RetroN 5 release updated to April 2014

[brownvim]

You can't use flash carts on the Retron 5 I believe. As it just dumps the carts ROM into memory and runs it with the emulator.

You can only have one cart in the slots at a time too.

Surely even an OUYA is better? The Retron 5 has the wired pads advantage though.

[Fudoh]

Unbelievable - why all this negativitiy ?

WE ARE NOT THE TARGET AUDIENCE. Or did anybody here believe otherwise ? But for the casual gamer, who wants to revisit old 8 and 16-bit systems, this is a dream come true. Emulation is easily close enough to the real thing and in terms of picture quality the Retron 5 certainly is the next best thing after real hardware with RGB coupled with a XRGB. But getting RGB and buying a $400 upscaler is certainly nothing what any casual gamer would do. Clone systems like the older Retrons are a huge market, but they always lacked quality (no RGB, no upscaling).

I know dozens of people who bought old classic systems in used game stores over the past years. Of course they could have used emulation on a PC instead, but they wanted to connect the systems to their TV and just "game away". PC emulation is too complicated for the average user out there. And they only thing they always complained about was the crappy quality when they connected a MD or SNES through composite or RF to their 50" LCD or plasma set. Of course I tried "educating" them about RGB and uspcaling and such, but maybe one of out twenty goes for such an adventure. And that's exactly the problem the Retron 5 solves.

Stop whining, guys! If you don't feel it, don't buy.

[Holograph]

Unbelievable - why all this negativitiy ?

WE ARE NOT THE TARGET AUDIENCE....

Stop whining, guys! If you don't feel it, don't buy.

It's discussion, not whining, for the most part. I doubt many people here think that we're the target audience. Sorry, but the idea of, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" is great in the kindergarten classroom, but does not apply to real life. Discussing things negatively is important too (though it can be done in a way that is overly disrespectful - we should definitely try to stay respectful). YOUR post, for once, is actually by far the least useful in this thread and is closer to whining than any other post made in this thread. Do you read through online reviews of products and respond to all negative reviews, telling people that the product clearly wasn't designed for them and they are just whining?

Nobody's saying the device has no use, but why should we not have a discussion about a device and how it relates to other options? Other people might like this device more, yes. And they are free to discuss it in a positive manner elsewhere - or even here, if they don't mind that not everyone here will be positive about it.

Stop whining, guy! If you don't feel our posts, don't comment. (Or, to be a bit more serious, feel free to add some positives into the discussion, but I think most if not all of us already realized the thing has some advantages for many people.)

Cliffnotes: There's a difference between respectfully saying something relevant but negative and bashing things unfairly. We should try to stay constructive and respectful, but there is no need to avoid all negativity all the time.

P.S. I agree that it's a cool device, and I will likely recommend it to some of my friends (if it works well), if not outright buy a couple to give as presents. Just not really for me personally.

[Fudoh]

Our original thread on the R5 (why is there a second anyway ?) was a lively discussion. This one's just a repetition of all the criticism.

[broken harbour]

Unbelievable - why all this negativitiy ?

WE ARE NOT THE TARGET AUDIENCE. Or did anybody here believe otherwise ? But for the casual gamer, who wants to revisit old 8 and 16-bit systems, this is a dream come true. Emulation is easily close enough to the real thing and in terms of picture quality the Retron 5 certainly is the next best thing after real hardware with RGB coupled with a XRGB. But getting RGB and buying a $400 upscaler is certainly nothing what any casual gamer would do. Clone systems like the older Retrons are a huge market, but they always lacked quality (no RGB, no upscaling).

I know dozens of people who bought old classic systems in used game stores over the past years. Of course they could have used emulation on a PC instead, but they wanted to connect the systems to their TV and just "game away". PC emulation is too complicated for the average user out there. And they only thing they always complained about was the crappy quality when they connected a MD or SNES through composite or RF to their 50" LCD or plasma set. Of course I tried "educating" them about RGB and uspcaling and such, but maybe one of out twenty goes for such an adventure. And that's exactly the problem the Retron 5 solves.

Stop whining, guys! If you don't feel it, don't buy.

Agreed.

I actually think this will be a great product for it's target audience.

[lettuce]

You can't use flash carts on the Retron 5 I believe. As it just dumps the carts ROM into memory and runs it with the emulator.

You can only have one cart in the slots at a time too.

Surely even an OUYA is better? The Retron 5 has the wired pads advantage though.

Apparently there is a debug menu where you can load custom FW and the system is in no way locked down. The fact that hyperkin are now saying you can load patches from the SD card to get stuff like English translation on games that were never released in English language territories says to me that you'll probably be able to load ROMs from SD cards also. What with CFW and loading from SD card it wont be long until we see PC-Engine on the Retron 5!

[Xyga]

Apparently there is a debug menu where you can load custom FW and the system is in no way locked down.

