BassDerek

[slow zealot]

i think it said something about larger screen in the video. im more interested in this than i thought i would be. bigger triggers too

[spark gyro]

Need help deciding before 6:30PST tonight. I don't care too much for 6 button but am also curious if there's a different button feel between the two. I really don't want to buy both.

[austere aspen]

Regular teal one

✅

[rare widget]

@spark gyro

April 3rd

Whatever €879 converts to

[spark gyro]

Yeah I saw the one in canada, which translated to like $760, that was steamos though. This one appears to be windows.

Also isn't there VAT and stuff that inflates prices on that side of the pond?

not sure

That would be like $960 USD which... ouch

[rare widget]

:/ yeah

Expensive 😅 LeGo 2 is going to be way over 1k haha

[spark gyro]

Maybe it's a new era. Ally and legion go set the stage, but now chip prices are up, inflation is up, maybe mfgrs not willing to subsidize second devices as much... idk

The dream of the (sub) $700 handheld that's not a steam deck is dying

[rare widget]

😞

These do drop quite fast on open box market though

[spark gyro]

Maybe the $1200 i spent on the F1 Pro isn't so bad after all

[rare widget]

Ally X had open box about 2 weeks after it came out 😅

[spark gyro]

if the z2e costs anythign like the hx370 then.. yeah

Lego2 $999 when

(or more )

[rare widget]

I better start saving now

[spark gyro]

$200 a month from YT adsense is not enough to pay for these

[rare widget]

https://tenor.com/view/cat-money-cat-protecting-money-mine-savings-gif-15337277

[spring lava]

how's the podcast going

[thorn moth]

Podcast was quite unhinged

Was funny seeing everyone pick which retroid color they were getting

I'm gonna wait on reviews before ordering either, but if i did order them, I'd go ice blue and atomic purple, I really dig transparent looks as long as they aren't glossy

Less inclined to get the flip tho, I really don't need a horizontal clamshell unless it's dual screen

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/KcA0KEtGsnY?si=i4xWFIHJpBQA_FLs

[gaunt horizon]

Facts 🤦🏻‍♂️😅😫

[spark gyro]

Today’s unhinged and rude comment of the day:

[austere aspen]

You look like you’re in your late 20s Derek

[rare widget]

Wow! Mega rude! I don’t think this guy quite understands how a review works!

[gaunt horizon]

Asshole 👎🏼

[spark gyro]

https://tenor.com/view/ori-gif-5218995604609941162

[thorn moth]

id assume late 30s based on some of the gaming devices he mentioned were a part of his childhood

[spark gyro]

Me? I’m 38, yeah

[thorn moth]

im entering my late 20s and dont personally know anyone who had a DMG, GBC/Saturn/PS1/N64 were the oldest consoles people had

like maybe a parent had something older like a SNES/Genesis, but not themselves

[rare widget]

@spark gyro

Now on bestbuy

[spark gyro]

Interesting

[gaunt horizon]

$750 for the Z1E Steam Go 🤔

[spark gyro]

I guess technically non sale price that is the same as original legion go with 1tb but you’re getting double ram.

[gaunt horizon]

For sure, it's a fair price, also given it will be the first z1e with Steam, can't wait to see reviews on the performance of this with Steam games and emulation! 🤘🏼🔥

Derek, do you play Android handsets these days? I know you sold your Portal and RP5.

[spark gyro]

I still have my Pocket DMG. It's the only place I play retro games (TrimUI Brick comes out occasionally if I need something I don't have to worry about tossing around). But admittedly I play more pc games on handhelds than emulation.

[spark gyro]

Maybe the flip 2 will revive some retro love. I really liked the screen on the RP5 but the comfort was a dealbreaker.

[spark gyro]

Finally got around to editing: https://youtu.be/8GWyFgJYv6U

[spark gyro]

Putting some Bass back in BassDerek

[spark gyro]

🤘

[gaunt horizon]

Hell yeah dude, I play double bass, not electric, but you be slappin man! 🤘🏼🔥✊🏼

[spark gyro]

I played some double bass a long time ago

Dont have space for one lol

[thorn moth]

• similar price ranges ($185 vs $220)
• similar screen sizes
• OLED screens
• performance isn't too far apart

Its honestly a reasonable battle of portability and performance vs ergonomics and affordability

Seems like basic critical thinking skills to me

I know a lot of people wanted to know if one OLED was superior to another

[spring lava]

What if I want to know if a pear is better than an apple though?

[thorn moth]

[gaunt horizon]

It's not lol

[thorn moth]

idk about that one chief

i kind of dig the sweet and sourness of a pear over a plain apple

[thorn moth]

yo, anyone else think the new pocket mini looks rather attractive?

device feels so much more modern with the slimmer bezels
honestly feels like a nice horizontal "pocket classic" with better performance and sticks

[austere aspen]

Forsure

But the buttons are not great IMO for me to ever consider

[spark gyro]

Looks better, I'm sure the buttons will still be poop.

https://tenor.com/view/for-those-reasons-im-out-shark-tank-mark-cuban-gif-16319251

[thorn moth]

i suppose that is still the pig pickle in this equation

a little odd retroid hasnt tried fixing that issue

[gaunt horizon]

What was wrong with the buttons?

[spark gyro]

Too tall, too small, too squared off, membrane feel was meh, and most of all made a loud clacking sound.

[gaunt horizon]

Ah ok, I only own an RP5 and Odin 2 Portal, so I only know those for comparison

[spark gyro]

I don't love the rp5 buttons either, but these are worse

[gaunt horizon]

The Portal buttons are super loud, like deep and thunderous, lol

The RP5 are a little clacky but not nearly as present as the Portal, my fighting games are obnoxious on it at the moment 😅🤘🏼

[spark gyro]

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-7tfKiguRGRubJ2dd8JCbvvQ32JtP35P?si=MHTEr8SjpHIoP5qN

[sharp pond]

For real, I have no idea why virtually no reviewers called these face buttons out

honestly considering replacing it with an Evo

sticks are also really meh on the Portal, I thought the bigger caps would help but to me all they accomplish is being more slippery which isn't great

[thorn moth]

you aint a fan of the clackity clack clack?

atleast i think thats what @soft kelp says

[thorn moth]

it comes off so bad in the video 😭

i gotta re-listen to the RP5 buttons just to remind myself of the difference

[thorn moth]

i came close to purchasing all 3 iteration of the odin 2, had to show some self control to avoid the portal
crazy how AYN managed to launch 3 very compelling versions with the same chipset
but hearing gripes against the portal makes me feel better about skipping on it

getting the RP5 was also a really big reason why i could justify ignoring the portal
i was already happier with my odin 2 mini over the original, i just think that form factor appeals to me more than something larger

[spark gyro]

Put the rp5 screen in the Odin 2 mini. I’d buy it instantly.

Might be dumb enough to buy the Pocket S2 lol.

[thorn moth]

yeah, my 2 biggest complaints with the screen are the vignetting and the large bezels preventing it from being as large as the shell allows for

the bezels themselves arent large, but relative to the device's shell i mean

kind of like an RP mini situation

[river sail]

…Oh it would be really annoying if we ever find something like that out about the Odin 2 Mini.

[thorn moth]

odin 2 mini doesnt have scaling issues as far as im aware of, dont think they are hiding anything behind bezels

[river sail]

Like, that would just pretty much confirm that the “Mini” sublabel is cursed.

[river sail]

There doesn’t have to be scaling issues for them to make a screen visibly smaller just because they want it to be the aspect ratio they think is best.

[thorn moth]

i think moving forward retroid is now more aware we would rather have weirder screen ratios than screen real-estate hidden behind bezels

[river sail]

The reason why Retroid got caught is because we were already noticing the issues due to the fact they were faking it on a screen that physically couldn’t do what they advertised.

[sturdy token]

yessss

[tawny drum]

But what caused them NOT to just make the screen 960p? Since the (almost square) screen was clearly more than big enough? 🤷‍♂️

[thorn moth]

i think retroid was possibly stubborn on 4:3 being more marketable than a (somewhat) square screen
or already had the classic in the pipeline and didnt want to cannibalize sales but still get away with using the same screen module

[tawny drum]

But… it seems like they did NOT achieve a 4:3 end result?

