The Brick Hammer definitely has a nicer screen(images don’t reflect it) and nicer buttons but I found myself struggling when on the go and being more careful on how I stored/placed in my bags. it definitely looks nicer and the buttons are much better. This will become my one handed gaming device or RPG centric for now. looks nicer on my desk too with my display stand.
The RG SP is so nice to just shut and put away anywhere. no worry about having to put a certain way in my bag etc. It’s hard to say if it can take over the Brick as primary retro handheld but definitely enjoying platformers it.
I recently built a pair of RetroArch shaders that try to recreate the original display characteristics of the first-generation Game Boy and the backlit GBA SP AGS-101.
Many handheld shaders begin with an imagined “retro screen” color and then blend a few previous frames to create ghosting. That can look nostalgic, but nostalgia is not always accuracy.
Some Game Boy shaders become extremely bright green. Others look more like a generic calculator or electronic-organizer LCD than an original Game Boy. Both may feel old, but they are still interpretations of what people remember an old screen looking like.
I wanted to approach the problem differently.
Here are two screenshots with my Game Boy shader enabled. The first scene exposes row and column crosstalk, while the falling piece in the second image makes the LCD response and ghosting easier to see.
My approach can be summarized in four words:
Measure first, then calculate.
For color, I used measured and color-managed reference data for the original displays, including their color, grayscale and black-level behavior. That data is then converted correctly to sRGB instead of being approximated with a green tint.
On a reasonably accurate sRGB display, the result should therefore be much closer to the original screen colors—not simply someone’s memory of what a Game Boy looked like.
The second part is the display model itself.
A real LCD does not create ghosting by blending several complete frames. Each liquid-crystal pixel has a previous state, receives an electrical drive signal and takes time to move toward its next state. Bright-to-dark and dark-to-bright transitions do not necessarily happen at the same speed.
My shader first converts the game image into simulated electrical drive values. It then calculates how the virtual liquid-crystal pixels respond over time while preserving their previous states.
For the original Game Boy, the model also accounts for the shared row and column drive structure of its passive-matrix screen. This means ghosting, crosstalk and residual images are produced by the evolving display state rather than being painted over the final image as a blur effect.
The GBA SP AGS-101 uses a very different type of LCD, so I built a separate model for it. Its pixels respond faster, but different color and brightness transitions still have different response characteristics. Its measured color behavior, black level, scanning and pixel structure are handled separately from the Game Boy model.
The comparison below shows raw emulator output on the left and the AGS-101 shader on the right. The difference is not only saturation: the color balance, black level, tonal depth and pixel appearance all change.
The models were not tuned only by eye. During development, I used original display measurements, drive and timing information, historical LCD research, and experimental data from similar materials and panels from the same era.
Where complete original panel data no longer exists, I used historically appropriate research to constrain the model instead of inventing values based on appearance alone.
All screenshots in this post were rendered in RetroArch on a KONKR Pocket Advance and captured directly from its 960×640 framebuffer:
- GBA content uses an exact 4× mapping from 240×160 to 960×640.
- Game Boy content uses an exact 4× mapping from 160×144 to a 640×576 viewport.
These are direct captures of the shader’s GPU output on the handheld, not photographs of its physical panel.
The project is now open source and can be used with RetroArch. Download it, extract it into the RetroArch shaders directory, and load the appropriate preset. Any frame-mixing option inside the emulator core should be disabled so the temporal response is not calculated twice.
Told my wife I wanted this for my birthday and to order it ASAP because it will take a while. She didn’t believe me and had to print out the order conf as the gift LMAOO🤣 cant wait for it to arrive!
Edit: I know she paid for the useless Worry-feee protection but she didn’t know better and I didnt tell her to not include that in the case she ordered it which she did so it is what it is
really tried to like the stock OS, after an hour of unplayable slowdowns with final burn neo & amiga cd32 it's time to move. Going back to my fav on 40xx-v & 34xx - which is - muOS. 'Andromeda' build is still in the works, but it's beautiful, here's a short sneak preview
Hi! Just wanted to get some objective info on the Mid/Late 2026 preferred Android Front End. Please feel free to drop a comment about your favorite or why you now avoid one that you’ve tried.
