How many game systems do you have?

[PrincessNozomi]

I have a Nintendo Switch, Original DS, Nintendo 3DS, a Wii system, a Wii U system, and a Gamecube. As for everything else, I also have a laptop that I can use to emulate.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

I have that ODE from Gixel for the 3DO and let me tell you it works really fantastically and even plays audio CD images you can make yourself. Fixel is now making an ODE for the FM Towns Marty and has plans to set up ODEs for two additional systems the PC-FX and the Philips CD-i.

We need a proper internal PS2 ODE. OPL has numerous issues with both SMB and internal HDD.

Need internal ODE that ribbons into the DVD port, has the DVD drive connected to the ODE to keep disc use, and uses SATA and or NVMe with 8 TB support for single region full library capabilities.

The PixelFX PS2Digital HDMI is coming soon too. Godsend for majority of games that refuse to boot in anything but 480i and can't even be forced with GSM. Time to do a Xenosaga Trilogy marathon!

There was also some early work on PS1 laser servo emulation, aka plug a ODE directly into the laser ribbon with no need to hijack the DSP and CDROM controllers or modify the motherboard. So would work in every PS1 including PSOne.

Thankfully not into the oddball DOA systems or systems that never came to US. Stuff like PC FX or CDi or Marty don't have any significant childhood presence for me, outside of rumors in magazines. Which means I can say I'm done and not missing anything important.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

I have a RetroTINK 5X and I use it for all of my old systems (game console and home computer) up to the Nintendo Wii, well consoles that don’t output HDMI or DVI, the latter which I’m going to install on my Atari 8bit computer and my Atari 5200 at some point when I receive my Sophia 2 devices.

Yeah I just got tired of LPF, noise, sampling phase errors etc. Pure digital straight to HDMI is the way to go if available. Sadly some stuff like Saturn is stuck in analog domain unless you completely reconstruct and replace VDP2.

 

[BlankyBoyAUS]

The PixelFX PS2Digital HDMI is coming soon too. Godsend for majority of games that refuse to boot in anything but 480i and can't even be forced with GSM. Time to do a Xenosaga Trilogy marathon!

I look forward to a be all end all of PS2 memory card, a PS2 memory card akin to what 8bitmods made for PS1 and GameCube (I have both those memory cards that can store so many blocks on 1GB alone in a microSD card). And although I could see myself upgrading the video for my PS2, Wii and Xbox to HDMI, I’ll have to stick with analog video from the rest of my old systems up to the Dreamcast.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

I have that ODE from Gixel for the 3DO and let me tell you it works really fantastically and even plays audio CD images you can make yourself. Fixel is now making an ODE for the FM Towns Marty and has plans to set up ODEs for two additional systems the PC-FX and the Philips CD-i.



I have a RetroTINK 5X and I use it for all of my old systems (game console and home computer) up to the Nintendo Wii, well consoles that don’t output HDMI or DVI, the latter which I’m going to install on my Atari 8bit computer and my Atari 5200 at some point when I receive my Sophia 2 devices.

I got a RetroTINK 5X as soon as they came out and I love it! Makes the old systems look great when hooked up with Component or S-Video. I have been collecting mainly physical console games over the years but I do have a Satiator ODE for my Japanese Saturn. It goes in the expansion slot in the back so you can keep your optical drive in there. It's great for playing those super rare and expensive games that are way out of my budget.

 

[BlankyBoyAUS]

I got a RetroTINK 5X as soon as they came out and I love it! Makes the old systems look great when hooked up with Component or S-Video. I have been collecting mainly physical console games over the years but I do have a Satiator ODE for my Japanese Saturn. It goes in the expansion slot in the back so you can keep your optical drive in there. It's great for playing those super rare and expensive games that are way out of my budget.

I got my RetroTINK 5X in November of 2021 and I’ve been using it for my old systems up to even my Nintendo Wii except for my 360 and PS3. I’ve been really satisfied with making the display of old systems look fantastic on a new TV with the RetroTINK device though I still have to use a CRT for light gun games, 3D games from Master System and ROB the robot. And whenever I get an ODE for a CD-based game console, I tend to remove my CD drive all together if the description says you can replace it, because it’s just that all CD lasers die eventually. I look forward to other projects from Fixel such as ODEs for FM Towns Marty (which I preordered), PC-FX and Philips CD-I.

 

[littledinogoesrawr]

Switch, Series S, Laptop and PS5

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

I got my RetroTINK 5X in November of 2021 and I’ve been using it for my old systems up to even my Nintendo Wii except for my 360 and PS3. I’ve been really satisfied with making the display of old systems look fantastic on a new TV with the RetroTINK device though I still have to use a CRT for light gun games, 3D games from Master System and ROB the robot. And whenever I get an ODE for a CD-based game console, I tend to remove my CD drive all together if the description says you can replace it, because it’s just that all CD lasers die eventually. I look forward to other projects from Fixel such as ODEs for FM Towns Marty (which I preordered), PC-FX and Philips CD-I.

Some consoles are more prone to optical drive failure than others, though it's not always the laser. My Gamecube sometimes wouldn't read discs until it warmed up. Turns out it was the capacitors on the board for the disc drive. I replaced those and it works good as new again! Apart from repairs, I usually try to keep my consoles as original as possible. I do have a heavily modded GBA and original Game Boy though. Modding those was fun!

