RetroN5: Hands on first look

[Satoshi_Matrix]

It will not retail for $100, it's at $130-140 at this point supposedly due to part cost increases and their extra time adding more frills to the OS on it.


Where's the source on that? I'd like to read that myself from them.


As I see it, now the Ouya is the better deal. Both are emulators, both use ROMS, both can use original controllers (with USB dongle on Ouya), and now the Ouya costs around a 1/3 less money and offers more than just ROMs to play. I can't say I'm not interested anymore, but I won't pay that much for what it does so I guess I'll wait for someone to be unsatisfied with it or it takes a price hit because no one will pay that much for an emulator box.

This is kinda what I've been saying all along, that the Ouya is probably going to be the better of the two.

Even so, I'm still going to buy a RetroN5 even if there is a price increase. I want to be able to definitively compare it against the Ouya and give a verdict on it. Unlike you, I'm still very much interested in it because things like missing their projected release and a bump in the price would be water under the bridge if the Retron5 turns out to be amazing. I want to find out.

[treismac]

So, out of curiosity, at what price is the RetroN5 a bust for everyone?

$100 was low enough to make me curious, but at $130-140 I will comfortably pass.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

$150 is about my limit. I'd have to do some serious thinking if it were $199, but I wouldn't pay more than that no matter what. I'd sooner just buy a second Ouya so I can use it in two different rooms without having to always move mine around.

[PizzaKat]

100 is my ceiling. Anything more forget it. Id rather get an Ouya, I read somewhere theres a second version coming out so I gotta check that out as well.

[Cryog]

Hyperkin RetroN 5 Console Demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZNOOCieSYQ

Minute 34:40 ...

[Gatucaman]

Hyperkin RetroN 5 Console Demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZNOOCieSYQ

Minute 34:40 ...

Dear Lord, the sound Distortion on Genesis is prrrrrretty bad!

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I truly, honestly do not understand why Hyperkin promotes that audio interpolation all the time. In every situation, it makes the audio sound worse than if it were turned off. Those Genesis games sound bad with it on.

I'm really impressed by that guy's Lode Runner skills. I own Lode Runner on Famicom too, but I'm not anywhere near that good.

[Atarileaf]

I was really looking forward to the retron5 but started to get concerned with delay after delay and now if it's true that they're raising the price, I'm definitely out. I've got the Ouya which emulates more retro systems, does XBMC and has some great android games as well. Looks like Hyperkin has almost lost me as a customer. I'm still not ruling it out completely, it will depend on that price rumor, but more and more it looks like I won't bother with a retron5

[Atarileaf]

If you compare it to other clones that run carts, then Hyperkin can just say "but ours runs them better and has a bunch of extra features as well!"If you compare it to other emulator machines like the Ouya, Hyperkin can say "but ours runs the original carts!" I've heard defense of the retron5 over the ouya use that exact argument but in my mind it's an inconvenience. The great thing about the ouya is that it's a rubiks cube size box that sits in my living room under my tv with my ps3 and wii and I can play it in a snap. I can switch back and forth between Atari 2600, NES, TG-16, Genesis, or Colecovision games with the press of a button. The fact that I DON'T have to drag a box of carts into the living room is the plus side of the argument IMO.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Hyperkin has stated that they will apparently honor preorders at the original MSRP, so if you've got one preordered, you'll pay $99. I hope that will be the case, as I've preordered one but not through amazon because there's no way to do that in Canada. I'll let you guys know.


Atarileaf, as I'm sure you know, I feel the same way about the Ouya. I really, really like that thing, even though it does get flooded with a lot of crap. It's pretty amazing how many flappy bird clones have been released for it in the last little while. But while we get all that crap, we then get games like Kosmik Revenge, which is like a Pac-Man Championship Edition version of Space Invaders and man is it good. There was also the firmware update yesterday that makes the GUI a hell of a lot better, finally allowing me to put all the emulators and XBMC in a favorites section so I can quickly snap to them. The new interface still needs some improving, but it's much better to how it used to be.

[stardust4ever]

New bad news on the Retron5 front.

We're up to a trifecta of garbage now. Lies, missed dates, and now the price.

It will not retail for $100, it's at $130-140 at this point supposedly due to part cost increases and their extra time adding more frills to the OS on it.

It will be out mid-May looking at things for $30-40 more than promised if this promise means anything this time.


As I see it, now the Ouya is the better deal. Both are emulators, both use ROMS, both can use original controllers (with USB dongle on Ouya), and now the Ouya costs around a 1/3 less money and offers more than just ROMs to play. I can't say I'm not interested anymore, but I won't pay that much for what it does so I guess I'll wait for someone to be unsatisfied with it or it takes a price hit because no one will pay that much for an emulator box.Thank gawd for preorders. I wanted to support StoneAge gamer, but looks like they'll be taking a loss on my preorder now, especially stacked with a fat 15% off coupon. Now I kinda wish I'd used Amazon's preorder price guarantee instead, since they can better take the hit than SAG.

[Leo_A]

I wonder if controller port 2 for any of the three pairs of controller ports can be used for player 1 on this thing? It would appear so from what I've seen of their menu, but I haven't actually seen it selected yet. Would be convenient since it would allow a secondary controller to always be plugged in at the ready like a arcade stick.

Also curious about the SuperNes mouse or anything of the sort like Arkanoid's spinner. Obviously light guns are useless here, but I haven't heard anything about other controller types that send a different kind of signal than that of a normal gamepad.

And $130-$150? Good luck selling to the casuals with things like the Super Retro Trio out there for half the price.

[Atarileaf]

Hyperkin has stated that they will apparently honor preorders at the original MSRP, so if you've got one preordered, you'll pay $99. I hope that will be the case, as I've preordered one but not through amazon because there's no way to do that in Canada. I'll let you guys know. Atarileaf, as I'm sure you know, I feel the same way about the Ouya. I really, really like that thing, even though it does get flooded with a lot of crap. It's pretty amazing how many flappy bird clones have been released for it in the last little while. But while we get all that crap, we then get games like Kosmik Revenge, which is like a Pac-Man Championship Edition version of Space Invaders and man is it good. There was also the firmware update yesterday that makes the GUI a hell of a lot better, finally allowing me to put all the emulators and XBMC in a favorites section so I can quickly snap to them. The new interface still needs some improving, but it's much better to how it used to be.Very busy with work but I'm hoping to use the ouya this weekend and get the updates. I'll look up that game you mentioned too - Kosmik Revenge - sounds like something right up my alley thanks :)And I hate flappy bird, and have noticed a large amount of clones for some inexplicable reason :D

[Atarileaf]

Oh forgot to ask - is there any confirmation of this price increase? I can't find anything online about it.

