RetroN5: Hands on first look

[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

[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/o...unch-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


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.


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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.