This is actually the most interesting part.
If some kind of hardware and software mods apply the Retron 5 could turn out to be an awesome littel machine.

[Galgomite]

I'm still psyched about this machine for simplicity's sake. I can detect just about any lag so far, so nothing's perfect, but it'll always be there without an SD CRT. I have no problem keeping a CRT with my actual consoles in my basement and a Retron 5 in my living room.

[Xyga]

Anyway if there's a level of input lag generated by the Retron 5 I doubt it will be over 1 frame, just like most 8/16/32-bit emulators on a pc do with v-sync or buffering enabled.
Emulator lag is an issue only for monstrous things like Mame with some drivers, heavy 128-bit consoles emulators, 3DS emulators etc...

[Seraphic]

Whoa, a lot of "hate" going on here. Though it is not perfect, for what it does and at the price, the RetroN 5 is a good way to get your feet wet for retro game upscaling.
I updated the original post with links to all the demotrations for several games that have been posted. Other then the audio issues, they look pretty good.

RetroN 5 Game Demonstrations:



Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Star Fox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfo29u75 ... mORfj7hd=1

Aladdin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aee-Ub-Y ... V8jPMospor

Zombies Ate My Neighbors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2ceh0Eg ... cBEKTSOO_E

Donkey Kong Country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqSLGnAoPSI

NBA Jam SNES - Dunk Anywhere Cheat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aUqvH9FeeE

Super Mario World - PAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jit2XlZ_ ... -D3gs45Yj4

Game Boy Advanced

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5EuAg9v ... wsxG-6n5v-

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Legend of Zelda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW-8MNPf ... xc547fU6UF

Bubble Bobble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jFihWxHt30

Contra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhIfRBkJN1A

Castlevania III Dracula's Curse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t03Te6Ln79c

Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers - PAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fLLIH2lVNg

Super Mario Bros - PAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx6J-Xtp ... CYmcCoIIKZ

Super Mario Bros. 3 -PAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH_Oa3hZkhw

Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! - Overclocking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF3lUQUmD4s

Genesis

Streets of Rage 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GJtCVJrs_M

Sunset Riders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNfgGioa5oE

Mega Drive

The Incredible Hulk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcmh342lsfQ

[blizzz]

Looks good. If the lag is decent and there's a way to load roms then it's a great gadget. I'm a bit worried about the sound though. Many emulators have at least 2-3 frames audio lag, which can be really annoying if you're used to the real consoles. I'm waiting for Fudoh's review

[Fudoh]

so much pressure

[brownvim]

Will you be getting it early Fudoh?

I see the HQ2x shader being used, hopefully we can add our own or possibly use the XBRZ shader, i really like the look of that on an HD screen.

[Xyga]

Personally I have alway wished for a simple and light blur filter in emulators, something that doesn't blur stuff too much like bilinear does for instance. Bu that is not available anywhere.

The only thing I ever liked for giving a 'high-res' feeling on low-res games is the combination of 'simple filter' + 'natural vision shader lv3' under ePSXe's OGL2 plugin.
Everything else I've tried on any emulator felt overkill/ugly, and generally degrading the shape of objects too much.

[brownvim]

A little interview with Matt from Hyperkin http://youtu.be/B-iXs6krOy8

[Seraphic]

Pre-Order on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-Inc-Retr ... s=retron+5

[brownvim]

Some footage of it in action http://youtu.be/TZPxMg4EJkw

[TheRetromancer]

Who cares about the looks, it is a multi-emulator box

thats the fucking problem, it's an EMULATOR not real shit

I have a major problem with this statement.

You're trashing this yet-unreleased system because it uses emulation? I know that emulation isn't the cream of the crop when it comes to playing retro games (except for Higan - byuu, you kick arse!), but what's the alternative? Systems on a chip or the original hardware, right?

But wait - every new retro console ever makes people cry 'foul' because they don't play all games perfectly, and some don't play at all. And some of the games that do play have sound or graphic problems. And if you have the original hardware, why bother with a Retron at all?

It may seem pretty petty of me to point it out, but it seems to me that you are, in essence, saying "HYPERKIN DIDN'T RIP OPEN A BUNCH OF ORIGINAL SYSTEMS AND SLAP THEM ALL TOGETHER AND JUST MAKE IT HD OUT AND CONTROL SOFTWARE BWAAAARG WE HATES IT FOREVER GOLLUM!"

Frankly, I don't think that's a real valid (or fair, for that matter) view to take. Now, I love my original consoles. I'm currently awaiting viletim's NESRGB board so that I can mod my beloved AV Famicom for RGB, which will join my SNES, n64, Master System, Genesis, and Saturn in my RGB lineup. I don't need the Retron5 for badass video on my HDTV...but I'm getting one anyway.

