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[Papa_Wisdom]

Had one of these little machine for years, but apart from using it to stream media I never really used it for much more as I have a pc for all those emulation needs.

As my gf likes the odd retro game I thought it would be good to see what it could do so I could take it with me when I go stay at her place. (I was never really interested in using an android device for gaming).

As I had a day off yesterday and was in a tinkering mood I decided to look into it.

Wow this ageing little device can still impress.

Invested in a 256gig memory stick thinking it was overkill, now I wish I had gone for a 512gb

So far I’ve got running

Mega Drive (Every game)

Mega CD (snatcher, space ace cobra and sonic cd ftw)

Master system (Every game)

Saturn (bit hit and miss)

Dreamcast (Excellent)

SNES (every game)

Gameboy colour (every game)

Gameboy advance (Every game)

Nintendo DS

3DS (very hit an miss as to be expected)

N64

GameCube (very impressive)

Ps1

PSP

I knew it was a powerful little device but bloody hell, for its form factor it really does offer quite a bang for your buck.

I can see myself taking this away with me now when I go away or to hers for some retro gaming fun.

Does anyone else have one of these, any further suggestions on what it can be used for?

I’ve never really understood or looked Into setting it up as a plex server but apparently it’s recommended so any help in that regards would be great!

 

[Kilau]

It's a fantastic Plex server, that's what I use ours for mostly. I do have retroarch and a few other emulators on there. It will play some PS2 games just fine but I'm only playing the obscure Japanese 2D RPGs. I do with the bluetooth on it wasn't so bad but that is pretty common.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

It's a fantastic Plex server, that's what I use ours for mostly. I do have retroarch and a few other emulators on there. It will play some PS2 games just fine but I'm only playing the obscure Japanese 2D RPGs. I do with the bluetooth on it wasn't so bad but that is pretty common.

Can you recommend any tutorials for setting a plex server up? I just can’t get my head around it. How much does it cost and where does it get the content from? Like is it just streamed from your owned media or does it scrape the Internet for content?

 

[Kilau]

Can you recommend any tutorials for setting a plex server up? I just can’t get my head around it. How much does it cost and where does it get the content from? Like is it just streamed from your owned media or does it scrape the Internet for content?

Plex has native support on the shield. Simple as getting the app off the play store but it’s likely already installed. You need the server app and the player. Make a free account and you can also do a monthly sub or lifetime pass for more features. It does have a ton of streaming media but it shines with your own media.

An external drive loaded up with ripped blu-rays or TV shows is all you need. How you source those is up to you. I’ve also got an antenna for OTA channels and use the Plex as a DVR.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Plex has native support on the shield. Simple as getting the app off the play store but it’s likely already installed. You need the server app and the player. Make a free account and you can also do a monthly sub or lifetime pass for more features. It does have a ton of streaming media but it shines with your own media.

An external drive loaded up with ripped blu-rays or TV shows is all you need. How you source those is up to you. I’ve also got an antenna for OTA channels and use the Plex as a DVR.

That explains a lot thanks.

I’ll def have a look into it. I have many dvds that I could rip and put on a hard drive etc.

I’m wondering how far I can push ps2 emulation on it now you’ve said you use it for that, I presume it would be the lighter games and not things like mgs 2/3 I’d love to have virtua fighter 4 on it though as an easy pick up and play.

Do you use retro arch for that or is there a stand alone ps2 app?

There’s an issue when I installed retro arch that wouldn’t detect my usb drive. I looked into a tutorial and you can get a work around but tbh I prefer the stand alone apps. The only thing I’d prob go to retro arch for is if Saturn emulation is better on that than the yabba sanshiro app.

Edit: just got virtua fighter 4 up and running and yeah it’s not happening. Was like 20fps. Shame but not unexpected.

 

[AJUMP23]

Thought about getting one. Using it as a retro console sounds like a fun idea.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Thought about getting one. Using it as a retro console sounds like a fun idea.

I would recommend it, although you can prob get better these days for around the same price, they seem to have held there value quite a bit.

Bit fiddly to set up bit I think that’s more me not been used to android, some of the stand alone apps are not on the play store either so have to be side loaded but not an issue.

Got mine paired with an Xbox one pad I use for my pc and no issues with it not working!

 

[Sleepwalker]

Ive wanted to get one for a while but its old, ancient even. Get baited by thinking this year finally they will release another one, and then nothing.

 

[Garibaldi]

We've got the, I'm gonna say 2015 model, and it's still going strong. Gets daily use as a media front end for the NAS as well as all the smart apps (YouTube, Prime, etc).

It's been a great device and surprisingly it still gets regular software updates.

 

[Kilau]

That explains a lot thanks.

I’ll def have a look into it. I have many dvds that I could rip and put on a hard drive etc.

I’m wondering how far I can push ps2 emulation on it now you’ve said you use it for that, I presume it would be the lighter games and not things like mgs 2/3 I’d love to have virtua fighter 4 on it though as an easy pick up and play.

Do you use retro arch for that or is there a stand alone ps2 app?

There’s an issue when I installed retro arch that wouldn’t detect my usb drive. I looked into a tutorial and you can get a work around but tbh I prefer the stand alone apps. The only thing I’d prob go to retro arch for is if Saturn emulation is better on that than the yabba sanshiro app.

Edit: just got virtua fighter 4 up and running and yeah it’s not happening. Was like 20fps. Shame but not unexpected.

There is a version of AetherSX2.