[Tanooki]

Satoshi the price being raised was in a video from the other day, and I got the whole thing about part increases on that, and the OS is from someone who is a partner of theirs on the sly not wanting to be named.

That's where I got it from.

treismac -- $100 is my cap because then it's better to get the Ouya in my book since they're both ROM readers anyway. Also my interest fell a bit after I ended up getting a famicom adapter for the Nintendo so it would only be good for the save/load states and Genesis if I wanted to even bother with that at this rate so $100 is pushing it.


Atarileaf the video of a conference they did at the trade show about 3-4 days ago while they're demoing the unit (which broke on them placing 2 carts in it at the same time) they said the price would be at $130 to $140 when it retail in the next 30 days or so (placing the release in mid-May.)

[Atarileaf]

I found this video that Gamester81 just did. They don't mention a price but he says "just north of $100". How far north, I don't know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPAP_jZj0wc

[treismac]

[With the Ouya] I can switch back and forth between Atari 2600, NES, TG-16, Genesis, or Colecovision games with the press of a button. The fact that I DON'T have to drag a box of carts into the living room is the plus side of the argument IMO.

Bingo. If I'm not playing my cartridges with the original hardware, convenience is a huge factor. Why should I buy the RetroN5 that plays roms on an Android system but requires the cartridge when I can play whatever game (hack, translation, homebrew, etc.) I desire on the Ouya that also plays roms on an Android system but DOESN'T require the actual cartridge. Novelty, I suppose, because tethering what I can play to physical cartridges cuts what I can play to a fraction. Perhaps one day when all of my backup systems for the NES, SNES, and Genesis die and it's next to impossible to find a working original console, I'll grab a cartridge based clone like the RetroN5.

[Tanooki]

That's a solid point about dragging carts if you don't want to use them. And I think I said it anyways before but if you pay a few bucks for a SNES-usb jack you could play any of those pre-3D game super comfy using a legit SNES pad or some of the screwy third party stuff. For the Genesis you could always get that capcom pad soldier controller which is oddly shaped but has all 6 buttons on the face.

I'm really tempted to hit Amazon roll and watch for another of those $60~ deals for the Ouya and just snap it up as it goes on sale now and again. I've got roms for my carts, but ultimately the goofy games unique to it would be nice, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could sideload google play shop and snap my games off there onto it.

[Drclaw411]

UPDATE 4/17/24: Hyperkin has increased the price of the RetroN 5, saying "north of $100, between $129.99 and $149.99". Alll pre-orders from Amazon should be honored via their pre-order price guarantee. I believe Newegg has the same guarantee, I am not sure about Stone Age Gamer or 8 Bit Classics. Think Geek still hasn't opened pre-orders on the unit, instead offering a link to be signed up for email notifications as to when it will be available. Also on the Amazon front, they have sold out or pre-orders. Furthermore, it is more likely you'll learn the ETA from Amazon, Newegg, or whoever you ordered it from. Hyperkin has gone on record of saying they will never again announce a hard release date for anything.



Hyperkin says they will not announce a hard launch date here: http://underratedretro.com/2014/04/overheard-at-pax-hyperkin-ready-to-launch-retron-5/

[buzz_n64]

What the hell?!?!!!!! I was holding off on pre-ordering it for $99.99 because a friend of mine who is a collector/seller said he would get it for me at a wholesale discount price. Now it's going to be even more expensive. If I would have known that they were going to raise the price, then I would have pre-ordered it. Well, at least I can wait a while until the bugs are worked out after consumer feedback and real testing occurs. Also, it won't take long 'till this thing is cracked and real fun can be had out of this, also maybe a price drop may make me bite.

[stardust4ever]

Hyperkin RetroN 5 Console Demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZNOOCieSYQ

Minute 34:40 ...

Honestly, that's an impressive emulation for Genny. Note the Ms Pacman Genesis segment in the middle of the video. Ms Pacman is borderline unplayable with a six button controller unless you hold MODE when you plug it in. Intermittently you can go right and left but not up and down just like in the video here. The Retron5 actually emulates the controller bug. While most clones and real hardware do this (and some Genesis clones like the FC twin which use the 9-pin, 5 wire "pirate" controllers, it's impossible to disable the effect), I do not know of any emulators that do. Now let's hope the Hyperkin boys thought to include a toggle setting in the menu for 3/6 button operation, otherwise your stuck...

[Zap!]

Much needed bump, since there is now talk the system will go for as high as $150, and supplies will be extremely limited at first (May shipment).

[PizzaKat]

This thread should be called reasons the Ouya is superior to the Retron 5. No way Im getting this now. More than what they said it would be, delays after delays, limited supplies, chances the first run may have flaws. Gimme a break and to hell with this.

[Tanooki]

$150 isn't a rumor, their reps at shows are saying it to the press. 50% price increase, another minor delay into Mid-May and with limited supply. Now they're even lying about it being an emulation box after this one dude asked their opinion of emulators saying those cheapen real games and aren't right because they did mentioned Ouya. Just another lie for the list really.

I was very interested in this, but at this rate it's over my budget for a clone system. Knowing it's a cart dumping ROM emulator at $99 I was fine with that, but at $150 the Ouya is the better buy as it runs far more stuff than just NES/SNES/GEN/SMS(w/powerbase)/GBA/Famicom emulated stuff including its own game library. Also keep in mind Ouya is found at retail bigbox stores, this thing won't, they won't touch it.