[thorn moth]

my understanding is it was 4:3, its just that games didnt scale uniformly because it wasnt 960p, but actually 930p

[tawny drum]

So… was it 930p, but still locked to that 4:3 aspect ratio?

[river sail]

I already explained it in the other channel. They had the manufacturers take a “4:3” screen that had an actual viewing area of 1240x930 and forced it to treat that as 1280x960, so that would lead to all the scaling issues people kept reporting about.

[thorn moth]

Finally got the red one in and did the button swap

i swapped the pads entirely cause i didnt want to risk button misalignment like on your unit

(yes i could notice it )

[spark gyro]

Ah. Well board has to pretty much come out anyway

I actually just sold my brick. It’s still my rec for the size class but I did some massive downsizing. Until some upcoming review units arrive pocket DMG is my only “retro handheld”

[thorn moth]

ok man damn, you didnt have to show off you stuck with the premium vertical

[spark gyro]

Haha well for me it made the most sense to cover all bases. It’s been worth the price I paid ($340) but probably not worth current prices.

[thorn moth]

a more higher end or premium verical option isnt really something ive considered
but i might just end up pulling the trigger on the retroid pocket classic depending how well it gets recieved in reviews

[austere aspen]

How's the hinge

[spark gyro]

I’ve opened and closed it a couple dozen times. Ok ish. Sound of the hinge isn’t that inspiring but I really haven’t put it through any paces yet. Just put it on the charger

I plan on just opening and closing the hinge as a fidget toy the next few days to see if it stays solid

[austere aspen]

any gaps on the plastic?

where the plastic meets on the actual hinge

[austere aspen]

i look forward to the rise or fall of that hinge

[spring lava]

Does it snap to a 90 degree angle?

[gaunt horizon]

Is this V2?

[spark gyro]

Should be

[gaunt horizon]

Also, do the face buttons light up or is that just natural lighting?

[spark gyro]

Naturaly lighting

also, this thing didn't charge at all overnight

[spark gyro]

So apparently it has to be open to charge

[rare widget]

Thats insanity. I did wonder why mine wasn’t charging

[spark gyro]

Yeah, used the same charger and cable (the one it came with to be sure), was on charger for 16 hours while closed... no change. Opened it an hour and a half ago on same charger and cable, now shows more bars.

This is with the device on, I guess? In sleep? Not sure if it would be different if totally powered down first.

[rare widget]

I will try this tonight. I was about to return mine 😅

[slow zealot]

Mine is getting delivered today and will immediately get minui

[spark gyro]

No, it's like - 120, 160, and 180

It wil lstay at 90 though there's enough friction

[rare widget]

@spark gyro

[spark gyro]

Phew, been behind the 8-ball lately. Keep getting sick.

Finally recorded Miyoo Flip footage today, will have that video out soon.

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/0gG5sUNSt-c

[unreal lynx]

Poor miyoo flip! I doubt my use would ever break one. However I think I'd get the anbernic anyway. The one I got for my nephew is great.

[spark gyro]

Custom brick backplate from MechDIY

[gaunt horizon]

https://tenor.com/view/yas-oh-yeah-gif-8949118530625394932

[thorn moth]

Odin 2 maker joins Retroid and Anbernic in stepping back from US market

Source: Android Authority
https://search.app/2bwFR

Shared via the Google App

Oh no

[spark gyro]

https://tenor.com/view/shocked-futurama-gif-5319783

[thorn moth]

im not really shocked, but definitely saddened
was still hoping they would continue and just increase product price by $25 (though probably more given how these things work)
but with the even newer tariff changes, it really seems like anything going from china to the US is just not a thing anymore

hopefully canadian creators will remain relatively unscathed (not really familiar with any european creators personally)

[spark gyro]

One case of food poisoining/stomach bug later, it's finally here:
https://youtu.be/AM3STJbuPLM

[rare widget]

@spark gyro https://www.reddit.com/r/LegionGo/s/uQYQ40ojz0 eeekkkk

[spark gyro]

Yeah not surprised. I have the Z1E already preordered so hopefully I’m locked at that price.

[rare widget]

Yeah 😅 do not cancel that order haha

[gaunt horizon]

Damn, they increased the price after they already announced pricing a while back

I wasn't gonna buy at regular price anyway 😅, was gonna wait until that Black Friday sale haha 😆😆

https://tenor.com/view/chris-pratt-rubbing-hands-smile-happy-plan-mischief-gif-11789692

[spark gyro]

There’s a good chance I return after testing anyway, depending on how much I like it. If it keeps going up maybe I’ll just sell it here instead of returning heh.

[gaunt horizon]

Good call, I would probably list it here first if you think you can get a similar return, but up to you in the end 🍻

[spark gyro]

I think it’ll be a good handheld at the right price. I just have my overpriced f1 pro with OLED and hx370 already for personal use.

[gaunt horizon]

I wonder if they will post something about the price increase or just be silent sneakers

[gaunt horizon]

To be honest, not too familiar with the devices you just mentioned, what are those?

[rare widget]

Might be cheaper than LeGo 2 at this rate

[gaunt horizon]

They will prob raise that too lol 🤷🏻‍♂️

[spark gyro]

Oof windows Z1E Lego s is $899

Rough

[rare widget]

Yep. Lego2 def over $1000

🤦‍♂️

[spark gyro]

Onexplayer device, it’s the smallest 7” screen pc device out there in candy bar form factor. Hx370 is AMDs latest chip, couple gens newer than Z1E/7840u

[gaunt horizon]

So is this different from the One X Fly?

The chips are different?

7840u on the Fly

[spark gyro]

It is the OneXFly, the “f1 pro” denotes the OLED screen mostly and it has a newer chip

Same chassis

[gaunt horizon]

Ok, so an Oled Fly but also a more powerful processor?

Was battery improved any?

[spark gyro]

Not directly no. But since the processor is more powerful you can run the same games at a few watts less and get more time that way

[gaunt horizon]

Maybe Oled is better for battery in general

[gaunt horizon]

Ah ok 👍🏼

Not sure if you did a break down on either Fly, but any idea if the buttons are re-arrange-able? As in, move them around to make a Nintendo layout?

[spark gyro]

For streaming or games like Stardew I can run it at 4w and get 5-6 hours. But for native newer games still like most handheld PCs that you’re getting 1-2 hours.

[gaunt horizon]

Odin buttons are not

[spark gyro]

I haven’t opened it

[gaunt horizon]

What about emulation? Switch hours of play, in your opinion?

[spark gyro]

Idk probably depends on game. I don’t emulate switch often these days

[gaunt horizon]

Fair enough, thanks for the info, glad you like it. So I am guessing you prefer it mostly because of the size over a Deck or Ally?

[spark gyro]

It’s more comfortable for my hands than those. And OLED is nice of course (1080p/144)

[gaunt horizon]

Last question, thanks for your patience! Is the hardware like the D-pad and buttons the same between non-oled and the oled Fly?

[spark gyro]

Yeah pretty much. I’ve owned both but not at the same time so I can’t be 100% sure. The only noticeable difference material wise is the back plastic was more soft touch on the 7840u and they changed it later.

[gaunt horizon]

Do you have an opinion on button loudness? Lol. So my Portal is so loud, both in face buttons and game volume, the lowest setting is so loud! I can't really enjoy playing it in my mostly quiet home, as I am always disturbing my family, etc, so I find I pass on it for my RP5 or something else. Any thoughts on game volume and button noise?

[spark gyro]

The onexfly buttons are membrane and pretty quiet

[gaunt horizon]

Ok cool 👍🏼

[spark gyro]

The bumpers are a little clicky, but not as loud as many

I like all the controls on the fly

[gaunt horizon]

Ok thanks, yeah, the RP5 bumpers are super clicky, but all the other controls can be pressed fairly quietly when you try to. 🤘🏼

Love my Portal, just can't play it at home until everyone is in bed, by that time, I am half asleep myself 😫

[spark gyro]

I use my fly a lot for streaming, too, I sold pretty much all my larger devices to consolidate to it. Obviously its way overpowered and overpriced to just stream, but I am enjoying just having one do-it-all device.

