Evercade EXP-R Review - Slightly Better But Still Flawed!

[@CrazyBurger]

Apologies forgot to mention the price.. This retails for £99.99 in the UK. Reasonably priced but no longer has the built in Capcom games.

[@M1a2j34ed5]

I hope the battery is good Becouse my evercade exp white color Battery is damaged I have to charger 🔌 cable so I can play if you remove the cable the handheld will be off 😭

[@CrazyBurger]

@@M1a2j34ed5 My original had the same issue. You'll need to contact Blaze and get a replacement.

[@smokeymanson2191]

​@@M1a2j34ed5 join the club, looking on the internet it turned out to be a common fault, mine clicked off during an update and never worked again without the cable connected.someone on KZbin fixed it by swapping out the management board that is connected to the battery but it involves soldering and is dangerous to do so close to a battery so never tried.

[@obsoleteworlds]

@@CrazyBurger mine too. Word is they are now offering EXP-Rs as replacements but only if within the years warranty.

[@bigjohnchannel7378]

Ok si nera e' tutta liscia e la bianca è ruvida, preferisco ruvido che giocando vado meglio nel muovermi. Liscia ogni tanto mi scappa il dito,ho meno grip. Tu ti trovi meglio con la croce direzionale liscia o ruvida? Ecco magari solo la croce ruvida e la consolle liscia, chissà se lo hanno fatto perché costa di meno😂😂😂😂😂❤❤❤

[@jayme69]

Was looking forward to this review because I decided to buy an original EXP with the Capcom games and HDMI out at the eleventh hour when the EXP-R was delayed. I'm actually glad I picked it up now because this EXP-R feels like a missed opportunity and quite frankly a "damp squib". Many thanks and keep up the awesome work!

[@CrazyBurger]

@@jayme69 You know you've hit the nail on the head. It's definitely a missed opportunity. I do wonder now what were the issues back in July? It couldve been a decision just to get it out regardless at this point. Its certainly not bad but those flaws shouldve been ironed out by this point. I hope we see no more incarnations of the EXP.

[@jayme69]

@CrazyBurger I think the next release will be a completely new handheld but it won't be in 2025. At least the VS-R and Alpha have had no real problems. Still waiting to see what my TATE Grip is going to be like :-)

[@obsoleteworlds]

@@CrazyBurger I agree with this thinking. I don't think they fixed whatever the issue was (quite possibly the light bleed) and with Christmas coming they realised they couldn't delay any longer.

[@Stephen-2097]

@@obsoleteworldsI doubt we will ever know what the real issue was. I doubt they would have pushed it back so much and then just released anyway because Christmas was coming up. From a PR point that’s even worse fallout to deal with. I suspect the light bleed on the screen and bad sound have nothing to do with the real reason they delayed release a few months back. It must have been a significant quality issue like failing buttons, bad components on the circuit board etc It must have been something serious as this delay would have been extremely costly for such a small company. I just wish they were more transparent, that would give us customers more trust in them and the product they are selling.

[@Nobby19891989]

Received me EXP-R yesterday. Only had a chance to play 2 games but impressed so far.

[@Orpheusftw]

Best evercade channel on KZbin. 👌

[@SteveNorman]

Great review. Slightly relieved to see I don’t need to rush out and replace my EXP though!

[@GaggleofDoozies]

The OG Evercade is still the best handheld Evercade console!!!💪👍

[@CrazyBurger]

Lol maybe. If only it had a better screen.

[@davejones130]

I agree but can’t play soul reaver as you need the R2 button😢

[@Trialwolf]

Already have the Tomb Raider cart but your review helped to show I'm not missing much with this EXP Revision. I just have a Super Pocket (Capcom) for handheld Evercade gaming and it does well for the games I want on the go.

[@Stephen-2097]

The super pockets are such a good deal at half the price and battery performance in my usage is around 4 hours as per their specs. So it’s a pity to see lower battery run time on this new EXP version

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Trialwolf The Super Pockets in some ways are better than the EXP. At least they are reasonably priced.

[@Junier-Hussein]

Got my pre-order from Argos 😊 Agree with your analysis. I like it but so much could've been a lil better.

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Junier-Hussein Yeah, having played even more with it, it's quite clear the sound is really poor. I compared a few games on the Super Pocket.. incredibly the SP sound almost seems double that of the EXPr at maximum loudness. The more I play, the more I tend to just ignore the light bleed. And sadly the battery life is definitely still a poor 3 hours.

[@Junier-Hussein]

​​@@CrazyBurger I do like the design & aesthetics but so underwhelming considering they pushed the release date forward multiple times. Light bleed isn't too bad on mine but the sound is sh*t. Can't wait for them Toaplan carts to be released I think this week they come out I have one on pre-order.

[@rossvegas7]

Deffo my new favorite you tuber 😂 Keep up the good work mate 👍🏼

[@CrazyBurger]

@@rossvegas7 lol cheers mate. Its been a crazy few weeks for content.

