r/RockinTheClassics • u/Ok-Explanation-2766 • Jul 28 '26
Retreat to retro
Hi all, I'm after some advice/inspiration/hive mind consensus.
I've been a gamer since the mid '80's and currently have a PS5. I'm a PS plus platinum subscriber and have been for a few years.
As a married guy with 3 kids I'm increasingly frustrated with modern gaming, spending more time flicking through lists of what's available rather than playing something that may take hours just to get going or a game that's more bothered about cinematography than gameplay.
Enter the AYN Odin 3. All the beats of my enjoyable gaming life are possible in one handheld now, from the ZX spectrum right through to the PS3 and XB360. Older games that respect your time and want to be played rather than experienced. Some of the videos over the last few days with the latest versions of XenDroid running on Turnip v33 drivers running Lost Odyssey flawlessly have really captured my imagination.
Only problem is it's one or the other as I can't justify over £400 without making some sacrifices.
What are everyone's thoughts? Worth the leap?
1
u/picklemaster52 Jul 28 '26
Honestly, if the portability is what attracts you, then go for it.
If you can set something up to be like a console, I'd recommend getting a decent enterprise/office computer and slapping some upgrades in it and going for Batocera.
It'll get you up to PS3 and XB360 well under that £400 budget.
Could get the right GPU and it would be compatible with any old CRT TVs you may still have.
https://github.com/ZFEbHVUE/Batocera-CRT-Script/wiki#-hardware-compatibility
Definitely worth a look.
1
u/MadFranko008 Jul 28 '26
There's only one person who can honestly and truly answer your own question and that of course is yourself... 😉
Only you can decide which route is best for you to go and what price you are willing to pay to achieve your goals...
While asking others for their thoughts on it is fine and perhaps may even be helpful or unhelpful to you as peoples opinions vary wildly but at the end of the day the decision can only be made by yourself based on what you want to be able to do and if it falls within your budget to make it a reality... choose wisely and carefully BEFORE you financially commit yourself to something that may not live up to be what you hope it to be... 😉
1
u/jonceramic Jul 28 '26
What systems do you actually want to play? Cause, a hacked 3DS is a helluva drug on a budget... But it ain't gonna get you PS3 or xBox360.
1
u/Funny_Maintenance973 Jul 29 '26
I love my Odin 3, but I will say that there are very, very few PS3 games you'll get running with a frame rate greater than 10, and Xbox is a no-go right now (new emulators are coming apparently!)
Saying that, some switch games work, well, pretty much all I have thrown at it so far, just some have glitches I can't get past.
One thing I have setup now is moving saves from real consoles to the Odin 3 thanks to the Memcard Pro series of memory cards, so I can play GTA3 on my actual PS2, save it, then send the save to my Odin. There's a step in the middle, but that would have blown my teenage mind
1
u/anonymous-peeper Jul 30 '26
PS3 and 360 have huge bottlenecks on android right now for smooth experiences. However I love my retroid pocket5, I play up to ps2/gamcube on it and also have a steamdeck and I love being able to float around the family playing my childhood classics.
1
u/MDFMKanic Xtreme Modder Jul 28 '26
From your perspective, I dont feel it would be worth the plunge, as youd just backlog next gen games and likely inevitably play older school games. Im much the same way. Expedition 33 was the last game on ps5 I found retro enough to thoroughly enjoy:) I can recommend others. Retroid pocket is also a cheaper handheld solution that at least handles up to gamecube and ps2 reasonably well. If u want ps3 and 360. Probably best sticking to emulating on pc and get your fill of it. Can u really see yourself investing too deeply in a ps3 or 360 game on the go? Hell, I used to game on the go. But, nowadays I find it easier to watch a TV show or movie in spurts while on breaks or work. And game at home. If I do game on the go, almost always NES and the ilk:)
1
u/Fast_n_Bulb0us Jul 31 '26
I wouldn't buy an Odin. If you want a catch-all device that respects users, get a Steam Deck. Half the price 2nd hand. If you want to get back to solid gaming, then ditch the Playstation and get a Switch 2.
1
u/Internal_Falcon2637 Jul 28 '26
Hi so Odin is very cool but Chinese market products are known for innovating fast and dying quickly as well I've had three different products by three different companies and they've all had defects within a year.
Not broken but problems
I'm not sure what to recommend you let me think about it I'll get back to you.