Despite there being no formal announcement on his Patreon, TheGammaSqueeze, everyone’s favourite Scottish coder (and the brains behind GammaOS), has uploaded a video to YouTube showing an Alpha build of GammaOS Next running on the recently released Anbernic RG447M. Gamma’s latest video shows PS3 running in a pretty impressive fashion on the newly released device, alongside harder-to-run PS2 games like Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.
Quick History About GammaOS
GammaOS started life as a result of Gamma’s frustrations with Anbernic’s stock Android builds for their T618 devices, which had over-sharpening on their screens, making the displayed image look much worse than it should. The original version of GammaOS was further developed to give devices such as the Anbernic RG405V, RG405M & RG505 insane battery life, allowing the devices to be used for over 24 hours, for lower-powered systems like NES.
TheGammaSqueeze then split his work into two projects:
- GammaOS Core is a basic Android-based build for lower-powered RK556 devices, primarily Anbernic devices such as the RG353M, RGB30, and my personal favorite, the RG-ARC.
- GammaOS Next is the full-fat version of GammaOS. This is released for higher-end devices, with the initial release being for Anbernic’s T820 range, which includes the RG556, RG-Cube, RG406V, RG406M, and the recently released RG-Slide. Recently, Gamma made the custom operating system available for non-Anbernic devices like the ZPG Unicorn A1, AYANEO Pocket Micro, and the KT Pocket KT-R1.
Each release of GammaOS is initially only available to subscribers to Gamma’s Patreon, but is then made freely available after 90 days.
GammaOS Next Features
GammaOS Booting on the CB408
GammaOS is based on LineageOS, an open-source, optimized version of Android without much of the bloat that slows down the performance of many Android devices. GammaOS comes pre-configured for retro gaming, with the Daijisho launcher already installed, and includes pre-configured emulators with things like hotkey bindings already set up. It will also fix any button mapping issues, such as setups that pay L2 and R2 incorrectly when streaming games.
GammaOS also removed some of the security restrictions that face Android apps, and prevents them from accessing removable storage like microSD cards. This level of security can be a great idea in phones, but is a frustration for dedicated retro gaming devices.
It also allows users to choose their own preferred power profiles, which can drastically improve battery life.
But PlayStation 3?
GammaOS is supplied with preconfigured emulators, both RetroArch and standalone emulators like PPSSPP and Dolphin; however, to my knowledge, PS3 emulation has never before been included. This new inclusion is likely due to the increased power available within the Dimensity 8300 chip inside the RG477M.
Our expectation is that the included emulator is RPCSX, and Rob the Retro Tech Dad, co-host of the RH Podcast, recently did a video showing the performance and setup of this emulator on the RG557. Since this device uses the same processor as the RG447M, this will be our best available example of what PS3 performance on the RG477M will be like.
Anbernic RG477M (Direct)Anbernic RG477M (AliExpress)
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