Cow Mengde
Banned
Which reminds me. Why the heck do my Sega Genesis roms not show up? I have the right directory set up, but the rom just doesn't show.
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The GPD XD Handheld Android Console
- Thread starter Grampa Simpson
- Start date
Not sure about best, but I've found Snes9x EX+ to be pretty good.
Might need some more info here; is the issue that your roms aren't showing up within a particular emulator? If so, which one? And are your roms installed on the internal storage or a micro SD?
Pancakes R Us
Member
Is it possible to play SNES games via stretched full screen on this and not in 4:3 mode? I know purists will balk, but I like to play games like this and do so on my n3DS via Retroarch.
Cow Mengde
Banned
It's internal storage. I actually tried several Sega Genesis emulators with the same results.
I just tried Dreamcast (Reicast) without using Happy Chick, and once again I ran into the same issue. I also couldn't format my memory cast to save in Shenmue even using Happy Chick,
Yeah, it's possible.
crazyivan19
Member
I just ordered one of these today and am super excited to dive in. I've always been an iPhone guy, so I admittedly have no inkling on how the Android ecosystem works. Do I just buy apps from Google Play and they work on the GPD?
RealityCheque
Banned
Google Play store, or you can just enable sideloading apk files and download them from the internet.
In terms of the emulator, retroarch is pretty much perfect in regards to variety of systems, compatibility and accuracy.
And if you need a fancy frontend then try gamesome for boxarts and info etc. But retroarch's GUI is perfectly usable as well (just no artwork)
crazyivan19
Member
Thank you for the links. Is there any cons to using something like Retroarch instead of individual emulators? I am not a tinkerer by nature, so the simpler the GUI the better.
minor effort
Banned
Retroarch is powerful, free, but it definitely has a learning curve to it. Having said that, it's worth the bit of time investment to get it setup to your liking.
I have Retroarch setup with Dropbox to share saves between my Android devices (GPD XD, Shield TV) and with Retroarch in Windows.
EDIT: I will say that I find epsxe vastly easier for PS1 than current Retroarch cores. And DraStic for DS emulation would be a much better bet currently than Retroarch is. Both are available in the Play store.
RealityCheque
Banned
Retroarch isnt the absolute easiest to set up but it's not difficult by any means. It's also the most versatile and all encompassing. Other emulators are often paid or have essential features locked into premium versions.
Try Retroarch and you can always come here for any advice on setups. There's loads of Gaffers that have plenty of experience with it.
Set the menu to xmb, select your ROM folder location and it looks like this:
Simple enough?
There is literally no reason to use poorly maintained and bloat filled individual emulators when retroarch does it all.
And retroarch used to be a pain to set up. Not now. Download the apk, go to the core menu, download the cores you want (emulators) and then load your games. Done.
RealityCheque
Banned
Set the menu to xmb and it looks like this:
Simple enough?
There is literally no reason to use poorly maintained and bloat filled individual emulators when retroarch does it all.
And retroarch used to be a pain to set up. Not now. Download the apk, go to the core menu, download the cores you want (emulators) and then load your games. Done.
I was waiting for you to chime in Rich! You're the guy who convinced me the Retroarch was worth another shot. I'd used it years ago when it was a pain the arse but it's miles easier now.
Quick question, how do you get the box art into it?
There's a box art updater in the menu
RealityCheque
Banned
Nice one. Thanks.
crazyivan19
Member
Okay, yeah... that seems pretty slick. Although, you kinda' lost me on that last bit. I don't expect you to detail out what you meant by... well... pretty much everything after "Download the...", but is there a general walkthrough out there?
Thanks again! Everything should be delivered by the 20th or so. Can't wait!
Load it up, and select core downloader which is on the first menu. (from this point on, just use the gamepad controls on the XD). Select the cores (emulators) you want and it automatically downloads and sets up the latest builds within retroarch. It's all automated.
http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=637928&page=100000
crazyivan19
Member
minor effort
Banned
The good thing is, if you want to get a head start on learning how to use Retroarch, you probably already own a device it's available on.