[stardust4ever]

I have heard MSRP quotes for $119.99, $129.99, $139.99, and now $149.99, literally all over the place. Hyperkin might as well be playing a game of "pin the tail on the donkey" trying to figure out what price they are gonna sell this junk at. I had origonally assumed $139.99 was agreed upon. Regardless, if this POS retails for $149.99 and Stone Age Gamer makes me up the ante on my preorder, I'm out. From rumors of the thing frying with multiple carts inserted, to attempting to neg on their contract with the creater of the 4-in-1 SNES Kickstarter, also NES homebrew plain refusing to load, and myriads of other unanswered questions, it's getting to be a big mess. That, and I've got a Super Retro Trio hopefully in the mail soon.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

More than what they [initially] said it would be, delays after delays, limited supplies, chances the first run may have flaws.

Its almost as if Hyperkin is a tiny company without the resources large companies have at their disposal!


Now they're even lying about it being an emulation box after this one dude asked their opinion of emulators saying those cheapen real games and aren't right because they did mentioned Ouya. Just another lie for the list really.

No, that's not a lie. I took marketing in college, and can say with 100% certainty that statement was simply their chief of sales and marketing doing what marketing people do - put a spin on a topic to make their product stand out as unique. What does the Retron5 do that the Ouya doesn't? Play carts. Therefore, stress that point and undermine any similarities that could otherwise be drawn up between your product and the competition.

In all fairness, the guy can hardly be faulted for that any more than a defense lawyer can for submitting evidence and picking apart testimonies to make the issue of their client's guilt anything but black and white. I mean, that's just what they do. It's his job. He wasn't lying.



I have heard MSRP quotes for $119.99, $129.99, $139.99, and now $149.99, literally all over the place.

Yeah, but from who? Hyperkin has not made any official announcement of the final price nor final release date. Just vague ballpark ranges. Until they do make such an announcement, you should take all prices with a grain of salt. $139 is probably going to be close to the final price in my estimation, but that's only an estimation.



rumors of the thing frying with multiple carts inserted

I highly doubt that's true. Hyperkin knows that people are going to do that. What will almost surely happen is that there will be an error message that says you can't do that.


also NES homebrew plain refusing to load, and myriads of other unanswered questions, it's getting to be a big mess.
The NES homebrew issue is probably a result of unrecognized headers. Hyperkin has stated they'll be patching such things with firmware updates, so even if some of the homebrew doesn't work right upon release, its very possible it can and will be fixed in the future.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have some mixed feelings about the RetroN5.

First, I hate to toot my own horn, but on the Ouya being the better choice than the RetroN5......I told you so. Go back and look at this or the other thread called "The Retron5 is a thing, apparently" to find many many posts I've left saying this.


Am I still excited for the RetroN5? Yes. Does the price increase suck? Yes. Is it a deal breaker for me? No. I'm hoping the Canadian online store I preordered it from will honor Hyperkin's promise that whenever possible, the Retron5 will sell for the preorder price. Even if that doesn't happen though, I'm still looking forward to getting a first look at the Retron5 upon its release and answering in depth questions people have about it.

[Atarileaf]

I agree, the ouya is the better option. Glad I made that choice and I'm very happy with it. Been playing it quite a bit and having xbmc and some fun android games just makes this a no-brainer purchase for me.

Marketing aside, Hyperkin is playing fast and loose with the semantics of what does or does not constitute emulation. The thing is, this is a device targeted to a certain group that is very familiar with the ins and outs of emulation so I'm not sure who they think they're fooling.

[mercuryshadow09]

I agree, the ouya is the better option. Glad I made that choice and I'm very happy with it. Been playing it quite a bit and having xbmc and some fun android games just makes this a no-brainer purchase for me.

Marketing aside, Hyperkin is playing fast and loose with the semantics of what does or does not constitute emulation. The thing is, this is a device targeted to a certain group that is very familiar with the ins and outs of emulation so I'm not sure who they think they're fooling.

I prefer the bigger selection of emulators the original Xbox runs.

[JSoup]

Its almost as if Hyperkin is a tiny company without the resources large companies have at their disposal!

Kinda like the Ouya?

[Atarileaf]

I prefer the bigger selection of emulators the original Xbox runs.

True but the ouya's footprint fits my entertainment system much better than an xbox. I may get a cheap one though, because I hear so many great things about it's emulation.

[PizzaKat]

Its almost as if Hyperkin is a tiny company without the resources large companies have at their disposal!



I have some mixed feelings about the RetroN5.

First, I hate to toot my own horn, but on the Ouya being the better choice than the RetroN5......I told you so. Go back and look at this or the other thread called "The Retron5 is a thing, apparently" to find many many posts I've left saying this.



I came in this thread hyped for the Retron 5, after reading your comments and looking more into it Im more likely will buy it. Its actually on sale at Amazon now is the best time I suppose.

[stardust4ever]

I have some mixed feelings about the RetroN5.

First, I hate to toot my own horn, but on the Ouya being the better choice than the RetroN5......I told you so. Go back and look at this or the other thread called "The Retron5 is a thing, apparently" to find many many posts I've left saying this.

For the millionth time, Ouya and Retron5 are mutually exclusive. Ouya plays ROMs but not carts; Retron5 plays carts but not ROMs. If you want to play 1000s of Retro (and indie) games on an HDTV without buying a bunch of hardware, Ouya is for you. If you've already got an extensive collection of carts but are concerned with maintaining your old hardware, getting the best display, or other perks like save states, then the Retron5 is the obvious chioce.



Am I still excited for the RetroN5? Yes. Does the price increase suck? Yes. Is it a deal breaker for me? No. I'm hoping the Canadian online store I preordered it from will honor Hyperkin's promise that whenever possible, the Retron5 will sell for the preorder price. Even if that doesn't happen though, I'm still looking forward to getting a first look at the Retron5 upon its release and answering in depth questions people have about it.You and I appear to be in the same boat having pre-ordered from small fry websites. I hope Hyperkin honors those preorders.


I came in this thread hyped for the Retron 5, after reading your comments and looking more into it Im more likely will buy it. Its actually on sale at Amazon now is the best time I suppose.

"Please notify me when this product becomes available."

Yep, that looks quite available to me. Derp. :deadhorse:

[mercuryshadow09]

True but the ouya's footprint fits my entertainment system much better than an xbox. I may get a cheap one though, because I hear so many great things about it's emulation.

