under the "RetroidOS Folder", to the "Roms Folder under RetroArch"? Or you transferred ROMs from outside (and into the Mirco SD Card)?
2) From what I gather and understand, the RP2 Unit/Micro SD Card comes with pre-loaded ROMs; however, said ROMs were encrypted(?) and can only be read and run under the RetroidOS.
3) If item #2 is indeed the case, then one would need to load ROMs into the ROM Folder under RetroArch. That is, the RP2 out of the box, the RetroArch "comes with zero playable games"(?).
Apologies if I misunderstood and made mistakes. I am not tech savvy =[
got a notification that mine will be in the mail tomorrow or the next day. pretty excited for it.
Now if only they had local wireless communication so that if you and a friend had them, you could play stuff like GBA Pokemon together. ROM Hacks with Multiplayer are always fun, especially if you go in blind.
I only need one of these, so I did some research and ordered this. They finally shipped it Tuesday so I look forward to getting it for Christmas. Of course the anbernic released their RG351P and I got a bit of buyer's remorse due to its pick up and play functionality. But not much. PSP and DC emulation, WiFi and HDMI our all mean something to me. Of course I say I only need one, but I've already gone ahead and pre-ordered the Funkey. It looks stupid tiny, but travelable af.
Looking forward to getting one for myself. Thanks for yet another great review 😁
I keep watching these videos and waiting for Bahb to say "THIS IS THE ONE, THEY MADE THE PERFECT ONE". That would convince me that it might be a better solution than my phone and n30 pro 2.
Thank you for the straight forward and honest review of this system, info I wish I would have known earlier!
Hey Bob, are you doing a review on the Retroid Pocket 2+ upgrade? It sounds like it has a touchscreen and can play GameCube games?
Was actually kinda cool to see that you had most of the same complaints that I had about this thing. I REALLY hope someone finds a replacement for the top portion of the right stick, one that can be just dropped right in, because the top part of the stick rubs against the shell and makes the movement not good at all. I noticed though that if you remove the top of the stick, the analog stick itself DOES in fact move fluidly. It's the top piece that's the problem.
I actually emailed the creators of the unit about this issue and they basically told me oh well, too bad. Their customer service is pretty lacking I must say.
I also didn't find the unit very comfortable to hold, specially when trying to use the L2/R2 buttons. They feel awkward to me. I would actually prefer it if they weren't extended/stuck out from the back shell like they are, cus this seems to make them even less comfortable to use imo. I kind of doubt that this thing went through much testing while they were designing it. They likely just designed it in CAD or whatever software they use and that was probably that.
This is good coverage, but the one thing I wanted to see was how hooking up several controllers worked out. Testing games like secret of mana for instance. And it has wifi for multiplayer but does that apply to the emulated games too? Could you play the original gameboy version of Quarth against someone else for instance? Finally, I'm not sure where I saw this but I think another review talked about DS emulation on this device as well. Worth a look.
Ah yes, another thing I really don't need but really want
First rg 350 then rg 350m and rg351 and finally this
Despite owning an Anbernic RG351P (which I plan on updating tomorrow), I also ordered one of these Retroid Pocket 2 units, thinking it did well with N64 an similar games. I may send it back if it can’t play the few PSX, PSP, and N64 games I’d like to play.
The bad analogues and incorrect d-pad placement are deal breakers for me. I like the N64, PS1 and PSP compatibility and also the price point. If you want an awesome NES, GB, GB Color, GBA and Genesis handheld in a GBA SP clamshell form factor with a brilliant screen get a Powkiddy V90 for $30 (only negative is it doesn't play super FX SNES games well).
well.. im now close to changing my mind about picking up a 2ds xl and putting homebrew on it , if they emulate gamecube in the future then i would be mind blown
Honestly me too.
They problem is the price of the hardware. For the next 5 years i doubt you can get enough power to run GC smoothly for 80$. Gamecube needs a x64 CPU while these devices have ARM. There are ARM-CPUs that can run GB but they dont run flawless (the Radpberry Pi 4 is such an example).
Normally a company tries to keep the item's price as low as possible so that many people could buy it.
I like the the retroid pocket 2 but I have a rg350m and it’s perfect already to run my old retro games. Like your videos man.
I watch these cause I am waiting until I see a retro emulator handheld I wanna get. Thank you very much for these videos!
I can see myself playing Castlevania SOTN and Final Fantasy Tactics on this thing lol.
