Welcome to the latest edition of Retro Handhelds Weekly. This week saw a bunch of news in both the world of hardware and software, our writing team continues to be on an absolute tear, and there’s even a surprise or two sprinkled in! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and catch up on what’s happened this week in the world of Retro Handhelds.
Table of Contents
Hardware
If there’s one thing we know about retro handhelds, it’s that there is always something new around the corner. Seriously, it’s “worse” than smartphones, as some companies release new handhelds every other week. On the bright side, at least there’s no shortage of options.
EmuDeck Machine Cancelled
We are saddened to hear the cancelation of the EmuDeck Machine. This could have been a delightful Livingroom PC! https://t.co/na7YlOa8pA
— Retro Handhelds (@RetroHandhelds) October 3, 2024
Back in August, the lead developer for EmuDeck announced that it was looking to release a retro-focused home console, dubbed the EmuDeck Machine. It was an intriguing idea, as we’ve wondered whether Valve would introduce something like the “Steam Box” for the living room. Unfortunately, the EmuDeck developer confirmed that the Machine was being canceled as “nobody bought it.”
Russ Checks Out the M-Con Controller
If it weren’t obvious, many of us here at RH are of the mindset that there’s no such thing as having too many controllers. However, friend of the site, Russ from Retro Game Corps was able to check out a rather unique option for mobile gamers. The M-Con first made waves back in June, as this controller relies on MagSafe to connect to your iPhone or Android phone, and features a slide-out design that was inspired by the PSP Go.
You can currently sign up to be notified when pre-orders open for the M-Con, with the Kickstarter campaign expected to begin sometime in November.
TrimUI Brick for Pre-order
The TrimUI Brick is now available for pre-order from GoGameGeek. Pricing ranges from $79.99 with no microSD card to $109.99 with a 256GB microSD card. However, you can save yourself 15% at checkout by using code RH15. This knocks the price of the base model down to just $67.99!
Taki Builds Zelda OLED Switch Lite
Just before the end of September, Taki Udon launched its OLED Upgrade Kit for the Switch Lite. Well, this was also right around the time that Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, along with a special edition Switch Lite. Putting two and two together, Taki subsequently released a video showing off what the new Switch Lite looks like with an OLED display.
Nintendo Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition
Other Hardware News
Software and Custom Firmware
Don’t get me wrong, hardware is definitely fun and exciting to talk about. But what good is an awesome handheld if it doesn’t even work? That’s where software and custom firmware come into play, so here’s everything you might’ve missed this week.
RIP Ryujinx: Nintendo’s Latest Victim
Shortly after it was found that the GitHub page had been taken down, it was confirmed that Ryujnix would no longer be developed. However, instead of filing a DMCA claim before attempting to sue the Ryujnx team, Nintendo apparently came to some type of agreement with gdkchan. This is another huge blow to the emulation community, seeing as Ryujinx was the main Switch emulator for x86 devices. It was revealed that the team had been working on an Android port and even an iOS version.
Sudachi Gets a New Update
Although the removal of Ryujinx is awful for the community, it wasn’t the only Switch emulator available. Sudachi is another one that began as a fork of Yuzu a few months ago. Recently, development has picked back up, and v1.0.10 is now available for download on Android, Windows, and Linux. This latest update offers “some support for QLaunch”, while also improving “accuracy” across all three versions.
Palworld Coming to iOS and Android
One of the more surprising announcements of the week came from the Palworld camp, which is currently dealing with a lawsuit from…Nintendo. However, that didn’t seem to deter the parent company of Palworld, as it was announced that the popular game is set to arrive on Android and iOS
Someone Got macOS Running on Steam Deck
with the help of some people (CorpNewt, among others), we got macOS going on the Steam Deck.
took awhile, but we figured out a fix to make OS’s newer than catalina boot, and so, here is the macOS Sequoia recovery running on Steam Deck… pic.twitter.com/0PfqOGoQIp
— kaitlyn 🐇 (@whatdahopper) October 4, 2024
It wasn’t long ago that Valve made it easy to get Windows up and running on the Steam Deck. However, we didn’t expect anyone to try and get macOS up and running on this handheld. To be clear, this isn’t a project that you’ll want to try and do yourself, as there are a few roadblocks. These include the lack of GPU acceleration, meaning that the display can’t currently be used in a landscape orientation. Nevertheless, we can’t help but hope that this breathes life into the Hackintosh community.