[@rossvegas7]

@CrazyBurger looking forward to the new carts being reviewed thanks pal

[@CrazyBurger]

@@rossvegas7 Yeah, looking forward to getting stuck in over the weekend.

[@simonpophale1250]

As ever a great review CB. Other than the box art, this does not seem to be much of an upgrade. However it's worth noting that as a reviewer, you get the early models of these handhelds so with the EXP, all the issues you listed mine simply does not have. I don't know if you got one of the early released EXPs but mine was one of the stolen ones so I got my money back from Blaze. I then got one in March as I had a bunch of Amazon vouchers and after reading all the problems people had with it, mine was pretty much issue free: Battery life is great No overheating Cart slot is a good size, no issue with getting the carts in/out. Sound is decent. Light bleed is there but it doesn't obstruct gameplay. I wonder if the later batches will address any of the concerns you raised here. As with the EXP the issues were so obvious that the units that were rushed out....seemed to have flaws but later releases no. I was going to sell my EXP to get this but I think I'll hang on to it.. ..

[@mythias]

I was later into getting my EXP, just before Toaplan Collection 2 released. Back plate on mine does get hot like that, doesn't cause problems but the heat is no joke on that backplate. Battery life sucks, 3 hours probably if I am lucky but I never let it completely die where it shut off. All my carts do fit fine, just right, except Data East Collection 1 which required me to use some sandpaper on the cart (obviously cart's fault). All my Atari carts fit fine but I don't have Collection 1 to try. Sound is acceptable on mine too but I've never used it in a noisy environment and still haven't remembered to try headphones on it. Light bleed exists on mine too, no too bad, definitely not as bad as what's shown in the EXP-R here. Once a game is playing on screen, I don't notice (though may be visible still) it until I get a blank screen again. I never am playing in complete darkness either though. After minimal use L1 button snapped (internal button) and this is more common that some may realize. If you ever open it up, you can see why the stress from using L1/R1 could cause those to easily weaken & snap. I would bet EXP-R is exactly the same inside in this regard. Probably still thin aluminum or other metal that weakens & breaks after some repeated stress.

[@CrazyBurger]

It seems certainly that some have been lucky and not experienced the same issues. But sadly I've has 3 EXP white and black and all have had issues.

[@simonpophale1250]

@CrazyBurger that's really unfortunate. Although you might have higher expectations given how many different handhelds you test and review so certainly you have a better base for comparisons than I. Maybe I was one of the fortunate ones (given my original order was stolen, karma at work?!). But in general these days products are rushed out to market with a cacophony of issues. Blaze aren't the only ones. Seen a lot of poor quality builds on "The Spectrum" recently. QC isn't what it used to be!

[@MSR-1701]

Having used both the OG and EXP, I haven't had major issues with the EXP. My main gripe are the face buttons that don't feel as nice as the OG Handheld or VS Controller buttons. Never had issues with the battery on either handheld (of note, I have a US Black EXP), and never had issues with the cart size (as opposed to my OG Handheld, which had the odd issues) Still love my Evercade n continuing to collect/play😅

[@chumlee90]

I've had it at home for three days now, I'll finally unpack it tomorrow after work

[@rheck86]

Still might get this even with the issues. Really like the color scheme and the price is reasonable. The removed features I never really used. Faster PS1 loading is tempting. Was going to sell the old one, but I'll probably need to test out both for a while to see which I prefer.

[@tracyyardley3712]

Finally got my EXP-R and VS-R after months of delay. I agree that the sound is a bit low on the EXP but I don’t think the light bleed is really a problem. It’s a nice little handheld. I’d like to get a super pocket but I don’t think I’d be able to see well enough to play on a screen any smaller than the EXP. Also used an hdmi/composite adapter to hook the VS up to my 36 inch Sony crt so I can play the old games in beautiful 4:3 full screen low res glory

[@CrazyBurger]

The light bleed isn't really an issue correct but the sound is terrible. Battery life can improve if you put brightness at 50%.

[@tracyyardley3712]

@ , good suggestion. I haven’t had n opportunity to run the battery out even once yet but I did notice it was draining fast, so I’ll drop the brightness down first sure. Really looking forward to playing Goodboy Galaxy and all my other games

[@Stephen-2097]

Would have been really good if they had a replaceable battery pack or the ability to use AA. I know it would have made it slightly thicker, but it would mean in a few years time of regular usage, that the battery wouldn’t be an issue if you can just swap them out.

[@obsoleteworlds]

I figured they were trying to hide light bleed when I saw that conveniently placed sticker covering the usual spot on the preproduction model you tried at that event. Bleeding onto the screen is even worse imo. I can't believe they didn't improve the sound after how good the Super Pocket is.

[@Stephen-2097]

Nice review! It’s a pity about the light bleed and thermals/battery performance :/ Would you say it gets warmer in use than the super pockets? I’ve found the super pockets to run pretty cool (all four of them) The nicer controls and larger higher res screen is cool…

[@CrazyBurger]

The EXPR gets warm but never excessively so like the original EXP. The Super Pockets don't have issues with over heating. Or battery issues. Though the screen and buttons on the EXP are far superior.

