RetroN 5 Retro Gaming Console Available for Pre-Order

[StewShearerOld]

RetroN 5 Retro Gaming Console Available for Pre-Order

The Hyperkin RetroN 5 will be compatible with Famicom, Super Famicom, NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games.

One of the persistent problems of being a gamer across the space of a few decades is that after awhile you start to run out of shelf space. While games themselves take up a lot of room, the real space killer is often the consoles. Big, bulky and pretty much necessary if you want to play older games without resorting to emulators, keeping all of them out and about tends to begin to feeling to less than justifiable as time goes on.

Luckily, for $99.99.

As the proud owner of a RetroN 3, I can attest to just how useful these consoles are. I've been playing videogames since the early 1990s and while my collection isn't massive, it was getting to be a bit of a hassle to make room for all of my hardware. The RetroN 3 allowed me to pack away an entire shelf worth of gaming consoles that I'd honestly only been using a few times a year any ways. The RetroN 5 sounds even better, and while I'm not sure if I'll be upgrading just yet, it's definitely on my wish list for the future.

Source: Amazon



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[Vault Citizen]

Will people in the UK be able to buy this?

 

[RaNDM G]

I'm only interested in the backwards compatibility. How faithful can it emulate the real thing?

 

[Baralak]

I mostly want it just for the GBA slot.

 

[evilneko]

I always wondered about the legitimacy these sorts of things... I only ever see them at mall kiosks and used stores.

 

[JamesBr]

Yup, this is going to be my birthday present to myself. At 100$ I can't say no.

I always wondered about the legitimacy these sorts of things... I only ever see them at mall kiosks and used stores.

Don't why it would be an issue. If they had games bundled in, sure, but this is just a console, you need to supply your own games.

I'm only interested in the backwards compatibility. (snip)

As opposed to what? It's ability to play new releases?

 

[Jumwa]

If it did N64 games as well (or instead of some of the other consoles I don't own games for) I'd be all over this.

 

[Genocidicles]

If it did N64 games as well (or instead of some of the other consoles I don't own games for) I'd be all over this.

That won't be the case for another few years. The cartridge reader or whatever it's called in the N64 is still patented for a couple more years.

So hey, maybe the Retron 6 or 7 or whatever they're onto at that point will N64 compatibility.

Another great thing about this console is that it can save your data to a SD card, so no worrying about whether or not the cartridge's internal battery is dead.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Awesome to the power of Awesome and multiplied 83 times (an awesome number). This is my Halloween gift to and from my GF (since we're going to end up splitting to cost)

...

Wonder if I can jury-rig my 32X/CD onto this sexy beast...

 

[Jumwa]

That won't be the case for another few years. The cartridge reader or whatever it's called in the N64 is still patented for a couple more years.

So hey, maybe the Retron 6 or 7 or whatever they're onto at that point will N64 compatibility.

Another great thing about this console is that it can save your data to a SD card, so no worrying about whether or not the cartridge's internal battery is dead.

Well then, that'll be something to look forward to!

Thanks for the info, wasn't aware that was the reason. I just assumed cost or feasibility.

 

[thisbymaster]

If it did N64 games as well (or instead of some of the other consoles I don't own games for) I'd be all over this.

That won't be the case for another few years. The cartridge reader or whatever it's called in the N64 is still patented for a couple more years.

So hey, maybe the Retron 6 or 7 or whatever they're onto at that point will N64 compatibility.

Another great thing about this console is that it can save your data to a SD card, so no worrying about whether or not the cartridge's internal battery is dead.

Yeah I want one that can do N64 as well. The GBA games sound fun but not for $100.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Awesome. Too bad I don't have any NES or SNES cartridges anymore.

 

[Samwise137]

Well, the only games I would play on my GBA have been re-released for DS (MegaMan Zero) and I've got a RetroN 3 and a Super GameBoy so let me know when a RetroN comes out that supports N64.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

No save sates or screen filtering no thanks my emulators work 1000% better.

 

[StewShearerOld]

I'm only interested in the backwards compatibility. How faithful can it emulate the real thing?

I can't speak for the RetroN 5 obviously, but the RetroN 3 is pretty much flawless in its emulation.

 

[Signa]

I just got a free Retro 3 as a frequent customer bonus for buying all the SNES games I have now, and I have to say I was SORELY disappointed. The sound chip is either broken, or poorly designed, because it sounds like crackly shit. It's so distracting, and a huge shame too, because the sound on the SNES is one of the greatest things about it to hold up after all these years.

 

[Ryan Hughes]

I'm only interested in the backwards compatibility. How faithful can it emulate the real thing?

Well, NES and Famicom emulation has been more or less mastered at this point. There can be some sound distortion, but these problems are usually on more obscure titles.

SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive emulation has come a long way as well. Though certain problems can occur. Most notably the use of Mode 7 and the SuperFX chip on the SNES. Though, these have mostly been ironed out, and the major titles tend to play fine. For example, the Mode 7 effects in Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy III seem to have been fixed. The only major problem I could see is the use of cart-based sound processors, like in Castlevania: Dracula X. Genesis emulation was never as complex as SNES, and the emphasis on first-party Sega games makes it much easier to emulate.

Game Boy Advance actually poses the biggest problem for the system. Like the GameCube, it used a custom GPU made by a company bought out by ATI. While it is easy enough to understand how it works now, integrating the Gameboy/Color/Advance system is hard to do without leaving a few things behind. For example, the latter GB Color games that utilized Nintendo's GB Advance enhancements are not understood as well as some of the other functions. Games like 2002's Shantae tend to artifact or play at the wrong frame rate.

Overall, this should play things at a high quality, but some of the more obscure or rare titles may give it trouble.

 

[Strazdas]

Good, we can unite those old titles into one machine now, eventually adding more machines as they get old with time and making the ultimate gaming device.

 

[Eiv]

I would literally kill for a European release

 

[jdogtwodolla]

No save sates or screen filtering no thanks my emulators work 1000% better.

I think it does both but save states are confirmed.