I wouldn't mind having an Ouya just for the games it has and movies, but I got a media player so that's not that big a thing for me, if I didn't have an Xbox full of retro games I would invest in one but the price and the fact I already have an emulation machine just put me off from pulling the trigger.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I agree, the ouya is the better option. Glad I made that choice and I'm very happy with it. Been playing it quite a bit and having xbmc and some fun android games just makes this a no-brainer purchase for me.

Marketing aside, Hyperkin is playing fast and loose with the semantics of what does or does not constitute emulation. The thing is, this is a device targeted to a certain group that is very familiar with the ins and outs of emulation so I'm not sure who they think they're fooling.

Never once have I regreatted buying an Ouya, and over the last six months with firmware updates and patches, most of the blemishes and early frustrations I had with the Ouya have gone away, making it a product I can easily recommend to nearly everyone, especially the retro focused gamer.

You ask who are hyperkin fooling with their marketing spin, but I can assure you that it's a lot of people. I run a mid-sized youtube channel with over 3000 subscribers now. Almost daily when I post a video on a classic game on on the Ouya, I get a comment from someone who says they will buy that game because they want to play it on the Retron5 and how that will such a special experience. There's a lot of people who are oblivious to how the RetroN5 even works.



I prefer the bigger selection of emulators the original Xbox runs.

What? What does the original Xbox run that the Ouya doesn't? Aside from Xbox and DOS, the Ouya runs everything that's on the Xbox, which is why the Ouya has replaced the Xbox as my emulation box of choice. I keep one around because CoinOps is still absolutely awesome, but the Ouya's got it outclassed in hardware and in capability.


Kinda like the Ouya?

Exactly like Ouya! Do you not remember how botched of a launch the Ouya had? Delays, kickstarter backers not getting their systems ahead of the retail version, the fact that the kickstarter version was inferior to the retail version, the fact that the 1.0 firmware was...well, shit, controller lag and sync issues, controller buttons getting stuck in the faceplate, the fact that Ouya's customer support was horrendous, and so on and so on. The botched launch still colors people's opinions of the Ouya in a negative way.

Hyperkin is in the exact same position Ouya was last spring. Only difference is that they aren't under extreme pressure because of angry kickstarter backers.



For the millionth time, Ouya and Retron5 are mutually exclusive.

This. TOTALLY this. I speak of Ouya vs Retron5, but there's no reason you can't buy both. All I'm saying is that people generally won't do that. I will, and I think it would be a good idea if others did as well, assuming the Retron5 turns out to be all its cracked up to be.



I wouldn't mind having an Ouya just for the games it has and movies, but I got a media player so that's not that big a thing for me, if I didn't have an Xbox full of retro games I would invest in one but the price and the fact I already have an emulation machine just put me off from pulling the trigger.

What do you currently use for a media center? Keep in mind, the Ouya is more powerful than the original Xbox, and far more flexible with its emulators supporting pretty much any USB or blutooth controller form an NES to USB converter to a PS3 Dualshock 3. The open source nature of the Ouya is really the best thing about it. Hell, there's even an overclock app you can download for it that roots it and taxes the hardware to a stable point where nothing will crash yet you'll get a preformance boost at the cost of the fan running more often. The method of enabling such a hack? Simply launching the app and pressing a button.

And then there's the Ouya's own library of games. Yeah, it's a mixed bag, but there are some REALLY good games on Ouya, some of them even exclusive to it. A surprising number of them are absolutely free, while others are inexpensive, with only a handful costing PSN/XBLA prices. Everyone on Ouya is free to try, which means that you essentially get a demo with everything there is. You'll never buy blindly.

I can understand if you're holding out because you already have access to most of what the Ouya has to offer, but I tell you, as someone who was in the same boat, I'm so glad I made the leap. The Ouya really is one of the best purchases I've made in recent memory. I use it almost every day and love how flexible it is.

[PizzaKat]

yeah thats why I have it currently in my cart. :roll:

[Tanooki]

Kinda like the Ouya?

Hah touche. ;) And more amusing, I doubt we'll see the Retron5 inside of Best Buy or Target anytime soon you know, like the Ouya.


While this topic seems to be morphing both into OUYA and RETRON5 I got to ask about the Ouya. What's the deal with the story that they had an Ouya2 coming with better specs inside the little cube? I'm leaning towards one of those things now as I'm fine leaving my systems plugged in to play the carts, yet I'd rather not buy an Ouya for 99 to have #2 pop up 30-90 days later for the same price and nicer stuff going on inside.

And on the Ouya I never was quite certain but I heard if you have a google play enable tablet with purchases on it, you can somehow sideload this stuff to the Ouya. Is this easy or do you have to void the warranty doing some illicit jailbreaking?

[Satoshi_Matrix]

According to the weekly Ouya devs google hangout broadcast, the "Ouya 2" has been confirmed to be in development as a real thing, but they haven't made any announcements at all, such as specs, price, release date or anything.

Ouya will be at E3, so you'll need to wait until June 10-12 for any potential announcement. If Ouya's gonna announce the Ouya 2 anytime soon, it'll be at E3.


My bold predictions (or at least, hopes and expectations) on the Ouya "2":

-Android KitKat 4.4.2 OS
-Tegra 4 quad core processor with 2GB RAM
-16 GB Flash storage
-1080p and 720p HDMI output
-Blutooth 4.0
-802.11n wireless and Ethernet port
-backwards compatibility with all existing Ouya software
-improved controller with rear triggers, better grips on the thumbsticks and a better touchpad. Hell, they might even add start and select buttons like they should've in the first Ouya! -1x Micro-USB 2.0
-2x USB 2.0 [c'mon Ouya, do it do it do it do it do it!]

-$199 MSRP.

The one thing I'm pretty certain of is I don't think they'll be able to sell a Tegra 4 Ouya for $99. Love to be wrong, but I suspect it will be at least double what the 8GB original Ouya sells for.



And on the Ouya I never was quite certain but I heard if you have a google play enable tablet with purchases on it, you can somehow sideload this stuff to the Ouya. Is this easy or do you have to void the warranty doing some illicit jailbreaking?

The Ouya is basically one giant middle finger to products with warranty voids and complex jailbreaking procedures.