[@soundandvision77]

Great review. I wonder why the EXP seems to have issues, but the Super Pockets can play all the games and the hardware seems to be less of a problem. At least this means I can feel alright sticking to my Super Pocket and Alpha until the next wave of improved Evercades comes along.

[@Stephen-2097]

It’s ironic that the lower priced super pocket appears to be of better build quality than their flagship handheld console. I’m still on the fence about the EXP as I’d like a larger handheld than the super pocket for more comfortable longer play. The super pockets are nice but some of the buttons, especially the shoulder buttons are not comfortable to use for very long.

[@bagman6858]

Excellent review. Thank you. I’ve been holding off getting the exp-r until I’d seen your review. Don’t think I’ll bother now. Would it be sensible to try and buy a used exp instead?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@bagman6858 Yes if you can get it cheap enough..

[@RizzlyBear-298]

As someone who’s only ever had the original Evercade model and a Super Pocket, I’m very glad I opted for the VS-R. The EXP-R looks good but seems to have many of the same annoying quirks of the first EXP model. Thanks for the video as always.

[@Stephen-2097]

@@RizzlyBear-298 it does appear they didn’t really change much in terms of improving battery life and display quality (backlight bleed). Hopefully the backlight bleed issue only affects a few units etc I hope the battery performance will improve with firmware updates. Really, they need to target 5 to 8 hours per charge for the battery. Battery life you see on the Nintendo switch etc

[@paulbrennan5807]

still not sure ill get one as not much differant ,the one thing i will say about blaze is that thanks to airplane mode my original exp lasts longer ...so i just leave it on so it lasts longer maybe the exp r better times are also because of this great vid as always

[@CrazyBurger]

@@paulbrennan5807 Good tip! I might check that out.

[@lee5111]

Seems to be a mistake to put the same games in both the handheld & console packs. I was thinking of upgrading my old evercade handheld, but I already got the Tomb Raider console pack. so I don't want 2 copies of Tomb Raider. I'll hold off for another pack refresh.

[@CrazyBurger]

@@lee5111 Yeah I agree. Should be an option to buy without the cart.

[@patrickbooth3168]

Crazy burger fantastic review as ever ,got my exp-r today ,light bleed noticed straight away ,i play mine with headphones ,and there is a horrible clicking noise ,i use the same headphones i use with my limited edition exp ,and no clicking noises with that ,have you had any trouble with this ,superb channel as always

[@CrazyBurger]

@@patrickbooth3168 No I didn't have any issues with the headphones. Though I did hear what sounded like very low interference coming from the speakers through the menu music (not with headphones on).

[@ajquigg93]

Can you do a video of the exp & exp-r compared to the super pockets? The light bleed on the exp screens makes me think maybe the super pockets would be better to get, but what do you think?

[@benironside1264]

Thanks! Saved my 100 quid and now I don’t regret cancelling my preorder. That light bleed and battery life is brutal. Even at the reduced price I think I would rather buy 2 superpockets

[@Stephen-2097]

If you buy the super pockets that appeal most, the inbuilt games are great value. And if you have two units, if one of them breaks you can rescue the one you like most by swapping out components… if you’re good at electronics tinkering.

[@benironside1264]

@ great point 💪

[@tdome3000]

I have one of the latest white EXP and I have no issues with light bleeding or "overheating".

[@CrazyBurger]

@@tdome3000 Lucky you. I have 3 original EXP and all suffered the same.

[@Retrotoys80]

I love my white EXP ,I don't think I'm going to upgrade to a EXP-R but i want the VS-R 😁

[@mythias]

Everything I was curious to know that could be answered right now was. Now I am curious to know how much use those L/R buttons can handle, especially in games where you hold one down while using another button or dpad.

[@CrazyBurger]

Will need to blast through Tomb Raider and check them out.

[@Stephen-2097]

I forgot to ask, did you check the battery life with the screen set to maximum brightness like you had set in the first part of the video. I wonder if it would hit the marketed battery life if it was say set to 75 or 50 percent?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Stephen-2097 Possibly a good shout actually. Probably worth putting it down a bit and turning on the Airplane mode.

[@Stephen-2097]

@ Yeah, definitely would up that runtime a bit. The screen could be especially battery draining so a lower setting could have a significant impact.

[@steveothehulk]

just wondering if theres a mod scene for the evercade? i would love to see some oled screen mods for the evercade, i mean you can even get an oled screen for a gameboy these days, are you aware of anything like this for the evercade?

[@CrazyBurger]

Mm not aware of anything officially. You might find stuff on Etsy. I know a few in the community have upgraded the OG with better screens.

[@chrisrodgers5787]

I have one of these units and it has a major fault on it. when i insert a game the unit turns off when on battery power. Also when it has the adaptor USB-C plugged it the game boots. I have got on to support. I have another EXP and the OG handheld.