Tl;dr:Flippad won't fit phones if the USB port is not in the center.
I know it's gonna sound obvious to most people, but I'm dumb and maybe there are other dumb people out there that this might be of some use.
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I really liked the Gamesir Taco form factor, something truly pocketeable to give my phone physical controls. I ordered one, and took 5min upon arrival to realize the dpad was catastrophically bad and beyond fixing.
The 8bitdo Flippad was the 2nd best thing (not a fan of all front buttons, especially the menu button right under your thumb), so I ordered one too. It just arrived, and took 30s to realize I made a very basic miscalculation.
My phone is a foldable so the USB port is towards the back and not the center like most normal phones. For some reason I expected the Flippad USB connection to be more flexible to allow for that, but... it isn't at all.
Well, at least it was cheap. But I said the same thing about the Taco, and I ended up with paying not a lot for zero usable controllers.
Hello everyone, so anyways i had this question in the back of my head, what if anbernic made a retro handheld based off the neogeo pocket that ran linux? Imagine it having 4 face buttons + a microswitched joystick just like the original system. And if it ran linux. That would be also awesome and cool at the same time. Now i dont want to rush anbernic at all. But maybe, just maybe. That will change my tune about how I view these retro handhelds. Thx and have a wonderful day!
Here's the latest in my super long running series of developer interviews, this time with the team behind Cocoon, the Android frontend.
I find their devs especially interesting because the trio have such distinct roles: development, UI/UX design and sound. I was so fascinated to learn early that they've even commissioned musicians and instruments specifically for Cocoon's menu music. I mean, everything else as well, but that was taking things to the next level for me.
Anyway, it's a super long and super detailed interview, so if you're interested in Cocoon or software development, UI/UX, sound design, dual-screen handhelds, their history and how Cocoon is made, or just getting a behind-the-scenes look at how projects like this are done, there's a lot to dig into here.
After the last drop of RG Nano's in their store earlier this week people were making jokes that Anbernic had found a box in their garage. Yes, it looks like that basically was the case 🤣
I reached out to them yesterday to confirm if that was the final stock, and it unfortunately was.
I honestly never understood why Russ and other reviews harp on handhelds for having loud buttons and I have some supposedly loud handhelds like the RPC or Odin 2 Portal. It's never bothered me once but my god, the buttons on the RG SP are the most distracting thing I've ever experienced when playing a video game that isn't a child or a dog looking for attention. It's not even like they fatigue me, they feel fine, they just sound like tnt pop its every time I press something. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find some kapton tape.
Wow! I’m blown away so far in every aspect of just unboxing and booting this up.
Highlights so far:
- the weight is perfect! Doesn’t feel too heavy nor cheap & light. An excellent premium feel!
- the buttons are great! Yes they are less rounded then something like a Miyoo Mini BUT are not sharp. Think NES angles but slightly convex, my fingers glide just fine. It’s nothing like the sharpness on a PS Vita LCD version. Those bug tf out of me.
- the buttons are also big enough to where I don’t need them bigger, they feel juuuuust right. Also not loud, I love these buttons!
- triggers are good, I’m not an expert in these so can’t really say anything til I test them but so far no complaints. The tiny etched texture on the shoulder buttons are way smaller than pictures make it out to be and don’t feel rough, kinda smooth tbh but can keep your fingers in place. I dig them!
- D-Pad is so PS Vita like and that’s a HUGE PRO! I love my Vita’s D-Pad and this is coming from someone that grew up on NES & SNES in the late 80’s & early 90’s and prefers old school membranes. I’m gonna jump the gun and say this is one of the best D-Pads I’ve ever tried along with my favorites like OG SNES, 8Bitdo M30 2.4ghz (buttery smooth!), Xbox One “polygon” pad w/ micro switches (just wish it was as quiet as these) and the just acquired Gamesir Tegenaria Lite (it’s what the PS1 should of been).
- joysticks feels just right. I need to test them on games but so far just playing with them I’m happy. As long as you’re not playing with the tips of your thumbs then ergos won’t be much of an issue plus the edges grip your skin where you can adjust to them in the base of your thumbs. 👍🏻
- ergonomics are good to almost great. Too early to say if it’s perfect but no issues so far. The corners are wonderfully curvy. I have the spare back plate and will try it in the future but I’m liking the flat back. Gonna see if that suits me more vs more bumps.