Sideloading on the Ouya is dead simple. With a micro USB cable, you can plug your Ouya into your PC/Mac and essentially turn it into a mass storage device. Then where ever you want, simply place the .apk file(s) on the Ouya and then disconnect and go play your Ouya on your tv. In the main menu, choose Builds and there will be anything that's sideloaded. From then it's just a matter of hitting launch. Not everything works with the Ouya, especially when it comes to controller support if the apps were not written for that in mind. For example, it's possible to play the beautiful Final Fantasy VI port to Android on Ouya, but you have to use the touchpad on the controller - none of the physical buttons do anything. This will be the case more often than not.

All that being said, I've owned an Ouya for almost a year now and I've found there to be PLENTY available on the Ouya's own discover store to never be even slightly temped to look at the Google Play Store. The Ouya has content coming out all the time, and if you don't already own an Ouya, as soon as you jump in you'll find plenty to keep your interest from the incredibly sublime Clark to the incredible Maldita Castilla. Then there's all the stuff that will just put a smile on your face, like Donkey☆Me, which is a Donkey Kong arcade clone using characters from 80's films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, and the Goonies rendered in 8-bit sprites.

While a Tegra 4 Ouya will be more powerful, depending on what you want out of the Ouya it might not even be needed. A Tegra 4 Ouya will let them put far more visually impressive modern games on Ouya, and let XBMC handle bluray rips and flac audio and really high end stuff like that. If you're after the retro stuff, the existing Ouya is more than adequate.

[YoshiM]

Only hiccup to tour description of the Ouya, Satoshi, is that Ouya will now get games with no demos. They lifted that requirement recently. I doubt this will become retro active with the existing titles but I'm sure we'll start to see some games come down the pike demo free.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Yeah, that does suck, but I haven't seen that happen yet. If that does start to happen then maybe that will change my opinion on the Ouya being quite as awesome as it is now, but
even if they do a limited timed trail that's still better than, say, the Nintendo e-shop, which expects you to lop down money on games with only a vague idea what they even are. Blind buys are something I hate to do on digital shops.

[stardust4ever]

Only hiccup to tour description of the Ouya, Satoshi, is that Ouya will now get games with no demos. They lifted that requirement recently. I doubt this will become retro active with the existing titles but I'm sure we'll start to see some games come down the pike demo free.
It's simple, really. No free download, no buy for me. Ouya rocks, btw.

[Atarileaf]

If you've already got an extensive collection of carts but are concerned with maintaining your old hardware, getting the best display, or other perks like save states, then the Retron5 is the obvious chioce.



All that can still be done with the ouya WITHOUT having to drag your carts around. That's the point. If I'm not playing original hardware, then it doesn't matter to me whether I'm playing a cart or a rom, especially since the retron just makes you THINK you're playing the real thing. In the end, ouya or retron 5, you're playing a rom.

[Damaramu]

Yeah, that does suck, but I haven't seen that happen yet. If that does start to happen then maybe that will change my opinion on the Ouya being quite as awesome as it is now, but
even if they do a limited timed trail that's still better than, say, the Nintendo e-shop, which expects you to lop down money on games with only a vague idea what they even are. Blind buys are something I hate to do on digital shops.

Satoshi, are you making Let's Plays with your Ouya? Are you recording via a PVR or do you point a camera at your HDTV?

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Satoshi, are you making Let's Plays with your Ouya? Are you recording via a PVR or do you point a camera at your HDTV?

Well, I don't really consider what I do as Let's Plays. They sort of are, but I think of them as showcases where I show a bit of early gameplay to get people interested who might have never heard of a game, or only know vague things about it. They're not really reviews, but I do try to only talk about games worth playing.

I record all my videos with a camera at the moment. I'd love to purchase a recorder that hooks up to my mac so I can capture even better quality video with clean audio and then add in later commentary with editing, but that would be expensive. Still, with ad revenue from youtube it's a possibility in the future. Any money I make through youtube goes right back into it, which is how I was able to afford an HD camera in the first place. I used to use a 480p 4:3 camera with a bad mic and horrible auto focus.

Anyway, if you guys want to check out what's on the Ouya, I post videos every day and at least once a week a new Ouya Classic. Here's the current playlist of episodes.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtsZRFeG-MhLhWpjayQSdbMeJ4RDLFmLI

[Einzelherz]

All that can still be done with the ouya WITHOUT having to drag your carts around. That's the point. If I'm not playing original hardware, then it doesn't matter to me whether I'm playing a cart or a rom, especially since the retron just makes you THINK you're playing the real thing. In the end, ouya or retron 5, you're playing a rom.

I agree, but I'd add one thing. It's easier to use original controllers on the Retron, which is important for some.

[Atarileaf]

I agree, but I'd add one thing. It's easier to use original controllers on the Retron, which is important for some.

Probably the only thing the retron has over the ouya and even then, I believe adapters can be used to attach original controllers. The question is - are using original controllers worth the money? Personally I haven't had a lick of problem using the ouya controller, the only time it's an issue is with Atari 2600 paddle games, but then again, not something the retron 5 can help me with anyway. I gotta try the PS3 controller with it, I hear that it works great on the ouya.

[stardust4ever]

All that can still be done with the ouya WITHOUT having to drag your carts around. That's the point. If I'm not playing original hardware, then it doesn't matter to me whether I'm playing a cart or a rom, especially since the retron just makes you THINK you're playing the real thing. In the end, ouya or retron 5, you're playing a rom.Yes, but this requires either:

A) Download ROMs illegally from shady websites, copy to a flash drive, and shove them up the Ouya's anus. It doesn't matter if you own the original game or not, or how many people's doing it, downloading commercial ROMs is illegal.

B) Use a fugly backup device like a Retrode to dump ROMs to a PC, which costs more than the Retron5 once you buy all the necessary adapters. You'll still need a Kazoo or CopyNES in addition to Retrode in order to backup your NES games.

C) Stay within copyright law and limit yourself to Public Domain homebrew ROMs and other games from the likes of sites like pdroms.de There are a few fun games to play, but most will find the library of free and PD ROMs lacking.

Retron5 is a guilt-free alternative to playing original game carts that you legally collected and obtained over the years, with enhancements (HD, save state, etc...). Plus, no PC required and you still go through the drill of "insert cart into slot" as the games were intended to be played.