[@Stephen-2097]

The number of quirks and faults being reported and bad reviews suggest this wasn’t ready for release and some serious QC issues. A real disappointment as I was on the fence about finally getting an EXP but this has put me off completely.

[@PhilSzomszor]

Good review. I know the white EXP gets a lot of a bad rap, but I think they must have improved it mid-cycle because many of the reported issues like over-heating and poor battery are no an issue at all for me. I do get light bleed, however. My HDMI out has always been temperamental, so Indont use this (sadly). Based on this, the EXP-R isn’t really an upgrade at all. Especially when you consider the built-in games that are lost here. I’m happy enough with what I’ve got, so won’t be buying again. Hope it just brings in some new users, because it’s still a solid 8/10 device for me.

[@PhilSzomszor]

I think the Tate grip is a good idea though!

[@CrazyBurger]

@@PhilSzomszor It definitely helps and eases the load.

[@Stephen-2097]

I don’t see any other reviews out yet. Would be great to hear more of your opinions on the device in the coming days and weeks. I’m on the fence about getting this device. I wish they had gone further with it and made bigger changes. I think an even larger screen (smaller bezels) and much improved battery performance would have made it much more of a worthwhile buy. I feel like it’s just a cut down iteration with slightly better battery life. Really on the fence about it. The VS-R was an easy buy as it was already pretty good before the refresh, and it was my first evercade console.

[@CrazyBurger]

Yeah I'm surprise there's no other videos yet.. be interesting to see what other people think.

[@souljastation5463]

19:14 The Tomb Raider Remastered's sound volume is set to half by default on the Switch version, maybe it's like that on the Eververcade too?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@souljastation5463 Dunno. The sound doesn't improve by pushing the volume up. It's not the only game with crap sound. The most recent game Life on Mars isn't loud on EXP-R

[@waynetemplar2183]

Just got my EXP-R and overall I'm impressed. I too noticed that the sound from the built-in speakers is weak. I'm not getting any heat from the back of console and have yet to run down the battery all the way, so don't know what the life is like.

[@CrazyBurger]

Let me know how long your battery life lasts. It could well vary.

[@nicknasty14]

I'm really liking mine. Finally took the plunge into the evercade world. My issue is with the charging. Seems like the green light doesn't want to come on. I'll unplug and plug the charging cable in and it's very hard to finally reach a full charge. Trying different adapters and cables and still. Weird

[@CrazyBurger]

@@nicknasty14 I had the same problem, till I found a charger that worked. 3A minimum I think to get it charged correctly

[@Videomaster89]

Also doesn't have the HDMI mini connection to connect to a TV for playing too, £29 price cut but this is one of the changes too according to reports, the old model is set to be discontinued still a few on sale.

[@realnews7799]

I got 4 hours of play after first charge and 4.15 second charge. my old EXP was doing 3 hours, sometimes less. There is barely any light bleed unless you are in a super dark room with nothing on the screen, just like my Switch. Not sure what expectations are here, but for a much cheaper device it seems great?

[@CrazyBurger]

Well my experiences are clearly very different from yours. I'm getting 3 hours maximum. Light bleed is terrible. My expectations are for some improvements from the old version. Sound quality is terrible still.

[@TheGadgetMaster]

Came here to apologise for saying I thought your pronunciation of TATE Mode maybe incorrect. On researching this it is pronounced Tatty as its Japanese for Vertical, which now makes perfect sense. In my defence your Scottish accent did make me think of tatties and neeps. :)

[@CrazyBurger]

@@TheGadgetMaster It's just easier for us to say TAYT as this is what we see. I'm pretty sure I've said it both ways in many videos. But yeah supposedly pronounced Ta tay.

[@resist4184]

@@CrazyBurgerTattie Grips - there’s no other way to say it !

[@alexmaric4419]

Hey C.B. A good and very detailed review. I agree with your points, but sometimes I think you are a bit nit-picky! My Exp-r has no light bleed. Is the sound average, yes! However over all I think it is a great little device. Evercade should be applauded 👍

[@CrazyBurger]

@@alexmaric4419 I was just expecting more. Reading feedback from more, it's clear many have similar problems. I've also had a few battery wobbles today.

[@alexmaric4419]

@CrazyBurger like what kind of wobbles? Noticed mine keeps charging red, not yet going to green!

[@CrazyBurger]

@alexmaric4419 Yeah I had that. So I left on overnight turned off.. I knew it had about 2 bars of battery. In the morning it was flat. It was taking ages to charge. Red light never went off. Then it wouldn't turn on. Had to hold down the on off switch to pretty much reboot it. Took a little while and now seems on snd working again. Strange wobbles.

[@alexmaric4419]

@@CrazyBurger cheers. I shall run mine out of juice then charge to see if that may fix it.