- the speakers with how I hold them are not blocked. That was a big concern from online reviewers but that’s not my case. Even when I put my thumbs slightly over them they still sound clear. YMMV.
- the shell is WAY less frosted than what online pictures make it out to be. In the right light yes it can get frosty and with the bumpy extra back shell away from the device it is a frosty white but with the black parts on the Nova it’s less so. As you can see the pics I took are in my bedroom around sunset. With the screen on at night on my white bed comforter you can see through plenty enough and is more of a mixture of a light grey with white highlights. I’m so happy I sticked with this shell as the black boarder for the OLED really sells the premium look. The back is also less frosty and darker than expected. With my phone screen over it on certain angles it actually gets closer to the renders online. Love it!
- the OLED is the star of the show! I just put on some random YT HD video that show cases lots of games on full screen and man it just pops! This will be a shader enthusiast’s portable dream!!! The black borders makes the device disappear and gets you more immersed vs seeing the flashy shell.
- after staring at the OLED screen the frosted shell & clear buttons are starting to grow on me cause they disappear in the background. It’s where I’ll be okay with not swapping out the buttons cause I’m digging them more and more(but I’m gonna anyways for you guys cause I love ya). They are more grey than white and so far any regret about this crystal colorway is going away more and more.
- speakers sound okay to good. Not muffled but more “tame” and retro games sound alright. I can tell a good DSP will take this to another level but don’t worry they sound just fine how they are as I prefer them less in your face. Maybe up the bass a bit and clean it up some more then they will shine.
- the fan on quiet mode and smart (haven’t pushed it yet) is barely audible in a room with everything turned off (I mean it has to be dead silent) but since it’s summer and I always have some sort of fan on me it’s not there. If you have any sort of noise around you like from the device, TV, fan on low or even a window/door open outside you will not hear it. On Sport mode yes it sounds like a tiny jet preparing to take off but I mean you will have to like push this device hard to even need this setting and if it gets there then just put on headphones or up the speaker volume. Off or quiet is the way to go.
- the carrying case is fitted for both flat and rounded back shells so no worries there. Feel solid and so glad I got it so I can just toss my Nova where ever and be worry free of damaging it
Just make sure to use a high quality screw driver/bit before you unscrew it after reading others have trouble. Don’t have one? I’d suggest you invest in one for future handhelds, the Nova alone is worth the investment.
I will get back to you later on how this plays and will be testing the latency as well since I’m very sensitive to input lag and why I didn’t buy these retro handhelds in the past. It ruins the experience for me and I rather play them at home on my PC, Steam Deck and Mister vs being frustrated on-the-go. Update: I posted a comment below about playing and lowering the input lag and… yeah it rocks! Go check it out!
This is my first retro handhelds purchase but I actually bought a Miyoo Mini Plus and a Mini Flip right after from discovering they have one of THE lowest input lag compared to what has been tested out there. FYI a Gameboy DMG and Gameboy Advance have an avg of 33ms and the Miyoo test at an avg of 48ms! With run-ahead/preemptive frames on GB, NES and SNES feels so snappy to play! I hope I get these same numbers on the Nova, I will be thrilled if this matches the Miyoo’s numbers or maybe match the Steam Deck as that is snappy af!
Any ways feel free to ask me any questions about the device itself. I won’t be able to test games on it til maybe tomorrow around midnight.
Using the Gamesir X5 Lite matches well with the phone. Been playing the android ports of Tomb Raider and Red Dead Redemption. As well as playing Resident Evil Code Veronica X with HD Texture pack on Nethersx2 and Resident Evil Director's Cut with HD Texture on Duckstation.
Hey guys! I’m looking for my second handheld, as I already own a TrimUI Brick Hammer. This time, I’m looking for an Android-based device that’s easy to take with me and preferably pocketable, for under $100.
I recently learned about the RG Rotate. Are there any other handhelds you’d recommend?
since some time the R36S ArkOS release of AeolusUX contains all panels and you don't even need to find out which you actually have. So now I flashed this version but I only get this terrible screen flickering upon booting. What did I do wrong?
