Guide: PowKiddy X18S Hardware Mods

Guide: PowKiddy X18S Hardware Mods

Last updated: 24NOV2021

At $170, the PowKiddy X18S currently provides the best emulation performance you can find in a sub-$200 dedicated handheld right now. But as I demonstrated in my review video, its hardware leaves a lot to be desired. In this video we’re going to improve the gameplay experience by upgrading the d-pad, analog sticks, and face buttons to make this device a little bit more of a bargain. This is the first in a two-part video series; in the next X18S video I will upgrade the software experience with LineageOS.

PowKiddy X18S
My X18S review video

Tools and Materials:
Nintendo DS Lite d-pad
PS Vita 2000 analog sticks
RG350 rubber membranes
iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

PS Vita analog stick caps – not recommended for this device, but they are mentioned in the video and work great on the PS Vita or ODROID Go Super (with PS Vita stick mod).

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Guide: PlayStation Vita

Guide: PlayStation Vita

Last updated: 08JAN2023 (see Changelog for details)

This tutorial will show you how to safely and permanently jailbreak/mod your device so that you can run RetroArch or other emulators, plus load backups of your PS Vita, PSP, and PS1 games. Note this will work on any firmware version of PS Vita, up to and including 3.74.

This guide is intended for the PS Vita 1000 and PS Vita 2000 models. The PS TV setup is mostly the same, but there are some slight differences in the process; because I’ve never used a PS TV, I would recommend looking at the VitaHacks guide. This tutorial is written for Windows users, it is possible to jailbreak a Vita using Mac/Linux by following these instructions.

Note that each of these tutorials are written in a specific order. For example, you will need VitaShell installed to run certain tools, and so those instructions are found above the other tutorials. Long story short: if you just jump into a specific section and it references things you don’t understand (like VitaShell, or VPKs, etc.), then scroll up a bit to find those particular instructions.

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PlayStation Vita as a Retro Handheld Gaming Device

PlayStation Vita as a Retro Handheld Gaming Device

Last updated: 13DEC2020 (see Changelog for details)

If you’ve ever spent time on any emulation-related website, subreddit, YouTube comments, or discord server, you’ve heard the arguments: if you want a good handheld gaming device, you must buy a PS Vita. So I decided to pick up a PS Vita and give it the same critical eye that I like to give any of my handheld devices.

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