RG350 & RG280 Series Starter Guide

RG350 & RG280 Series Starter Guide

Last updated: 16NOV2022

At long last, we have a definitive firmware image for Anbernic RG350 and RG280 series retro handheld devices. This “Adam” image will allow you to create the ultimate SD card image that runs OpenDingux Beta firmware, RetroArch and standalone emulators, and the SimpleMenu frontend all in one seamless experience. No FTPing, tweaking, or headaches required.

This starter guide will work on the following devices: Anbernic RG350, RG350P, RG350M, RG280M, RG280V, RG300X, PlayGo, PocketGo 2, PowKiddy Q80, GCW-Zero, and probably a few others not on my radar.

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Guide: Streets of Rage Remake on Retro Handhelds

Guide: Streets of Rage Remake on Retro Handhelds

Last updated: 30NOV2021

UPDATE: PortMaster has recently created a one-stop shop for all things related to running ports on retro handhelds. I recommend checking out their website and my most recent PortMaster guide instead of the guide below; I’m leaving this page up for posterity’s sake only. To get started, head over to their Games tab, find the game you want to run, and check out their instructions on that page. If you run into any issues, their discord server is also a great place to start.

Streets of Rage Remake is a beloved game among emulation and homebrew fans. First released in 2011 after eight years of development, this fan-made game mashes together the first three Streets of Rage games and adds in over 100 stages, 15+ playable characters, and an epic soundtrack. Sadly, the game was pulled down from official release at the request of SEGA, but has remained available on various websites over the years.

Porting SoRR to a device is a right of passage for any true retro handheld, so today let’s walk through how to play this game on RK3326 devices running PortMaster. The following devices will work:

Anbernic RG351P (ArkOS final, TheRA, 351ELEC)
Anbernic RG351M (ArkOS final, TheRA, 351ELEC)
Anbernic RG351V (ArkOS, TheRA, 351ELEC)
Anbernic RG351MP (ArkOS, TheRA, 351ELEC)
PowKiddy RGB10 (ArkOS)
GameForce Chi (ArkOS)
RK2020 (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Advance (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Super (The RetroArena, RetroOZ)
PowKiddy RGB10 Max (The Retro Arena, RetroOZ)

Note that the video below will show you how to install the port using specific files. This process has been simplified significantly, and you can now set everything up via PortMaster.

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Turn a USB Flash Drive into a Portable Gaming Console using Batocera

Turn a USB Flash Drive into a Portable Gaming Console using Batocera

The Batocera firmware lets you flash a lightweight, emulation-focused operating system onto any flash drive, hard drive, or SD card. So what if we flashed it onto a flash drive, loaded it all up, and then used that as a portable gaming “system” that could be plugged into any Windows PC? That’s what we’re going to explore in this video.

Download Batocera
Batocera wiki
Batocera Nation YouTube channel

USB flash drive
Rii USB wireless keyboard
8bitDo Pro 2 controller

Note that you can use any number of storage solutions to host your Batocera operating system, like an external HDD/SDD, and internal drive installed into your PC, or even a SD card if you have a built-in (or USB) reader.

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Super Console X King Review & Guide

Super Console X King Review & Guide

Last updated: 27JUL2021

The Super Console X King is a rebranded version of the beloved Beelink GT King Android TV box, but pre-loaded with EmuELEC 4.2 and a bunch of games. Let’s see how this performs as an all-in-one retro gaming console.

Buy one here (AliExpress)
Amazon (more expensive but faster)
Directly from the vendor

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TrimUI Model S (PowKiddy A66) — Updated Review & Guide

TrimUI Model S (PowKiddy A66) — Updated Review & Guide

Last updated: 11JUL2021

The tiny TrimUI Model S (now rebranded as the PowKiddy A66) has received a lot of excellent development over the past few months, so it’s time for me to revisit my initial review. And while I initially recommended avoiding this device, these new updates have changed my mind — this is now a device worth considering. Let’s check it out.

Buy one here (PowKiddy A66)
Buy the old TrimUI Model S

Continue reading “TrimUI Model S (PowKiddy A66) — Updated Review & Guide”

Retro Game Emulation on an iPhone

Retro Game Emulation on an iPhone

Last updated: 27JAN2022 (see Changelog for details)

The iPhone can do a lot of things seamlessly, and it’s a very powerful device. But something as simple as running an NES game can be quite challenging. So let’s set up your iPhone as a retro game emulation device — no jailbreaking required.

Like with my previous video about gaming on an iPhone (which covered standalone games, Apple Arcade, and streaming), the Backbone One is an essential component of gaming on iOS. There are other options available, like the Razer Kishi or GameSir X2 BT controller, but the Backbone One is miles better than these options thanks to its ease of use and helpful app integration.

One final note before we get started: emulation on iOS is a moving target. With each new iOS update, some things may get broken, or (very rarely) things might actually improve. My advice is to be patient with new iOS updates, and give the development teams to catch up. I’ll keep this guide updated with the latest developments going forward.

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Guide: Widescreen Dreamcast on Retro Handhelds

Guide: Widescreen Dreamcast on Retro Handhelds

Last updated: 29MAY2021 (see Changelog for details)

The sixth generation of video game consoles, which included the PS2, Nintendo Gamecube, Xbox, and Sega Dreamcast, was a transformative period for both gaming and televisions. Standard (4:3 aspect) TVs were eventually replaced by widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio displays during this time, and many console accommodated this shift. A few Dreamcast games, such as Rayman 2, natively supported widescreen televisions upon release — all you have to do is go into the game settings and change it to 16:9 instead of 4:3. Most other games were natively scaled to 4:3, but many 3D titles on the Dreamcast can be altered to stretch into anamorphic widescreen. This is possible because these games render the 3D environment beyond the 4:3 displayed on a typical TV, and through various hacks we can unlock widescreen Dreamcast for over 100 titles.

These instructions are primarily written for the RetroOZ firmware on the ODROID Go Super or RGB10 Max in particular, since it has a lovely 16:9 screen, but the RetroArch widescreen hack cheats can be implemented in other firmwares such as EmuELEC, ArkOS, and 351ELEC for RG351P/M devices (or other devices with screens wider than 4:3). There are three basic methods:

  1. Use the built-in RetroRun widescreen hack or cheats options
    • Available for RetroOZ firmware only
    • Supported platforms: OGS, RGB10 Max
  2. Use widescreen hack cheats in RetroArch
    • Available for EmuELEC, 351ELEC, and ArkOS firmwares
    • Supported platforms: OGS, RGB10 Max, or any 3:2 device like RG351P/M, RGB10, OGA, RK2020, etc.
  3. Hex edit your games for permanent widescreen
    • Available for ArkOS firmware only (351ELEC may be possible with shell script creation)
    • Supported platforms: RG351P/M, RGB10, OGA, RK2020
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Quick Guide: File Transfer Options on Retro Handheld Devices

Quick Guide: File Transfer Options on Retro Handheld Devices

Let’s look at the four ways you can transfer files to and from your device. This guide applies to all RK3326-based devices, like the Anbernic RG351 series, PowKiddy RGB10/20, ODROID Go Advance/Super devices, and so on.

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