[@StephanieLærkeAndersen]

I’ve just received mine today. The sound is abysmal! I’ve just compared it with my original Evercade, you know, the lovely red and white one and that’s really loud in comparison with this. When you look at the quality of some of the handhelds coming out of China from Anbernic and Miyoo, Blaze really have to up their game because in my opinion, the hardware is pretty terrible. It’s just feels so cheap and tacky.

[@Stephen-2097]

I was on the fence about getting this but now I don’t think I’m going to bother. It’s such a disappointment. You’re right about the quality of other handhelds. Although those other handhelds often seem to come with questionable software and ROMs, in the reviews I’ve seen, the quality of the hardware (especially the screens) are far beyond what evercade has on the EXP. Indeed the cheaper superpockets seem to be of higher quality than the EXP-R.

[@CrazyBurger]

Well on one hand I'm glad it's not just me but on the other I'm really disappointed that improvements to the sound quality were not made. The Super Pocket has incredible sound.

[@Stephen-2097]

@@CrazyBurger the super pockets have really surprised me considering their price point. That’s why I bought all four of them, great games and great hardware. I’ve not had any issues at all since I got them. It just puzzles me why they can’t do the same with the EXP. I know they are a different brand so I can only think different people are working on the super pockets and EXP. If that’s the case, I think they need to transfer some talent 😆

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Stephen-2097 It's basically the same teams..

[@Stephen-2097]

@@CrazyBurger If they are, it makes it weird that one set of products excels and the other has had a number of iterations and still has issues. I wonder if it’s the manufacturing side, I mean if super pockets were manufactured by a different company in china compared to the EXP. Maybe it’s their manufacturing partner for the product. But still, I think for the next EXP revision, or its eventually successor, they need to really up the specs and quality. I’d happily pay a little more for a quality device from them. No one else is doing this kind of thing, packaging licensed retro games on their own hardware like this.

[@scottboehmer1975]

I preordered EXP-R right after it was announced and it seems like I still have a wait. Unfortunately it still hasn't hit Amazon in the US. I'm looking forward to getting it to upgrade from my original Evercade.

[@CrazyBurger]

@@scottboehmer1975 Hopefully not much longer.

[@stephencianci2026]

Great video! Thank you so much for the review. I had the OG and pulled the trigger on this one. Can you share where did you get the aftermarket Tate Mode grip?

[@CrazyBurger]

Thanks, from here kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXqohoCPrdKcgNUsi=HdmQ7sP3T4-Lr-OJ Probably only ideal if you are based North America as shipping costs might be too high.

[@MIKandJEAN]

Yeah the EXP screen has always been a bit meh for black, it's more grey until something is displayed on it and then black looks more black. Stick with the Neo theme, you can't go wrong with that one, classic lol. I hope you get some more mileage out of the battery once it's been charged a few times. I doubt 4-5hrs is for CPU hungry PS1 Tomb Raider tho, more Dark Chambers on Atari 2600. 😉 Thanks for the tour of the EXP-R Crazy, Cheers! 🙂👍 PS. Tate Grip arrived tonight lol, it's cool. One thing, it's best to hold the Tate button down on the Founder EXP to take it off. Good tho!

[@MIKandJEAN]

One last thought to make the battery last longer... Discount from the internet. It's a waste of resources on the CPU to always be connected online adding to the battery drain but also, you should notice games run a little faster as a result. This is true of all hardware connected to the internet btw.

[@MatthewSmith-ke9rs]

Was considering a second hand exp, as opposed to an exp-r, would it still have the built in capcom games though or is it possible that they can be 'deleted' from the hardware?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@MatthewSmith-ke9rs No the capcom games will still and always be there if you buy one.

[@justme_7145]

Hmm, I thought it looked a bit cheap & tacky compared to the EXP - and having no HDMI is a big nono for me. I think I'll stick with what I already have because if nothing else, at least it'll keep my hands warm when I'm using it😋 On a slightly different note, has anyone who preordered the Toaplan 3 cart actually received it? My October 9th Amazon preorder still says "arriving Friday" but according to the tracking info it still hasn't been dispatched. More worryingly, the £17.99 price has now been removed from Amazon's website listing, kind of giving the impression that it's no longer available!

[@gl8561]

I'm not sure about this... I already have Super Pocket so maybe I will consider EXP-R if they offer other bundles, or standalone console, but it's a big maybe.

[@fredrodnick2881]

I think I'll stick with the super pocket and vsr. Maybe far into the future I'll get a newer model if they come out with one without those flaws, but for now I'm set

[@hendoiii3487]

Is it just me or is it hard to get games for this system? Games I want are unavailable or if they are they are selling for well over 100 quid. I wanted the oliver twins collection but that was one of the ones that were unavailable and only seller sold for over 100 quid. What's going on?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@hendoiii3487 Some carts such as the older Oliver Twins Collection are now legacy. Meaning no longer made by Blaze. Short term licenses.

[@hendoiii3487]

@CrazyBurger I know I bought my Evercade at the wrong time it seems. I got the tomb raider collection with mine and have ordered the blaze collection. Had some problems with my system to begin with as it was boot looping. But I used a different charger and that seems to have fixed it.