Borboleta Amarela
Member
What are the opinions on the JXD s192? I've searched for reviews but found only vague info about it, most of it people on some forums saying "JXD is shit".
I'm more interested in playing retro stuff up until the dreamcast. Can it handle those games well? Does it use SD cards?
I'm more inclined towards this compared to the GPD XD because of the form factor/controls (they seem better).
I'm more interested in playing retro stuff up until the dreamcast. Can it handle those games well? Does it use SD cards?
I'm more inclined towards this compared to the GPD XD because of the form factor/controls (they seem better).
I'm a new owner of the GPD XD.
Retroarch has been a total pain to setup. After several fresh installs, I still can't download cores or any files from the online updater. I resorted to hunting down the direct link to download the cores. After that, the problems continued. The default directory for cores, assets and a bunch of other stuff doesn't exist (/data/data/com.retroarch/[folder name]). Attempting to create it is not possible as /data appears to be a locked or protected directory.
Okay, so then I do the sensible thing and put my cores in another place and have Retroarch point to that folder. I have tried saving config many times but it always resets to the nonexisting /data location. I tried saving a new config and that does work, but when I exit and reopen Retroarch, it auto-loads the default config with the busted core directory. It's not a huge deal but it's irritating to have to load the correct config file each time so that cores are available.
edit: I just switched from xmb to rgui on my config that has working cores... and now loading it causes Retroarch to instantly crash.
Besides that, I generally do like the device. I'm playing through Zanac for the NES thread's game of the month, while I'm away from home. Coming from playing on my CRTs on weekends, there's a bit of input lag but it's bearable. What isn't bearable is the insane lag and stutter for SNES games in both Retroarch and SNES9x EX+. Should I be using BSNES Performance? Many of the shaders also make games unplayable due to the heavy slowdown. I'm curious as to how or why it struggles with some 16-bit stuff but can still run PS1, N64, DS, PSP and Dreamcast stuff well from my quick tests with those systems.
I'm trying to manage my expectations, find out what is and isn't normal, and realize this little machine can't be as perfect as native hardware on a CRT.
Edit2: Changed GPU Copy Mode to Graphic Buffer in SNES9x and it runs a lot better.
Retroarch has been a total pain to setup. After several fresh installs, I still can't download cores or any files from the online updater. I resorted to hunting down the direct link to download the cores. After that, the problems continued. The default directory for cores, assets and a bunch of other stuff doesn't exist (/data/data/com.retroarch/[folder name]). Attempting to create it is not possible as /data appears to be a locked or protected directory.
Okay, so then I do the sensible thing and put my cores in another place and have Retroarch point to that folder. I have tried saving config many times but it always resets to the nonexisting /data location. I tried saving a new config and that does work, but when I exit and reopen Retroarch, it auto-loads the default config with the busted core directory. It's not a huge deal but it's irritating to have to load the correct config file each time so that cores are available.
edit: I just switched from xmb to rgui on my config that has working cores... and now loading it causes Retroarch to instantly crash.
Besides that, I generally do like the device. I'm playing through Zanac for the NES thread's game of the month, while I'm away from home. Coming from playing on my CRTs on weekends, there's a bit of input lag but it's bearable. What isn't bearable is the insane lag and stutter for SNES games in both Retroarch and SNES9x EX+. Should I be using BSNES Performance? Many of the shaders also make games unplayable due to the heavy slowdown. I'm curious as to how or why it struggles with some 16-bit stuff but can still run PS1, N64, DS, PSP and Dreamcast stuff well from my quick tests with those systems.
I'm trying to manage my expectations, find out what is and isn't normal, and realize this little machine can't be as perfect as native hardware on a CRT.
Edit2: Changed GPU Copy Mode to Graphic Buffer in SNES9x and it runs a lot better.
I just ordered one from the GPD site directly. Does anyone know what their normal turnaround time is? It would be awesome to get this in time for my upcoming vacation but that's only a week away. I paid for the $15 shipping vs the free shipping.
Really excited to finally get a system that fills that portable emulator desire and looks like it does it very well.
