Tag: retroarch

Guides, Retroid Pocket 2

Retroid Pocket Starter Guide

by Russ94 Comments on Retroid Pocket Starter Guide
Retroid Pocket Starter Guide

Last updated: 10FEB2026 (see Changelog for details)

The Retroid Pocket handhelds are seemingly simple devices to set up — they run on Android, so how hard could it be? But it turns out there are some orientation quirks in setting up these handhelds; this guide is meant to take you from the very beginning of your journey with the device to the point of being a superstar.

This guide will work for a number of Retroid Pocket devices. The major difference will be the performance for each, which can be summarized in the table below. This guide will be focused on the more recent Retroid Pocket releases, with notes for some older devices/CPUs.

I have video reviews for each device on my YouTube channel, which you can find either by checking out my Retroid Pocket playlist or the embedded videos below.

Are the Retroid Pocket devices pre-loaded with games? No, the devices ship as a general Android phone or tablet, with only essential apps (Play Store, Chrome, etc.) pre-installed. You are on your own to find the emulated game files (ROMs) to play on this device. There are no links to copyrighted files on this website.

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Guides, Reviews

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)

by Russ20 Comments on Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)
Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)

Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick 4K Max packs an impressive retro gaming value for its $55 MSRP — essentially, it contains 75% of the NVIDIA Shield’s gaming performance at 25% of the cost. In this video we’ll go over setup, customization tips, and emulation performance of this device.

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Guides, Reviews, RG350

THIS is the handheld I’ve been playing the most. Here’s why.

by RussLeave a Comment on THIS is the handheld I’ve been playing the most. Here’s why.
THIS is the handheld I’ve been playing the most. Here’s why.

Unexpectedly, the Anbernic RG280V has become my favorite device to pick up and play for quick gaming sessions. In this video I’ll share six reasons why I love it so much, and one thing about it that’s kind of a bummer.

Buy one here
RG280V setup guide
RG280V metal shell

Song during introduction — “Return to Form” by T-120

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xbox

Guide: Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One Emulation

by Russ61 Comments on Guide: Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One Emulation
Guide: Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One Emulation

Last updated: 03AUG2024 (see Changelog for details)

In my quest to find great emulation at a budget price, the idea of running games on the Xbox series devices recently came on my radar. Considering that the Xbox Series S retails for $300, I decided to pick one up and test its performance against a similarly-priced PC, and the results are fantastic.

In addition to running classic games up to PS2 with higher resolutions, you maintain all of the functionality of the retail Xbox, and the whole endeavor is completely legal and available through Xbox’s Dev Mode process (after a one-time $19 fee). It does take some configuration to get set up, and so this guide will help you through that process and get you well on your way for all the retro gaming your heart could desire. If you would like to see the full suite of apps and emulators you can use on your Xbox in Dev Mode, check out this Xbox Dev Store.

There are other ways of playing retro games on your Xbox (aka “Retail Mode”), but those run the risk of having your account suspended or banned, and most Retail Mode efforts have thankfully shut down. In this guide we will only be performing the approved Dev Mode method. There is no known risk of having your device bricked (or account suspended) by following this Dev Mode guide.

This guide would not be possible without the excellent work done by Ryan over at Archades Games, whose Xbox emulation tutorials are comprehensive and relevant. For further exploration of specific systems, I recommend checking out his channel, and consider contributing to his Patreon page. Additionally, the Xbox Emulation Hub discord is a super helpful resource in case you have any questions.

Note that this guide will work on Xbox One consoles too, but will require a different DevKit Activation app (more info in that section of the guide). All other parts of this guide apply. Performance will be worse than on the Xbox Series consoles; while I haven’t tested it myself, I have been told that the Xbox One is more than capable of playing Dreamcast and below. If you are curious about emulation compatibility, check out this community sheet.

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Guides, PS Vita

Guide: PlayStation Vita

by Russ114 Comments on Guide: PlayStation Vita
Guide: PlayStation Vita

Last updated: 31JUL2024 (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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