Install AetherSX2 APK (PS2 emulator) to Nvidia Shield TV / Android TV - evo's smarter life

Looking to sideload the AetherSX2 PS2 emulator on Nvidia Shield TV running Android TV 11? Despite the increased restrictions on the device with the upgrade to Android TV OS 11, we can still install AetherSX2. Please note that AetherSX2 is compatible only with 64-bit ARM processors. So, if your...

blog.evomailserver.com

 

[YCoCg]

Are Nvidia going to release an updated one anytime soon? It seems like Amazon is starting to lock down their Fire Sticks and trying to move away from Android so will be looking to switch.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Are Nvidia going to release an updated one anytime soon? It seems like Amazon is starting to lock down their Fire Sticks and trying to move away from Android so will be looking to switch.

I hope so, a refreshed version with a better chip than the Tegra x1 would be awesome. Better emulation with more systems been supported would be great (ps2, wii, wii u and maybe even switch would be bloody amazing)

I wish someone would release model 2/3 emulators for it as well (id pay for someone to do it)

How are amazon locking down their fire tv sticks? Is it to stop people hacking them for the free content they can provide?

 

[YCoCg]

How are amazon locking down their fire tv sticks?

They're going to be moving away from the Android based OS they have and have already put out updates for some devices to disable ADB Debugging so people are estimating that "Apps from unknown sources" will be the next to go.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

They're going to be moving away from the Android based OS they have and have already put out updates for some devices to disable ADB Debugging so people are estimating that "Apps from unknown sources" will be the next to go.

Oh really I didn’t know this, yeah it def sounds like fire tv sticks will be less popular going forwards then. I actually went back from a fire tv stick to my shield as it just stopped connecting to my internet randomly. Pleased I did.

The only negative thing about the shield tv is that channel 4s steaming app 4od (I’m in the U.K.) is no longer supports by it. That stops it been the all in one streaming box for me.

 

[YCoCg]

The only negative thing about the shield tv is that channel 4s steaming app 4od (I’m in the U.K.) is no longer supports by it.

Ahh shit really? Better finish off Taskmaster then.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Ahh shit really? Better finish off Taskmaster then.

Yeah apparently even side loading the .apk doesn’t work either. I tried it a while back but it was unusable. I have to watch 4 catch up on my tv app or Xbox. Apart from that I’d whole heartedly recommend one.

 

[DGrayson]

Ive had mine for years I love it (Pro model). Been waiting for an updated version but probably will just buy a second one for my second TV.

Side loading works great, have plenty of apps on there. SmartTubeNext is bascially required for youtube, i would never let my kids use regular Youtube TBH.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I got the Shield Pro a few years back. It's the best box of it's kind for me. Once they patched in DV, it was all I needed.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Ive had mine for years I love it (Pro model). Been waiting for an updated version but probably will just buy a second one for my second TV.

Side loading works great, have plenty of apps on there. SmartTubeNext is bascially required for youtube, i would never let my kids use regular Youtube TBH.

I also have smart tube installed, can’t go back to YouTube after that.

Just wish it was a tiny bit more powerful so I could get my f zero GameCube fix. It tries it’s best but runs about 10fps.

Atleast I can get my Dreamcast games in an easy to transport package.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Ive wanted to get one for a while but its old, ancient even. Get baited by thinking this year finally they will release another one, and then nothing.

Yeah I’d be down for a more powerful one, the pros totally outweigh the cons though, especially if your into a small emulation box upto GameCube tier emulation. Though there are a few games on the system that are un playable like f zero and rogue squadron.
Still though having everything up to that generation of console in a small form factor box is brilliant.

If I stay away in a hotel etc I’ll take it with me for the entertainment value it brings to pass the time (or my vita)

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Ive had mine for years I love it (Pro model). Been waiting for an updated version but probably will just buy a second one for my second TV.

Side loading works great, have plenty of apps on there. SmartTubeNext is bascially required for youtube, i would never let my kids use regular Youtube TBH.

Care to outline what SmartTubeNext does for you? I have YT Premium and mainly use it for me and the kids. They don't really have any control over it but if there's any benefits of recommended apps to sideload or potential perf benefits, I'm all ears for.

 

[Billbofet]

I love mine for the ai upscaling of 1080p, it is still snappier than any other streaming device I have seen, and it plays Dreamcast games with a Bluetooth controller uprezzed and running like butter. I'll have to check out Smarttubenext.

 

[Quasicat]

I loved mine until Google decided to plaster ads all over the main page. I eventually bought an Apple TV to avoid all of that.

 

[jshackles]

Been using mine every day since 2017 when it first got released. Last year the original remote died - sad, because the newer style remote is not nearly as good (no rechargeable battery, no headphone jack, larger). It's great for retro gaming, though I have a bunch of other more capable devices. However, perfect for streaming apps. I have mine flashed with a custom rom and privacy-respecting launcher, since a few years ago they switched to the shit Google Play one.

 

[Jesb]

Just bought one recently for the sole purpose of getting GeForcenow in 4K. Very happy with the purchase.

 

[DGrayson]

Care to outline what SmartTubeNext does for you? I have YT Premium and mainly use it for me and the kids. They don't really have any control over it but if there's any benefits of recommended apps to sideload or potential perf benefits, I'm all ears for.

Just ad free basically. If you have yt premium then not sure there is an additional benefit

 

[Drew1440]

One of the best emulation console's, only issue is Duckstation can be fiddly to work with since that doesn't support the Android TV interface. The Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation) is a good alternative, It has a stronger CPU (Cortex A73) which should help with the sixth generation consoles, but weaker GPU so it won't upscale as well.