I read somewhere that PKGj works through Sony’s servers. I don't really know much about how It works but...what’s going to happen to it once they close them?
Hey everyone
I decided to do a small comparison between the Anbernic RG DS and the Nintendo DSi in terms of image fidelity and how to use the filter that best matches the original hardware.
Keep in mind that a DSi XL would be a fairer comparison due to screen size. A regular DSi is much smaller and has higher pixel density than the XL, so it looks sharper than the bigger model — but unfortunately I don’t have one.
On the RG DS I’m running GammaOS Lite and DraStic with the 2xPrescaleFast_LCD filter. Just a heads-up: if you’re not on GammaOS and are using another OS, DraStic usually comes with Linear filtering (or no filter at all), and you have to manually add the one you want. In my opinion, the default filter that comes with DraStic on GammaOS is one of the most faithful to the original console while having a significant improvement in sharpness.
The games I used for the comparison are Children of Mana, Final Fantasy IV, Mario Kart DS, and Assassin’s Creed 1.
Children of Mana is more of a 2D/pixel-art game than the others. As you can see, with the default Linear filter it looks quite different from the DSi, but whit the 2xPrescaleFast_LCD filter, it looks surprisingly close to the original hardware, even though it’s not a perfect scale for the DSi’s 192p resolution because of the 480P screen. There are some color differences (I have color enhancement enabled in Android settings on GammaOS, so the RG DS probably looks a bit more saturated than normal as you can see in the image below between GammaOS and stock 1.14).
Mario Kart DS is a game I’d rather play on the original system. It doesn’t feel as smooth on the RG DS. Even with 3D disabled, you can tell it runs slower. I’m not sure if it’s my ROM (probably something wrong on my end, but I didn't tinker so much), but on the DSi it runs perfectly — super fluid and just wonderful.
With Final Fantasy IV I actually prefer how it looks on the RG DS. On the DSi the image and colors look a bit washed out, like too bright every time, while on the RG DS it looks really great, this game really pop's on a brighter, more contrast, colourful and bigger screen, and it plays great with 0 slowdowns even with 3D High Resolution enabled.
In Assassin’s Creed, you can see we almost have the same number of pixel rows on the health bar (6 rows on the DSi and 7 on the RG DS), but the difference is practically unnoticeable.
Overall, it’s surprising how similar the games look. Obviously there are color differences (more noticeable in some games than others) since DSi screens are like close to 20 years old), and enabling high-res 3D also makes things look better, but overall the RG DS is an excellent handheld if you want to play DS games with image quality very close to the original hardware. It does have a bit more input lag than the DSi, It’s almost unnoticeable unless you have both side by side, but you can feel that the DSi is more instantaneous (is great how nearly zero input lag it has, super snappy device) while the RG DS has a few extra milliseconds in every game, at least under GammaOS.
That said, the DSi still looks fantastic even today. It’s so light, small, and portable. If you can get a DSi XL with IPS screens, many people consider that the best way to play DS games, but the RG DS is my go to, if custom software keep coming (If any developers are reading this, please—adding retroachievements to the RG DS would be a dream come true) , this little thing could be an amazing device to have and it might have one of the greatest redemption arcs in this hobby.
I played it a few months ago so I don’t remember, but did the game already have 120Hz in dock before? After the latest update the other day, it now sets my monitor to 1440/120Hz if 120Hz is enabled in the console menu, it seems to run... better? Like stable 40fps instead of unlocked framerate at 60Hz.
I'm currently using an Anbernic RG DS and I really love it, but while the screens perform better outdoors than I expected, it's still not ideal.
What handhelds actually have a good bright screen for outdoor gaming? I've been considering the Anbernic RG477M, the Ayn Thor (I'd love this one for the dual screens — how's the brightness on it?), Odin 3...
Any recommendations?
My luck couldn't get any worse...
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I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit for this, but since I imagine some of you come from the 3DS scene and know it well, would you trade a New 3DS XL for an Ayn Thor (SDGen2 8+128GB I think that's enough for my use but it's like 350-400€)? I love the dual screens and I know a hacked 3DS can do a lot, but the Thor is on a completely different level. I really enjoy tinkering with retro/classic platforms.
Recently I bought an Anbernic RG DS for €70 and I'm enjoying it a lot playing DS games. Unfortunately, Drastic doesn't support RetroAchievements and 3DS emulation isn't really playable at an acceptable level and even games like Ni no Kuni DS doesn't run well with High Resolution 3D enabled, so I'm thinking about jumping to a Thor... but I'm worried I might regret selling the 3DS. What do you guys think?
It's a small thing but damn, having achievements visible on the bottom screen to track easily or just throwing up a guide for whatever game I'm playing is actually super practical and cool, I think I'm enjoying it more because of the extra possibilities the second screen offers than because it's meant for the NDS.
It's not the most powerful & fast retro handheld out there but you can always make the most of it and have a great time (except vs MasterTyranomon, f*ck him :'D)
Basically, I was eating in front of my monitor when my glasses fell into the bowl and splattered lentil soup right in front of me. Instantly every Reddit horror story about scratched screens and ruined monitors flashed through my mind...But in the end, it looks brand new, 0 scratches. I unplugged the monitor for 20 minutes (it had been on for hours), used distilled water, a slightly damp cloth, then a dry one, and wiped it very gently with almost zero pressure. I think I just passed the trial by fire and overcome my fear.
I currently have a Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme + 32GB RAM). Today I found a basically brand-new Xbox ROG Ally X in a second-hand store for €610, I’m seriously considering trading my Legion Go S for it (I won’t keep both) without spending any additional cash.
On one hand, the Ally X offers better performance at low TDP, much better battery life, and quieter fans but on the other hand, I’d lose SteamOS (I know I can put SteamOS on it, but everything works well?) and especially the 8" screen. I’m worried that 7" will feel too small.I probably won’t see another Ally X at this price anytime soon, so I’m really torn. What do you guys think? Worth the switch?
I found someone locally selling it brand new and sealed for just 90€, and after seeing how well it runs with the new operating systems, I barely hesitated. Now I’m not sure which one to install, Rocknix or Anbernic’s new official Linux build. I’m thinking of trying both and deciding later...
I've been using a Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS (Z1E/32GB) for some time now and I'm absolutely in love with it, It runs amazingly well, though battery life is definitely its weakest point.
I've been considering getting a ROG Ally X and then decide which one to keep, but I only want to run it with SteamOS because I really don't like Windows, has anyone here installed SteamOS on their Ally X? How’s the experience? Does everything work properly (sleep mode, performance, tdp profiles, etc.)?
I just bought a new Asus XG32UCD a few days ago, and the monitor performs them automatically. I assume it does them when it goes into sleep mode, even though the orange power light never blinks. I’ve tried updating the firmware/software but it always fails at 43%, so I’m not sure if this is a bug causing excessive pixel refreshes or if it’s behaving normally.