You know why? Because I'm excited about it. I want to have an all-in-one device. I want to see this 'audio optimization' thing in person. I want to use cheats for the systems that I can't find Action Replays for. I want to connect my old systems DIRECTLY to HD instead of going to a SCART switch -> SCART-to-HDMI Converter -> HDTV. I want to support a company that not only loves old systems as much as I do, but who are doing everything they can to make the single most stable element of the games of yesteryear, the cartridges themsevles, a viable and continuing presence for the next decade or two.

Let's face it - the old systems are DYING. No matter how much we love them, at some point, my NES and Master System will simply stop working, no matter what I do to them. My other consoles will follow. It might take fifty years. It might even take to my grandchildren's generation (I'm 27 - none yet, just sayin'), but it will happen.

That makes me sad. It makes me sad that, at some point, these icons of my childhood will fade away and take their place next to dinosaurs, Napoleon, and Chekeslovakia in the history books with all the other things that no longer exist.

But now we have NEW hardware. By all accounts, the next-best hardware to the real thing is coming to stores in April 2014! This isn't just a new product - this is a critical revitalization of three decades' worth of nostalgia and fond memories.

So let Hyperkin use Android-based emulation internally. Maybe it won't be exactly the same as it was in the 80s and 90s. Maybe the Retron5 won't be the absolute perfect storm...but I think it will be the best we've seen since the originals, and I for one will welcome it with open arms.

/soapbox

[neorocker]

It's a machine with many positives. Namely, giving people getting into retro gaming a good home for a ton of their games, and one that outputs HD natively, which is a really huge deal. Most people aren't willing to invest in the space that a CRT needs or deal with multiple input types and A/V switches and messes upon messes of cables, so this is awesome for that crowd. The Game Boy + Advance support? Huge bonus. Original controller support? Awesome. Button remapping? Multiple upscaling filters? Scanlines? Solid-looking frontend? All great. Moving to software emulation for something like this is a smart move.

Compared to the next best way to play retro games on a modern setup - expensive upscaling units - this is a godsend for so many people. It's not for me and not for anybody totally balls deep into retro hardware and gaming, but for the casual retro gamer that wants all the controller support and the, I guess, "ritual" of cart-based gaming, it's excellent. I'm excited to see how it performs and will definitely end up with one.

[lettuce]

Seem some nice video options....

Filters
Scanlines
pixel perfect scaling
Overscan
screen refresh rate
screen size

[blizzz]

Let's be realistic, a normal person will just take what comes with a console and connect it to their TV. In the SNES era that was RF and nobody had a problem with it. At my former work place, we got a 360. Most people there had a degree in computer science, many even a PhD. And guess how it was connected? With a composite cable, because that's what came with the console.

Nearly everyone I know still has old Nintendo cartridges, but only a few people (usually those with a CRT TV) still use their old consoles. The people who switched to a LCD TV don't, because it looks horrible. So now comes a new device, that will allow them to play their old games, with the original controllers on their new TV without a hassle and it doesn't even take up much space. That's perfect!

Of course there will always be people who want to play the games in the best possible way, or those who want to tinker around with roms. But for the people who just want a simple way to play the games they enjoyed in the past, this is the optimal way. Also keep in mind that many families are tight on money, especially when they get kids. Retro games are very cheap, so that's a bonus. The RetroN 5 might not sell millions, but it might just become popular enough to finance the development of the RetroN 6. And maybe that will have shader support like MAME or RetroArch.

[emphatic]

Seem some nice video options....

Filters
Scanlines
pixel perfect scaling
Overscan
screen refresh rate
screen size

Sounds like they know what they're doing.

[TheRetromancer]

After eight years of providing retro accessories and otherwise re-affirming the cartridge as a viable form of entertainment, they'd bloody well better know what they're doing!

[lettuce]

http://www.retron5.com/

[evil_ash_xero]

I actually like stuff like this. Keeps me from having to use my CRT all the time, and worrying I'm gonna wear it out.

[Thrill]

Very close to April now and still no hint at a release date. Hyperkin claim there are no delays on their Twitter feed but funstock recently changed the release date to Q2 Apr-Jun (where before it only said Q1 April).

"We at Hyperkin all stubbed our toes on doors, sorry guise the Retron 5 is being delayed another 6 months".

Maybe we should set up betting on likely delay reasons? The winner gets a Retron 5... Oh wait.

[lettuce]

Got to be April 1st release date.................

[blizzz]

Didn't they tease a N64 announcement at E3 this year? There aren't even any N64 emulators on PC. At least I don't know of one that would make me enjoy most of the games without too many problems. Sometimes this company is weird.

[Xyga]

It's FuturoN 5 now.

[lettuce]

Didn't they tease a N64 announcement at E3 this year? There aren't even any N64 emulators on PC. At least I don't know of one that would make me enjoy most of the games without too many problems. Sometimes this company is weird.

Errrr, theres been N64 emulators about for years!!

Project 64

http://www.pj64-emu.com/

Mupen64Plus

https://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/


and is still being worked on and run 99% of stuff flawlessly, even HD hud mods for games like Zelda and Wave Race