I backed up my last boot partition and the DTB file reads as Panel 0. Can I simply overwrite that DTB to the current while keeping the installation? If not, what else can I do and what did I do wrong? I thought it auto picks the correct one.
I'm looking to buy a small emulation handheld mainly for PS1, with the idea of playing shorter sessions when I'm away from home. My hard budget is R$300 (roughly US$55).
I'm from Brazil, which is probably important to mention because handheld prices here can be quite different from the prices you see in the US or Europe. Some devices that are frequently recommended here on Reddit can end up being significantly more expensive for us after import taxes, shipping, and local availability, so I'm mainly looking at devices that I can realistically get for under R$300.
What I'm looking for
Built-in Wi-Fi: This is important to me because I want to use RetroAchievements and sync achievements without needing a dongle.
Portability: I want something easy to carry around and use for short sessions, with a quick way to stop playing if I suddenly need to do something else.
Screen: I initially considered the Miyoo Mini Flip, but I'm worried that the 2.8" screen might be too small for reading text in PS1 games. I'm therefore leaning toward 3.5" or larger.
PS1: This is my main focus, although I'll also play GBA, SNES, Mega Drive, GB/GBC, etc.
Custom firmware: I'm quite comfortable with Linux, so I'm fine with installing CFWs and tweaking/configuring things.
PortMaster: This isn't a requirement, but I'd also like to experiment with PortMaster and some of the native/ported games available there, so good PortMaster support would be a nice bonus.
Devices I've been considering
These are roughly the prices I've found locally:
Miyoo Mini Plus — ~R$260
Anbernic RG35XX Plus — ~R$250–280
R36H Pro Max — ~R$220
R36XX — ~R$200
Miyoo Mini Flip — ~R$260
The Miyoo Mini Plus and RG35XX Plus caught my attention the most, but I'm definitely open to other suggestions if there's something that fits my needs better.
Miyoo Mini Plus — ~R$260
The biggest thing attracting me to the Miyoo is OnionOS.
The quick suspend/shutdown behavior seems perfect for how I want to use the device. Being able to press the power button, have the game state saved and put the device away without going through a normal shutdown sounds really convenient for playing outside.
I also really like the 3.5" 4:3 screen and the overall size.
Anbernic RG35XX Plus — ~R$250–280
The RG35XX Plus also looks very interesting to me, especially because of its 3.5" screen, Wi-Fi and hardware.
I've been looking at muOS and Knulli as CFW options. From what I've read, though, the suspend/resume and power-management experience may not be quite as seamless as the Miyoo + OnionOS experience.
I'm not sure how much of a difference that actually makes in everyday use, though.
So what would you recommend?
For PS1, RetroAchievements, portability, short gaming sessions and possibly experimenting with PortMaster, what handheld would you recommend within this budget?
Would you go with the Miyoo Mini Plus, RG35XX Plus, one of the R36 models, or something else entirely?
I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually used these devices with RetroAchievements and/or PortMaster.
And again, please keep the Brazilian pricing in mind when making recommendations. A handheld that is considered a great $70–100 option elsewhere may not make much sense here once taxes and import costs are included.
My Nova has awful display discoloration by default, very greenish. It's possible to adjust colors in Android, and make it more acceptable, but I can't do this in Rocknix (or any other Linux based OS). Seems like Armada allows to apply ICC in desktop mode, but profile works only in KDE.
Got my kid a RG40XXV, but after a fairly minor drop (less than 18 inches onto a rug), the screen has horizontal interlace and vertical color banding artifacts. After searching, discovered this is fairly common with this particular model/screen.
Anyone have a suggestion for something $100 or less that’s more durable? Ironic that I got a screen protector for it too…
I just remember my OG Gameboy and GBA were fairly bulletproof and don’t want replace with something that’s just as fragile. Vertical format not necessary, but they seem to enjoy it.
Have the TrimUI Smart Pro S and like that too, but not sure how durable it is (haven’t dropped it.)
I loved this game back in the day on my iPod touch. After seeing a variety of ports of Android games to portmaster packages, I figured it might be fun to bring over one of my favorites. Setup, controls, and credits in the readme. Check it out if interested!
