Beelink SER5 Review — $450 Ryzen 5600H Mini PC

Beelink SER5 Review — $450 Ryzen 5600H Mini PC

The new Beelink SER5 (Ryzen 5 5600H) packs a LOT of power inside a tiny form factor — it can run flawless GameCube and PS2 at 1080p, and much more — and it is very capable for non-gaming tasks too. I’m excited to test this one and show why I think it’s the best mini PC deal you can find under $500 right now.

More info here
or on Amazon

Continue reading “Beelink SER5 Review — $450 Ryzen 5600H Mini PC”

Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide

Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide

Last updated: 31MAR2024

It’s no secret that the Anbernic RG552 is an expensive device. At its initial starting retail price of $227, it can be disappointing that it’s not powerful enough to run GameCube or PlayStation 2 at acceptable levels (thankfully, as of 2024 it can be found for about $175 on sale). Even with that in mind, there are some aspects of this device that really shine — namely its screen and overall feel when it comes to d-pad-centric gaming — and so in this guide I’m going to walk you through all the little tweaks and tricks I use to get the most out of this device.

At the end of the day, the Anbernic RG552 is one of my favorite consoles for RETRO (i.e. 32-bit and below) gaming, and with these tweaks, I think you might agree.

Buy one here (AliExpress)
or via Anbernic.com
or via Amazon Prime (more expensive but fast shipping)

Continue reading “Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide”

Review & Guide: AYANEO Air

Review & Guide: AYANEO Air

The AYANEO Air is the latest handheld PC to come to market, and it has some distinguishing characteristics: it’s ultra small for what it can do, and features a beautiful OLED panel with 1080p resolution. Let’s take a deep dive look at the device and see if it’s worth the $500+ asking price. Additionally, is it a “Steam Deck killer” or a “Switch killer”? I can never keep them straight.

AYANEO Air IndieGoGo campaign

Continue reading “Review & Guide: AYANEO Air”

Analogue Pocket OpenFPGA Guide

Analogue Pocket OpenFPGA Guide

Last updated: 20NOV2023 (see Changelog for details)

The Analogue Pocket is finally able to run community-developed cores. Within the AP community, the term “jailbreak” is often used, but no jailbreaking is required; you simply need to be running the most recent version of the Analogue Pocket operating system, and then add the community cores.

New cores are getting added all the time, and I will update this guide accordingly. If you’d like to stay up-to-date with the latest cores available, this site has a good roundup of available options.

Continue reading “Analogue Pocket OpenFPGA Guide”

AOKZOE A1 Hands-On Impressions (Ryzen 7 6800U handheld)

AOKZOE A1 Hands-On Impressions (Ryzen 7 6800U handheld)

The AOKZOE is an upcoming Ryzen 7 6800U handheld PC that will release in September. In this video we’ll take an early look at its build quality, performance, and ergonomics, and see whether their Kickstarter campaign is worth considering.

Kickstarter campaign
AOKZOE A1 giveaway

The Phawx’s 6800U TDP video

Continue reading “AOKZOE A1 Hands-On Impressions (Ryzen 7 6800U handheld)”

Miyoo Mini Button and Sticker Mods (Sakura Retro Modding)

Miyoo Mini Button and Sticker Mods (Sakura Retro Modding)

Today we’re going to look at some button and sticker mod options for the Miyoo Mini handheld devices.

Check out the Sakura Retro Modding store

Buy a Miyoo Mini:
AliExpress (often the best price)
or via Amazon (faster shipping)
or via KeepRetro

Continue reading “Miyoo Mini Button and Sticker Mods (Sakura Retro Modding)”

Review: Analogue Pocket

Review: Analogue Pocket

The Analogue Pocket is the first FPGA handheld, promising cycle accurate gameplay for your beloved Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges with a brilliant display and modern features. But does this experience warrant its hefty price tag?

More info here (ships in 2023): https://www.analogue.co/pocket

Other devices featured in this video:
Miyoo Mini
Anbernic RG351V
Anbernic RG552

Continue reading “Review: Analogue Pocket”

AmberELEC Setup and Update Guide

AmberELEC Setup and Update Guide

Last updated: 13JUL2022

AmberELEC is the new custom firmware that replaced 351ELEC for devices such as the Anbernic RG351P, RG351M, RG351V, RG351MP, and RG552. This video and guide will walk you through its setup as well as showcase new features in this release.

AmberELEC webpage
AmberELEC discord server

Continue reading “AmberELEC Setup and Update Guide”