What is the best portable retro console?

[panzer723]

I'm looking for a portable retro control with a good battery life, that can play SNES, Genesis, PSX, N64, Dreamcast(I wish) and Saturn(hoping) games.

Can you Sherdoggers suggest something good?

 

[Theprospect26]

I would say pick up a PSP 1000 or 2000 model and run custom firmware on it. Works like a charm with emulation. I don't know if it can play Dreamcast or N64 though.

 

[panzer723]

I would say pick up a PSP 1000 or 2000 model and run custom firmware on it. Works like a charm with emulation. I don't know if it can play Dreamcast or N64 though.

How about PS Vita?

 

[Total Immortal]

3DS. Gives you access to the entire 3DS and DS libraries, as well as a TON of games from GBA, GBC, SNES and NES.

 

[My Spot]

Get an older PSP. It emulates PS1 games like a dream. I don't think it works with any DC emulator though.
As for Saturn emulation, it's still inconsistent as hell because of how funky the hardware was.

 

[My Spot]

I would say pick up a PSP 1000 or 2000 model and run custom firmware on it. Works like a charm with emulation. I don't know if it can play Dreamcast or N64 though.

What's wrong with the PSP 3000 model?

 

[Steve-French]

I have one of these controllers that I use to run emulators on my phone. It's button layout is like an Xbox controller.

I paid $50 for mine, but you can find them for like $20 online. Make sure you get the Moga Pro model though, because the cheaper models have shitty analog sticks.

Avoid this model...

 

[dAfTiE]

How about PS Vita?

There's stuff for the Vita, but it doesn't work with firmware past version 3.6 so far at least, so you'd have to get one with 3.6 or lower installed.
No way to go back once it's been upgraded yet, so I imagine 2nd hand vitas with 3.6 and lower has gone up quite a bit.

 

[jefferz]

I have no experience with them but the Nvidia Shield portable has gotten rave reviews. I don't think they make them anymore so you'll have to acquire one second hand

 

[Da_Rev_Ong]

There's stuff for the Vita, but it doesn't work with firmware past version 3.6 so far at least, so you'd have to get one with 3.6 or lower installed.
No way to go back once it's been upgraded yet, so I imagine 2nd hand vitas with 3.6 and lower has gone up quite a bit.

The other issue is that the memory for a Vita is expensive as fuck. You want that storage space for emulation, and with a 32GB running $85 you don't have a lot of overhead to work with.

What's wrong with the PSP 3000 model?

The only thing I think of with a PSP 3000 is that some of the better emulators aren't guaranteed to run on it. Other than that, the CFW is all the same (mine is modded), but some of the accessories that work with the 1000 and 2000 can't be used on the 3000. It's still great for retro console emulation.

 

[Turtlejuice]

Raspberry pi can emulate up to and including dreamcast, though I don't know how well. Can get the raspberry pi laptop (pitop I think it's called) which includes a battery and screen.

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

N64 emu on a PSP will be hard due to the N64 having
a weird button gamepad with a Z button on the bottom.

 

[Madmick]

Well, my suggestion challenges the boundaries of "portable", perhaps, and is expensive as fuck relative to other options, but that's up to you. I don't recommend any tablet for gaming, but for retro gaming, oh yeah, more than enough, and you won't cook your tablet by using it for something way more intensive than it is designed to handle.


Windows Surface Pro 4 (i5 or i7 model)

+

Windows 10 Xbox One Controller Wireless Adapter

+

Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Controller

+

Emulation Software & ROMs
https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/wiki/index
https://www.emuparadise.me/
https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-2/

You might end up having to jack in an actual wired connection with a USB cord to program your controller buttons from game to game, but you'd have to ask that specific question in a forum where users are implementing the Microsoft Wireless Adapter for the Xbox One controller (Windows 10, only). Pure theory from me. In any case, that's easy, and besides, with full-sized USB ports, you can adapt physical connections to actual controllers on the market that are designed exactly as they were for the various consoles. Example:

Classic USB NES Controller for PC / Mac

 

[GhostZ06]

How about PS Vita?

you can hack the shit out of those and get more powerful Roms

 

[CubicleGangster]

I'm currently making a RetorPie system. It's small and transportable which makes it easy to take places to use but it's not 'portable'.


I've got Happy Chick running on my old Galaxy S5 which gives me access to a whole host of games(NES, SNES, SEGA, PS1, MAME). Probably the easiest solution.

 

[dAfTiE]

I'm currently making a RetorPie system. It's small and transportable which makes it easy to take places to use but it's not 'portable'.


I've got Happy Chick running on my old Galaxy S5 which gives me access to a whole host of games(NES, SNES, SEGA, PS1, MAME). Probably the easiest solution.

Retropie's great. Got it running on a raspi 3 and using one of those 8bitdo bluetooth snes controllers.

Only issue so far is getting translated snatcher for the pc engine to run. For whatever reason I just can't get it sorted.

 

[CubicleGangster]

Retropie's great. Got it running on a raspi 3 and using one of those 8bitdo bluetooth snes controllers.

Only issue so far is getting translated snatcher for the pc engine to run. For whatever reason I just can't get it sorted.

I've been debating about trying to get old pc games to run on it but I think I'm gonna stick with just emulators for now. Gonna spend some time after work today trying to get it to work with my old ps3 controllers.

 

[Crono139]

PSP: http://wololo.net/emulators-for-the-psp-ps-vita-the-ultimate-download-list/

 

[GSP_37]

Did Nintendo stop releasing new SNES Virtual Console games for New 3DS XL? I wanted to buy a New 3DS XL, but seems like SNES games stopped coming.

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

who knows about a snes emu for PC that works on
Windows 10 ?