cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/61066503
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/61066449
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/61065843
This little handheld console has been so great. My PC and Steam Deck must be so disappointed with me.
I had been following r/SBCgaming for a while and never felt the need to play very old console games. But now it seems that these consoles have really come a long way in what they can play. I saw reviews for the Retroid Pocket 5 and thought it looked amazing. Then I saw the prices of the Retroid Pocket 4 pro and it was a no brainer.
I bought the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro on eBay for £120 (probably could have gotten it cheaper, but I rushed to buy this). The fact that such a tiny and pocketable handheld can run Nintendo Switch games (less demanding ones) really blows my mind. I carry this with me everywhere. It fits in pretty snug trouser pockets and is only slightly bigger than my phone (although my phone is an S23 Ultra with a chunky case). I’ve had it for over 2 weeks and I’m still in the honeymoon phase and using this instead of my gaming PC or Steam Deck. I’m discovering consoles I never owned (3DS and Wii games). The fact that it plays Android games as well is such a great bonus (mainly Balatro with save game sync online) is such a great bonus. It has WiFi 6, hall effect analog sticks (much better than the Switch!), an IPS display, headphone port, analog triggers, bluetooth 5.2 and a decent battery. This this has no business being this good.
For anyone else interested:
· If you’re looking for an affordable, pocketable console with good performance then the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is amazing and I would recommend it. Buy this on eBay as people are unloading these to upgrade to the new console.
· If you want better performance then the Retroid Pocket 5 has a better SOC and much better screen, but is twice the price and much less pocketable. Order on AliExpress when there’s a sale/coupons.
· Buying a console like this is a bit like adopting Linux.... You’ve got to be willing to tinker and troubleshoot. It took me hours to set it up (use this guide) and I still haven’t sorted out Vita emulation.
This is a device I didn’t know much about and really didn’t expect to enjoy this much. If you haven’t come across these little consoles, definitely take a look! If you want to test the waters and see if this is for you, then starting with emulation on your phone will is a good way to start.
If you're looking for a "life hack" to make any exercise instantly enjoyable, then that's really not going to happen.
But you sound like you're motivated to start exercising so that's great. You can add this in layers to make this genuinely enjoyable:
find something you like (for me: weight lifting and squash are fun. Running and swimming are hell)
Decide on a fixed time (for me: 10pm every day is designated for exercise)
Make it as simple as possible and remove as many barriers as possible (for me: I don't sit to watch TV or play video games close to exercise time, otherwise I know I'm not going to get up again. I put on exercise clothes when I get home from work so I'm already ready when the time comes).
Add something else that's really enjoyable (For me: I have a TV series that I only watch when I'm in the gym. So if I want to find out what happens next, I'll have to go to the gym tomorrow.)
Make this routine (once you're habituated to doing this regularly, then it stops taking will power to force yourself and is just embedded in your routine)
Forgive yourself for missing sessions (any time you miss a session, it doesn't matter, you'll start making progress again any time you start exercising again)
Make it social (some people love this and you can do exercise with someone. I personally hate that and I love the meditative solitude of exercise time)