[gaunt horizon]

Im kinda in the same boat, I would mostly be using an x86 for emulation, over powered but that power usually gives better Switch and Wii U. 🍻

[slow zealot]

They are the same as far as I can tell. I had both pretty close together and couldn't notice any difference

The buttons are quiet and great

[thorn moth]

was thinking while watching the video, you really went fancy with the backdrops, was pleasant

[gaunt horizon]

What is that? 🍻🔥

[spark gyro]

Trimui brick with custom buttons and backplate

[gaunt horizon]

Clean! You prefer the Miyoos or the Brick?

[spark gyro]

Probably the brick, really nice screen and slightly smaller than a MM+. The regular miyoo mini was too small for me.

[thorn moth]

hey, you got one again
how did you get the custom backplate? and why did you go for the yellow gem buttons?

[spark gyro]

It was sent by MechDIY. The buttons are actually supposed to be gold.

[thorn moth]

i like the combo, cabron fiber black + gold is one of my favorite color combinations for aesthetics (mostly in videogames cause im poor :p)

[spark gyro]

Been giving a lot of thought to this lately... but I may pivot away for the most part away from retro handhelds over the coming weeks/months. They don't really spark excitment for me as the used to as now that we have power levels to play most stuff (insofar that the emulator maturity lets us), I am just not that excited by new releases anymore. Add on the highly unstable situation in the US with prices rapidly rising... I just find it hard to do a review where I recommend these things. The 557 is a prime example. I got sent it for free but now it's going to cost what maybe $300+ for US customers, I can't recommend it at all at that price.

I also have some schedule changes with my kid starting school in the fall that drastically reduce my available time so making YT vids will become harder.

[gaunt horizon]

Makes sense, I thought the tariff sitch might affect the viability for smaller channels, so not too surprised to hear this. I mean, we love your content, but we definitely want you to have a good work and life balance. Do you man, maybe take a beat for a bit, maybe do a video once in a while on something that impresses or inspires you, out of the norm. We support you either way, Derek! 🍻🤘🏼🔥❤️

[slow zealot]

should have done a video on how you mounted that tv!

[rare widget]

This. But worth mentioning you made a very impactful video for the Evo that shook up the community in a good way and made Aya account for their problematic device. The community has your thanks for that. So much untapped power there. A definite take away from your youtube career so far. Always appreciate your advice on devices. Most of us likely would have bought the 557 in a heartbeat thinking just because it has a powerful chip it would be amazing for everything. Saved me money at the end day. 🥹

[spark gyro]

It's also just really hard to care about consumerist things for me right now. The US faces some serious issues and my ability to buy $50 junk from China is not the top of my radar.

[austere aspen]

Time to enter ur game development era

TV mounting simulator

[spark gyro]

Funny you say that

I actually had that era

didn't follow through though

https://imgur.com/a/TZFS4Ka

was working on an arpg/shmup in space game

spent a good chunk of time learning Unity

[austere aspen]

SpaceDerek

Add WASD and I'll back it on your kickstarter

[spark gyro]

My wife will tell you... YouTube is like other things in my life. I go head first into a new hobby/endeavor for 6 months to a year... then abandon it for the next thing lol

[austere aspen]

At the end of the day all we need is family

[spark gyro]

True, my kid is more motivating than anything else in my life

https://tenor.com/view/doit-gif-4445196

[rare widget]

Sounds like me and 3d printing. Went mad for it at first. Now i hang my washing on the printer 😂

[spark gyro]

Haha yeah, my P1S hasn't been used much lately.

Playing guitar and photography have stuck around my whole life, but do go through spurts of being more active and not in those

But I've always had side stuff, like learning a programming language, learning game dev, doing youtube, etc... that doesn't always last a long time

In some ways YouTube was a personal challenge and I kinda proved to myself what I set out to do.

I don't know that I have the time/energy to take it to the next level though

[rare widget]

Well we are excited to hear what the next step will be. Even if not gaming/handheld related 💪

[spark gyro]

I've thought about focusing more on pc gaming. It's a pretty crowded space.

But I do spend more time playing pc/indies than retro

But PC handheld prices are oof

So if anything I would like to find ways to make content that isn't just reviews about buying shit

[austere aspen]

Gaming YouTube

And modding/tinkering

[spark gyro]

Yeah, maybe just release videos much less frequently, but try to focus on longer term projects.

I just can't bring myself to test 20 roms across 5 sytems and setup android emulation again lol

the handheld reviews are becoming a real slog

[austere aspen]

Surprised so many retro handheld reviewers don't just do straight up gaming videos besides dweeb

[spark gyro]

Probably because the hobby is saturated with people just buying/tinkering/setting up

[austere aspen]

And also cus a lot of reviewers don't game lmao

[spark gyro]

Yeah, I mean, I'm guilty of not doing much retro gaming anymore. That's part of not wanting to do it. Silly to review something I'm not even gonna use, feels like a farce.

Time to clickbait title my 557 review

"This is the last review I'm ever making"

lol

or something

[austere aspen]

I like Russ/nerdnest guys cus they actively talk about modern gaming and handhelds

[rare widget]

A lot of the best youtube channels out there are the ones that make videos for themselves i.e things they enjoy. Because they seem genuinely excited about what they are showing off or explaining. Rather than seeming like a chore and having to pump out videos every 5 minutes. So i think regardless of what you decide to do as long as you are passionate about it. Thats that main thing.

We will love to watch 🥹

[spark gyro]

@rare widget you see this? https://www.notebookcheck.net/RedMagic-compact-gaming-tablet-to-launch-with-an-OLED-screen-soon.1007869.0.html

[rare widget]

Yeah. Xiaomi also. Going to be interesting, No word on if the redmagic will have micro sd though 🤷🏻‍♂️ i would rather that than oled 😅 the lenovo screens are pretty decent as is.

[spark gyro]

While I do appreciate microSD, I think I would pick oled over it since I use these for streaming and tablet usage more than retro.

I mean, hopefully both, but yeah.

[rare widget]

😅 thats fair. I like to have it for media storage too. See how it goes. Hopefully the redmagic or xiaomi will have both

[opaque flame]

Wow this sounds interesting! 🤔

[misty cloak]

Damn. Yeah this is nice. Same specs but OLED.

Oh so the red magic has no SD card reader?

[spark gyro]

not sure

[spark gyro]

Finally got around to this one: https://youtu.be/KAAMjRR5wH8

[rare widget]

https://tenor.com/view/antonio-banderas-oh-sweet-impressed-not-bad-gif-9592821

Excellent review 🔥🔥

[thorn moth]

i got excited for the steamOS release yesterday, but im hearing from people that it really isnt fit for desktop (what i intended to use it on) 😦

i dont own an ally x or legion go, no real windows handheld, just wanted to enjoy something like steamOS on a "home theater PC"

[spark gyro]

It’s probably fine if you’re just using it like a console. But steamOS is a poor choice if you plan to do general computer tasks.

[slow zealot]

Try bazzite. There's a desktop build

[thorn moth]

ill check it out, i do need something that can atleast allow me to install "normal" apps and not just approved flatpaks

[slow zealot]

Should be good with bazzite. I'm definitely a Linux novice but pretty full featured. Plus you can boot into the steam os front end

[thorn moth]

yeah, i mainly want to use the "home theater pc" as a console, but do also want to bring up websites and stream content from them

and well...the flatpak version of websites dont allow for extensions and ad blockers

[sharp pond]

I think what makes me most excited about the rg557 may be seeing this chip in other form factors in the future

I hope Anbernic delivers

[spark gyro]

407h

[opaque flame]

Do you notice lines moving subtly to the left on the screen? Not pwm related, just noticed it yesterday on mine. On solid colours you don't notice it, but if you get a little bit of colour you can see them moving across the screen slowly. Now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it.

[gaunt horizon]

Derek, what are your thoughts on the Ally X? Don't think I have seen you with one...

I know you have been playing a lot of x86 lately, but maybe you are moving back to Android now? Lol

[opaque flame]

I'm not Derek obviously but I highly recommend it. It's been my main handheld for a year straight.

