xiaNaix

A message from the Libretro devs to anybody interested in these FPGA-based game/retro game consoles... http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1spvhu2

They didn't even file the trademark until January of this year. Brilliant strategists and geniuses they are.

<sarcasm> I'm sure it's just a coincidence that the two systems not 100% in current emulators like RetroArch (N64 and Saturn) are the same two Retroblox can't handle. </sarcasm>

They stated numerous times before the show that the prototype would be there and be playable. The amount of double talk and backtracking being done shows that these guys are nothing but liards, charlatans and frauds.

Hit the nail on the head there.

Wrong! In the Retro Hi-Def video Tekken 3 is listed in the "favorites" section before he even inserts the disc. The person behind the camera asks "These are games backed up onto the system?" and the representative from Retroblox replies "Yeah, we previously backed these guys up."

Another puff piece with no real specifics. I hope these guys plan on getting serious about the technical details before launching their crowdfunding campaign.

The only problem with that is you can clearly see that Tekken was already installed on the system before they inserted the disc when he scrolls down in the menus. They even acknowledge that the games listed there are ones they've already backed up. lol

I think "Retrobox" was already in use. I agree that "Retroblox" isn't a great choice but I'm sure their options were limited. Whenever I see "Retroblox" I immediately think it's going to be some sort of 8-bit Lego toys.

I wasn't knocking Gamester81, I was referring to their presentation. They showed up at the convention with their prototype and all we've seen from that unveiling are games clearly running pre-installed on the system. They've never shown a cartridge or CD being read to the device.

I have no idea what this is supposed to mean.

Regardless of their emulation, the fact that your games are being "encrypted and signed to the individual user of the system so that they are exclusively useable on that one account." by God knows what method turns me off. Does this mean they are tied to the card, the console, or some Retrobox user account ID? And, more importantly, how is this checked? Online? Sounds to me like the whole system is just a trojan horse for their OUYA-style online shop. No thanks.

I have yet to see any footage that would prove this thing was actually reading a cartridge or a CD and not just pre-installed roms.

But their emulators "function at a much lower level than the ones you can simply download for your PC, Phone or RetroPie / RetroArch / LibRetro box." Nevermind the fact that these apparently master coders weren't able to get N64 and Sega Saturn working. Must just be a coincidence that these are the exact same two systems without 100% working emulators.

The Retro Freak can run some multicarts and "homebrew" carts too. So far I don't hear anything in the double talk that these guys are posting that sounds like it's anything new, other than their "proprietary RBXOS and Richter UI environment." They are clearly going out of their way to not get into technical details on how the hardware functions. I would hope those answers will be forthcoming before they start taking people's money for a lot of smoke and mirrors but I doubt it.

The same as any netbook or Kodi box that uses the same hardware. The upcoming $70 USD Asus Tinker Box also has the same specs.

If you look past the attempt at technical gobbledygook what I take away from their comments is a preemptive excuse for when people realize they are just using currently available emulators. Note how they mention having received permission from emu authors but basically had to re-write everything due to "hybrid emulation technology." Uh huh. Then they brag about how the "people doing the emulation work include several of our team members who are not contributors to the open source community but work on low level hardware for console manufacturers professionally." In other words, we had permission but our project will be completely closed source so you'll never be able to prove what code we're using or not using. I'm betting the "hybrid emulation technology" is nothing more than an FPGA to read the cartridge (or CD) and then pass the data to the emulator. As for the video linked above apparently showing a game running from CD, there is no proof whatsoever. For all we know that game was already backed up onto the system like every other rom they clearly have loaded on there. Sorry, but I'm just not seeing anything new here at all. I know the authors of Libretro are watching this project closely so I hope for their own sake they truly do have 100% original emulation code.

From their forums. These guys are so full of shit. lol

You can get any number of ARM-based Kodi boxes that will run Linux, many of them using the exact same RK3288 chip, for around $100-$150 USD. That's generally considered a high-end box for these companies. They market (and price) them advertising that Linux is better better for Kodi than Android. Some models can be had for well under $100 USD, with the same specs as Retroblox. It's just as easy to install and run RetroArch on these boxes as anything else. They seem to have their own fronted but I'm sure these guys didn't code emulators for all those systems they claim to be running. I suspect they'll be a shitstorm as usual once it's released and the code is analyzed.

Nice. So the advantage of this over any other emulation-based box with USB controllers for various systems is literally nothing. Probably won't take long for their frontend software to be ripped either. lol

Sure they do. They caught on to the Linux thing a while ago to push their more expensive Kodi boxes.

From their Facebook and Instragram pages. Judging the specs, this is just one of those cheap ARM boxes you can order from Alibaba with adapters for the various controller types. Thanks but no thanks.

Seems like they had games preloaded into the system. https://www.instagram.com/p/BQHGIEkjnD9/

Here's a brief video someone posted of the booth. Doesn't really show much. https://www.instagram.com/p/BQG372tFwXhKoxbp0NakGFxhdQhT1pImpqOL-g0/

It seems like a genuine product. I suppose we'll know for sure after this weekend. As for roms, I'm sure the SD cart slot on the back is there for a reason.