Best Portable Emu Device.

[Damion]

Ever since I first got my psp I've got an itch for some good portable Homebrew Emulator goodness. Now since the PSP is Constantly changing it's firmware I'm frankly just getting sick of it.

So...

I was considering a GP2X (http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=126&products_id=7728) Because I've heard it's pretty decent for Emus.

But what would you guys recommend?

I'll add more to the Poll as more suggestions come up :)

[calthaer]

I would love to recommend the GP2X, because I likewise have heard great things about it - but I'm not going to vote, because I just don't know. But I will eagerly anticipate the results of the poll, just as you are...

[gepeto]

I don't know about gp but the psp gets my vote. When I fired up mike tyson punchout on and it ran so sweetly I was in pure heaven. I rarely play any psp games on it.

[DLord0]

I voted for the PSP. I'm going to explain the reasoning behind my vote below, but first I think I need to make it clear that I think only the GP handhelds and the PSP should be on the list in the first place.

I have a Tapwave Zodiac, and as much as I love it as a lightweight media player and PDA, the analogue controller is a nightmare to use with its sensitivity issues and dead zones. Double tapping for running in games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage works less than 20% of the time for me, and don't even bother with Pac-Man. So the emulated games I played for the most part on my Zod were RPGs and SRPGs. Since not even the Zod can satisfy me control-wise, you know what I'm going to say about the other PDAs.

The GP32 is limited by its media format, so we are down to the GP2X and the PSP. In terms of software, I would call it even. NES and GB/GBC is pretty much perfect on both once some remaining emulator issues are sorted out. The PSP's DGen and PSPGenesis are inferior to the 2X's DrMD, but there's NeoCD and SNES TYL to consider as well, and these two on the PSP run a lot of games smoothly with sound on at frameskip 1, which the 2X can't seem to pull off at the moment. I suspect that in the long run, devs are going to be able to tap a bit more power from the PSP, but there's are obstacles in terms of firmware updates which is somewhat discouraging to the devs, so even it is.

There are some superficial differences such as screen brightness, refresh rate issues, battery requirement and screen aspect ratio, but I don't really want to go into detail with them since it doesn't really affect emulation directly. The decisive factor that made me vote for the PSP instead of the 2X is the controls.

Yes, you heard me, the controls. The 2X has a joystick that suffers from dead zone issues and your average PSP has a d-pad that can't do diagonals very well, but there are solutions available for both that have been proposed by the fan community. There is a cap for the 2X that enlarges the external area of the joystick and makes input easier, while for the PSP d-pad can be modded to increase its responsiveness. Post-modification, the PSP comes out on top with a tight, responsive d-pad that actually reminds me of the feel of SNES joypads. While the joystick cap mod for the 2X helps, the controls still pale in comparison to the PSP's d-pad after a fairly simple but warranty voiding operation. Be it a Shoryuken, Tsubame Gaeshi, Final Fight 3 dashing or frantic diagonal shooting in Super Contra, the PSP d-pad never fails me, and I simply can't expect the same from the 2X's joystick, so the PSP is the number one homebrew handheld in my book.

[DeputyMoniker]

IPost-modification, the PSP comes out on top with a tight, responsive d-pad that actually reminds me of the feel of SNES joypads.

Can we get a link to the mod you used?

[Anthony1]

Look, the PSP has it's share of issues, but you simply can't deny it. The PSP screen is just so damn good. The sound is just so damn good. The D-Pad is not so good. That does hurt it in the Emulation department. But you simply can't deny it.


NES is basically on target. Genny is damn good for the most part. SNES is spotty as hell, but it does some games perfectly, and did I mention the screen? PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 is pretty damn proper. I've heard there is some way to even play turbo cd games. And then you have Neo-Geo CD.


Pretty hard to compete with that. Only thing is, I need to do something about that D-Pad. I know there is this fix that one can do, but it just seems extremely risky and complicated. I just don't feel like talking penetentiary chances with my baby boy. Maybe jibbajabba or classicb will learn how to do that, and I can have one of them do it for me locally.

[DLord0]

IPost-modification, the PSP comes out on top with a tight, responsive d-pad that actually reminds me of the feel of SNES joypads.

Can we get a link to the mod you used?

http://ufighterx.com/guides/videogame/pspdpadfix/pspdpadfix.htm

The modification first showed up here I believe. However, the fix they proposed is a bit obsolete next to better options. Instead of the NES sleeve, you should use a holepuncher and six layers of tape (punch out four little circular tape pieces and attach one to each part of the d-pad).

Any kind of tape should be okay since there isn't going to be much lateral movement where you are placing it, but I've heard people recommend artist's tape (whatever that is). Six layers is going to be less than a millimeter thick and you wouldn't think that it would make such a difference, but it seems to fill a dead space or something between the external part of the pad and the rubber layer beneath, and it makes the pad a lot more responsive.

EDIT:


Only thing is, I need to do something about that D-Pad. I know there is this fix that one can do, but it just seems extremely risky and complicated. I just don't feel like talking penetentiary chances with my baby boy. Maybe jibbajabba or classicb will learn how to do that, and I can have one of them do it for me locally.

Believe me, if you are not worried about voiding your warranty then this mod is something you simply must do, and most people are going to find this as easy as fixing the Dreamcast disc reading issue. I'll list the main problems you might encounter while modding just in case:

1. Use an appropriate screwdriver. The five screws that you have to unscrew are tiny and you are not likely to get them off (and prone to damaging them) unless you use the right one. I used a brand new PH0x75, but I think a PH00x75 works as well.

2. Watch out for getting dust under the screen. This one is pretty damn hard to avoid, you should do as they did in the guide and use compressed air to clean both internal sides out before re-closing your unit. I didn't have a can on hand and ended up getting a bit of dust under the screen the first time and didn't notice until I turned my PSP on and got to a light background.

Yeah, just those two. This is definitely not a hard procedure as long as you don't have below average manual dexterity.

[DeputyMoniker]

Engine/TurboGrafx-16 is pretty damn proper. I've heard there is some way to even play turbo cd games. And then you have Neo-Geo CD.


I havent had a single problem with the TG-16 emu. DUO has sound problems though, I tried to play Y's but the sound is too choppy to understand the vocals.

EDIT: BTW, I'm not voting because the PSP is the only one I've tried.