South Korean electronics manufacturer HardKernel are back with their fourth iteration in the Odroid-Go handheld range. The Odroid-Go Ultra (OGU) raises the bar again with an SoC not seen before in a handheld and offers a decent performance bump over their previous OGS.

It’s been nearly two years since the release of the Odroid-Go Super and until the end of last month it looked as though they might be done with handheld devices. But in typical HardKernel fashion, an out of the blue forum post recently announced their latest handheld, the Odroid-Go Ultra.

ODROID-GO ULTRA SPECS

The OGU uses the same shell and LCD as the OGS, but the PCB and has been built from the ground up to accommodate the Amlogic S922X SoC. Whilst not brand new, this 2018 SoC boasts four Cortex A73 cores running at 2.2Ghz, and two Cortex A53 cores at 2.0Ghz. The S922X is featured in another HardKernel product already, the N2+ single board computer. It’s also widely available on AliExpress in a host of different Android TV boxes.

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Whilst we can expect the OGU to perform similarly to the N2+, it should be noted that whilst the N2+ is available with 4GB of RAM, the OGU will ship with 2GB. Added to that, the OGU is passively cooled whilst the N2+ has an option for active cooling. When checking performance comparisons to the N2+ this should be taken into consideration.

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Having said that, even with the current OGU specs we can expect excellent N64, Dreamcast and PSP emulation. And yes, GameCube is not completely out of reach either, although this system will really test the device so don’t expect great performance.

The Odroid-Go Ultra uses the same 854*480 LCD as the OGS, and for the most part the device looks identical. It does look as though they’re using Switch style analogue sticks this time around, but they could just be the same sticks with a new hat. There are potentially some small changes made to the inside of the shell too, however Jutleys from RGHandhelds was able to fit his OGU board into a 3rd party metal shell designed for the OGS. It did require some tweaking around the speaker area because the OGU heatsink gets in the way.

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OS AND BATTERY

The OGU will ship with Ubuntu 20.04.4 and a modified EmulationStation frontend with Libretro. Whilst Android is not supported officially by HardKernel, we’ll possibly see an Android build for this handheld in future. It would be really good to see a 4GB variant of this handheld to help facilitate this, but it doesn’t look as though that’s on the cards.

The supplied charging cable has both USB-A and USB-C plugs to feed power to both of the power management systems on the board simultaneously, and achieve faster charging. Whether the quoted charge time is based on using this cable or a standard 1 plug cable is not known yet.

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Whether the OGU will be another DIY kit like their previous handhelds is not yet known. There are no assembly guides available that I can see, but this could be because 1) assembly is the same as the OGS or 2) they haven’t got round to it yet. I would imagine that if this system was pre-built it would have been mentioned in the original forum post. The box received by testers implies it is another DIY kit, but it also has the Android logo on it so who knows.

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The OGU is due to be released in October 2022 and comes in a choice of transparent and grey shells. The listed price is $111 but presumably this is before any shipping costs from South Korea so expect the final price to be a little higher.

The post The Odroid-Go Ultra Is The Most Powerful Odroid Handheld Yet appeared first on Obscure Handhelds.

Earlier this year Logitech G made the surprise announcement that they had teamed up with Tencent and were entering the handheld gaming market. Whilst the announcement of the Logitech G Cloud came alongside a couple of renders, rumoured specs swirled around the internet for some weeks before being confirmed.

I must admit that when I first saw the Logitech’s announcement I was immediately reminded of the Panasonic Jungle. The Jungle was another surprise handheld from a large and well established company with no history in handhelds, teased back in 2010. The Jungle was canned before it ever made it to market. But if anyone had any doubts about the Cloud then put them to rest because pre-orders for the device are now live on the Logitech G website.

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LOGITECH G CLOUD SPECS

The Cloud is powered by a Snapdragon 720G (benchmarks page) which is a mid-tier 64 bit SoC released by Qualcomm in 2020. It features 6 Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8GHz and 2 Cortex-A76 cores at 2.3GHz. The GPU is an Adreno 618 GPU at 750MHz. Whilst the RAM configuration isn’t listed on the Logitech promo website, 4GB of LPDDR4 memory is listed amongst the specs here.

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Whilst not as powerful as the Snapdragon 845 in the Ayn Odin, the 720G is a fairly capable chip that outshines many offerings from Chinese handheld manufacturers. Unverified Geekbench 5 scores below.

