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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Widescreen SNES Guide

Widescreen SNES Guide

Last updated: 22FEB2023 (see Changelog for details)

In this guide I’ll show you how to set up widescreen for many beloved SNES games. Not every game will work with this setup, but many do, including some of my personal favorites.

To enable widescreen, you must use the BSNES standalone emulator or the BSNES HD Beta core within RetroArch. For this guide we will focus on the BSNES HD Beta RetroArch core.

You will need a somewhat powerful machine to run the BSNES RetroArch core. For retro handhelds, I recommend something like the Retroid Pocket 3+ at the very least, but the AYN Odin or Logitech Cloud will work even better.

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Anbernic RG35XX Starter Guide

Anbernic RG35XX Starter Guide

Last updated: 02APR2023 (see Changelog for details)

In this guide I will show you how to get started with the Anbernic RG35XX retro handheld, and how to set up the new GarlicOS game launcher and greatly improve the device’s user experience.

Where to buy the RG35XX:
Anbernic website
AliExpress
Amazon (more expensive but faster shipping and easy returns)

GarlicOS is provided as a community build thanks to the work of developer Black Seraph. If you have the means, please consider leaving him a tip jar donation to thank him for his efforts. MinUI is created by Shaun Inman.

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Retro Game Corps Black Friday Roundup 2022

Retro Game Corps Black Friday Roundup 2022

Hey everyone, every year I like to round up my favorite Black Friday deals and share them with my family and friends, and so since starting RGC I’ve maintained that same tradition. I’ll be sure to update this post as I find more deals, and be let me know if you find anything too!

Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for the support and happy shopping!

HANDHELD DEVICES:

Anbernic is offering up to 25% off + $10 off using coupon BF2022: https://bit.ly/3ECYs8o

Anbernic RG280V for $56
Anbernic RG300X for $55
Anbernic RG353P for $118
Anbernic RG351V for $79
Anbernic RG503 for $116
Anbernic RG552 for $189
Anbernic RG351MP for $116
Anbernic RG351P for $76
Anbernic RG351M for $107
Anbernic Win600 starting at $285

Amazon also has the RG350m for $70, which is a great price for this older machine: https://amzn.to/3tUmDuh

Retroid Pocket 3 for $99 with coupon RP3SAVE20: https://www.goretroid.com/collections/frontpage/products/retroid-pocket-3-handheld-retro-gaming-system
Free case with purchase of Retroid Pocket 3+ (11/25 only): https://www.goretroid.com/collections/frontpage/products/retroid-pocket-3-handheld-retro-gaming-system-1

Logitech G Cloud is $299 on Amazon (regularly $349): https://amzn.to/3EsJnq0
or $249 directly from Logitech using code BF22USD: https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/products/cloud-gaming/cloud-handheld-gaming.940-000198.html

MICRO SD CARDS AND STORAGE:

128GB Samsung EVO Select for $16: https://amzn.to/3VgMCry
128GB SanDisk Extreme for $15: https://amzn.to/3Exbi8l
256GB Samsung EVO Select for $25: https://amzn.to/3U4UdZ8
256GB SanDisk Ultra for $27: https://amzn.to/3XvGP3a
512GB Samsung EVO Select for $45: https://amzn.to/3EVrwcK
1TB SanDisk Ultra for $99: https://amzn.to/3OzkAoS
1TB SanDisk Extreme for $117: https://amzn.to/3EzZYs5

256GB SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 flash drive for $20: https://amzn.to/3tZFAeS
512GB SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 flash drive for $38: https://amzn.to/3Xy6EiO
1TB Samsung portable SSD for $89: https://amzn.to/3XrJz1s
2TB SanDisk portable SSD for $144: https://amzn.to/3gtaIAx

MINI PCs:

MinisForum’s Black Friday sale has some moderate discounts on mini PCs that I have reviewed on the channel: https://shrsl.com/3t65l

Beelink is also offering sales on their mini PCs: https://shrsl.com/3t66u
Amazon also has them discounted, including the SER5 for $315: https://amzn.to/3idA9GQ

DroiX is offering Black Friday deals plus free international shipping on all orders over $150! https://droix.net/black-friday-2022/?ref=rgcorps