[BlastProcessing402]

True but the ouya's footprint fits my entertainment system much better than an xbox. I may get a cheap one though, because I hear so many great things about it's emulation.

The Wii's got some great emulators too, and a much smaller footprint than the Xbox. Hell compared to an Xbox the Wii has a toeprint.

[mercuryshadow09]

What? What does the original Xbox run that the Ouya doesn't? Aside from Xbox and DOS, the Ouya runs everything that's on the Xbox, which is why the Ouya has replaced the Xbox as my emulation box of choice. I keep one around because CoinOps is still absolutely awesome, but the Ouya's got it outclassed in hardware and in capability.

CoinOps has awesome light gun support on Xbox for one can you use a light gun on the Ouya?

Colecovision?

Atari 7800?

Sega CD?

32X?

Odyssey?

Lynx?







What do you currently use for a media center?

I have a Micca with a 1 TB HDD inside and a 1 TB external for now, it plays pretty much anything you can throw at it, I can rip an ISO right from a DVD and it will play the ISO file as if it was the DVD with all the menus.

[Atarileaf]

Yes, but this requires either:

A) Download ROMs illegally from shady websites, copy to a flash drive, and shove them up the Ouya's anus. It doesn't matter if you own the original game or not, or how many people's doing it, downloading commercial ROMs is illegal.

Retron5 is a guilt-free alternative to playing original game carts that you legally collected and obtained over the years, with enhancements (HD, save state, etc...). Plus, no PC required and you still go through the drill of "insert cart into slot" as the games were intended to be played.

This argument assumes I experience guilt. I do not.

[Atarileaf]

Anyway, if you guys want to check out what's on the Ouya, I post videos every day and at least once a week a new Ouya Classic. Here's the current playlist of episodes.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtsZRFeG-MhLhWpjayQSdbMeJ4RDLFmLI

Subbed. Love your vids. Great voice and I can tell you really enjoy doing this, which shows through well and makes watching them that much more enjoyable.

[Tanooki]

Wow that doesn't sound so bad after all Satoshi.

I guess I'd have to plug my nexus 7 into the computer, find where the games I paid for APK files are on there, and grab those, dump to the PC, pop the Ouya on there and copy back to a specific directory for files and if it works (controller issues) it works. I don't have a lot of games, but about 1/2 of them or more support the Moga or HID bluetooth controllers so that's why I asked.

I don't think your bold prediction is too far off the mark, they need to find a way to catch back up with Amazon and the others butting in on their territory.

[stardust4ever]

CoinOps has awesome light gun support on Xbox for one can you use a light gun on the Ouya?Lightguns are dead in the HDTV era. If you want, Wiimotes can emulate a lightgun on Wii brew emulators (point at the screen and shoot; your cursor needs to line up with the target; hard to aim without one), but it's not the same as using a real light gun and real CRT screen.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

It's easier to use original controllers on the Retron, which is important for some.

Easier yes, but the difference is very slight. The Ouya's got a single USB port, so if you don't have external storage, you can just plug in pretty much any USB controller or controller adapter. As I've said many times, I very often use a SNES to USB adapter and then use an authentic SNES controller to play most of the emulators on the Ouya and some of the Ouya games too. The emulators let you map the SNES controller however you want, and create custom controller profiles. An SNES controller works especially well for:

GameBoy
GameBoy Color
GameBoy Advance
NES
Master System
PC Engine
SNES (of course)
Neo-Geo Pocket
Mame

You can also use a great variety of blutooth controllers like the Sony DualShock 3 (PS3 controller) on it. Sure, the RetroN5 will have all the plugs just there ready for your controllers, but it will ultimately be limited to the NES, SNES, Genesis and RetroN5 controller standards. None of the open source stuff the Ouya has. (at least until it gets hacked to do so)


The question is - are using original controllers worth the money? Personally I haven't had a lick of problem using the ouya controller...I gotta try the PS3 controller with it, I hear that it works great on the ouya.

I don't mind using the Ouya controller, but I prefer to use an SNES controller when given the choice. You should try hooking up a PS3 controller to your Ouya. You can do so wired or wirelessly. the PS3 controller also works wonderfully on the Ouya. So does a wired Xbox 360 controller if that's more your thing.


a. Can you use a light gun on the Ouya?
b. Colecovision?
c. Atari 7800?
d. Sega CD?
e. 32X?
f. Odyssey?
g. Lynx?


a. Well, its for HDTVs. Of course there's no lightgun support. Lightguns don't work on HDTVs.
b. I'm not sure. I have no real nostalgia for Colecovision so even if there is one I didn't download it.
c. Again I'm not sure. Maybe, but probably not. Not many people give two shits about the 7800 due to its tiny library and how it was completely outclassed by both Sega and Nintendo.
d. Yes, Sega CD is on Ouya and plays great.
e. Yes, the tiny library of 32X games are also there.
f. I doubt it.
g. Nope, probably not.

The Xbox homebrew is more diverse yes, but the original Xbox homebrew scene has been around for......twelve years? Compared to the Ouya's.....10 months? I think you gotta look at things in perspective.


Subbed. Love your vids. Great voice and I can tell you really enjoy doing this, which shows through well and makes watching them that much more enjoyable.

Hey thanks man. Always nice to see people on forums also on youtube.


Wow that doesn't sound so bad after all Satoshi.

I guess I'd have to plug my nexus 7 into the computer, find where the games I paid for APK files are on there, and grab those, dump to the PC, pop the Ouya on there and copy back to a specific directory for files and if it works (controller issues) it works. I don't have a lot of games, but about 1/2 of them or more support the Moga or HID bluetooth controllers so that's why I asked.

Just out of curiosity, what do you have that you want to play on Ouya? If you want, shoot me an email with the apks and I'll give you a report on what happens on Ouya. email satoshimatrix at hotmail.



I don't think your bold prediction is too far off the mark, they need to find a way to catch back up with Amazon and the others butting in on their territory.

There are a lot of copycats flooding the microconsole market, but it's not about having the most powerful hardware. It's about the games and the apps. I highly doubt that Amazon's FireTV will be open source with a sign that says "please hack me" on it like the Ouya does. Sure, they can throw a bunch of money at it, but even on the current Ouya, I'm usually never thinking "gee, this system would be better if it were double the specs".