[gaunt horizon]

If you don't mind me asking, what have you been playing on your Ally X lately, or how do you use it in general?

[austere aspen]

Ally X is great if it's your primary way to play PC games

I own a PC so the time I kept the X was short

[gaunt horizon]

You use it for emulation too? 🍻

[austere aspen]

Nope- I had no interest in doing that. I mostly wanted a windows handheld for Xbox game pass

Until I realized a Portal+Local streaming was a better way around that

I traded my OLED deck for the X, then got rid of the X for the Portal

I will say that if I didn't own a PC to stream from, it would've been much easier for me to keep the X

[gaunt horizon]

Lol, I am the opposite, I have the Portal, but considering an X, for better high end emulation and multiplayer pc gaming lol

[opaque flame]

I've been playing the oblivion remastered and the new doom on it lately. I generally use it for my huge backlog of steam games. I usually play it before work or on my lunch break at a cafe.

[austere aspen]

I think I dmed you to trade my x for your portal a few weeks back lol

I really like the Ally X's regular ergonomics a lot

[opaque flame]

Wow that's a crazy good deal for him

[austere aspen]

Not a straight up trade

[opaque flame]

Oh I was gonna say 😂

[gaunt horizon]

Lmao, maybe, I love the Portal, but I would like to play some light multiplayer pc games and Winlator Android doesn't recognize 2 or more controllers lol

[austere aspen]

It's a good device for that tbh

The ergonomics aren't for everyone on it. Would recommend holding it at Best Buy

I personally really liked it

[gaunt horizon]

Also some PS3 multiplayer, bascially some emulators are stuck on single player only on Android right now, for what I want to play with my family, might get a little more functionality out of an x86

[opaque flame]

You'd probably use the ally x way more. Easy to justify the price considering you'd probably play it pretty often.

[gaunt horizon]

But I know there might be trade offs, but was just curious what some of you guys thought, who have all of these handhelds haha 🤣

[opaque flame]

The tradeoff is the size. It's bigger and heavier but id just recommend grabbing a good tomtoc sling for when you bring it out.

[gaunt horizon]

You think the Ally X is still a bit heavier than the Portal with the grip?

[opaque flame]

Yep

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/Xa3lYJdkTPA

[spark gyro]

Legion Go S Z2Go SteamOS version is surprisingly better than expected.

[slow zealot]

Love that color

[spark gyro]

Video out later today hopefully!

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/BiA8nFaa7wU

[austere aspen]

Back to back days sheesh

[spark gyro]

I feel like I just have to make the videos when inspiration strikes. If I try to plan a pace it goes out the window haha

[thorn moth]

yoo, 2 bass derek vids within 24hrs?

eating good

[spark gyro]

Haha, random spike of extra motivation

[thorn moth]

i had convinced myself the sticks and 5head on the RG34XXSP were deal breakers
but sticks seem recessed enough to not cause any issues, and the size reduction actually mattering in pocketability really has me double thinking myself about getting it despite already owning the RG35XXSP

the GBASP was like my childhood device, but im in no rush after getting the 35SP, hopefully someone will release a more refined execution of the idea

[austere aspen]

It's a much better experience, cfw aside, on the 34xx sp

[thorn moth]

when i first got the 35SP i was happy with the extra bulk cause i felt it helped with ergonomics (particularly the extra width)
but it really does feel just a hair too bulky for most of my pockets
id also prefer an SP clone that is committed to being a GBA device with perfect integer scaling

a lot of these handhelds try too hard to be a jack of all trades imo

[austere aspen]

If not the 34xx sp then a modded gba sp

That's how I see it for now

[thorn moth]

an IPS modded GBASP was actually the 1st thing i picked up getting into the retro hobby, got an ezflash too

in hindsight, spending $240 between the modded GBASP and the ez flash was quite a lot 😅

newcomers are much better off just spending $60 for the RG34XXSP

i actually picked up the RG34XX (non-sp) despite not having grown up with the original console
but man, the tini-tiny dpad really kills any motivation i have to play it

[austere aspen]

Forsure- it is expensive but the 34xx sp is the closest thing

[thorn moth]

emerald seaglass 😮

it does look nice, im happy they made the dpad thicker than the miyoo flip

maybe it doesnt matter, but skinny dpads strike me as less pleasant

[austere aspen]

Yeah I like the controls on here more than the v1 SP. I never tried the v2 or the flip

I just would like MinUI for it to be used regularly by me

[gaunt horizon]

Great video, Derek! Have you had a chance to test battery life yet? I am curious how it compares to the Ally X. 🍻🤘🏼🔥

[spark gyro]

Max battery life would be 5-6 hours streaming or very basic games. At higher tdps definitely less than the Ally X

[hollow sleet]

DONG IS EVERYWHERE

[spark gyro]

https://tenor.com/view/huh-cat-huh-m4rtin-huh-huh-meme-what-cat-gif-5834484041415217257

[slow zealot]

It's everywhere!

[primal anvil]

From Kel's review it looks like Ayaneo is including an EQ for the audio on the Ace within AYASpace. Wonder if they will bring it to the EVO and S with a future update.

[opaque flame]

Oh it's not on those already? Interesting 🤔

[primal anvil]

I didn't think so but I could be wrong. Haven't fired up my EVO or S in a while.

Guess I need too. I know they released an update to the EVO recently that was supposed to address the muddy sound but it seemed like it was hit or miss for people.

[opaque flame]

It would be interesting to see if they updated all of them or if it's model specific.

[primal anvil]

Yeah hopefully if they haven't they will. I have an Ace ordered so can't wait to get it.

[opaque flame]

Exciting! Which SKU did you pick?

[primal anvil]

The black base model.

[opaque flame]

Can't go wrong with any of them honestly

[spark gyro]

The EVO has EQ. But it only applies in media apps and such, not globally, so most games arent affected sadly.

[primal anvil]

Well damn...

[thorn moth]

is rob ok?

[spark gyro]

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/3qQg9E4I1JA

[opaque flame]

Wow you got that video out fast!

[spark gyro]

Hah yeah, sometimes I get that spur of motivation. It helps that this was more of a stream of consciousness video than a prepared review. Just talked for 30-40 minutes and cut it down.

[opaque flame]

Lucky you had the time though to do that. I'd love to get my review out but I'm so busy this weekend 😩 . Does your right joystick click subtly?

[austere aspen]

Pumping hard

[opaque flame]

Oh wow the steam deck caps fit! Ha nice

[spark gyro]

Like just moving it around?

[opaque flame]

If I move the right one to the right, it kinda clicks. My left one is fine though.

[spark gyro]

Haven't noticed that

[opaque flame]

Thanks for letting us know about No Mans Sky on the switch 2 in your video! Nearly bought it but it looks like I would've been disappointed.

[spark gyro]

I still need to play it in some more in game areas as that was just a quick test

[opaque flame]

Ah okay 👍

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/HlSJC5XD224

[spark gyro]

https://tenor.com/view/the-devil-snl-gif-8484182784051296059

[spark gyro]

Posted this a little too early yesterday and had to take it down but it’s live again.
https://youtu.be/xnZjJWjV-fQ

[sharp pond]

I don't know why this one didn't get any traction, honestly it's the best assessment of the handheld on YouTube right now

I guess excitement for the slide is completely dead lol

[opaque flame]

It's a very unique concept I think. Quite a few people are interested in it though.

[spark gyro]

Putting it private after an hour and rereleasing it later might have screwed with the algorithm a bit. But it hasn’t leveled off so it’s still gaining views. Might pick up later. YT is funny sometimes.

[opaque flame]

Hashtags can also help in the video description as I mentioned. Helps near the start of the video launch especially.

[mortal briar]

you are so determined to see the slide fail, its adorable 😄

[river sail]

I’m not even interested in trusting an Anbernic handheld over $100 and even then I do have to agree that Blob’s being a bit weird about it.

