/vr/ - Retro Games

>€500

I'd love something in a miniPC form factor, but that price is very off putting. There isn't a lot of competition in this area and a phone while fine for basic things isn't really a comparable alternative.

It's probably way too general purpose a device for /vr/. This would probably be better on /g/ tbh.

>>2756336
I'd like to at some point

Why is it always ARM shit? Why can't somebody a x86 handheld? Preferably with a CoreM or similar and not an Atom.

>>2756410
Despite being still quite hard to fit a core m on a device this size (unless you're apple or something alike) the soc of the Pyra was chosen taking into account what was available. The company is very small and the likes of qualcomm or NVIDIA ask for a very high minimum volume purchase in order to get their chips, making a lot of chips not available to them (the guys doing the Pyra). Anyway, it is designed in a way that the soc is on a separate board from the one with the ports, keys, radio, etc. making future soc updates o replacements posible without having to rebuild the entre device. x86 has been talked and may come in the future (I recall reading once AMD showed interest in the device). That said, take into account that the software in the Pandora (predecesor of the Pyra, running on a single core cortex a8) tends to be optimised as fuck thanks to the dedicated community, and there are many things running there that you wouldn't ever see in a comparable android phone. There is even an android port you can run from the Pandora OS itself and emulators like drastic and ppsspp (afair, should recheck), along very nice stuff like a reverse engineefed starcraft or the star wars games that ran on the quake 3 engine (jedy academy was it?). Hopefully the Pyra will be the same in that regard (it's like 10 times more powerful than the Pandora more or less).
Well, sorry for not retro, this may very well be /g/ territory, but the Pyra (and the Pandora) has a lot of retro goodnes going for it, you can have a pocket amiga thanks to the keyboard for example.

>dat ABXY button layout

NEVER EVER
E
V
E
R

E
V
E
R

>>2756336
Not for the price, no. I didn't get the Pandora for the same reason. Sure it's understandable why it's that price, but I don't feel like it's worth it for me.

>>2756509
This bait is still going on?

>>2756517
>bait

It's the first time I say it, and if you defend this layout by taking the "bait" card, you're fucking stupid. It's a retarded layout and you know it.

>>2756336
It looks uncomfortable as fuck to hold. Just give me a nice tablet and a decent controller.

the design is awful

Buy a fucking $50-$200 Windows tablet and clamp a $15 Chinese dual analog bluetooth keyboard to it.

>>2756725
It is a basic clamshell design.

>>2756652
>>2756730
That sounds really confortable, especially to carry around.

>>2756757
That things big enough you're gonna need a bag anyways. It's not like it's going to fit in your pocket unless you live in baggy cargo shorts.

>>2756757
Sometimes I carry a 6.3" phone in a wallet case with my cash and cards, a 7" Windows tablet and an Xperia Play or bluetooth touchpad keyboard in my hip pocket. It's a tight fit but it fits.

Yeah but once you want to use it you only have to flip the lid, power it on and go. With your proposes setup you have two parts (a big slate and a bulky dualshock3 I suppose) plus the clip, which you have to assemble and then depending on your tablet,controller and clip combo the the way the weight is being distributed may be crap, or the whole setup may be fragile and not stay in optimal shape. Also, you would need to take care of two batteries (one for the controller and one for the tablet) and even if the controller is leeching the power from the tablet both of them are communicating via bluetooth, further reducing battery life. On top of that you don't have a keyboard (by reading your post I really suppose you don't mind tho), the dual sd card slots, the USB otg port, and many many other things the Pyra has. On top of all the Pyra has a battery capacity higher than most el cheapo tablets (it is around 6000 mah). I get that the Pyra is not for everyone and the price is high but do not say a suboptimal tablet+controller setup is better and pretend to be right.

>>2756793
At the end of the day it doesn't have a real dpad. That's necessary to play most of the games you'll want to emulate on that thing. If you've ever tried to play a retro vidya on a 360 controller then you know what I'm talking about.