As for CRTs, I wouldn't mind having one but I just don't have the room for a second, bulky TV. Plus they're expensive to ship. Most of my favorite light gun games are on PC anyways. My favorites are The House of the Dead and Virtua Cop series. I use AimTrak light guns for those. They use a sensor bar so they work with any modern display.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Majority of my mods are reversible or don't touch the shell. Others are more extensive when I have multiples and don't need to keep them all original. Examples:

NES with RF box removed and custom power entry and DC conversion PCB with a SNES style AV multi out with RGB from NESRGB where the RF and channel switch used to be.

Genesis model 1 "high definition" non TMSS with the RF box removed, 3BP audio, and jailbar fixed (lifted VDP pins and analog power pin bypass caps) RGB through a Genesis 2 style stereo mini DIN where the RF hole used to be.

Dreamcast has a mini HDMI hole cut in the case for DCDigital.

I made all these look OEM like they came that way and realistically Im never gonna touch composite again much less RF.



Most of my screen caps are archived but they just look like perfect emulator grabs anyway, just from the real thing on a large TV.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

Majority of my mods are reversible or don't touch the shell. Others are more extensive when I have multiples and don't need to keep them all original. Examples:

NES with RF box removed and custom power entry and DC conversion PCB with a SNES style AV multi out with RGB from NESRGB where the RF and channel switch used to be.

Genesis model 1 "high definition" non TMSS with the RF box removed, 3BP audio, and jailbar fixed (lifted VDP pins and analog power pin bypass caps) RGB through a Genesis 2 style stereo mini DIN where the RF hole used to be.

Dreamcast has a mini HDMI hole cut in the case for DCDigital.

I made all these look OEM like they came that way and realistically Im never gonna touch composite again much less RF.

View attachment 107930

Most of my screen caps are archived but they just look like perfect emulator grabs anyway, just from the real thing on a large TV.

That NES mod looks pretty clean! They have a HDMI mod for the NES as well but it's harder to do. You need to remove the PPU chip from the board, and that requires a really good desoldering gun. I have my model 1 Genesis hooked up to the RetroTINK 5X with a HD Retrovision component cable, and it's crystal clear! Looks as good as an emulator on PC. The console itself is still stock, apart from putting in new voltage regulators. HD Retrovision cables are EXPENSIVE but they give you the best picture possible from an unmodded console, when used with a good upscaler.

Some people go all out and RGB mod everything, but I'm satisfied with my current setup. I don't stare at my screen looking for imperfections, and anything is better than what I had as a kid. All the consoles hooked up with daisy-chained RF switches to a worn out CRT. Looked blurry as hell but I didn't know any better as a kid lol.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

That NES mod looks pretty clean! They have a HDMI mod for the NES as well but it's harder to do. You need to remove the PPU chip from the board, and that requires a really good desoldering gun.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

View attachment 107931

Lol I'd love to have a Hakko FR-301, but those are expensive! I have a good soldering station but I mostly use desoldering braid for removing things.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Anything beyond composite requires PPU removal. The HDMI mod requires CPU removal too.

HDMI mod may as well not exist. The guy who made it works for Analogue now so they will never be made again. You can't obtain it anymore so not even worth mentioning ever again unless he open sources it. Unlikely since they want to sell you their $600 FPGA clones instead.

It also causes compatibility issues with Everdrives or something so that right away takes it off the table.

 

[TaoHeart]

Just a PS5... Had multiple consoles over the years, but adding console, games and accessories just took too much space, so I decided to focus on a single one instead. I AM considering getting a tamagotchi. (Not sure if that counts)

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

Anything beyond composite requires PPU removal. The HDMI mod requires CPU removal too.

HDMI mod may as well not exist. The guy who made it works for Analogue now so they will never be made again. You can't obtain it anymore so not even worth mentioning ever again unless he open sources it. Unlikely since they want to sell you their $600 FPGA clones instead.

It also causes compatibility issues with Everdrives or something so that right away takes it off the table.

My NES is the only console I'm not using upgraded cables with. It's using composite but the RetroTINK does a good job of cleaning up the image. I did refurbish it though. I replaced the caps and diodes in the RF box, the voltage regulator, and all the caps on the main board. It's as good as it's gonna get without extensive modding. Still miles better than using an RF switch. Those look and sound horrible!

 

[LittleAndAlone]

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Any noise in these is from the camera starting to pick up the pixel grid on the 4K display and causing moire.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

My NES is the only console I'm not using upgraded cables with. It's using composite but the RetroTINK does a good job of cleaning up the image. I did refurbish it though. I replaced the caps and diodes in the RF box, the voltage regulator, and all the caps on the main board. It's as good as it's gonna get without extensive modding. Still miles better than using an RF switch. Those look and sound horrible!

I had to go with a high quality switching regulator. Even an upgraded 2A 78S05 linear regulator was getting way too hot with the combined load of the NES, NESRGB, and Everdrive N8 Pro. Just went for the golden part and didn't bother with trying a bigger heatsink etc.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

View attachment 107938
View attachment 107939

View attachment 107940


Any noise in these is from the camera starting to pick up the pixel grid on the 4K display and causing moire.

That looks pretty sweet! Did you still reuse the original PPU chip? The mod I saw had you remove the PPU and plug a daughterboard back into the holes, then the PPU went into a socket on the daughterboard.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

That looks pretty sweet! Did you still reuse the original PPU chip? The mod I saw had you remove the PPU and plug a daughterboard back into the holes, then the PPU went into a socket on the daughterboard.

Yeah exactly like that.