[@longtom6909]

I received mine and returned it the following day because the audio was so quiet... You only start to hear anything at 100% volume and even then it's a fraction of the volume of other mobile devices. I thought I must have got a dud but apparently not!?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@longtom6909 No.. seems standard.. that sound is so poor. Very disappointing.

[@AnthonyBassett-lt9nh]

Apparently on offer at £79.99 at Smyths toy superstore now..is it worth getting now?

[@CrazyBurger]

Only if you don't have an EXP already

[@Stephen-2097]

Even at 79.99 with all the issues they still seem to have, is it worth waiting a few months for new batches to come through that maybe have issues fixed, if they can’t be fixed by a firmware update. That they were delayed by months already and not selling well. I just wonder. This iteration should have been, and could have been, perfected. That’s what’s putting me off buying, even at a reduced price.

[@CrazyBurger]

@Stephen-2097 I wouldn't bother waiting as I think this is as good as it's going to get. Sound is the worst part. But that was the same on the original exp. 79.99 is a good deal.

[@pavelstepanek3490]

So i did well to buy super pocket instead of exp r ?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@pavelstepanek3490 Possibly. It's better in some ways.

[@futureskeletons66669]

I managed to get a brand new EXP last week and tbh I see the EXP-R as a downgrade. I also prefer the white colour with white carts and the option to use HDMI out is a bonus that's missing with the R. I like the Capcom games in spite of having Capcom Arcade Stadium 1 & 2 on Switch and PS5, and I got Irem Vol 1 bundled with it, and I hate Tomb Raider games. I think the black lines on the bottom bezel of the EXP-R look sort of dated. Also, I get no light bleed on the bottom portion of the screen, just at the bottom of the console, which I don't really mind tbh.

[@madyak6669]

Off topic, but as you have the cart early,does metal black still have all the swearing in the texts?

[@CrazyBurger]

Yep he's still going to penetrate the f**k and mention mothereffers too. So unnecessary but it's there.

[@madyak6669]

@CrazyBurger so first 18 rated cart then?

[@CrazyBurger]

@madyak6669 No.. its actually got 16 rating on it. The first Indie Heroes cart was rated 18 if I recall. Mainly for Deadeus.

[@eddierosa5416]

The volume is definitely lower on the new version if you play the same game on both you can tell

[@obsoleteworlds]

lower?!? I could barely hear the orginal.

[@longtom6909]

Got mine today and the volume is very low. Seems to have intermittent background static noises too. I wonder if they all do...

[@jellewilligenburg1126]

My pre-order has been delayed again luckily the new date is 03-12-24 so I’ll have it coming Tuesday

[@Martin-gf1hh]

You’re gonna need to get a time machine.

[@BSNintendo]

@@Martin-gf1hh European dates put the month after the day unlike us here in America where we put day before the month

[@twiztedgoblinBlackandwhite]

I have this one just new for me and I already have a big problem or maybe it's normal but doesn't seem like a normal thing when I try to charge it it's still charging after three hours I didn't even play yet it seems to have to charge before I even can play it and I'm still waiting

[@Stephen-2097]

I don’t understand how the super pockets have practically no issues but the more premium EXP comes with a bunch of issues. I hope firmware updates can sort a few of the issues at least.

[@smokeymanson2191]

They needed a complete redesign after the white and black models and an upgrade its nearly 2025 and this is like a handheld from 2019. The first handheld they bought out was better and the super pockets are also better.

[@marclurr]

Might have to give this a skip. I only recently got an VS-R which I really like and was thinking of getting the handheld for going away but a 2-hour battery life is really not enough for me, sadly.

[@darkridearts]

Not fixing the problems from the original EXP in this revision is inexcusable. People work hard for their money! Wouldn’t it be better for Blaze to think about what’s best for their customers in the long-term? If they only think of short term gains and cheap out on everything, it will cost three times as much to get their lost customers back!

[@Stephen-2097]

I don’t know what their intention was with this iteration of the EXP. I really think they should have maybe sold it without the game, kept the same price and upped the quality a bit. I think most would have appreciated that a lot more. Better battery and sound and a slightly larger screen.

[@СергейКоваленко-н5е]

Why I can't turn on the console without usb cable?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@СергейКоваленко-н5е Sounds like a defective unit

[@СергейКоваленко-н5е]

@CrazyBurger what can I do?

[@CrazyBurger]

@СергейКоваленко-н5е email [e-mail]

[@СергейКоваленко-н5е]

Thanks 🙏

[@СергейКоваленко-н5е]

@@CrazyBurger everything ok, turn on without cable. I need to full charge at first)

[@Stephen-2097]

The overall opinion seems to be that evercade should have done a lot more with its portable gaming offering. I don’t think I’m going to buy this unit, and just stick to my super pockets. It’s just not worth the money at this point, especially with a few issues still remaining from previous models. They really need to do a lot more with the next revision. The screen and battery are where they need to focus attention.