If I want to play modern style games, I'd play my PS3 or something. To me, the Ouya is to do everything that I can't do on the others - play mkv movies and anime I torrented, emulators that are officially endorsed, watch youtube with a clean interface that doesn't require me to do install extra junk, and play beautiful 2D games on my TV that were mostly intended for the mobile market - the last refuge of retro gaming from modern devs.



Lightguns are dead in the HDTV era. If you want, Wiimotes can emulate a lightgun on Wii brew emulators (point at the screen and shoot; your cursor needs to line up with the target; hard to aim without one), but it's not the same as using a real light gun and real CRT screen.

Yeah, lightgun games are mostly a dead genre. That's why sales of all the wii lightgun games were poor when they came to the PS3, even though the Move is superior to the Wiimote and the games are also in proper HD. It would be nice if they were more popular, but the reason nobody has done anything isn't because it can't be done, but because there's no market for them.

[mercuryshadow09]

Lightguns are dead in the HDTV era. If you want, Wiimotes can emulate a lightgun on Wii brew emulators (point at the screen and shoot; your cursor needs to line up with the target; hard to aim without one), but it's not the same as using a real light gun and real CRT screen.

Wii, PS3 and 360 light guns suck IMHO, I have a 36" CRT and my Xbox is full of console and arcade light gun games, it can't be beat.



What? What does the original Xbox run that the Ouya doesn't? Aside from Xbox and DOS, the Ouya runs everything that's on the Xbox, which is why the Ouya has replaced the Xbox as my emulation box of choice. I keep one around because CoinOps is still absolutely awesome, but the Ouya's got it outclassed in hardware and in capability.





The Xbox homebrew is more diverse yes, but the original Xbox homebrew scene has been around for......twelve years? Compared to the Ouya's.....10 months? I think you gotta look at things in perspective.



So I will reiterate what I said.


I prefer the bigger selection of emulators the original Xbox runs.

I like light gun games and so far there is nothing comparable to the Xbox for light gun emulation, the Xbox light gun can be used for like I said CoinOps and any of the light gun games for the other emulators.

[YoshiM]

To add to the Ouya talk, games are now trickling in with no demo and even some older titles like Towerfall have had their demos yanked.

I didn't think the devs would retroactively do that. Dang.....

[YoshiM]

Link on thag:
http://ouyaforum.com/showthread.php?11268-No-Demo&p=124666#post124666

[stardust4ever]

The Xbox homebrew is more diverse yes, but the original Xbox homebrew scene has been around for......twelve years? Compared to the Ouya's.....10 months? I think you gotta look at things in perspective.Ouya is definitely more powerful than Xbox, so anything the Xbox can do, Ouya can do better, save for maybe large disc games.




There are a lot of copycats flooding the microconsole market, but it's not about having the most powerful hardware. It's about the games and the apps. I highly doubt that Amazon's FireTV will be open source with a sign that says "please hack me" on it like the Ouya does. Sure, they can throw a bunch of money at it, but even on the current Ouya, I'm usually never thinking "gee, this system would be better if it were double the specs". Ouya is the first to market, and the market for microconsoles is not that large. Ouya was built from the ground up to be a niche product, so I think it and other microconsoles can survive even with a fraction of the sales from offerings of the "big 3".



Yeah, lightgun games are mostly a dead genre. That's why sales of all the wii lightgun games were poor when they came to the PS3, even though the Move is superior to the Wiimote and the games are also in proper HD. It would be nice if they were more popular, but the reason nobody has done anything isn't because it can't be done, but because there's no market for them. Lightgun games may have been a bit of a novelty back in the day, and I was a little disappointed that the Wii did little to popularize this dying genre, save for maybe the target shoot mini game in Wii play among a few others. Chicken shoot was a budget shovelware title, but as a fan of light gun games, I bought the game and had fun with it. Mostly the Wiimotes have been used more as a pointing device or mouse substitue rather as a gun type device. I'm not a fan of FPS, but many are and the Wiimote would have been the perfect tool. Likely due to patent technology, PS Move and MS Kinect work differently from the Wiimote. The copycats place the camera in front of the TV and the emitter in the controller, requiring broad sweeping movements to register. Wiimote has the emitter in front of the TV and an IR camera in the controller, allowing for twitch-like movements that cannot be easily replicated using the competitors control scheme.

The real reason why light gun games are dead is not because of disinterest but because the technology required for it to work made the lightgun obsolete. Yes, the Wiimote had the capacity to replace the required CRT tech, but this capacity remained largely unfulfilled. Still, assuming people want to use lightgun emulation on a modern TV, there is no better suited controller than the Wiimote. Support in Ouya emulators would require a cursor and a power source for the Wiimote sensor bar. Wiibrew makes even more sense. I have not attempted syncing my Wiimotes with Ouya nor have I attempted to install homebrew on my Wii, even though I've since transfered all my eShop software to the Wii-U. I don't believe in jumping through hoops to sideload or softmod my consoles just to run homebrew, which is one reason why I supported the Ouya. I knew if the console failed, hackers would come to the rescue using it's built in dev settings. Ouya is doing just fine, and for that I am happy for them.

Thing is, much as some people don't like fumbling around with carts, I find it a pain to fumble around with ROMs, which is why I haven't done much with trying to run emulators on my Ouya, even though I downloaded most of them. I own flashcarts for Atari, NES, SNES, Genny, and TG-16, but I mostly use them to run homebrew games that aren't available on carts, or to play "unobtainable" games in the $100, $200 & up price range, like Earthbound. Dowloading and arranging 1000s of ROMs into folders on a PC just to copy them over to a flash cart or other device, is a pain-and-a-half, and it totally kills the "thrill of the hunt" in going out and collecting games. Game carts are cherished pieces of history that deserve to be played rather than sit on a shelf. ROMs are worthless except from a data preservation and archival perspective.

[Tanooki]

I'm not surprised Ouya couldn't keep up the must have a freebie mantra. It was nice PR, but if they want to keep the huge console level fish around, they'll need to kiss some butt and not having to pony up freebies helps.


