I picked up a DE10-Nano "MiSTer" the other day and got it set up. Like many users on this forum I'm primarilly an original hardware guy, but I have a soft spot for the extremely accurate Analogue FPGA consoles and I see opportunities that original console+scaler configs may never be able to offer (such as lag-free 480i transitions and working light gun games). I have also been caught complaining about hardware repairs from time to time and wouldn't mind a no-compromise solution made of new parts.
What I am about to say below sounds kinda negative but only because it's nit-picking from an end-user who prefers a console experience. These are early days and it should not be shocking to hear that the current build isn't perfect. If the concept excites you, get one-- I was pleased to learn that you don't even need add-on boards to play Genesis, Turbografx/ Supergrafx and many others over HDMI, which made my purchase something like $140 US. (You DO need a micro usb-otg cable and hub though, make sure to get that.) And the capabilities of this device are practically infinite.
Having set up my MiSTer, which was surprisingly easy, my initial reaction is that this concept will rule all in the long term but isn't much better than a good PC emulator right now. For one, I detected minor lag playing Ninja Gaiden on PC Engine. It's probably just a frame or two but it's there, and wouldn't be there with a PC Engine and OSSC. For another, emulation is technically not exact. For instance, someone just recently released a cycle-accurate 68000 to go in an Atari ST core. This is fantastic but it also means that all current cores running a 68000 are
not yet cycle accurate. Again it's not a big deal, but it
does make the MiSTer more like a solid emulator than a perfect copy of the original. Finally, you still need a keyboard (someone correct me if I'm wrong) to launch a core/ select a game so this isn't a simple console experience by any means.
On the positive side, there is the aforementioned ease of setup (using the wiki and a Windows PC), fast loading, scanlines that even look decent on my projector screen, and a smoothing filter I don't hate. And one more thing: there isn't a lot of fiddling available on the MiSTer, which helps me relax and enjoy my game once it's running. That's a positive for me at least, and also a reason why I love original consoles.
To summarize, the FPGA MiSTer will probably become a cycle-accurate way to play all your 8-bit and 16-bit consoles and PCs with little more than 5V and a USB gamepad. At present, it is a lot more like a PC emulator than a game console, requiring a keyboard and patience while cores progress from "really good" to "perfect." I'm going to keep mine and am hopeful that it will one day sit in a shell full of cartridge slots and retro controller ports, like a Retron5 worth owning.
