RetroN5: Hands on first look

[Vidmusc]

it might yet have composite input.

OP is actually 100% correct on Retron 5 not having composite input. Hyperkin actually scrapped the composite, and made the console HDMI only.

Either way, for everything else... With the ROM dumps apparently being temporarily, I only have one question: If you save the in game (not talking about save states), does it save to the cartridge? I'm honestly extremely confused on how this would work. I'm not even 100% sure on how emulation works itself. I was honestly considering getting the Retron 5, because it'd be an affordable option for me, as I'm wanting to get into collecting for these systems.

If anyone could answer that I'd actually really appreciate it. I'm interested in getting the Retron 5. If it isn't actually a very good piece of hardware, I might skip over it and try and find the actual systems instead.

[Az]

Wow... the whole ROM dumping and header database thing is absurd.

If it doesn't interface directly with the cart then games with bank switching, SRAM checks, and other times weird copy protection schemes won't work unless the emulator has those routines patched into it on a case by case basis.

If games require a valid header to be checked against a database then weird shit like unlicensed games and multi-game pirates won't load.

[StoneAgeGamer]

OP is actually 100% correct on Retron 5 not having composite input. Hyperkin actually scrapped the composite, and made the console HDMI only.

Either way, for everything else... With the ROM dumps apparently being temporarily, I only have one question: If you save the in game (not talking about save states), does it save to the cartridge? I'm honestly extremely confused on how this would work. I'm not even 100% sure on how emulation works itself. I was honestly considering getting the Retron 5, because it'd be an affordable option for me, as I'm wanting to get into collecting for these systems.

If anyone could answer that I'd actually really appreciate it. I'm interested in getting the Retron 5. If it isn't actually a very good piece of hardware, I might skip over it and try and find the actual systems instead.

Well the Retrode, which works similar to this, can write to cart save file. However I think the Retrode only supports SNES/SFC games saves. Maybe Hyperkin went beyond that and allows saves to other carts.

[Vidmusc]

Well the Retrode, which works similar to this, can write to cart save file. However I think the Retrode only supports SNES/SFC games saves. Maybe Hyperkin went beyond that and allows saves to other carts.

Ah okay. Hopefully it works with all the carts then. I'll probably wait for an actual review before I make a firm decision on getting this or not.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

OP is actually 100% correct on Retron 5 not having composite input. Hyperkin actually scrapped the composite, and made the console HDMI only.

That makes sense, since the Ouya also is HDMI only and no Android device natively produces composite anyway, and composite inputs would mostly go unused for the majority of the people who buy it. Why use composite when you can have HDMI 1080p? Well, other than hardcore gamers who claim to notice input lag with the non-game mode HDTVs. Those in that group have my sympathies, but you guys are in a tiny minority compared to most who don't notice/don't care.

I was hoping Hyperkin would have S-Video, but that wasnt even ever planned it seems.

With the ROM dumps apparently being temporarily, I only have one question: If you save the in game (not talking about save states), does it save to the cartridge?

first, it's important to note that the following is speculation based on what's been revealed and how other Android devices work such as the Ouya. I may be mistaken about some of this, but I strongly suspect I'm not.

Hyperkin has stated the RetroN5 will have some amount of built in storage capacity for savestates. It's extremely likely that will also be true of battery backed s-ram storage. Most emulators create a a dummy .sav file (or some other extension) to store battery-baced sram saves from cartridges. They are independent of savestates which are created manually.

In all likelihood the RetroN5 will follow this as well. Game saves will not be dependent on the cartridge. Now, it's possible Hyperkin could add a manual feature to upload the cartridge s-ram to such a .sav file or even the reverse and put a generated .sav file back to the cart, but I highly doubt that it will actively use the cartridge for pretty much anything once its been dumped to rom.

Wow... the whole ROM dumping and header database thing is absurd.

If it doesn't interface directly with the cart then games with bank switching, SRAM checks, and other times weird copy protection schemes won't work unless the emulator has those routines patched into it on a case by case basis.

If games require a valid header to be checked against a database then weird shit like unlicensed games and multi-game pirates won't load.

It's not absurd at all. This is how emulators run roms. Everything you mentioned - bank switching, s-ram checks, copyright protection schemes (like EarthBound has) are all dealt with in rom and run by the android based emulator. Just look at how PCs have been emulating cartridge games flawlessly for years. The only thing the RetroN5 is doing differently is requiring the cart as the source of a rom rather than the internet for the source of the rom.

But you're right; it's very possible that some unlicnesned games, particularly multi carts and flash carts will not work. Giant questions loom about those things right now. They might boot anyway, with the RetroN5 saying "unknown game" or they could refuse to work. Only time will tell on those.

Well the Retrode, which works similar to this, can write to cart save file. However I think the Retrode only supports SNES/SFC games saves. Maybe Hyperkin went beyond that and allows saves to other carts.

The Retrode also does Genesis, and has adapters for other consoles too. It's possible Hyperkin will adopt uploading and downloading sram to and from the cart and RetroN5, but they have no compelling reason to.

[Az]

It's not absurd at all. This is how emulators run roms.

Perhaps absurd was the incorrect term to use. Pointless? Needlessly limiting? I'm sure there is one but I just don't see a technical reason for it.

This instantly means Pier Solar and any future Watermelon games and any Super Fighter Team games will not work.

Taking the usual culprits out (Castlevania III, Virtua Racing) clone systems generally boot virtually anything you throw at them and as a whole have *more* compatibility with games than official systems do. By requiring a certain header in games in order for them to work the console has less compatibility than both a real system or previous clones. Requiring header information when it previously wasn't needed is why playing oddball stuff on both the SNES Powerpak and Everdrive is a nerve wrecking experience but with a normal copier it's a walk in the park.

Both real and clone SNES machines do not require valid headers. MD clones will play games that have screwy headers and do not include TMSS. PC emulators for either system are the same way, they don't require a rigid set of header info to work.