Satoshi, sent an email, I don't have a lot of stuff. I did list a couple SNK games, may get more, and DotEmu is another I think probably should be supported too since theyre pro bluetooth gamepad. I agree it doesn't need to be huge, but it should at least try and have a huge in store presence and a solid price versus parts or Amazon will bury them with their standout displays loaded already with kindles and fire tablets.

[mercuryshadow09]

The real reason why light gun games are dead is not because of disinterest but because the technology required for it to work made the lightgun obsolete.

I have to disagree, if you compare the light gun craze and end to the Columbine school shooting you will see the parallel.

[stardust4ever]

I have to disagree, if you compare the light gun craze and end to the Columbine school shooting you will see the parallel.
Columbine? Really? Chill out, dude...
:2gunfire:

[mercuryshadow09]

What am I talking with a bunch of teenagers? Yes Columbine. Why are you telling me to "Chill out, dude"?

"Light guns were suppressed for a time in the U.S. after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and its attendant controversy over video games and gun crime.[36] Since the late 1980s light gun controllers have been generally manufactured to look like toys by painting them in bright colours. In Japan, which lacks the gun crime found in the U.S. and in which civilians cannot legally own guns, more realistic light guns are widely available."

http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Light_gun

[stardust4ever]

What am I talking with a bunch of teenagers? Yes Columbine. Why are you telling me to "Chill out, dude"?

"Light guns were suppressed for a time in the U.S. after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and its attendant controversy over video games and gun crime.[36] Since the late 1980s light gun controllers have been generally manufactured to look like toys by painting them in bright colours. In Japan, which lacks the gun crime found in the U.S. and in which civilians cannot legally own guns, more realistic light guns are widely available."

http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Light_gun
I am not a teen. I was a senior in high school when Columbine happened. Terrible. I was like "what if it happened in my school and if it had been my classmates killed?" It was unheard of then, now it's every few months we hear news of people getting shot up in mass shootings.

When I was a little kid in the 80s, my cousin gave me a jet black water pistol shaped like an AK-47. Had so much fun with that thing. This was a couple years before the bright, colorful, and far more powerful "Super Soakers" came out. And yes, I game with a original NES gray, not orange wannabe Zapper. I'd love to own a Famicom Blaster, though I'd have to rewire it or make an adapter to work on my NES. Blasting 8-bit ducks is fun; innocent school children, not so much. I have zero desire to own a real firearm. Less idiots with guns = less shootings. Period.

[JSoup]

What am I talking with a bunch of teenagers?

Very few of the regular posters here are teenagers, or even below the age of 21. "Ur a teeny, lol" isn't going take you very far with this group.

[mercuryshadow09]

Very few of the regular posters here are teenagers, or even below the age of 21. "Ur a teeny, lol" isn't going take you very far with this group.

You didn't quote my whole response, that comment was in reference to the "Chill out dude" comment, it wasn't that hard to figure out if you read my whole post!

[JSoup]

You didn't quote my whole response, that comment was in reference to the "Chill out dude" comment, it wasn't that hard to figure out if you read my whole post!

Didn't need the whole quote, just the needless insult.
Calm down, friend.
Maybe buy an Ouya and emulate some games.

[mercuryshadow09]

Didn't need the whole quote, just the needless insult.
Calm down, friend.
Maybe buy an Ouya and emulate some games.

Were you insulted by somebody else' conversation? Sorry friend I was talking to Stardust!

[JSoup]

Were you insulted by somebody else' conversation? Sorry friend I was talking to Stardust!

............Can't tell if missing the point or purposely missing the point.
Betting on the latter.

[mercuryshadow09]

............Can't tell if missing the point or purposely missing the point.
Betting on the latter.


Maybe you are purposely missing the point that it wasn't meant as an insult and it wasn't meant as an insult to you!

[JSoup]

Maybe you are purposely missing the point that it wasn't meant as an insult and it wasn't meant as an insult to you!

Oh, god, another one of those types.
We really are becoming too much of a GameFAQs-Lite dumping ground. Gonna nip this one in the bud.

"Are you sure you want to add mercuryshadow09 to your ignore list?"
Yes, DP forums, I'm sure.

[stardust4ever]

Maybe you are purposely missing the point that it wasn't meant as an insult and it wasn't meant as an insult to you!Geeze, man stop picking fights already. You lost the argument. First you bring up columbine, which was totally off-color remark IMO, then you accuse me of being "teenager" for telling you to chill out, yet you won't stop until you have the last word. Jsoup backed me up and you go on a tirade with him. Humorous emoticons aside, who's the "teenager" now?
:ass:

If you just want to troll, please, find another feeding trough. I'm done with you.
:onfire:

[Leo_A]

Easier just to put him on your ignore list, then those of us that already have don't have to see his messages being quoted.

[stardust4ever]

Easier just to put him on your ignore list, then those of us that already have don't have to see his messages being quoted.But you miss a lot of juicy drama that way...:rolleyes:

[JSoup]

But you miss a lot of juicy drama that way...:rolleyes:

Random predictable trolls like that clown don't really make for good drama, just a lot of wasted server space and not much else. We get better drama between regulars just discussing stuff back and forth. Just wait for the next Kickstarter topic, those usually attract a high level of argument.

[stardust4ever]

Changing the topic. In other news, my Super Retro Trio just shipped from DasCheap. Give me something to play with while Hyperkin Retron5 drowns in a sea of missed deadlines, price hikes, and diarrhea of the mouth.
:deadhorse:

[Zap!]

What am I talking with a bunch of teenagers? Yes Columbine. Why are you telling me to "Chill out, dude"?

"Light guns were suppressed for a time in the U.S. after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and its attendant controversy over video games and gun crime.[36] Since the late 1980s light gun controllers have been generally manufactured to look like toys by painting them in bright colours. In Japan, which lacks the gun crime found in the U.S. and in which civilians cannot legally own guns, more realistic light guns are widely available."

http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Light_gun

Yeah, I remember around 1987 Sega was working on a light gun in the shape of an uzi. Up until the late 80's, even water guns (look up Entertech, I had one) looked super real (red tip, but still). Well, real-looking toy guns somehow got banned, and 90's kids instead got Super Soakers.

I have no doubt that the changing political landscape had something to do with there being a lack of gun games the past decade and a half.