Hasta La Gadget!

If you recall, a few weeks back, we mentioned that Hyperkin was working on an update to their popular retro multi-console, the RetroN. Well, today, they officially showed off the console, and it’s been renamed the RetroN 5, since it has five cartridge slots.

Hyperkin Retro N 5 rendering

Announced at this weekend’s Midwest Gaming Classic, the RetroN 5 made an appearance as both a rendering (shown above), and as a shiny red prototype console, still bearing the RetroN 4 badge, and without the promised GBA slot.

Hyperkin Retro N 4 prototype

The five-slotted console will be able to play original cartridges from the NES, SNES, Genesis, Famicom, Super Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color and Game Boy. In addition, it will offer an HDMI output for playing games on today’s HDTVs, and a special video enhancement circuit to ensure high quality playback at resolutions up to 720p.

The RetroN 5 will also offer technology to improve the audio quality compared to what you’re used to hearing from emulators, with the ability to increase playback frequency if you so choose. While you can play games using the original controllers from the various retro systems, the RetroN 5 will ship with a Bluetooth wireless controller(s?), complete with a lovely clicky microswitch D-Pad.

Hyperkin Retro N 4 prototype wireless controller

Hyperkin has also suggested that you’ll be able to use controllers from different systems on each other’s games. For instance, you could play an NES game with a Genesis controller. The system will also have its own custom interface, which will provide the ability to save states, map buttons, and tweak gameplay speed by “overclocking” the game systems. You’ll also be able to assign settings to macro keys on the sides of the controller for easy access. While the menu UI I saw was clearly in the early stages of development, it was already accessible on the prototype system.

‘ Hyperkin RetroN 5 Prototype UI

Hyperkin hasn’t revealed the pricing or an exact release date for the RetroN 5, but they’re hoping to release the system this July – though they were clear they want to give their development team enough time to put a shiny coat of polish on the finished product, so that date isn’t carved in stone.

Here’s video from today’s announcement for more details on the system.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I think that one of Microsoft’s biggest mistakes in recent years is Windows RT, and by extension the Surface RT. I’m not saying Windows RT devices are useless. It’s just that seen in the context of their release, they are products that can confuse and scare off potential Windows 8 users. Microsoft might be better off supporting this hack that lets full Windows programs run on Windows RT.

Xda-developers forum member mamaich is currently developing a program that enables Windows RT devices to run applications that were originally intended to run on the desktop version of Windows. In other words, it’s going to turn a Surface RT into a Surface Pro (with weaker hardware). Mamaich is aware and clearly states that even in its finished state, the program isn’t a cure-all. It won’t be able to launch some desktop applications simply because there are many hardware and software limitations in Windows RT devices. We do know that it can launch Heroes of Might and Magic 3, though.

Head to mamaich’s thread on the xda-developers forum to download or find out more about the program. Mamaich lays out the intricacies of the program in this particular post. This isn’t for the faint of heart though; the program is in beta and it requires you to jailbreak your Windows RT device.

[via Lifehacker]

In the market for a serious portable gaming machine? While you might have your eyes set on Nvidia’s upcoming Project Shield, here’s a very capable system you can buy right now. The JXD S7300 HD Gamepad2 is a power-packed portable that’s ideal for playing both retro emulated games and today’s latest Android titles.

The just-released Android 4.1.1-based handheld offers dual, true analog sticks, a real D-pad, dual shoulder buttons, Start, Select and ABXY face buttons, so it’s perfect for controlling just about any game you can throw at it. It’s got an ample 7-inch 1024×600 display, which also supports 5-finger multitouch. It’s also got the requisite 3-axis motion sensors for games that depend on those controls. It includes software for mapping buttons and joysticks to your Android touchscreen games as well. Dimensions for the handheld are 9.5″(W) x 4.77″(H) x 0.56″(D) – about the size (but not the thickness) of the Wii U GamePad, and it weighs 0.90 pounds – about mid-way between the weight of an iPad Mini and an iPad 4.

It comes pre-loaded with full-speed emulators for the original Sony PlayStation, Neo-Geo, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, NES (Famicom), Super Nintendo (Super Famicom), Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), and Capcom CPS1/CPS2 systems. But since it’s running Android, it’s easy to add more emulators, like MAME4droid. It even comes with Superuser pre-installed, so you can root the system in seconds and install pretty much anything you want on it.

Under the hood is an Amlogic MX dual-core chipset (Cortex A9 CPU, ARM mali400 GPU), running at 1.5GHz, and 1GB of system RAM. Connectivity is 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and “external connection to Ethernet and 3G” whatever that means – presumably via its USB 2.0 port. It’s unclear if it supports Bluetooth though. And while it can’t wirelessly send content to your HDTV, it does have an HDMI output, so you can mirror its display to your big screen in full 1080p resolution. It’s even got a small 0.3MP user-facing camera for video chats, and true stereo speakers. You can check out all the detailed system info below (the 976×600 screen resolution reported is because AnTuTu doesn’t take into account the height of the title bar.)

Here’s a video showing the system emulating the N64 classic Super Mario 64 at a buttery-smooth frame rate:

And if you’d like to play something more modern, how about Shadowgun – with physical joysticks and buttons?

The guys over at WillGoo are now stocking the JXD S7300, where it sells for $165.99(USD), or you can grab a bundle with a 32GB SD card for $186.99. Currently, the white model is sold out, but you can still get one in black (though it has a textured finish unlike the white one.) You can also pick up a pair of them for just $299.99, which might be cool since the system supports local Wi-Fi multiplayer.

Seems like this thing is pretty loaded for the price, never mind the fact that it works as a full Android Jelly Bean device, complete with web browsing, media playback, apps, etc. If you decide to buy one, there’s already a good discussion board for the JXD S7300 going on over at Dingoonity, so you can find out the scoop from others who have purchased or who are interested in the handheld.

Nope, the picture below isn’t Photoshopped. The Game Boy below actually has four face buttons. It’s also not entirely a Game Boy anymore, because there’s a Dingoo A330 inside, hence the name Gameboo. Aside from playing Game Boy games, it can also play GBA, NES, SNES games and more.

YouTuber lxl15 made Gameboo for a friend. It took him a total of 8 months, and the labor of love really shows. Lxl15 tried his best to make the Gameboo look like a stock Game Boy. For instance, the extra face buttons are also Game Boy buttons. He also turned the dials that controlled the Game Boy’s contrast and volume into left and right shoulder buttons, and re-purposed the extension connector port into a Mini USB port. Lxl15 also hollowed out the battery compartment and a spare cartridge to retain the handheld’s look while opening up space inside for electronics.

Just like the Dingoo A330, the Gameboo has an AV out and support for a wireless controller. In other words, it can be used as a retro home console as well!

Head to my good friend lxl15′s blog for the details on the awesome mod of my buddy. I mean me and lxl15 close like Bethlehem and Nazareth. You might as well call me lxl14.

[Casing The Joint via The Next Web via Complex]

If you’re one of those folks that like to bridge the divide — rocking an Android handset, but rely on a Mac for heavy lifting — we’ve got some good news. Bluestacks, the emulator that lets you run Android apps on your desktop has hit beta on OS X. The tool launched in beta form on Windows in March and an alpha version for Mac landed in June. Now there should be a little more parity between the major desktop ecosystems when it comes to getting your Flipboard and Bad Piggies on. To download it for yourself hit up the source link.

Filed under: Software, Apple, Google

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Via: Android Central

Source: Bluestacks