[sharp pond]

on the contrary, I wanted this to be my next shiny toy and it frustrates me that I can't find a reason to get it

[mortal briar]

you know things are bad when its RNS telling people 😄

[sharp pond]

I guess I'm basically butthurt that I don't have a new handheld to hoard, don't mind me

[mortal briar]

its okay 😄

https://tenor.com/view/pat-garrys-mod-garrys-mod-physics-fast-intense-gif-26322619

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/xmCcrvnizN0

[rare widget]

Awesome vid. Glad i made the right choice a few weeks back

[slow zealot]

I think this is the favorite of what I tried too. Just wanted to be able to take joy cons off

[opaque flame]

Wow that looks like it was a lot of work! Nearly an hour video!

[thorn moth]

holy chungus, 50+ min

ive heard the base switch 2 is pretty uncomfortable, so its nice to have such a thorough comparison for cases

[spark gyro]

It took a day but the algorithm finally found my switch grips video:

[opaque flame]

Nice! Great to see that hard work playing off for ya

[spark gyro]

In a 4 way video: Legion Go S SteamOS Z2 Go vs. Ally Z1E SteamOS vs. Ally Z1E Windows vs. Steam Deck OLED. What would make the most sense:

A) Do ALL benchmarks at 720p across all devices, to make sure results are comparable.
B) Benchmark them all at their native resolution (not comparable)
C) Both A and B (so much work....)
D) Other?

Also thinking 15w and 25w TDP - since 25w is max windows ally can do on battery, and 15w is max for deck.

[opaque flame]

720p across all devices would make more sense but unlock the FPS so the ally and z2 go chips can show their benefit over the deck. I would run all at 15w then 25w on the ones that support it, not the deck obviously.

[spark gyro]

Lets go!

[opaque flame]

Congrats 🎉

[spark gyro]

Comments on this one are interesting. Basically two comments:
A) Reallly Positive "Great work underrated channel, etc"
B) I'm an idiot "How dare you not include X Y Z grip, worthless"

[sturdy token]

Man I'm glad I'm not a content creator and just take the occasional photo here and there

This kinda negativity would just get to me

[spark gyro]

You just have to let the negative roll off you. Keyboard warriors with nothing better to do.

Funny thing is some even back down if you reply to them. They're like 'oh shit it's a real human' lol

[sturdy token]

Yeah that's definitely the healthy way to approach it

[thorn moth]

Its tough
720 across gives a clear picture on which devices perform over others
But majority of people will just play at native and would likely only be interested in knowing the numbers for their out of the box experience

I also don't personally know of anyone who changes their TDP on these devices, but I'm sure there is an audience for that information too

[spark gyro]

I mean they might not set it granularly, but they do probably use the manufacturer quiet/performance/turbo toggling?

Steam Deck not so much since it just does what it does

[spark gyro]

Ally X at home (74wh battery mod, SteamOS)

[gaunt horizon]

Nice! Recently grabbed an Ally X from here, been enjoying it, great battery life. Still need to get into the weeds a little more 🍻🤘🏼🔥

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/QjU0YF72oZw

[spark gyro]

November will mark 1 year of my channel, hoping to hit 5k by then, hit another milestone today!

[opaque flame]

Your channel is growing fast! You'll be there before ya know it.

[thorn moth]

YouTube algorithm is a tricky thing, but derek has one of the best productions in the hobby imo

Nothing crazy obviously but just consistently solid

[opaque flame]

Agreed. His videos are always solid production quality. Good content all round.

[spark gyro]

https://tenor.com/view/aw-shucks-gif-21150051

[spark gyro]

Multitasking… no use sitting idle while the video renders

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/cW4C-HrHzew

[rare widget]

@spark gyro @hollow sleet not sure if this one ships to US. But X5S just popped up on this store. I bought my original X5 from them. No issues.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EvYofly

[spark gyro]

Sad trombone.wav

[rare widget]

https://tenor.com/view/malcolm-x-angry-mad-upset-hit-gif-5005267

Argh! Everything I share atm can’t be shipped to US 😫

[hollow sleet]

AE sucks for us right now

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/GZ0-oeqqE3A

[rare widget]

https://tenor.com/view/movie-night-movie-time-tv-spongebob-eat-gif-17238995

[spark gyro]

I'm gonna need a proxy buyer soon lol

Might resort to superbuy or something

[opaque flame]

Really starting to affect your channel I bet eh?

Hopefully this entire shipping situation blows over soon for ya so you can start getting stuff off aliexpress again.

[spark gyro]

I mean, it's just that some stuff is hard to get here, or overpriced.

[opaque flame]

I'm happy you were able to get the new y700 either way

[slow zealot]

Bass-ception

[spark gyro]

Yo dawg I herd you like y700s so I put a y700 in your y700

[spark gyro]

Man, the onexsugar looks ridiculous and I can't think of a situation I would want to use it over some other existing device.

[rare widget]

@spark gyro @hollow sleet https://www.geekwills.com/gamesir-x5s.html shop seems to have decent reviews on trust pilot. But not heard of them before. But this just popped up for me

Their website looks suspiciously like giztop, layout wise.

10% off first purchase too 🤷🏻‍♂️

[spark gyro]

I saw that one recently, almost bought there, or superbuy. Have stoppe dmyself a couple times.

[spark gyro]

Something has arrived….

[rare widget]

That bronze is nice 🫠

[sturdy token]

damn that form factor looks so much better than the slide

[gaunt horizon]

Wish the buttons were not multi colored tho, I am sure I am in the minority 🍻

[sharp pond]

how do you feel about the weight? I like everything I've seen about this handheld so far except it being metal

[spark gyro]

It’s ok if you’re sitting up and holding it a bit more flat. If you’re in bed holding it upright it does feel like it might slip down out of your hands pretty easy.

[sharp pond]

ah, so basically the same experience I had last time I tried a metal handheld, not a fan personally

[spark gyro]

The case helps

[sharp pond]

patiently waits for BassDerek's rg477m review

[spark gyro]

It’s filmed, just need to edit (hopefully tomorrow)

[opaque flame]

Crazy how fast you got it. Thoughts on the panel so far? Saturated and vibrant?

[spark gyro]

Yeah. Same as rg slide so already knew it was good

[spark gyro]

I’ve had it since last Wednesday but was on vacation

[opaque flame]

Hope you had a relaxing vacation!

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/o7JOQK-DKfM

[spark gyro]

Been busy with my kid starting school last week. Not sure what video Is next. Possibly the redmagic Astra tablet. Don’t have any other handhelds in the pipe yet

[rare widget]

@spark gyro still after x5s?

https://www.amazon.co.jp/IOS、Androi、PC、Switch、Switch2-幅広いデバイスとの互換性のスマホコントローラー-200万回ホールスティック搭載ドリフト防止-最大213㎜の伸縮タブレット/dp/B0FHQH8C3Z/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=T3AV71MGH0NC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6MJ3luNh174pbUrAe7Qq903pLsuru7qeSh-mvXXWr5YQkcJ8DEq6Ewf3D5wmvcdlVBrVCd7Gm4lYJn3g9PUDWbayiniU0xmCkHcPxV5pE-IAf8NtbFWK6P4SUtPXSzjzbg9BjW2P7XFFvEfm9p8NVdRcXLlGTGsHjIxxZG5E66fInZodUXZwhkH0pZ4_bIp4Mpon_6mpsKj7usvMezHMnA.uW177KbIlZpuPQ7_CN9YHMKni1Jw6CBlU9jiMbFo-O0&dib_tag=se&keywords=gamesir+x5s&qid=1755554173&sprefix=gamesir+x5s%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-5

Just placed an order myself

[spark gyro]

Uh that definitely does not ship here lol

But I got one coming this week. Ordered from tvcmall

[rare widget]

Oh really? I thought amazon jp ships worldwide

[rare widget]

Ah nice ok 🙂

Glad you managed to grab one. I considered the Abxylute S8. But it looks massive in comparison

[spark gyro]

Ordered that too. Still hasn’t shipped they’re quite behind schedule. Seems typical for them…

[spark gyro]

Spitballing ideas. Would you all watch a 2-5 minute video with recent handheld news? I don’t want to step on Mr sujanos toes here but his topics are a bit more broad. Just thinking of ways to get some thoughts out there outside of device reviews.

[spring lava]

Just news or news + takes ™ ?

[spark gyro]

I mean some personal opinions probably mixed in.

