ArkOS Starter Guide

ArkOS Starter Guide

Last updated: 11APR2023 (see Changelog for details)

ArkOS is a custom operating system that is available for many retro handheld devices. It features optimized performance, a simple user interface, online updates, and a very stable experience thanks to years of development work.

This guide will help you get set up with ArkOS, to improve your handheld device in just about every way. Don’t worry, it’s pretty easy.

If you would like to support the developer and their work, please consider leaving them a donation for their time and effort over the years.

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My Favorite Retro Handhelds Under $150

My Favorite Retro Handhelds Under $150

The world of Retro Handhelds can be intimidating, there are so many choices out there! In this video we’ll take a look at my four favorite devices for under $150 that are available today.

Buy a Miyoo Mini
or via KeepRetro

Buy a Retroid Pocket 2+ (or 3)
Retroid Pocket 2+ starter guide

Buy an Anbernic RG531V
or via Anbernic.com
RG351V starter guide

Buy an Anbernic RG353P
or via Anbernic.com
RG353P review and guide

Continue reading “My Favorite Retro Handhelds Under $150”

Review: Analogue Pocket

Review: Analogue Pocket

The Analogue Pocket is the first FPGA handheld, promising cycle accurate gameplay for your beloved Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges with a brilliant display and modern features. But does this experience warrant its hefty price tag?

More info here (ships in 2023): https://www.analogue.co/pocket

Other devices featured in this video:
Miyoo Mini
Anbernic RG351V
Anbernic RG552

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AmberELEC Setup and Update Guide

AmberELEC Setup and Update Guide

Last updated: 13JUL2022

AmberELEC is the new custom firmware that replaced 351ELEC for devices such as the Anbernic RG351P, RG351M, RG351V, RG351MP, and RG552. This video and guide will walk you through its setup as well as showcase new features in this release.

AmberELEC webpage
AmberELEC discord server

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TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on Retro Handhelds

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on Retro Handhelds

Last updated: 12JUL2022

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has become a massive hit, and for good reason. It’s a perfect mixture of old-school beat-em-up and modern control schemes, and it has plenty of fun stuff to unlock, too. In this guide we’ll get the game running on various handhelds so you can play this game anywhere.

Anbernic RG552 (AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG353P (JELOS, TheRA)
Anbernic RG503 (JELOS, ArkOS, TheRA)
Anbernic RG351P (AmberELEC, JELOS, ArkOS wuMMLe fork)
Anbernic RG351M (AmberELEC, JELOS, ArkOS wuMMLe fork)
Anbernic RG351V (ArkOS, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG351MP (ArkOS, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
PowKiddy RGB10 (ArkOS) and tangentially the RGB10S and RGB20S
GameForce Chi (ArkOS, TheRA)
RK2020 (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Advance (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Super (The RetroArena, RetroOZ)
PowKiddy RGB10 Max and Max 2 (The Retro Arena, RetroOZ)

For best results, make sure you are running the most recent version of ArkOS, AmberELEC, or JELOS, and that you have installed the latest version of PortMaster. Here is my PortMaster guide.

Note that the “Final” version of ArkOS for the RG351P and RG351M will not support the game due to an outdated SDL2 library. However, wuMMLe’s fork of ArkOS has been updated to support it, but there are some script changes needed (see the notes below). If you want the latest for those devices, I recommend using JELOS or AmberELEC, since they are in active development.

Setting up this game is similar to other ports such as Celeste, Shovel Knight, Undertale, Timespinner, and Iconoclasts. Big thanks to developer JohnnyOnFlame for getting this port up and running; please consider buying him a coffee for his hard work.

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PowKiddy RGB20S Review

PowKiddy RGB20S Review

Well, it’s certainly cute. The new PowKiddy RGB20S sports a lovely 3.5″ 480p (4:3) display, a nice compact design, and everybody’s favorite chipset, the RK3326. So does its unique features (and a few hidden surprises) make it worth $80? Let’s find out.

Buy one here

Other devices mentioned in the video:
Anbernic RG351V
Anbernic RG280V
Miyoo Mini
PowKiddy RGB10 Max 2

Continue reading “PowKiddy RGB20S Review”

Guide: Timespinner on Retro Handhelds (PortMaster)

Guide: Timespinner on Retro Handhelds (PortMaster)

The indie classic game Timespinner has recently been ported to various handheld devices, thanks to community developers and the awesome PortMaster tool. Here are the systems that can run the game as of making this guide:

Anbernic RG351P (ArkOS final, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG351M (ArkOS final, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG351V (ArkOS, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG351MP (ArkOS, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG552 (AmberELEC, JELOS)
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)

Setting up this game is similar to other ports such as Shovel Knight, Undertale, and Iconoclasts. Big thanks to developer JohnnyOnFlame for getting this port up and running; please consider buying him a coffee for his hard work.

Note that you will need to have PortMaster installed and updated on your device. Here is my PortMaster guide.

Continue reading “Guide: Timespinner on Retro Handhelds (PortMaster)”

My current (simple) 351ELEC setup

My current (simple) 351ELEC setup

Sometimes, less is more. In this video I’ll show you how I’ve pared down my retro game collection to just focus on the games that I actually want to play, and how it has given me the opportunity to just focus on games, and not endless browsing.

Devices that support this setup:
Anbernic RG351P
Anbernic RG351M
Anbernic RG351V
Anbernic RG351MP
PowKiddy RGB10 Pro
PowKiddy RGB10 Max
PowKiddy RGB10 Max 2

351ELEC: https://351elec.de/
ArkOS: https://github.com/christianhaitian/arkos/wiki

Note that while I didn’t explicitly mention it, this same setup can be done within RetroOZ for its supported devices as well. Check out the latest version here.

Continue reading “My current (simple) 351ELEC setup”

Sega Saturn Update for ArkOS and RetroOZ

Sega Saturn Update for ArkOS and RetroOZ

Last updated: 30JAN2022

Thanks to new updates to their emulators, you can get greatly improved Sega Saturn performance on RG351V, RG351MP, RGB10, ODROID Go Advance, ODROID Go Super, and RGB10 Max devices running ArkOS and RetroOZ. In this guide I’ll show you how to install the new update, configure the emulator, and we’ll take a look at some gameplay, too.

Note that 351ELEC support is planned but not implemented yet.

Continue reading “Sega Saturn Update for ArkOS and RetroOZ”

My Favorite Retro Handhelds of 2021

My Favorite Retro Handhelds of 2021

With 2022 in full swing, let’s take a look back at 2021 and the wonderful world of handhelds from this past year.

Buy the devices here:
PowKiddy X18S
Anbernic RG300X
Anbernic RG351V
Anbernic RG351MP
PS Vita
PowKiddy RGB10 (metal)
PowKiddy RGB10 Pro
Anbernic RG280V
PowKiddy RGB10 Max 2
Anbernic RG552
Miyoo Mini
GPD XP (use code BG231d5d for $80 off)
Retroid Pocket 2+

Continue reading “My Favorite Retro Handhelds of 2021”