RetroN5: Hands on first look

[stardust4ever]

I just want to say that I have been working with Hyperkin a bit with the R5. So far they seem to be taking compatibility and some other issues very seriously. I brought my major issues with the system a few weeks ago and a developer messaged me on Skype the other day saying that they believe they have fixed this issue. Since I don't know for sure if the issue is fixed I can't comment on what the issue is/was. However this issue I believed would be an issue that would have turned many customers off, so if it is indeed corrected that is very good news. Its honestly the biggest issue I had with the system.

I know you've got an NDA and you're talking in riddles right now. Whatever it was, I hope it has something to do with being able to load games not in the database, ie homebrews.

It's good to hear that Hyperkin is committed to making sure that the RetroN5 is a quality system.

Hey, how much of an annoyance, if at all, is the side-placed controller ports? I understand that Hyperkin has had to cram a good bit into the R5's shell, but the placement of the ports still irks me. Perhaps it won't be an issue with the NES & SNES controllers, but the Genesis DB-9 controller ports could cause problems not being front and center, just like they did with the 2600.

There's a lot bigger issues than controller placement. I find it inconvenient to plug controllers into the back of my Atari 2600, but I do it. I also have to get off my butt and walk over to the system to hit select/reset switches. The side controller ports are nothing on the retron5 compared to other more pertinent things like homebrew support. Truth be told I'll probably be using the wireless controller more often on this system to make it convenient to access things like home menu, etc. Also I prefer clicky arcade controls over leafswitches, so I have a hunch I'll like the tactille microswitches in side the R5 controller. I also have large man hands so size is no problem there.