RetroBlox : Another new Play-Everything "Retro" Console

[jtucci31]

Recently both of my smaller CRTs have broken down and while I look for parts I'm running a very low end RF-only 19" for copying LDs and testing shit and whatever and honestly...it looks kinda low on color but it's SO much better than some f*cked up flat panel digital bullshit.

I never thought I'd ever really have to worry about not having a CRT to play old games on, but with Goodwill not accepting them anymore it's going to get harder and harder faster than we know it.

[Gredler]

I never thought I'd ever really have to worry about..  it's going to get harder and harder faster than we know it.

That's what I said, to her.

In all honesty, I can't say much about what I know either but I think I can safely say the people behind this project art not approaching it as part time hobbyists

[SignOfZeta]

Recently both of my smaller CRTs have broken down and while I look for parts I'm running a very low end RF-only 19" for copying LDs and testing shit and whatever and honestly...it looks kinda low on color but it's SO much better than some f*cked up flat panel digital bullshit.

I never thought I'd ever really have to worry about not having a CRT to play old games on, but with Goodwill not accepting them anymore it's going to get harder and harder faster than we know it.

I'm %100 confident I'll have CRTs for the next 20 years if not the rest of my life. You won't be able to pick perfectly functional $2500 Wegas at the curb all day but Jesus, that's obviously not going to last forever.

I'll learn to fix the things and find the parts I guess. I have a local repair guy but he gives up easy. I need to find another place. I also need to learn about making flybacks fit into machines they weren't designed for. The transformer in my JVC pro monitor died a while back and new ones aren't easy to get...

[Gredler]

I grabbed a free 36" FD Trinitron about a year back, and have been meaning to learn how to adjust the yolk to fix geometry and color alignment issues, but am to much of a nullity to nut up and mess with it.

I agree though, I think we have a bit of time left before CRT's are completely unavailable I imagine the supply will shrink in size both per unit scale and number of units available out there equally. The larger ones, as Zeta pointed out, will fade away first I imagine.

I do think the enthusiast market will keep them available beyond the cheap/free status they have now for a very long time too.

[SignOfZeta]

I like what they are saying about "hybrid emulation". Not the part about how it's "completely new" since by definition nothing hybrid is completely new. I like that physical carts have direct memory/bus access. Actual advantages are probably minute but in theory...

I don't like that it's as locked down as any other console.

If it comes out and earns a good rep I'll look into it. Paying $200 to play PlayStation and PCE games when I can already do this with a pile of stuff I already have and is barely worth that much to begin with doesn't make a lot of sense.

Like, if you are playing real SNES carts then the basic SNES does a pretty ace job of that. I kinda need more features I don't already have.

Unlike the VGS, which was seemed stupid from the first minute, I'm open minded at the moment.

[SignOfZeta]

Ask him why they won't just say "PlayStation" when they use terms like Sega CD, SNES, and even now PSOne.

[sirhcman]

Ask him why they won't just say "PlayStation" when they use terms like Sega CD, SNES, and even now PSOne.

You are asking a hard hitting question Zeta! I can't wait to hear the answer!!

[Gredler]

My questions would be

1) Online play?
1a) Friends lists / social interaction / match making?

2) Rendering modes?
2a) Default settings? Options?

3) Bluetooth Controller Support?
3a) Which? # maximum to connect?

4) Saturn?

5) Flash cart / everdrive Support?

6) GBA?

[elmer]

I won't have all the answers (either through ignorance or verbal NDA) but I did get some interesting info.

You've been upstaged by the RetroBlox guys themselves ...

http://retroblox.com/2017/02/08/everything-you-need-to-know/


They say that they'll demonstrate it at a couple of events *before* the KickStarter, where folks can just bring along any-old-cartridge to run on it (VERY, VERY GOOD IDEA!).

If they can do that, then I'll agree that they've proved that it works, and my hat will be off to them.


But ... it's going to be locked-down, with an encrypted SD-card that will only run stuff that you directly rip yourself on the console, and carts that include expansion-chips (StarFox, etc), will always need to be physically inserted in order to run.

No installing downloaded ROMs or ISO images.

So they're avoiding the issue of piracy, and just punting it downstream to the Reproduction guys like Tobias.

The pricing bar has been set by their own comparision ...

We’re not confirming prices today, but we can tell you that RetroBlox, including 1 Element Module and controller, will be much less than a base Nintendo Switch, and additional Element Modules will vary in cost depending on complexity (both software and hardware), but won’t cost any more than a new video game. The final pricing will be announced before the launch of the Kickstarter Campaign in April.

So, I'm guessing that means $250-$299 for the base unit+1 module+controller, and $60 for each additional module.

I hope that's what folks are looking for.

For myself, it offers *me* little advantage over owning real hardware and a CRT, or just using an emulator running on a PC.


Anyone that's interested in the same basic hardware, but without the cartridge-slots or the lockdown, should be able to buy one of these in a few weeks (for $70) ...

http://www.cnet.com/products/asus-tinker-board/preview/

[sirhcman]

I won't have all the answers (either through ignorance or verbal NDA) but I did get some interesting info.

You've been upstaged by the RetroBlox guys themselves ...

http://retroblox.com/2017/02/08/everything-you-need-to-know/

https://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=21939.msg485919#msg485919

[SignOfZeta]

I agree. If they show it running random carts all day, not dumps of carts, that would be impressive.

[elmer]

https://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=21939.msg485919#msg485919

Good point, how-on-earth did I miss that post???  :oops:

As I said, they've actually come up with a bunch of good information there, answered a lot of questions, and promised to show it running stuff *before* the KickStarter.

Good stuff!!! 

[Black Tiger]

Ask him why they won't just say "PlayStation" when they use terms like Sega CD, SNES, and even now PSOne.

It says "Sony Playstation" in the first photo of the console menu on the Everything You Need To Know page that nullity posted.

[Desh]

I grabbed a free 36" FD Trinitron about a year back, and have been meaning to learn how to adjust the yolk to fix geometry and color alignment issues, but am to much of a nullity to nut up and mess with it.

Do you have the controller with it?  If so you can enter the "factory" or "technician" mode and correct a lot of it that way.  I fixed a bunch of issues on my 32".

[elmer]

I'll have DoxPhile chat open if anyone wants to stop by with questions. I won't have all the answers (either through ignorance or verbal NDA) but I did get some interesting info.

Here's one for you ...

Since they adamantly don't want to support piracy by allowing you to put your own ROM images onto the system ... how are they expecting you to get a Playstation BIOS, or Sega CD BIOS, or PCE System Card image onto the system???

Are real-hardware PCE owners now going to be expected to fight against RetroBlox owners for a dwindling supply of Arcade Card DUO & PRO cards???

Even if it's possible for us PCE folks, how are the Sega CD & Playstation folks supposed to handle it???