>>2756780
I replied to the other guy before reading your post. It is a tight fit, pretty much like the Pyra but less optimal. It is fine and everyone know which gadgets to use and how to use them, I am just saying that I don't see it equiparable to something like the Pyra. The xperia phone may come close but there are so many differences that I feel it is still far from what the Pyra is (is gonna be, actually)

>>2756803
this alone makes it worthless trash.

>>2756804
I feel pretty confident my HP Stream 7 is though and if not there are higher spec 7" slates

>>2756803
If you're judging by the picture there take into account that it is a render and for whatever reason the dpad is not there but everyone that used the Pandora praised its dpad and the Pyra one is gonna be similar. After all they made the Pandora to be kind of an spiritual successor to the gph consoles so it actually is a gaming machine first. It just happens to also be a great pocket computer as well.

>>2756808
That would be fine and groovy except that isn't a dpad. The pandora had a dpad.

>>2756819
I don't know if you read my post.
I said:
The picture in the op is a render.
For whatever reason the dpad is not rendered.

See that black circle next to the left nub? A dpad similar to the one in the Pandora is supposed to go there.

What did you think it was? A trackpad? A hole?

>>2756827
We shall see. I've seen plenty of shit controllers over the years that used something similar. I'm surprised they released such a shitty promo for the thing.

>>2756827
I googled a bit. You're right. Not sure why they'd release such a shit pic.

>>2756830
It is not a promo as they're not promoting anything yet. It is a render made for the people in the forums. The development of the device is being openly documented and a lot of decisions are being discussed with the community. That render is one of the results of that, not something they're sending to tech blogs.

>>2756848
If they slap an hdmi port and a few usb outlets on this thing I'll make them take my money.

>>2756867
It's got both

>>2756869
Sold. I admit I was skeptical. I've seen a number of crap devices over the years. I guess I figured this was one of those. That alone blows any tablet out of the water.

I would, but won't because money.

>>2756869
Does it have bluetooth?

>>2756878
It's totally unique yes. Take into account that it's still not in production yet. They expectativas to have prototypes ready to test by the end of the year.

Sometimes there is skepticism about the project because of nasty stuff that happened with the Pandora, that made its price be as high as it's been. Worst part is that a few people who pre ordered back in the day never got one. It is a long story but to sum it up, people who ordered it from Craig Rothwell's store (gbax.com I recall, he was one of the original creators) never got it and the guy disappeared at some point (without fullfilling a lot of payments and without being clear with the rest of the team about what was happening or what he was doing with the money he had). The good part is that EvilDragon (the other guy who was selling them) got in charge of fixing all craig's shit and securing some finding for a successor. The few people who still don't have a Pandora (or another Craig only product that he also used to scam people just before disappearing) can put the money to get a Pyra. They had some problems with the production as they had never done something like it before. This was time ago an this EvilDragon guy who's been fixing all that shit has proved to be someone to trust, and lessons were learned with the Pandora, so the Pyra is gonna have a way easier time. But still, just wait until the thing is solid.

Anyway I recommend you to check their forums as all the stuff is documented there (it may be harder to dig through the literature of the first days, because of the structure and the live nature of the forums, but if you have enough time to look it up it is there). There is also the pandoralive website which may be easier to digest and the old and not updates Pandora press (both are from third parties) which, if it is still online ,can serve you as a snapshot of a periodo of the production of the Pandora. Also, check the Pandora repo and see which software is there for the console.

What are your thoughts on the Smach Zero and other potential portable "Steam Machines"?
Controls and build quality are likely going to be the thing that makes or breaks them and will be hard to judge when they are actually out

>>2756903
eek. I'll pay a little bit more and go through a reseller on amazon if that's the case. Buyer protections are a great thing.

>>2756907
Looks like vapor ware to me but I have to admit I only saw it when they announced the plan to make it and don't know very much about the project or the people that's doing it.

>>2756917
They are taking pre-orders though it will only ship in a year at best.
It might be a scam but it doesn't sound unbelievable to be real.