Really excited to finally get a system that fills that portable emulator desire and looks like it does it very well.
DrROBschiz
Member
Very strange. I figured these devices had more than enough power to run any emulator up to PS1/N64 era
Guess not?
My Xperia Play did 16 Bit just fine and it was a weaker machine
minor effort
Banned
No, it does everything through those generations just fine, but within Retroarch it can vary according to exactly which SNES core you use, for example. Also if you start using some of the heavier shaders in Retroarch that will slow things down across the board, regardless of emulation core.
Sorry for the thread bump, but I just ordered 2 of these and was wondering if it's possible to hook an arcade stick to this for a fighting game. 99% of the time I would just use the controls it comes with, but it would be nice to be able to use an arcade stick for fighters.
And I know many people were promoting Retroarch here. Is it essentially a program that encompasses multiple emulators? And what makes it better than just downloading individual emulators for each system?
Thanks in advance. Looking forward to getting these in.
And I know many people were promoting Retroarch here. Is it essentially a program that encompasses multiple emulators? And what makes it better than just downloading individual emulators for each system?
Thanks in advance. Looking forward to getting these in.
minor effort
Banned
Yep, you can plug an external USB controller into it (with a MicroUSB convertor) and in most cases it should work just fine. I have a USB Saturn pad and FC Commander 4 I sometimes use with my XD.
Retroarch is basically a package that ties together a bunch of emulation cores with a unified interface, controls, and visual filters. I like it in most cases, but for certain systems like NDS and PSP you'll likely have better results with outside emulators.
Vinsanity.
Member
OK, so I just bought one of these - and looking for a little help on how to set it up properly and get all of the Chinese bloatware off of it.
I read a little bit about a custom LegacyRom - should I use that instead of the default?
Do I need all of these HappyChick and other chinese programs? Can I remove every single one of them if I wanted to?
Should I just download RetroArch and all of the emulator cores from within RetroArch, or should I download emulators separately?
Basically what I'm asking - if one of you emulator experts has one of these or were to get one....what would you do to clean it up and set it up?
I read a little bit about a custom LegacyRom - should I use that instead of the default?
Do I need all of these HappyChick and other chinese programs? Can I remove every single one of them if I wanted to?
Should I just download RetroArch and all of the emulator cores from within RetroArch, or should I download emulators separately?
Basically what I'm asking - if one of you emulator experts has one of these or were to get one....what would you do to clean it up and set it up?
My first move was to replace the launcher with something more reflective of the standard Android UI. That'll be a personal choice of course, and there's plenty of launchers out there that do different things. The one I went with is called Nova Launcher, available for a few bucks on the Play store. Looks like this:
Allows for custom icons, which was something I was particularly keen to have.
As for removing the built-in apps, I'd say go for it so long as you check what each app is before you remove it. There's a few built-in things like SuperSU and Gamepad which shouldn't be deleted.
For your emulators, I'd suggest you just try the options and see what you like. I've always tended to go with separate apps rather than using Retroarch, but I know a lot of people swear by the latter. The majority of emulators on the Play store are either free or very cheap, so maybe just set some time aside to see which ones you like best.
So, I got back into emulation via an 8bitdo pad and Openemu recently, but having to lug my mac about to play emulators is getting old, leading me to look at this as an alternative.
I do have some questions however:
- I have seen on reddit issues with people bricking their XD by using USB 3 / too fast a charger. Has anyone had this issue? I like to use a variety of mobile chargers for micro USB devices and could do without the worry.
- Is it best to just grab emulators off the store? I don't mind buying well rated / maintained ones and won't need many (GBA, PS1 plus a few others). Retroarch seems like a bit much for just a handfull.
- How is N64 on it? I would like to play Quake64 plus some others, it's not great on Openemu.
- Can I grab weird stuff like Spectrum emulators / 3DO / Jaguar etc? (More an android question as I am an apple guy normally)
I do have some questions however:
- I have seen on reddit issues with people bricking their XD by using USB 3 / too fast a charger. Has anyone had this issue? I like to use a variety of mobile chargers for micro USB devices and could do without the worry.