MISC DEVICES:

Fire TV Stick Max for $35 (can emulate up to Dreamcast): https://amzn.to/3OuYEv7
Anker chargers, battery packs, and cables: https://amzn.to/3GIXlXE

CONTROLLERS:

PlayStation DualSense controllers for $49: https://amzn.to/3i9zTIS
PlayStation edition BackBone One Controller (iPhone) for $63: https://amzn.to/3F0aKJp
BackBone (iPhone) controllers for $74 + $10 gift card: https://playbackbone.com/refer?code=2erewc8hjmabmya
20% off 8bitdo controllers: https://amzn.to/3ECWrJg
11% off GameSir controllers plus free controller with $100 purchase: https://www.gamesir.hk/collections/black-friday-sales
Logitech G29 Racing Wheel for $199 (50% off): https://amzn.to/3TXmzV6

GAMES:

Steam sale has some really good deals on older games, especially if you filter it to those below $5 (Celeste, Valve games, Titanfall 2, DOOM, Castle Crashers, SFV, Resident Evil 4/5, Sonic Mania, Mordor games, LEGO games, Arkham games, Injustice games, Horizon Chase Turbo, etc): https://store.steampowered.com/search/?filter=ut2&category1=998&os=

Humble store also has some good sales like $30 Cyberpunk, $25 LEGO Skywalker, $7.50 Hollow Knight, and $20 Horizon Zero Dawn (all redeemable in Steam): https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/black-friday-sale-2022/?partner=retrogamecorps&charity=418

10% off EverDrives site-wide (limited availability): https://krikzz.com/

ALIEXPRESS COUPON CODES:

Handheld devices: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dn0kEld
Use code BFS6 for $6 off any order over $50
Use code BFS13 for $13 off any order over $110
Use code BFS22 for $22 off any order over $180

Note that some individual stores may have their own coupons, and you might be able to stack them.

Anbernic RG353M Review & Guide

Anbernic RG353M Review & Guide

Another month, another Anbernic handheld, right? The new RG353M surprised me with some overdue component upgrades and a wonderfully compact and thin design. On top of that, it stands on the shoulders of all their other products to finally be a 4:3 retro handheld that does everything just right without any glaring issues.

Buy one here

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Anbernic’s New Official Android Frontend — Review and Setup Guide

Anbernic’s New Official Android Frontend — Review and Setup Guide

Anbernic has released a new frontend for their Android operating system, which will work on the RG353P and the upcoming RG353V. In this video I’ll walk you through the installation of their new Android build, and show off some of its features (and failures) within.

Buy an RG353P
AliExpress

Anbernic software link
My RG353P review and custom firmware showcase
Install Play Store on the RG353P

Continue reading “Anbernic’s New Official Android Frontend — Review and Setup Guide”

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”

Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide

Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide

Last updated: 03JAN2023 (updated links to JELOS)

It’s no secret that the Anbernic RG552 is an expensive device. At its starting retail price of $227, it can be disappointing that it’s not powerful enough to run GameCube or PlayStation 2 at acceptable levels. However, there are some aspects of this device that really shine — namely its screen and overall feel when it comes to d-pad-centric gaming — and so in this guide I’m going to walk you through all the little tweaks and tricks I use to get the most out of this device.

At the end of the day, the Anbernic RG552 is my favorite console for RETRO (i.e. 32-bit and below) gaming, and with these tweaks, I think you might agree.

Buy one here (AliExpress)
or via Anbernic.com
or via Amazon Prime (more expensive but fast shipping)

Continue reading “Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide”

Anbernic Win600 Windows Guide

Anbernic Win600 Windows Guide

In my initial assessment of the Win600, I preferred the SteamOS image that Anbernic provided over the generic Windows 10 experience. However, some of the features of their SteamOS image are not fully fleshed out, to include thermal limit (TDP) and screen refresh rate calibration. In this guide we’re going to use Windows apps to tweak the settings in a clean Windows 11 installation, to give you the best balance of performance and power savings.

Special thanks to Chenwk from the DTRH YouTube channel, for helping walk me through some of these settings configuration.

Continue reading “Anbernic Win600 Windows Guide”