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The Logitech G Cloud houses a 7″ IPS LCD in 16:9 configuration. It’s a full 1080p panel and is multi-touch capable, which is important given the software powering the device. A 6000mah battery provides up to 12 hours of gaming, depending on usage.

Full specs from the Logitech support page below.

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CONTROLS AND IO

The usual set of controls including dual analogue, ABXY and a d-pad can be found on the front of the unit, and a L1/R1/L2/R2 configuration sit on top. The shoulder button config ticks a lot of boxes in that it is not only stacked, but the bottom 2 triggers are analogue. Also on the front of the unit it a “G” button, a home button and a pair of buttons described as L&R option buttons.

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The Cloud contains 64GB of internal UFS storage, and a microSD card expansion slot. A volume rocker button is placed next to the power switch on the top left side, and a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C charge port can be found on the bottom. The Logitech G Cloud also supports 5GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 5.1.

OS AND TARGET MARKET

The Cloud ships with Android 11, but it looks as though it will be far from a stock Android experience. The handheld is said to “require” a cloud subscription service such as Xbox Game Pass or GeForce Now to work “as intended”. What this (and the name) tells us is that the Cloud is definitely not being sold as a portable emulation machine, or indeed even an Android gaming device.

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How limiting this setup will be out of the box is unfolding via early video reviews on YouTube now. I would hope that it will be possible to do anything you could usually do on an Android machine with little fuss. One of the promo shots from amazon.com confirms that Google Play is included at the very least.

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It does give me pause for thought though, especially given the price tag. As of yesterday there are preliminary review videos hitting YouTube so the next few weeks will be interesting. The likes of Ayn and even Aya are already pushing boundaries in terms of price/performance and build quality so I do wonder whether Logitech can compete with these in anything but name and reputation.

The Cloud is available to pre-order now for $300, but the official price will be $350 somewhere down the line.

The post Pre-Orders Go Live For The Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld appeared first on Obscure Handhelds.

Anbernic’s latest vertical handheld comes in two flavours, with slightly different hardware specs and software options. As usual, community developers have already started work on replacing the stock OS, and ArkOS 2.0 is now available to replace the stock Batocera install on the Anbernic RG353V.

At the heart of the RG353V is the same RockChip RK3566 found in the RG353P and the RG503. It’s a reasonably powerful chip that won’t blow any minds. It’s not as powerful as the RK3399 in the RG552 but it’s newer, more power efficient, and runs cooler.

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Of the two variants, the more expensive is the RG353V. It comes with 2GB of RAM and the ability to dual boot Batocera and Android 11. The RG353VS has just 1GB of RAM and does not ship with Android. The only other differences between these versions are that the RG353V contains a 32GB eMMC for the Android install, and a touch enabled LCD. Both variants run the non-Android OS from a microSD card.

OVERVIEW

The Anbernic RG353V is one of the more complete vertical devices in terms of inputs. It’s not often that you see a vertically oriented machine with dual analogue sticks on it. In fact the PowKiddy RGB20S is the only one I can think of off the top of my head. The caveat in this case is that they sit right at the bottom of the device, because the d-pad and ABXY occupy the prime spot. To me it looks very uncomfortable to use these analogue sticks, especially when combined with the shoulder buttons which are much further up. Speculation though as I don’t have one and don’t have much interest in getting one.

The device has a 3.5″ 640*480 IPS display as is the norm for these mid-tier handhelds. Whether there is much difference in colour temperature between the touch/non-touch versions remains to be seen.

The RG353V(S) is by no means a mini handheld, and in fact is one of the larger vertical machines from Anbernic. Whilst it could be considered pocketable, it’s certainly not in the same realm as the ever popular Miyoo Mini. Anbernic does have their own “mini” handheld in development, presumeably to compete with the now out of production Miyoo Mini.

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ARKOS 2.0 FOR THE ANBERNIC RG353V

As of the 3rd October ArkOS 2.0 is available for for the RG353V courtesy of Christian Haitian’s github. The instructions for flashing this OS to an SD card can be found here. It is recommended by the developer to use a high quality, large capacity SD card for this to avoid issues. The other benefit of using a fresh card is that you can revert to the stock microSD card, if necessary.

Global hotkey combinations for ArkOS can be found here, an extensive FAQ here, and downloads for the OS image are here.