[@thomasgronlund9186]

I would love to see someone being able to fix the battery life and figure out a solution for the overheating. On the original. But I’m guessing that’s not an easy thing. I really don’t feel like buying more hardware 😂. Now we have 4 super pockets and 2 bartop arcades. If they could at least released the games on cartridges so we could choose.

[@eddierosa5416]

My system doesn't have the light bleed like yours might be a defect on some

[@CrazyBurger]

Interesting.. Will be good to see more reviews on this to see how common it is. Or isn't.

[@DavidFalconer-np4bo]

Does it still take eleventy billion hours to recharge?

[@CrazyBurger]

Close. 3 hours.

[@DavidFalconer-np4bo]

@ That’s actually a big improvement. My EXP takes about 12 hours to charge, and that is even after battery was replaced under warranty.

[@Seafoamgaming]

"Definitely improved" as she falls and screams twice in a row lol but good review! Seems to improve the aspects I hoped for the most (comfort, heat, battery, kinda), so I'm still eager to get mine. I do swear, it seemed there was a battery meter in a preview photo at the blaze media day, yet I don't see a percentage bar on this... Did they remove that? Was I hallucinating?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Seafoamgaming lol Yeah. I did say more at the end but I cut it out, basically just waffling a bit. So cut to Lara falling to her doom in spectacular fashion.

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Seafoamgaming oh.. its possible the battery percentage bar has changed over time with different firmware updates.

[@Stephen-2097]

If battery performance isn’t quite what they expected, I doubt they’d want users seeing it plummet so quickly 😬 Hopefully some firmware updates can improve on the battery runtime.

[@CrazyBurger]

@Stephen-2097 I hope so too. I'll keep an eye on it.

[@Seafoamgaming]

@@Stephen-2097 i'm mostly referring to how on blaze media day, a photo of the UI showed the EXP-R with a battery percentage next to the bars. I'm hoping that'd be an option soonish.

[@CZpersi]

As much as I love Evercade, I have to share your disappointment. From my perspective, important features were removed without providing significant enough upgrades in other areas. This is the third iteration of their flagship handheld device, yet key issues remain still unresolved. 😢

[@ThePilate30]

I'm still waiting for shipping, when I pre-ordered they said shipping would be 11/29

[@CrazyBurger]

Who did you buy from?

[@ThePilate30]

@CrazyBurger Amazon

[@Stephen-2097]

@@ThePilate30That’s really odd, it looks like supply is far better than other releases like the VS and super pockets. Units available from a few retailers

[@ThePilate30]

@@CrazyBurger Amazon, on 11/14

[@ThePilate30]

@@Stephen-2097 yeah it still just says "order received" which is what the status has been since day one.

[@magnojss3784]

Sensacional obrigado pelas informações 🇧🇷🇧🇷🔥🫶

[@CrazyBurger]

Your welcome !

[@kahuna2669]

I just send my 2th EXP back for repairs. I actually don't want to play on it because it gets so warm and the battery life is less then the charging time. If the EXP-r gets this out of the way i'm happy.

[@kahuna2669]

Just got my exp-r. It looks like it has been assembled by a monkey, 3 spots of lcd bleed, wobbly gaps on the lower left and right, scratch marks on top, and only the left speaker works... I think I will stick to super pockets from now on.

[@CrazyBurger]

Wow that's shocking. What the heck?

[@NotMuchHere]

so ... its garbage? Better off with the 60$ handheld or the console/desktop at 100?

[@CrazyBurger]

Garbage is harsh. Flawed yeah. I think the Super Pocket offers better value but not ideal for every game. This with a VS might be a better option.

[@voteDC]

Now they are hitting the PS1 era for games I think it is time Blaze considered releasing a handheld with analogue sticks.

[@CrazyBurger]

@@voteDC It's probably overdue. But think it's still a while away.

[@Stephen-2097]

Let’s hope they are Hall effect sticks that are not prone to drift. Cheap analogue sticks are the worst.

[@StiffAftermath]

Wish people would specify what spectacular battery life is. When you say it isnt spectacular, I have no idea what you are comparing it to. 17 hours? 1 million hours?

[@CrazyBurger]

@@StiffAftermath "People"? 3 hours is a not long time for a retro handheld. They advertised 4 to 5 hours. It's not hitting that. Many of the Anbernic handhelds of similar price hit 6 hours no problem.

[@StiffAftermath]

@CrazyBurger ahaa. Gotcha. Thanks. I wasn't sure what expectations were. I like about 3 hours personally since I don't play games that much.

[@JohnnyProctor9]

EXP sucked to begin with, I got it for Breath of Fire, the Mega Man games, and TATE mode but I barely play it and the Super Pockets are WAY better (especially the Taito one) so I barely play mine and fail to see the point of one without the built-in Capcom games...Batty Zabella IS awesome though!

[@mythias]

Batty Zabella is a good game. I played and finished it yesterday. It's much better than the other GOTM releases this year. The sofa thing nearly had me stuck though, I started pressing over and over out of frustration on the sofa, even missed the found dialog when successful due to irritated button mashing on it, lol.