[primal anvil]

Hey, I just got the Legion G9 today. Should it snap into the controller pretty easily? Because mine really doesn't want to go in at all...

[spark gyro]

Are you talking about the sliding lock switch?

Make sure it's unlocked

[primal anvil]

It was unlocked.

I get the USB C in and get that side locked in but then trying to lower the other side it just doesn't want to fit in at all.

[spark gyro]

Hmm I don't think it should be too hard. Make sure when you put the tablet in the sled you do usb side first ane make sure it sits all the way in

I think I've heard depending on which version tablet you have might need to remove or adjust the rubber bumpers on the other side of the sled

[primal anvil]

I have the 2023.

The cage does seem to be bowing a little bit on that side.

Yep that was the problem.

Took the rubber pads the corners and it went in. But now I can't get the sliding lock to lock. It's like it's caught on something. Might have take the long pad off the middle as well.

[rare widget]

Yeah it says in manual for anything but the Gen 4 you need to remove the rubber stoppers

Gen 4 i think its a fraction smaller thus the rubber pads

[primal anvil]

Yeah I removed the middle one and it goes on great now.

Crazy it makes the Steam Deck look some what small.

[spark gyro]

Yeah it’s yuuuuge

[spark gyro]

Alright, trying something new: https://youtu.be/2YeRgxM-tBY

[rare widget]

Very informative and loving the blazer 👍

[opaque flame]

Watching now. I actually like that the video from the company isn’t swallowing the whole screen. Having you talking off to the side makes it feel less like YouTube filler and more like you’ve accidentally tuned into some underground news broadcast. Kind of casual, kind of official, and weirdly engaging. Hope you get decent views on it.

[spark gyro]

Thanks, definitely was kinda going for a news station parody type deal.

[spark gyro]

Thanks, wasn't sure if that came off ass too over the top but I threw it on last minute as I was about to start filming.

(I also needed like 9 lint roller sheets to get all the cat hair off it )

[rare widget]

Pretty concise and to the point. No fluff. Very enjoyable 🙂 very much looked like you were giving a news report 💪 news but with a bit of @spark gyro flair

[gaunt horizon]

Great video, @spark gyro ! 💪🏼🍻🔥

[thorn moth]

Been wanting more announcement style videos like this 🫡

[thorn moth]

$250 for the 865 model seems like a steal to me, I don't really imagine many use cases for the extra power in the 8gen2 model, maybe just wii u emulation and high end android gaming(?)

[spark gyro]

I think it depends. For gacha android gaming, more storage and power matters. And for wiiU probably. But if ds/3ds is your only goal, then I'm sure it's fine.

[thorn moth]

typical gacha gaming, they always use all the nice animations and graphics

[spark gyro]

I'm not sure which one I will preorder yet. I think more people will probably go for the 8g2 model so it may make more sense to review that.

Expirement has been a moderate success so far. Honestly better than I anticipated. Since it's time-sensitive news it probably won't get as many long term views, but it was relatively easy to produce.

Sometimes videos take off more after a day (algorithm stuff) so it may still have room to grow.

[opaque flame]

Probably just typical youtube views for now. Algorithm kicks in later yeah. I think it'll pick up for ya.

[spark gyro]

This many views is still pretty strong for a new type of video, IMO. I've had handheld reviews do worse

I think it's also a popular news item so results may vary

Anyway, nice to do a video that doesn't require me spending money on more handhelds

[opaque flame]

Right? I'm trying those with game videos but they aren't picking up much views. At least my Doom video was about 1k, and the stray one was about 1k as well. Not as bad as I expected. New content can take awhile to pick up.

At the end of the day, you’ve got to actually enjoy the thing you’re doing. I could tell you were having fun diving into all the new hardware announcements—it comes through in the way you talk about it. And for me, making those two video essays was the same kind of "exciting". That’s really the secret, right? Finding the corners of this whole content-creator thing that don’t feel like work, and then poking at them until they turn into something you actually want to share.

[spark gyro]

I have been afraid to try any gameplay stuff. I did one video about games when I was on RH staff and I don't think it did to hot on that channel.

Too far out of the 'algorithm' for the channel.

I've debated a second gameplay streaming channel or something, but I don't really want to manage two channels at this point.

[opaque flame]

Managing a second channel would be a lot of work.... I thought about it too but decided to just release my experimental videos on my channel anyways. Worst case, you can always uncheck that “notify subscribers” box—then it’s basically a stealth drop. No alarms, no expectations. Honestly, sometimes that’s the best way to spark new growth without stressing about whether your core audience will like it or not. In a way I've also thought about doing that. Maybe re-releasing my hidden gem reviews without notifying. Hmm 🤔

[spark gyro]

@rare widget I will be honest though, my desire for go 2 has gone down a little. Streaming to the astra is pretty nice, and leverages my more powerful computer. Really gonna come down to pricing on the go 2.

[opaque flame]

What's your guess for the Legion Go 2 pricing? I'm expecting roughly about 1500 CAD

[rare widget]

I have a potato pc. So handhelds are my only foray into PC gaming 😅 i am thinking of trying egpu side of things when I get Go 2

[spark gyro]

About the same as yours, I think.

Converted to USD that's a bit under $1100

I think there was a leak saying like $1060 at one point, unknown if true.

Hx370 handhelds are like $1300+, but if it's true that z2e ally is $900, going too high could be rough for lenovo

@pure pecan Go 2 is 1200p instead of the 1600p (or 1900p on gen 4) from the y700. (Trying to stop polluting the abxylute thread lol)

When I briefly saw it at CES, I don't think it was too low res but it's hard to get an impression with so much going on around you

[pure pecan]

Haha. Thanks

And yeah. I know it's a drop. But the color and vibrancy on the y700 is so good. I'd have to imagine an OLED being just as good if not better

[spark gyro]

Yeah, looked good at the CES booth. Hopefully we get release date news soon, it's allegedly still coming this year.

[pure pecan]

Yeah. I also just like the detachable controllers and what not. Anything to differentiate from a now more crowded market. Even if I only use it like twice a year

[spark gyro]

I'm just glad big screens are catching on. We've got Go, Go S, Go 2, Claw 8, Claw 8 AMD version, y700 tablet + g9, Astra tablet...

Back when I first got into moonlight streaming I was using gen 1 y700 with various hacky 3d printed things and a chopped up gamesir x2 pro because that's all that was really available at the time for 8+"

[rare widget]

Your 3d print controller thing started my obsession with the Y700’s and so forth 😅 i saw that first then ordered all the kit after

[spark gyro]

Gamesir needs to take the G9, chop off the two controller halves, and put a spring loaded mech in between. Make it work on all tablets.

I've been so close to taking a dremel to it to make it fit the astra. I just think about what I paid for it though...

It's gathering dust now though since I have the astra and only a gen 1 y700 currently

[pure pecan]

The G9 is super cool

[spark gyro]

Chat: do I cancel all my ayaneo preorders and just focus on thor/odin 3?

I think those videos will garner much more popularity

[thorn moth]

assuming both cant be done, i vote for focusing on the more interesting/popular devices (thor/odin 3)

[spark gyro]

It's also a lot of money tied up for ? months on the IGG campaign.

Follow up question, if I had to keep one, cancel 2, would you all rather see: pocket s2, ACE, or Pocket DS? (ACE most likely to cancel as I feel it's already getting stale)

I'm almost entirely self purchased/funded besides anbernic and the rare e-waste so I have limits.

[thorn moth]

my vote is pocket DS > ACE > S2 (so axe ACE and S2 for DS)

dual screen seems to be the "thing" this year, and is the more interesting direction for products in the hobby
we already had a full year of glass candybar slabs

[spark gyro]

The Pocket DS I was excited to review... until the thor was announced lol

[thorn moth]

i think both and a comparison between them would be better than say, the thor + the S2

figuring out the "dual screen king" is what i would imagine will be on a lot of people's minds this year

i wouldnt bet on people being as interested in an odin 3 vs "competing ayaneo" rematch

[spark gyro]

Yeah, though I think most people will not even consider the pocket ds vs the thor with the $100+ price difference.

[opaque flame]

Agreed. Ayaneo units also do badly in the YouTube algorithm since they accumulate a lot of thumbs down based on price.