AVAILABILITY

The RG353V and RG353VS are due to start shipping out mid October. The prices vary from place to place so if you’re interested make sure to shop around. Currently the cheapest place to order is directly from Anbernic’s website, at $120.99 for the Android/Batocera version. It’s worth checking their store on AliExpress too as prices are likely to fluctuate.

The 1GB Non-Android version is available in transparent black and solid grey, whereas the 2GB RG353V is also available in transparent purple and white.

The post ArkOS 2.0 Is Now Available For the Anbernic RG353V appeared first on Obscure Handhelds.

It’s only been about three months since the Retroid Pocket 3 was released, but Retroid are back with a souped up Retroid Pocket 3+ already. Hold on to your hats because this one could be a winner.

Retroid seem to have forged a tradition of releasing a new model that utilises the SoC from their previous device. It’s not until the Plus version lands that we see a genuine performance boost thanks to new hardware. As was the case with their previous models, and as is the case here with the Retroid Pocket 3+.

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Using the same shell as the 3, the 3+ is for all intents and purposes the same device aesthetically. But inside that shell is where it gets interesting. The Unisoc T618 has featured in one handheld prior to this, and that was the PowKiddy X18S. It’s a capable SoC but PowKiddy didn’t do it justice. Poor QC and a severely buggy OS out of the box killed the device early on, despite BlackSeraph’s LineageOS port.

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The T618 was released back in 2019, it’s an octa core processor with two A75 cores and six A55 cores, all capable of running at 2GHz. Paired with a Mali G52 GPU and 4GB of RAM, the SoC is capable of running some GameCube titles very well and some PS2 titles acceptably well. The RP3+ will run Android 11 out of the box and will feature their own in house developed launcher just like the 2+.

Rumour has it that Anbernic’s upcoming RG505 will also be using this chip. It will be interesting to see how the two devices compare.

RETROID POCKET 3+ OPTIONS

As is also tradition, buyers of the previous Retroid Pocket 3 have the option of purchasing an upgrade kit for a vastly reduced cost. This allows re-use of the components from the old handheld with the new 3+ motherboard.

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I believe the acrylic plate provided with the upgrade kit is intended to house your old motherboard so that it can be used plugged into a TV, just like with with the 2/2+.

There is also the option of purchasing a new shell with LCD, buttons and analogue sticks seperately. You could almost build your own device from scratch if the batteries were available, although I don’t think it would be economical.

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Of course, most people will be buying the Retroid Pocket 3+ pre-assembled. The device comes in the usual array or retro inspired colours. For an extra $5 there’s the option of a transparent purple or transparent blue shell too.

RELEASE DATE

The base price is $150, which is around the same price as the PowKiddy X18S. This is before shipping though. There are various discounts available to people that bought their previous console, as well as $10 coupons for early birds. If rumours are true and the Anbernic RG505 also uses the T618, it’ll be interesting to see if they can compete price wise.

The Retroid Pocket 3+ goes on sale tomorrow (8th November) at goretroid.com. I’m glad I skipped the 3, but this one does have me tempted.

The post The Retroid Pocket 3+ Could Be A Winner appeared first on Obscure Handhelds.

Hot on the heels of Retroid’s newest machine comes the Anbernic RG505. Both manufacturers have chosen the same SoC this time around, and the end results are two very similar handhelds.

Despite this, there are some differences between the consoles.

PROS: ANBERNIC RG505

If 2x integer scaling for PSP is a must for you, then Anbernic’s machine is the one. The Anbernic RG505 also contains the same OLED panel as the PS Vita, which is far less power hungry than an LCD equivalent. OLEDs in general have excellent contrast, vivid colours and are able to display deep blacks, the PS Vita OLED was no exception.

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However it is an old panel, assuming they are actually using the same SKU, and the Vita was not as bright as modern day OLEDs.

The RG505 also has a larger battery than the 3 Plus by 500mAh and runs Android 12 compared to Android 11. I have no doubt that the pricing of the RG505 was in part decided by the price of Retroid’s console, and assuming Anbernic’s usual build quality I think they’ve done well with the price point this time.

PROS: RETROID POCKET 3+

Whilst the RG505 seems to have it beat on some fronts, the RP3+ has some tricks up its sleeve. Its higher resolution panel is going to look nicer for non-integer scaled systems, and at an advertised 450nits it is a lot brighter than the PS Vita’s OLED panel.