Since it has a PSP emulator, you can actually play the upgraded port (with the fan patch to fix slowdown) War of the Lions on this thing.
@@KingSpectre844 that's bad ass!! 🤩
Appreciate the honest review
Hey Bob! Don't know if you'll see this but there is a relatively simple way of turning android's UI suitable for this type of machine, they are called frontends. They are launchers like Nova Launcher if you have used it before but since you said you were an Iphone guy before... Anyway my favorite channel for these types of things is ETA Prime he has tutorials for many android frontends I recommend you check them out. After setting them up the experience becomes 10 times better, and if you don't like one you can always choose another. Hope this helps!
Just realized you may have meant this by "flashing different UI's", I thought you meant custom ROMs.
Rg351P runs Emulec out of the box so front end looks great and adding roms are just drag and drop easy peasey!
For someone who emulates all kinds off stuff on my Android phone (Razer phone 2) the android os is a plus to me :) with the right tweaks using mupen64 fz emulator I can run most 3d N64 games at good frames. All though my phone is more powerful but I think this is still worth the buy. Heck for 80 even if it doesn't work well I'll just play gb and gba games. Good review thanks!
Love the modulated pokemon theme music :P
10/10 cinematography and lighting
I ordered the same one a few weeks ago, looking forward to it.
Am2r was officially shut down but is still under development by different people on reddit
Under development how? I dont know much about it but I thought it was finished well before samus returns came out on 3ds in 2017?
I like the Anbernic rg351v best, so thats what I bought. Plays up to PSone perfect. n64 some are perfect...mario 64, F zero...but stuff like Mortal Kombat Trilogy isn't good. Dreamcast is kind of similar, some games are fine some not. Has similar specs (Quad Core, 1gb RAM, etc, 3900mha battery, 640x480 IPS, built in Wifi) and has the Gameboy shape. Build quality, similar to Switch Lite. ArkOS is light and runs fantastic, I didn't want a heavier OS like Android.
one of the best parts about the retroid is getting to tinker with it and make it work the way you want it. only thing i dislike is the dpad.
The main reason why I'm holding back on these Emulator-Devices, is because aside of the 2D emulation, I want a well functioning N64 Emulator. Because of the issue with the right stick, I'll just hold back a little longer. Maybe they'll get it right with the Retroid Pocket 3.
That's right, it's always on sale. 79$ instead of a crossed off 80$ each time I check. What a deal!
Hey, clicked this as my first video on the subject. I really want a portable emulation device (have none yet) but I need something a bit bigger. My hands are big and I'd never be able to use that D-pad with any sort of comfort for more than 10 minutes. If this is the best that the marked has to offer, then I think I'll hold out for another year or two
All of the issues can be fixed installing Retroid, from the toolbox in Android, it will install a layer-specific to play, with different emulators and even some roms
I'd suggest trying ReDream for Dreamcast emulation unless that was one of the ones you tried that didn't work.
Appreciate the review. I'm holding off getting a handheld emulator console until PSP emulation is almost 100%.
Yeah as of now, due to the outdated android system it's running (I think android 5 marshmallow or lollipop) it's not able to get redream. I heard there was going to be a update to put it at android 8, but we wait and see.
The N64 emulator that I use is the M64Plus FZ emulator, one of the best emulators I have used for an Android device and for an Acer Chromebook model and it works perfectly well with a bluethoot controller, you just need to change the sensitivity of the controls to work correctly and you just assign buttons and that's it and most games work fine, there are some minor glitches like missing textures in oot, but some games are really slow like super smash brothers for me, but if that happens you can change the emulation, so that it works perfectly. 10/10
not tryna discount anyone's experience with this device, but mine's just collecting dust now. yes, it plays many consoles but plays them all not very well. it's just slightly too weak and it's kinda frustrating imo, i'm always fighting with framerates.
i don't hate the device, it's quite attractive and when it's playing well, it's quite good. just probably would buy a different handheld if i could go back.
the lighting when you start talking, the contrast between the teal and the sunset in the back, cest magnifique - wish it lasted the whole video
Hook to tv via dock, attach mouse and keyboard. Login, install apps, done.
Hey Bob, the retroidos is pretty cool, would be great for a noob who doesn't wanna tinker with settings etc. Go to tools in the app drawer > install retroid pocket app
The right stick isn't an analog stick, more like a d-pad with a stick on top and no L3 or R3.
Only one SD card slot.
Screen apparently breaks very easily.