[@JohnnyProctor9]

@mythias - Thanks for the tip, I'm stuck on the sofa too! 😅

[@64-Bit-Gamer]

I like your channel and reviews, however this video is pretty negative. I like my EXP-R and the battery held-up for a train trip to and from London yesterday. You didn't mention the price - this is much cheaper than the Chromatic and the Analogue Pocket - I wouldn't expect too much from Evercade in that sense, but for the price I think the build quality and feel is really good. I got this instead of the Super Pocket because I thought the SP was just too small. I know I'm biased because I've only just got it, but no complaints from me so far!

[@CrazyBurger]

Good point about the price. I forgot... I'll update the description and add a pinned comment. Apologies for the negative aspect. I've had a very poor experience with the EXP and now the EXPR has somewhat disappointed me. Perhaps I was harsh. But that light bleed really put me down.

[@64-Bit-Gamer]

@CrazyBurger I think the light bleed issue is the biggest concern. Also, compared to all those handheld knock-offs, Evercade is still the legal option, warts and all

[@rmb1]

I’ve had two warranty claims on my EXP. Their hardware sucks. Nice software but their hardware is anything but Nintendo Switch Lite quality. The biggest downgrade is no CAPCOM games. This company is going to go away.

[@Stephen-2097]

The quality puts me off buying. At least with the VS the gamepads are easy to replace if anything breaks, and third party controllers can be used also. On a handheld you’re relying on the buttons etc to be well built to last as long as the rest of the device.

[@Bears9McMahon]

90% you whining cry 10% you give them a compliment then you say it’s your favorite one…🤦‍♂️

[@CrazyBurger]

So nicely put. No, design wise it's my favourite colour. I prefer the look over the other 2. But its still flawed.

[@CrazyBurger]

I actually started off fairly positive. It was only after I turned it on did my whole outlook change. The light bleed was hard to miss. Perhaps I expected too much, maybe I've been harsh. Regardless I still see it as a flawed device that should be better.

[@BURRITO44]

Get a Steam Deck if you want a quality product !! We have to pay more if you want quality !! The Evercade price point is great for this type of handheld !! Just don’t expect perfection !! What’s worse -- game products from China !!!! So please stay far away from gaming devices from China !!! Chinese products are well know for poor quality !!! Buyer Beware !! Do your research first !!!

[@CrazyBurger]

I've already got a Steam Deck.. plus totally disagree regarding Anbernic. I've found majority of their devices to be excellent quality.

[@Stephen-2097]

Practically everything is made in china or similar developed country. China make some of the best, and worst products, just like any country. The key is which company in China has made it and what their client allows them to spend on the manufacturing runs. That’s where the difference is.

[@CrazyBurger]

@@Stephen-2097 True. All Evercade products are actually made in China too..

[@Stephen-2097]

@@CrazyBurger How’s your battery doing on your EXP-R? Been running good since that reset you performed and has it had any firmware updates? I’m still on the fence, still thinking I might buy this device as the larger size is more comfortable to play on and the larger screen too, compared to super pocket. Thanks 😀

[@ShotByAScot]

I have: original handheld - love it VS founders edition - love it Alpha arcade - brilliant Super pocket x2 - love thrm! I used to have a white EXP though and it was so awful I sold it last month. Battery wouldn’t charge fully, only lasted like an hour max, would discharge quickly even if left off and the carts scratched the cart slot. Sorry, but fool me once Evercade….not for me as it looks like this is barely better in the things that annoyed me about the EXP.

[@andrewrosindale1008]

Game digital says no they did me with evercade r vs controller and now done me with exp r I've hopefully cancelled my megatron robosen pre order before they take money otherwise I'll have to dispute with bank please don't order anything from game digital they have become a shadow of their former selves and dodgy.

[@Stephen-2097]

Are you referring to Game UK or another retailer? I’d not heard of Game Digital before

[@andrewrosindale1008]

@Stephen-2097 game digital is game uk lol that's what they call online department of them.

[@Stephen-2097]

@@andrewrosindale1008 I’ve only ever known them as Game. They truly are a shadow of what they used to be. I remember their stores just before they went downhill and it was always great going along to take a look at all the games and I think they had games you could play in store too. Now there’s not much left, and half the things they sell aren’t the things they used to focus on. They do still have good deals now and again on exclusives.

[@super_robot_punch]

We need achievements!!

[@stephen_ne8406]

Be careful what you wish for 🤣

[@jasonshiers5771]

God knows what's going on with the sound on the EXP , Legacy Of Kain sound is complete garbage when you play it .

[@waynetemplar2183]

I've noticed that the sound is very low through the speakers. It's loud enough when using headphones

[@sambagogo777]

What a piece of junk!

[@MIKandJEAN]

She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.😂😂

[@sambagogo777]

@@MIKandJEAN I've made a lot of special modifications myself.