>>2756908
It happened with preorders. Still, evildragons shop is legit. But yeah, if you just found about it and like it just wait until it is sold. It may take a whilee tho, but things seem to be going steady.

>>2756927
Good things are worth waiting for :)

It will also give me a chance to read some reviews.

>>2756925
Well, pretty much where the Pandora was at the beginning. The good thing about preordering a Pyra (when preorders are available) is that they're gonna accept them with prototypes built already and just before entering production. Also, you can check all the stuff about the development so you can decide well if you trust them or not.
Take into account that, despite all the shit the Pandora went through, it was done before kickstarter was a thing.

Why are there no pictures of it?
Are they still trying to design it?

also, I really hope I can get some kind of custom case without the faggy intended dragon logo on the top

>>2756940
Because it is still not made. They're about to build prototypes. What exists today are some beta boards, some 3d printed cases and some of the components. It does not represent the final product better than a render does but it shows the state of development.
Btw the guy doing the mobo is the same who designed the gta04 phone, look it up.

where are they getting graphics drivers for it?

The Pandora was obsolete by the time it actually shipped and it looks like the Pyra will do exactly the same thing.

>>2756964
They are working on it. They have drivers provided by TI and they're looking how to make them available the less hackish way possible. There's been some discussion but I haven't looked up much.

>>2756994
Yeah, it may lose in the spec race and e-peen measurements but take into account that it's hardware is gonna get used to the fullest (if it happens like in the Pandora). It is a mostly fixed hardware, there's very dedicated people in the community, the OS is there to be as thin as possible. Compare it with how much gets wasted in android with the dalvik vm (art is better I know but still), the telemetry, the composition manager, the launcher and the probable malware you got from a shady app that starts when you power on the phone.
As the other anon said, the biggest troublemaker may be the 3d drivers (how to integrate them more than not having them)

>>2756917
>Steam Machine
>vapor ware

>>2757053
>>2756925

>>2757053
Oh. oh.

>>2756730
>>2756652
The pyra thingy is supposed to be the size of a nintendo DS. Why the fuck would a tablet be a better idea?

>>2757067
I wear adult pants. Even that wouldn't comfortably fit in my pocket when you consider I've also got my keys, smartphone, and wallet. That being said, if this gets some good reviews after it comes out I'll be picking one up.

>>2757067
yeah right. their video from just 2 months ago showing it being way bigger.

>>2757107
It is a big bigger than a ds (not a dsxl tho, maybe a bit thicker) but that video shows a 3d printed case the final one should be sightly smaller. It's not as good in a pocket as a smartphone but it's way better than a tablet or an hp stream 7

>>2757118
If I need to carry an extra bag for it though, why not a tablet with a larger screen and a controller? Just playing devils advocate.

>>2757118
If they can make it smaller than it already is I might actually buy one.

>>2757124
It's been discussed earlier but basically: it is way more compact and (not to do with the size) its got many features you won't find in a tablet. Wanna go surf the web while you take a shit? The tablet is better, yea, the Pyra is not gonna replace any tablet. Want to play an amiga emulator or code something in the train? Pyra is better.

>>2757125
I don't think they can but it's the price to pay for the plethora of ports (2 sd cards, one internal micro sd (I think, cant remember), two USB host ports (the big ones), two micro USB ports), the daughterboard internal design, the space for the WiFi and 4g chips, a bigass battery (6000 mah). Btw one of the USB ports can work as esata with an adapter.

>>2757145
Any small laptop or netbook is better by those standards. If you're coding on a train with that....

>You need to reevaluate your life son.

>>2757145
Serious question:

Are you employed/developing the Pyra?
Or just really really really into it?
I don't care if you are, just, it seems like you may be a bit too invested. So, curious..

Isn't shield portable with actual gaming hardware cost like 200$?

>>2757190
yes. Now they'll tell you how you can't write code on it or work on your novel :) Those may be actual buttons but that's still not a proper keyboard.