[spark gyro]

Ok, well I'm about to save myself some money theh

[opaque flame]

Never a bad thing

[gaunt horizon]

🍻

[spark gyro]

Cancelled the ACE. S2 order appears to be locked so might be shipping soon already.

[slow zealot]

geforce now is so good if you have a good connection to them

i regret canceling my g9 now. i should have just kept it

[spark gyro]

Welp, my g9 appears to be dead. Idk what I did. Opened it up to look at something (have done before without issue) and now it won't turn on at all.

rip $$

Yep, totally dead. That sucks.

I've used it for all of a few hours.

[thorn moth]

any way to get it returned?

[spark gyro]

Idk, I read the giztop warranty policy. Means me paying shipping and possibly them denying repair since it's been opened. Not sure if it's worth it

[rare widget]

Time to open that sucker up now then and make something for the astra.

https://tenor.com/view/muppet-wiki-muppetwiki-muppet-muppets-muppet-show-gif-2408076638731371448

[spark gyro]

I mean, it is open but it's a paperweight if there's a pcb issue or something

Took it fully apart, inspected, reassembled. No obvious issues but still no worky

[gaunt horizon]

I assume you plugged it in to charge?

[spark gyro]

It doesn't have a battery, direct connectionto device only

Well, I'll send an email to giztop and see what they say

In other news I do finally have the gamesir x5s in hand @rare widget . I think it's decent. quality is better than x5 lite, it's lighter than g8+ which is nice, but it might be a hair to small too hold comfortably with a tablet. Also the joystick tops are stupid teeny.

[slow zealot]

Dibs

[gaunt horizon]

My bad, assumed it was a handheld. My Ally X did the same thing, wouldn't power on after opening it up, but plugging it in to charge woke it up

[rare widget]

Nice! It just became available on EU + UK Amazon yesterday night. So i cancelled my order via Amazon China 😅 i should have my own soon enough. Looking forward to it

[primal anvil]

Well I hope mine doesn't do the same... I paid way to much money for it for that. I don't plan on taking the Y700 out of it at this point though as I have the iPlay Ultra and Turbo to use with either my telescopic controllers or general tablet use.

[rare widget]

@spark gyro @hollow sleet 8 elite in a handheld! Things getting wild out there 😅

[spark gyro]

Still not sure the elite offers much over the gen 3

With the driver situation

[rare widget]

Hopefully Odin 3 will adopt it and custom drivers may start becoming a thing 🤷🏻‍♂️ but interested to see what chip can do with active cooling

Would imagine this thing would be amazing for winlator with good drivers

[spark gyro]

I don’t think Odin 3 adopting it will make a difference. There’s already way more phones out there with 8 elite than any of these handhelds. Getting drivers I don’t think is a quantity problem. Not sure how exactly that all works though.

[rare widget]

good point

Hmmm tricky one

Still boggling my mind how fast handheld scene is moving, if we are already at 8 elite handhelds :/

[spark gyro]

If we had more Android games pushing graphical limits it would matter more to have the elite

[rare widget]

Kinda hoping we hear more about the konkr windows handheld. Haven’t had a budget windows handheld since my old aya neo air i3 model

[opaque flame]

Do we know for sure if it is the SD 8 Elite?

[opaque flame]

At this point, the ceiling isn’t really the hardware—it’s the software. What we really need isn’t more horsepower, but better development to make use of the horsepower we already have.

Odin 2 Portal is peak android handheld in my opinion still. Just different flavors essentially for the same software we have available, and... im totally okay with that. Its great to see the Thor handheld with dualscreens coming out. Can't wait to play some DS and 3DS on a device that actually has good panels. Those new 3DS LL screens... oof.

[rare widget]

Admittedly they havent posted a spec sheet for the elite model yet. But seems too on the nose and they use wording like in picture

[opaque flame]

IF that is the SD 8 Elite.... Damn.

I'm sold if it is

[rare widget]

The other lower spec model is g3 gen 3. So elite must have something better 😅

[rare widget]

No oled though 🤣

[spark gyro]

The budget pitch is interesting. Really not that much cheaper than pocket S was. Sure there’s the elite model but as Kei said I’m not sure the software can really leverage that yet.

Might be more comfy than a pocket s tho

[rare widget]

Yeah. Shame my pocket s2 is locked in. Ah well. Im sure will still be great 😅

[pure pecan]

Yeah. I love the feels look of this. But not feeling the screen choice

Especially with something like a g3gen3 or 8 elite behind it

Go lower power and charge me less for the same experience please

Feel like a lot of people are gonna jump for it just cause 8 elite and then will realize it doesn't really do anything "better"

Or at least not on a 6" LCD

[opaque flame]

Exactly. I couldn't even find a valid test to show it off in my y700 gen 4 review. Android just doesn't need more... yet.

[pure pecan]

Yeah. I mean future proofing is an acceptable reason. But at that point I'm getting some top of the line model. Not something pitched as "budget"

And things have seemed to slow anyway. Might be a bit before we even need that power

[rare widget]

Yeah so far my only noticeable difference to my 8 gen 3 Y700 is the boot time.

Crazy fast on elite

[opaque flame]

Right?! Fastest you've seen too?

[rare widget]

https://tenor.com/view/yup-dale-doback-step-brothers-yes-i-agree-gif-1579811350903017250

Boosts faster than any other device i own

[pure pecan]

Shit. Don't get me too excited. Bout to get an 8 elite konkr now 😆

Boot is the mind killer

[rare widget]

Blink and you’ll miss it

[river sail]

Eh, from what the Turnip Driver dev says (I can only take their word on it as I don’t have an 8 Elite device), the stock drivers actually work really well for the most part, it’s mainly switch emulation that has the most issues due to incompatibilities.

Since Eden devs are the same devs collaborating with AYANEO to get the emu working well on their devices we could potentially see the Konkr Elite unironically ending up being the reason for Switch emulation finally working well on the 8 Elite.

Here’s the Turnip dev’s comments on the matter in question.

[pure pecan]

Yeah. I'm not saying it won't be unlocked at some point. Just if you picked it up today with an older chip device next to it to compare, it just won't run better and maybe worse

[river sail]

Well yeah duh, I wouldn’t recommend getting it for Switch in the first place as-is directly because it runs worse than older chips currently.

I’m just saying that the fact the Konkr Elite even exists, combined with the fact that they’re working with Eden, could unironically result in Switch emulation actually working well on the 8 Elite, which is great news.

[pure pecan]

Yeah. For sure

[digital moss]

Well from techzonekids videos testing nier automata on gamesir hub:
8 gen 1+ - 20-28fps 544p
8gen 3 - 20-30fps 544p
8 elite - 720p 30fps(battery saver) 40-60fps(performance mode with cooler fan)

[spark gyro]

I mean windows emulation might be the one use case. I personally would rather just use a windows handheld than deal with that stuff but to each their own. But for the majority of android games and emulation it’s more than necessary imo.

[digital moss]

Yeah, I just checked unicorn overlord, seems to be no different between gen 3/4. Btw we're you still looking for a detachable controller solution for the y700? I was going to suggest this

[rare widget]

Think the problem is. Even if we had a elite handheld with amazing drivers. In this hobby. You will still be looking at the next device 😅 there will never be a one and done handheld.

[thorn moth]

part of the fun is getting excited for the next thing
our hobby isnt like the console space where we stick with 1 thing for the next 6 to 8 years

but i mean, its also fine to think of a device as the current one and done for people who are just dropping by the hobby
so they can just buy 1 thing and be on their way, be it the steam deck, odin 2 portal, or Flip 2

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/hBQvOGIk4YQ

[spark gyro]

Do you all prefer a video where I have talking head mixed in with the top down. Or do you prefer just footage of the device?

[rare widget]

Talking head. As long as your wear the blazer 😅

[pure pecan]

Need to get that genki Force field 2. Been my favorite so far. Feel like it does a good in-between the kill switch and mumba

That said the kill switch grips on the joycon are real nice

[spark gyro]

https://tenor.com/view/wallet-penacony-honkai-star-rail-clockie-no-money-gif-14673244072619990643

[spring lava]

I think tech dweeb makes it work because of the character. but most of the time I prefer seeing the reviewer.