Other Software News
- Gravity Rush Remastered at 60fps via shadPS4
- 3rd Person Mode Coming to Halo Infinite
- Ubisoft Could Be Taken Private
- SameBoy for iOS Update
- Xenia Canary Set to Offer Customizable Profiles
From the Writers
While there’s always a lot of news to cover and talk about, we also try to take a step back and give everyone something a bit different to enjoy. These are the more editorial-styled articles and reviews that you might have missed over the course of this week.
RH Games: What We’re Playing This Week
I am still playing a bit of the new Zelda, but wanted a good old RPG to jump into. Luckily that is exactly what won for our GotX program in Breath of Fire II. I love SNES graphics and I love a grindy turn-based RPG system. This was really helping scratch an itch. Also using the Analogue Pocket, and I know what you’re thinking, “Wait… didn’t you sell yours and talked smack about it?!”. The answer to that is yes, but I will explain myself in an upcoming article. Long story short…blame Russ.
R36S Setup Guide and Tutorial
The R36S is a clone console that you’ve likely purchased for its capabilities and extremely budget-friendly pricing. Here, we hope to help you navigate the various CFW options available for the system.
GotX: Occult October Games Are Here!
Occult October was the theme voted for by our Champions Lounge. The games that were nominated had to require the occult, from witches to black magic and everything in between! If you want to know more about our GotX program and how to participate, check out my article about that here!
Budget Bazzite Box? Ayaneo AM01
I’ve been really lazy about this whole Steam on TV setup. So after digging through the box of wigs and other things Stubbs has sent me, I found the Ayaneo AM01 with the Ryzen 3 3200U in it. Has it been a good experience for me? Would I recommend something similar? Why don’t we find out together?
Powkiddy RGB10X Review: A Solid Handheld for Beginners
A few months ago, the Powkiddy V10 was released, offering a rather odd design, seemingly trying to be both a vertical and horizontal handheld. Now, the RGB10X has arrived, looking to compete with the Miyoo A30, Anbernic RG28XX, and MagicX XU Mini M.
Does the ROG Ally X Have Poor Build Quality?
Last week, I wrote an article documenting my experiences with ASUS customer service when my Left Trigger failed. I ended up fixing the trigger myself. This week, I continued to open my unit to fix it, leading me to a curious conclusion: ROG Ally Handhelds don’t have the best build quality.
Our Favorite Switch Ports
And just like Grandma, they get old and tell the same story over and over again. But just like good old Bilbo and the troll story from The Hobbit, that doesn’t stop us from coming back for more. Supper in hand. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the bread and butter of the Nintendo Switch’s finest comebacks — the Creme de la creme of their library.
5 Lesser-Known Retro Horror Games
Happy spooky month! I love October. The fall weather, the pumpkin spice, the sweaters, and more importantly… the horror! I thought it would be a fun month to talk about different horror video games each week. I decided to start with some of my favorite lesser-known retro horror games.
On the YouTubes
Don’t think that the writers are the only ones getting things done. Stubbs and Zu are constantly working on new videos, and now’s the best time to subscribe.
Looking for Deals?
Another week, another set of deals to be had. Our latest roundup focuses a bit on the AliExpress ChoiceDay Sales, along with plenty of great deals on storage, and a couple of awesome ways to save when pre-ordering some upcoming handhelds. There is one deal that stands out, to me at least, as you can currently save $170 on the MSI Claw.
- TrimUI Brick (Pre-order): $67.99 w/ code RH15
- A30: $26 w/ code CDUS03
- CB408: $63 w/ code CDUS08
- RGB20 Pro (Pre-order): $69
- RG35XX SP: $61 w/code CDUS08
- RG406V: $156 w/code CDUS08
- OneXPlayer 1S (1TB):
$679.95$579.95 at Amazon - Amazon Luna Wireless Controller:
$69$39 - TEAMGROUP GO Card 128GB microSD Card (2-pack):
$24.99$20.99
Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week
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