>>2757159
You're right but it's better than a tablet for that and you may be developing something for the Pyra which you can compile and test with the same machine. It was only an example and I gave it because some people in the forums have done it, but of course a laptop/netbook or even convertible would be more comfortable for that.

>>2757162
Fair question. No, I don't work for them, I'm not even registers in the forums (even though I check them often) an I don't even have a Pandora. Also I have been butthurt about the high price all this time. What I really like and admire about the project is the fact that some geeks went out and did a console from scratch, when kickstarter wasn't even a thing, asked the community for input, designed it like no other gadget in the market, and made it as open and hackable as possible. They went through a lot of shit and they still prevail. The pandora ended with a lot of rough edges (besides the price) but Now the Pyra is their second take at it and it looks like is gonna improve everything good the Pandora had while fixing the bad stuff.

Also, with all the transparency I feel I learnt a lot about how hardware is made. Some small hardware makers just order almost pre made from alibaba and slap their sticker in, but these guys made everything almost from scratch. If you see how some software projects struggle when being developed (kickstarter stuff mostly, via updates) and think about how hardware is a lot more difficult and unforgiving, it is hard not to respect these guys.

I didn't make the op but I consider some of the first posts really stupid and not fair to the product at all, and yes I was a bit offended, but I felt it was a good excuse to talk good about the machine. If you think about it it is quite awesome and I really hope everything goes well with it.

>>2757206
I enjoy your in depth replies, thanks.

>>2757196
Just work in binary.
It saves the conversion time later.

>>2757196
The shield is nice and very powerful but it's even bulkier and lacks a lot of features the Pyra has, not to mention it is another android machine. With the Pyra you can hack more stuff up. I am not saying neither is better but there's still big differences between them.

Also it is made by NVIDIA, part of why I am so amazed with the Pyra is because some geeks did great hardware, it's way easier for NVIDIA to pull it out.

I think some of you are reading my posts it the wrong way. I am not saying the Pyra is better than everything or that it is the gadget to end all gadgets. I just wanna make it some justice against some senseless stuff like "a controller+tablet makes it worthless" or "it is bulky, therefore it is shit". I also want to point out it's uniqueness, as there is nothing like it out there.

>>2756336
No
Because it's an overpriced poorly design spergasim.
laugh at it

>>2757229
What is stopping you from installing a real GNU/Linux on Android machines?

>>2757237
Nothing. Just make sure you get one that's compatible and not locked in some way. Ubuntu's whole interface was created with touch screens in mind.

>>2757237
Depends on the machine, if it's got a mediatek soc it's gonna be mostly impossible as they're locked as fuck and mediatek does not release the kernel sources (which is downright illegal). Still you have to jump a lot of hurdles even if you can, but I don't know if there are many distributions based around touch screens. It may not make sense at all depending on the device. The Pyra just happens to be designed for that. And people ported android to the Pandora so it is a big possibility in the Pyra (if you really want/need it). But still, it is not really meant to replace any android machine.

>>2757254
You realize android machines are basically less functional linux ones right. Give me 5 minutes and I'll get any android app running on linux.

>>2756641
Do you look at the labels on your controller buttons while you play? They're still arranged in a diamond shape, they're still round, you can still keybind them to sane layouts. What the fuck is the problem?

>>2757257
Yeah but the framework of android is quite different than the typical "GNU/linux" distro ones. Can you really make an android app work in linux with only 5 minutes? Last time I checked the options were either the android emulator (for developers) or some propietary paid stuff. Still, I am no linux guru so tell me if I am wrong.

>>2757263
The layout actually comes from the gph consoles and it was kept as a tradition. I don't really love it but, as you said, the place of the button is what matters. (Btw of course I am not the guy you are replying to)

>>2757279
Yes and no. Some apps I'll have to emulate others I'll just pass straight through to the hardware. The difference is with linux I can run all android apps. No android os will do that. The play store is full of incompatible stuff depending on your android device. It's really stupid from a design standpoint but smart from a marketing one as it keeps you buying another tablet, etc.