[spark gyro]

Yeah I was thinking about him, and it's that he's really established a persona that people follow, not just the videos. It's hard for most people to do that with no face.

[spark gyro]

Alright I Thordered

[opaque flame]

Which one did you order?

[spark gyro]

Purple pro

[opaque flame]

That'll look awesome on your review

[pure pecan]

I probably should have went purple. Went white. Just reminds me more of my old 3ds

[spark gyro]

Always think about ordering transparent colors and never do so figured I’d go for it this time.

[opaque flame]

I think you'll like the atomic purple on a modern device

[spark gyro]

I think I had an atomic purple n64 controller long ago

[pure pecan]

I still want a cobalt blue handheld at some point but it'll probably never happen

Was my fav handheld color

[spark gyro]

Ordered a second camera today, too… more face in my videos soon…

[opaque flame]

Oh which camera?

[thorn moth]

i think as long as the balance is good, it works for the best to have a mix of the two

[thorn moth]

i really wish anbernic released metallic red, blue and black versions of their xxSP devices, similar to the silver 35xxSP

those 3 colorways are probably the most nostalgic for me when it comes to the GBASP

(to clarify i mean metallic-looking colors, not a metallic shell)

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/N_W8BWowtZY
The Nuggets Are Back!

[thorn moth]

i really hope the odin 3 doesnt break price point tradition
would love to see them able to stick to that ~$300-$350 price point
but everything ive been hearing about the chip makes me think it isnt feasible
which is unfortunate if true, i dont think a chip upgrade was worth shifting the price point of the line

also the news vindicated me a little bit as a long time ayaneo hater
i always felt slimy about them being an established brand yet still relying on IGG campaigns
and thats besides their arguably out of touch price value propositions

[opaque flame]

Even that's awfully expensive. These arm handhelds are going up faster than x86 handhelds in price honestly... Almost

[thorn moth]

No posting of the new anbernic vid

I really think the price is the only thing holding it back, $165 for something that caps at Saturn and some GameCube doesnt feel like a good value in 2025

I would've actually preferred if it sold for around $195 but shared the same processor as the 477M

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/MA_kUu0Y35A

[spark gyro]

Needed to be $130

[thorn moth]

kind of hoping the answer to this is no 😅 just ordered a trimui brick hammer due to how much i enjoy using the original brick

[spark gyro]

https://youtu.be/iR_IqMfSD0g

Am I tired of making switch 2 grip videos? Maybe..

[thorn moth]

ngl you might be my go-to guy for grips on the switch 2 OLED if the form factor is any different 😅

but i dont expect to grab a switch 2 until that OLED model comes out, too many other devices in my possession for the regular switch 2 to be appealing

[spark gyro]

The regular switch 2 is still niche

I leave it docked 98% of the time and only play mario kart/dk on it with my kid

Well.. it's not niche lots of people have it

but, rather... limited in its usecase

[thorn moth]

i think the "versatility" of the switch (and switch 2) manifests in an interesting way
rather than being a device that frequently gets switched between the 2 use cases, it seems people either treat it as mainly a console or a handheld

atleast i dont really know anyone who frequently switches between the two, its 90% one 10% the other with everyone i know

forgot to finish my point, but its like the versatility is in you choosing if you prefer a console or a handheld, as opposed to actually "switching"

[river sail]

The Switch already was treated as effectively a cheaper home console that can play a lot of third party and indie games on a handheld much lighter and more portable than the Steam Deck, on top of the first party games.

Switch 2 is essentially just that, but it trades the lighter weight for much better performance on most S1 games than what you usually got on the S1, including those same first party titles that had people interested in the Nintendo Switch (on top of its own exclusives).

[thorn moth]

steam deck released after the switch, dont think it was a factor at all for its purpose or marketing
i imagine it was an evolution of the wiiu's concept, where someone had a handheld and a console, but instead of 2 displays, the console itself could be held as a handheld on its own, allowing them to merge their handheld and home console catalogs (main series pokemon coming to the TV, etc)

[river sail]

Oh it was absolutely not intended to go against the Steam Deck. They’re not even competing in the first place. My comment is mainly what functions the Switch 1 and 2 both indirectly can serve.

[thorn moth]

the fact that the switch 2 not only traded weight but also a higher price point for better performance makes me wonder if we couldve already gotten a "switch 2" back when we got the original switch, it just doesnt feel particularly innovative to me when the price also goes up alongside the weight

[river sail]

I would imagine no since the S2 chipset itself is around 4 years old (so the chipset was developed at a minimum around 2 years after the S1 already released) and actively was custom made to be used for the Switch 2, in which the development costs definitely required at least some of the capital they made from the S1.

Also, even as someone who enjoyed their Wii U, I frankly really think them trying to reinvent the wheel after a successful idea again would’ve been absolutely stupid as shit.

So honestly, I’m all in favor of the Switch 2 instead of being some random oddball idea that may or may not have worked well in the first place being purely done for the sake of “being innovative”.

Also, given the Switch 2 literally only added a $100 higher price point compared to the OLED on release (that difference now being only $50 more thanks to certain bs…), I’d argue that’s a much better price point increase for what you get out of the S2 vs the S1 OLED, at least when compared to the price and performance differences between something like the PS5 and PS5 Pro.

[river sail]

Hell, you can argue that the Mouse controls are that exact “innovative” idea people are saying is “missing”, they just didn’t build the entire console around them like they did with the Wii U’s Gamepad tablet.

[thorn moth]

obviously not the same exact switch 2 as we now have it with the same chip
the air quotes on "switch 2" were meant to represent something like what we got
kind of like phone releases, where we get a "pro max" model alongside the base model
when we got the $300 switch, im pretty sure we couldve gotten a heavier, more performant "switch pro max" for $450
maybe the performance wouldnt be quite as good as the switch 2's, but id like to think it wouldve been close even back then
extra weight and an additional $150 getting us barely any performance uplift is an idea i cant wrap my head around

but who knows, maybe we just didnt have the chip technology for something better than the switch's chip even if we increased the weight and budget

[river sail]

Except it’s definitely way more than “barely” in terms of a performance uplift, it’s just that it’s mostly noticeable on the games that outright struggled on S1 at times.

Like, I’ve been replaying XC2 on the Switch 2 just to see how well it handles the game, and unironically this game looks way fucking better when it isn’t dropping to a low 378p in dynamic scaling due to really particularly heavy particle effects and still getting framerate drops.

[thorn moth]

im not saying the switch 2 is barely a performance uplift
but that id struggle to believe extra weight and +$150 to the budget wouldve resulted in barely a performance uplift (back during the switch 1)
alluding to the notion that surely we couldve gotten a decent performance uplift, making it something close to the switch 2

[river sail]

Fair enough then on that part. All I can really say is that they likely had been planning to do something like this sooner, only for a certain event the entirety of 2020 to happen.

[thorn moth]

ah, could be an explanation to us never having gotten a switch pro, maybe the project just got pushed back and turned into a sequel console

a switch pro would justify the price increase more imo, sequels are usually the same cost as the previous base model
(ergo iphone 16 and iphone 16 pro max vs iphone 16 and iphone 17)

(or playstation 3 vs 4 etc)

this is just an example, but a 20% performance uplift for a 50% cost increase is actually negative in terms of value imo
and i just dont think iterative devices should be a worse value than their predecessor

ignoring the switch 2, weve kind of seen an example of this already with devices like the legion go 2

[spark gyro]

Just in time before 1 year as a channel

[opaque flame]

Wow big congrats 🎉

Hope you and the family can celebrate the milestone

[thorn moth]

nice 🎊 🥳

are you no longer doing news videos? was nice to hear your take on RH news and the videos seemed relatively easy to make
were nice to fill in the space between reviews too

[spark gyro]

I dunno. It's not a lot of views, and there's no returning views since it's time sensitive. I think I'm better off spending my time creating device related content than just talking about stuff.

[spark gyro]

Hey all, haven’t really been active here as discord fatigue is a thing and the holidays and then CES have been busy. If you want to chat with me, you can find me on my teeny tiny little discord at the link in my bio.