My Portable OLED Steam Deck Setup

My Portable OLED Steam Deck Setup

Let’s put together a travel-friendly portable monitor setup for both budget and premium experiences.

** Note that when making the video the Innocn OLED monitor price was $680, but it is currently being sold for $560.

Items used in the review:
Innocn 4K OLED monitor
Innocn also sells a 1080p, non-touch, non-battery OLED monitor for $350

AWOW 1080p LCD monitor
AWOW monitor review video
Note that the AWOW monitor is now sold out, but Innocn makes a similar 1080p LCD portable monitor for $150

Lamicall tablet stand
Lamicall official site

  • use code RussFS02 for 30% off
    They will also be holding a 30% off Father’s Day sale (more info in their social media channels)

ACEFAST charger (black)
ACEFAST charger (white)

  • use code “ACEFASTa19” for 10% off the charger through 30JUN2022 (black model only)
Continue reading “My Portable OLED Steam Deck Setup”

AYN Odin Starter Guide

AYN Odin Starter Guide

Last updated: 16FEB2023 (see Changelog for details)

The AYN Odin is a device that has caught the handheld gaming world by storm — it is relatively affordable, has excellent build quality, and provides performance that surpasses its peers in the same price range. Shipping delays have plagued its launch, but as more units are finally reaching their owners, let’s do a Starter Guide to walk you through the setup process.

This guide will work on the AYN Odin Pro, Base, or Lite model.

The Odin is at a strange junction in the gaming world: its price and performance have drawn interest from those who are not veterans of the emulation community, and some reviews fail to emphasize that this device is not plug-and-play out of the box. This guide is meant to help you along in that initial setup and configuration, so that you can get to gaming.

Android Starter Guide
RetroArch Starter Guide

Because the AYN Odin runs on an Android platform, setting up the device is similar to setting up any other Android device for the purpose of game emulation. I already have complete Android and RetroArch guides on this website, which will serve as the foundation of setting up your Odin. There are some unique setup aspects for the Odin which we’ll cover in this guide, to complement the two guides above, but I would highly encourage you to check out those two guides as well.

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Miyoo Mini Starter Guide

Miyoo Mini Starter Guide

Last updated: 07JAN2023 (see Changelog for details)

This guide will show you everything you need to know about the Miyoo Mini — where to buy one, the best tools to get it set up, accessories, and how to install custom operating systems like Onion and MiniUI.

Buy one here: AliExpress | Amazon (faster shipping) | KeepRetro

Note that due to demand, availability has been an issue. The cheapest prices will be through the official Miyoo store on AliExpress, but you will need to check periodically to see when the device will be in stock. You can also try KeepRetro who will take your order and ship it when it is available, or you can pay a premium price on Amazon to get it more quickly. Here is a video with tips on how to buy a Miyoo Mini.

Continue reading “Miyoo Mini Starter Guide”

Guide: Celeste on Retro Handhelds

Guide: Celeste on Retro Handhelds

Last updated: 31MAY2022

Finally! A port of Celeste is now available on retro handhelds, so you can natively play this little platforming gem.

The installation process is a little trickier than other (PortMaster) solutions, due to the fact that the game requires closed-source libs that cannot be redistributed. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to add them yourself, which we’ll do in this guide. Note that you will also need to be running PortMaster on your device in order to install certain mono files which will allow sound to work properly.

Update (29MAY2022): This guide now works on RK3326 devices as well as the RG503, when running on a compatible firmware like ArkOS, JELOS, and AmberELEC! Below is a list of devices that should be able to run the game. Big thanks to developer JohnnyOnFlame for getting this port up and running; please consider buying him a coffee for his hard work.

Anbernic RG552 (AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG503 (JELOS, ArkOS, TheRA) *when available
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)
GameForce Chi (ArkOS)
RK2020 (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Advance (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Super (The RetroArena, RetroOZ)
PowKiddy RGB10 Max (The Retro Arena, RetroOZ)

For best results, make sure you are running the most recent version of ArkOS, AmberELEC, or JELOS, and the latest version of PortMaster. The Anbernic RG552 will provide the best gaming experience (see notes below).

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 may be updated in the future to support it. In the meantime, I recommend using JELOS or AmberELEC for those two devices instead, since they are in active development.

Continue reading “Guide: Celeste on Retro Handhelds”

MoreFine S500+ Review (Ryzen 7 5700U): Surprising Xbox & PS3 Performance!

MoreFine S500+ Review (Ryzen 7 5700U): Surprising Xbox & PS3 Performance!

The new MoreFine S500+ (Ryzen 7 5700U model) is quite a capable little gaming PC, and has some surprising emulation performance, too. In this video we’ll see how it performs across a broad spectrum of games, and determine whether it’s a good fit for you.

Non-affiliate link
Use code “Retro Game” for a discount

Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
01:05 unboxing & impressions
02:31 specs & pricing
03:37 teardown
06:06 setup & power profile
07:20 PC gaming
09:11 GameCube, Wii U, Switch
12:11 PSP, PS2, PS3, Xbox
16:10 Batocera Linux
18:15 summary (likes & dislikes)
20:33 conclusion

Still My Favorite $40 Handheld! PowKiddy V90 Black Edition Review

Still My Favorite $40 Handheld!  PowKiddy V90 Black Edition Review

The PowKiddy V90 has a new color, and so let’s take this opportunity to give this device an updated review in the context of 2022 and a more saturated handheld market.

Buy one here (AliExpress)
Find it on Amazon (faster shipping)

Updated V90 guide

Continue reading “Still My Favorite $40 Handheld! PowKiddy V90 Black Edition Review”

The Tiny But Mighty SER4 [Ryzen 7 4800U] Review

The Tiny But Mighty SER4 [Ryzen 7 4800U] Review

At the current starting price of $620 on Amazon, the new Beelink SER4 packs a lot of punch. It features the same Ryzen 7 4800U processor as some recent handheld devices (like the ONEXPLAYER AMD and the AYANEO Retro 2021), and so we’re going to take a deep-dive look at what this little chip can do when not tethered to a battery and power constraints.

Buy one here via Amazon

Continue reading “The Tiny But Mighty SER4 [Ryzen 7 4800U] Review”