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Doyodo RetroEngine Sigma Is a Linux-Powered Classic Video Game Emulation Console (betanews.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the retro-gaming dept.

BrianFagioli quotes a report from BetaNews: The Nintendo NES Classic is quite an amazing console. True, it is not as powerful as modern game systems like Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but it comes pre-loaded with many classic NES titles. Unfortunately, its strength is also its weakness -- those pre-loaded titles are the only games you can play. You cannot load other games, so you are stuck with what you got. As an alternative, some folks use software emulation and ROMs on their computers to play countless video game titles. Of course, there are moral concerns here, as you are often downloading the games illegally -- unless you own the physical copy, that is. Even then, it is a gray area. Today, a company called Doyodo launched a new Linux-powered emulation console on Indiegogo. The device not only plays NES games, but Atari, Game Boy, PlayStation 1, Genesis, and more. You play using USB controllers. In addition, it can serve as a media player (with Kodi) or a full-fledged Linux desktop. Some other features include 4K video playback, Wi-Fi networking built in, and a compact and portable design. There's even a deluxe version that ships with Bluetooth, an extra controller and 32GB of storage; the basic configuration includes just one controller and 16GB of storage. You can view the Indiegogo page here.

11 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. The real strengths of the NES Classic by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1) It's simple
    2) It's plug-and-play
    3) It's cheap (or rather, it will be when you can find them in stock)

    Most other emulator consoles only succeed at #3. Most people aren't going to hunt down ROM's from skeavy pirate sites or buy overpriced old cartridges just to play old games. They want something they can just buy, plug-in, and play.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:The real strengths of the NES Classic by elrous0 · · Score: 2

      People will pay more than $60 for a single cartridge of one Mario Brothers game (or $5 for a downloadable version for their Wii). The NES Classic is a helluva bargain by comparison.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:The real strengths of the NES Classic by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Funny

      I read somewhere that it's something used to make sandwiches.

  2. So it's illegal then? by mccalli · · Score: 4, Insightful

    All these facilities exist on plenty of devices right now. The only draw of the official ones is precisely that - they're 'official'. If you don't care about that, you've already got a myriad of ways of emulating everything.

    1. Re:So it's illegal then? by elrous0 · · Score: 2

      Let's be honest here. How many people are going to buy this thing and only use ROM's they've made themselves from their own cartridges and discs? Hell, how many people would even know HOW to make ROM's for this thing?

      As with pretty much all 3rd-party emulators, the creators know full well what it's going to be used for.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:So it's illegal then? by mccalli · · Score: 2

      If it can emulate those consoles, it is shipping images of the copyrighted firmware/BIOS of those consoles. That's the illegaility, well before you reach the the "let's load a game" stage.

  3. Looks like RetroArch by HalAtWork · · Score: 2

    This is pretty much exactly what you get with RetroPie. I wonder if the 4k video is limited to x264 or can it do HEVC (kind of doubt it)?

    --
    Twinstiq, game news
  4. Moral question of emulation by evilRhino · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Of course, there are moral concerns here, as you are often downloading the games illegally -- unless you own the physical copy, that is.

    These games have often been out of print for decades, and legally exist in the wild only on outdated hardware. Is it not equally immoral to wait for the copyright to expire on these games to copy them, when the technology to do so may not exist in the future? Why is protecting a copyright on something that has been out of print, presumably determined by the publisher to be unprofitable somehow "moral".

    1. Re: Moral question of emulation by 0xdeaddead · · Score: 2

      Children have never noticed that early Linux is not GPL. Just as the same for early GCC, binutils, gas, emacs, bison..,

      Are you me?

    2. Re:Moral question of emulation by ausekilis · · Score: 2

      This is precisely the reason for some emulators put a minimum age on the hardware they emulate. I seem to remember MAME having a minimum age of 3-5 years, so they are only emulating hardware that is last-gen and not likely actively sold by the OEM.

  5. Re:Uhhh... no... by Yvan256 · · Score: 2

    Moderator probably thinks USA law applies in all countries.