Hard work won’t kill you, but Y take the chance?
This actually looks really amazing. Because I’m lazy, I’ll probably wait for the OTA update. Looking at this CFW’s breakneck development speed, I doubt I will have to wait long.
@Shatur Are you the dev? Or have you been using the beta previously?
Just search for AYN Odin. You normally have to buy it from China directly, but they are pretty good about shipping them out when they say they will (at least lately). Sometimes you can find them on Amazon for a fair bit of markup. Compare prices to see if the shipping time and ease of return are worth it for you.
Well Retroid just announced the new RP2S. That might just be the best answer! D-pad does look to be the same quality one as in RP3+.
I knew I wasn’t the only one!
I never thought I would meet another person that loved the RP2+ dpad as much as I did! It’s pretty amazing imho.
I should mention up front that I hate the Steam Deck not only as a device, but also its controls (two deeply unpopular opinions). I’m also not fond of the ROG Ally controls, especially the dpad. So, I might just be weird and my opinions, on ergonomics and controls at least, could be very far from the norm.
My favorite retro dpad is on my 8BitDo SN30 Pro 2. It’s just perfect. I think the Odin Base is also fairly amazing and I’d put it at my #2. Our RP2+ underdog would be next, followed by the Miyoo Mini Plus of all things! The variability of those devices is huge though, so it is possible I just got a few “far above average” dpads on those MMPs (I also got some bad ones that I had to return).
My Anbernics I could probably group together and would put them next (they are fine). Then there would be the unfortunate outliers like the G Cloud (my favorite device but I hate the dpad and buttons), the RP3+ (almost as good as the RP2+, but gave it away), the Flip (I have the Sports Red, and my dpad sticks to the paint, so pretty bad), and some older more vintage emulators (my arcade gamer dpad is so bad that I had to cut pieces off of it just to be able to use it!).
It sounds like you might understand the two technologies well enough, and just quickly typed your post. If you don’t understand the difference between emulation and FPGA, then please let me know (or just search for the info yourself) as that is important in understanding a lot of the “hype”.
Emulation is emulation, and some people just absolutely want the original experience, warts and all! I prefer emulation and the massive QOL it can (frequently, but not always) give us. But many people want the exact experience they initially had, or are curious about what that experience was if they were too young to live through it or just were not interested in it at the time.
The Pocket also had great-feeling controls, an excellent screen, and a very nostalgic form factor. I think devices like the Pocket and the MISTer definitely have a place in this niche community.
As for why you might not be hearing about it as much these days, I can’t give you a definite answer. Possibilities include:
The horrendous ordering and shipping systems used for the Pocket may have put off the non-hardcore buyers.
Newer and better retro handhelds may have removed some of the Pocket’s charm.
Many people that wanted one already have them, so you aren’t seeing as many posts on social media regarding the device.
People are waiting for the next big FPGA breakthrough (more systems, better devices, etc.).
This actually looks really amazing. Because I’m lazy, I’ll probably wait for the OTA update. Looking at this CFW’s breakneck development speed, I doubt I will have to wait long.
@Shatur Are you the dev? Or have you been using the beta previously?