- Is it best to just grab emulators off the store? I don't mind buying well rated / maintained ones and won't need many (GBA, PS1 plus a few others). Retroarch seems like a bit much for just a handfull.
- How is N64 on it? I would like to play Quake64 plus some others, it's not great on Openemu.
- Can I grab weird stuff like Spectrum emulators / 3DO / Jaguar etc? (More an android question as I am an apple guy normally)
Oldschool
Member
I have loaded emulated games from microsd with no problems. PPSSPP included.
It's weird. Every time I try to load anything from my SD card, I can't find it. There's a sdcard directory, but it doesn't have any of the stuff that's on my card. The sdcard directory is basically a copy of the main internal memory. I can't access anything from my SD card, except from the file browser on the home screen.
The XD (and android in general) can be kinda weird sometimes about how they represent the file structure. I'd suggest digging through all of the available folders (including as far back towards the "root" of the tree as you can get) to see if your SD card isn't under an unusual title.
Oldschool
Member
GO to the root of your file structure then go to the mnt folder. There you will find the external sdcard folder and thats it.
Still use mine, still love it.
GPD themselves have got a few alternatives; the GPD Win is a thing that happened, and there's another machine in the crowdfunding phase right now.
Happy to try to answer any questions you may have.
minor effort
Banned
I own two of them now. One of mine the screen has mostly died on, it might be a loose ribbon cable or something of that nature. So far my other one is still holding up, but it makes me more hesitant about recommending it to others now. Also, on both of mine I've never been very satisfied with the d-pads and buttons on them. They've always felt a bit soft and gummy.
I still use my working GPD XD here and there, but lately I've been using my Shield K1 Tablet much more.
CuckFupertino
Banned
Sorry for the necro bump but has anyone ordered this from a website called Gear Best and if so what was your experience with shipping times?
So I'm having an issue with Retroarch not wanting to go to sleep?? Whenever I close the lid to my GPD XD, the sound from Retroarch keeps going and you can even hear the game continue running. Any ideas about this??
I hear Gear Best works fine. I ordered mine from geekbuying and it took about 2 weeks.
BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO
Junior Member
Win by a country mile, it's not even close
Very much depends on what you plan to do with it, especially given the WIN can go for upwards of double the cost of the XD. Is money an object? Would you prefer Windows over Android? What kind of software are you hoping to run?
Neither have cameras to my knowledge.
I've recently purchased the GPD Q9 (the XD's predecessor) and I'm very happy with it!
The reason I bought this one instead of the XD is because the position of the Q9's d-pad seems to be more comfortable for retrogaming. The XD's d-pad reminds me of the 3DS' d-pad (obviously), which I'm not a big fan of.
I'd still like to buy an XD in the future, though, so I'd like to know if my fears of its d-pad are unfounded. My question for you XD owners is thusly: How do you feel about the d-pad?
Another question: I've noticed several highly-rated emulators (the .EMU ones, like MD.EMU and NEO.EMU) have problems with simultaneous button presses (at least on my Q9). Trying to do a simple move like a back attack in Golden Axe or Streets Of Rage (pressing B + C simultaneously) doesn't work about eight out of ten times. Anybody know if this problem prevails on the XD?
The reason I bought this one instead of the XD is because the position of the Q9's d-pad seems to be more comfortable for retrogaming. The XD's d-pad reminds me of the 3DS' d-pad (obviously), which I'm not a big fan of.
I'd still like to buy an XD in the future, though, so I'd like to know if my fears of its d-pad are unfounded. My question for you XD owners is thusly: How do you feel about the d-pad?
Another question: I've noticed several highly-rated emulators (the .EMU ones, like MD.EMU and NEO.EMU) have problems with simultaneous button presses (at least on my Q9). Trying to do a simple move like a back attack in Golden Axe or Streets Of Rage (pressing B + C simultaneously) doesn't work about eight out of ten times. Anybody know if this problem prevails on the XD?
AzureFlame
Member
Better than Nvidia Shield Portable?