The Anbernic RG505 apparently won’t ship with any Google Play Services, so the Play Store won’t be present on the stock OS. Of course it is probably possible to get it working with some tinkering, but the RP3+ comes with these features already installed as stock. As well as that, you’ll get Retroid’s excellent launcher pre-installed.

The console is also slightly smaller, quite a bit thinner and almost 50g lighter than the Anbernic RG505, but its screen is ~0.3″ smaller than the RG505 too. Retroid’s console also has stacked shoulder buttons unlike the RG505, which is preferable for most people.

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The base price is also lower, however current promotions will affect this and certain stores may or may not label the parcel such that it incurs tax on import.

ANBERNIC RG505 vs RETROID POCKET 3+ SPECS

The RG505 goes on pre-order today, and there’s a small discount available if you order in the next 12 days. Be aware that shipping from the official store incurs extra tax if you’re in the UK (possibly in the US too) and shipping is extra. It may be cheaper from Aliexpress depending where you are.

_{Affiliated links above, if you choose.}

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The Anbernic RG35XX officially dropped today, but the device was still shrouded in mystery until the order page went live. A marketing trick, or a way of delaying disappointment?

The RG300 has always held a fond place in my heart, for me it was the peak of the JZ4760 machines. With the ability to run RetroFW, it had an excellent balance of a mature OS, almost perfect aesthetics and pocketability to boot. The RG35XX is a change of tack for Anbernic, and harks back to that era in 2019 when the RG300 took centre stage.

The Anbernic RG35XX takes almost everything we’ve become used to in modern handhelds, and strips them away. Whilst it does have HDMI output and two SD slots, it also has a paltry 256MB RAM, no analogue sticks, no large high resolution panel, no claims of 6th generation console support, and not even any wireless connectivity. But at $50 it doesn’t need to have any of these things. There is an elegance in its simplicity, at least at face value.

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ANBERNIC RG35XX SPECS

But the make or break for the Anbernic RG35XX will be the user experience. Unlike the RG300, there is no mature or well established OS that can be ported over to the RG35XX. The reason for that is Anbernic’s choice of SoC. Under wraps until the order page went live today, the RG35XX is driven by an ancient chip from Actions Semiconductor. The ATM7039S was released back in 2013 and was intended to run Android 4.2.2. A different era entirely.

It’s a quad core Cortex A9 chip running at up to 1.6Ghz, it supports DDR3 RAM and is built on a 28nm Low Power process. Performance wise, it probably sits somewhere between the Sigmastar SSD202D in the Miyoo Mini and the RK3326. Certainly no powerhouse, but a powerhouse chip in a device like this would be a waste. I imagine that the RK35XX is intended as an introductory device, and for that type of handheld this chip suits just fine. It is not the SoC, but the OS and UI that I’m more concerned with.

ANBERNIC RG35XX OS

According to the internet, the software for this chip is closed source, and neither Actions nor Anbernic are willing to change that. A massive turn off for a lot of people. But bear in mind that the Miyoo Mini is also closed source, and look how far that device has come. According to Wild Lee (an Anbernic affiliate of some sort, maybe PR, or just pals, not sure) there is someone that has been entrusted with the source and is working on a third party OS for it.

I am guessing the stock OS is going to be something we’ve not seen before from Anbernic, but it seems to have the basics included.

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If I’m being totally honest, I like handhelds like this. I am all for pushing performance and the one-upmanship between manufacturers, but handhelds like this remind me of when I first discovered these gadgets. There was an air of mystery about them. Nobody really knew what they were capable of until they’d gotten into the hands of some clever hackers and developers. Obviously times have changed, and these handhelds don’t just appear out of nowhere from a company you’ve never heard of any more. But there is an air of that bygone era with the RG35XX.

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The RG35XX was dubbed the Anbernic Mini for a long time, and initially it drew comparisons to the Miyoo Mini. But actually, it is quite a lot larger than the Miyoo Mini, and comparisons based on size are unfounded. But the ethos is similar, and whilst I love the Miyoo Mini, it is a tad small. I hope the RG35XX pulls as much interest as the Miyoo has done. If so it’ll be great to see what revelations are discovered when it falls into the right hands.

AVAILABILITY

The RG35XX is available now for $50 before postage. For us European folks, brace yourselves for the tax. It’s available in a very DMG-esque beige, as well as Atomic Purple (or something like it) and transparent. You can grab it from the Anbernic site, and it’s also available from the official Anbernic store on Aliexpress too.

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