Lakka Firmware for RG351P, RG351M, and RG351V (Review and Guide)

[@msipandaify]

I love all your work! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THE NAMES OF EACH GAME THAT YOU HAVE ON SCREEN!!!!! I'm only 1 minute and 25 seconds into this video... And the fact that you mention the title of each game that appears is just amazing and just another reason that YOU ARE THE BEST! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO!!

[@Andrmax89]

Yes ideed! Thanks for the Name of the games! Didnt know Mario Tennis for avance, i'll give it a try for Sure!

[@netoeckert]

Came over just for the "yeah, man, I wanna do it"

[@tradeka4206]

We need a t shirt with that, or merch in general. Does he have merch? If he made some I would buy it

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@tradeka4206 I do have some merch! my-store-11456809.creator-spring.com/

[@lostalx]

Man this is the FIRST video of yours that I saw, just because I was getting lost in the Retrohandhelds. Man you are frigging awesome. Top quality stuff man, really thanks a lot for this super detailed solid video. I'm going to check your retrohandheld guide and explore myself. Amazing content, keep up this fantastic work. I just have no words. Damn. Take it easy.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks so much ALX!

[@BlastingXNP]

Your editing and overall quality is phenomenal. Keep pushing at this. It's only a matter of time before you blow up in a way you can't even imagine.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks, I appreciate that! I try to make each video a bit better than the previous one :)

[@HardxcoreDarkness]

You're the legend. Been running Arkos for some time but this is super enticing, glad to see development is still going on for the RG351 platform, but Ambernic need to put you on the goddamn payroll fr

[@RetroGameCorps]

Haha, that would be nice :)

[@carlosfandango2204]

Always appreciate your seriously awesome videos. So informative. Would you consider writing a document with all the changes including cores, graphics, bios etc to make all games run as best as possible? That would be so beneficial to myself and I’m sure other people. Keep up the amazing work buddy!

[@spirit_in_exile]

Great video, exactly my experience trying Lakka. I run pure RetroArch on my Win PC and was hoping to mirror my setup on my RG351M, but the battery bug, the lack of a Win-readable game partition, and >32bit system emulation being poor had me back on 351ELEC same-day.

[@bonytologna]

Oh ya the M only has the one SD slot. On the V that has 2 cards, the second card can be win/Mac compatible

[@Binighted]

Yes! Thank you for listening to my request! Been waiting for this for a while! Great review!

[@RetroGameCorps]

You bet!

[@gapster77]

This is so helpful, great vid, Fella! Keep up the good work, and thanks.

[@redo1700]

I use Lakka on a mini PC and I love it. Might give this a go, but I love ArkOS TBH.

[@jasonshiers5771]

Good honest review again Russ, this firmware it don't bring much to the table of life.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Yeah, I appreciate that it exists, but I'm struggling to find a use case for it.

[@MJosephJr]

Thanks again! Love all your work!

[@yotaiji012]

You always on point!

[@bonytologna]

For SNES, the beetle snes supafaust core is ultra optimized and runs every game from yoshi’s island to stunt race FX perfectly also. The snes9x cores are much slower. I’m commenting too much but I love this nice, but flawed firmware hahaha!

[@Oburoni]

I'm personally fine with the sketchiness of DC, N64 etc. for now because I'm betting that Lakka will fix the issues later on. Thanks again, Russ!

[@TheMrDeathbiker]

I got the Rg351v but now I want the rg351m , good stuff !!!

[@williamtalbot5040]

The content I was looking for

[@yugimuto441]

Could you make a guide on how to play dos games on the rg351 devices?

[@lucsaguiar]

I love Lakka! I'm so used to RetroArch on my Android that the transition to my V was smooth. Stable build was not working very well (stutter on the menu, crashed when scanning PSX games, froze eventually with Snes9x cores), I moved to ArkOS and hated it. Then I moved to the nightly build and I'm in heaven, super fast, no fat, just what I need to enjoy my games.

[@lucsaguiar]

After almost two months of using it, I can't recommend it anymore. I love the UI, I love the practicality, but it will constantly freeze playing any SNES game on fast forward, using any of the snes9x emulators (the only ones that work on the device). I have played different games, used different microSD cards, zipped/unzipped files, both stable and nightly releases but I still have this problem. SNES is the main console I play, so this is a no-go for me. I'm moving to 351ELEC.

[@musicmeanslife65]

I love your channel , I've seen the 351v ones multiple times. I'm about to buy one. Can you please make a video on peripherals on 351v, for example mouse and keyboard? It would be awesome to be able to use a 351v as a full blown pico-8 machine and being able to code with it. Thanks

[@not_important]

I had the battery problem with 351elec, I had to disconnect the battery for a few seconds and plug it back in, it was also affecting arkos.

[@Andrmax89]

What theme are you running at minute 15:00 ?? Can it run on RG351P ? Thanks, love your vids

[@RetroGameCorps]

Hi, that's Epic Cody, it runs on the RG351P. Here's how to install it: github.com/JohnIrvine1433/ThemeMaster

[@sharpsteel6272]

Have they fixed the audio issues with the android os?

[@bonytologna]

I can definitely confirm that the battery meter is just a bug, I charged mine all night, it’s showed around 20 percent - I timed it and it ran for 6 hours before it died. It showed zero percent battery for 4 hours straight, it won’t shut down if it reaches zero. I just turn off the indicator, haha

[@RetroGameCorps]

That's good to know, thanks for the feedback!

[@Mr.Kratoast]

I just got my rg351v wood edition (yi couldn't help it). I've been out of the emulator scene for a while now, you think I should start with 351elec?

[@strat2tele]

I’m just starting out and 351elec has been awesome for me

[@RetroGameCorps]

351ELEC or ArkOS are my favorites for the RG351V.

[@majkati69]

I haven't tried the latest version of 351elec but yeah considering it's a lot more recently updated than arkos I'd go for it. I still prefer arkos though just cause I'm used to it and I already have it set up

[@majkati69]

I retract what I said I forgot they kept updating arkos on 351v. Yeah maybe check out both and figure out what you like more, arkos is great imo but 351elec has a lot of stuff already set up so it's easier if you just want plug and play software.

[@pippuzzu1981]

@@RetroGameCorps not Lakka ? Why ?

[@wargamesmaster]

Will you do a review video for the Steam Deck once it's officially out?

[@RetroGameCorps]

Of course, I’ll be doing a ton of videos on it! 😎

[@ashgrey7307]

@@RetroGameCorps heck yes, i hope it works well russ, we're excited too

[@bubu5908]

I would love to use Lakka, but every version I tried on my RG351P gives a kernel panic. Nothing works at all.

[@raindrainxi]

0:08 Hey man charge your devices! 3:29 Oh ok.

[@whimsicalsprites]

Love this video and thank you for making it. I don't totally understand the "steep learning curve" angle though. Doesn't custom firmware like ArkOS or 351ELEC present a number of complications given that it is running a version of emulationstation on top of retroarch? For myself, I think that dealing with settings overrides made things weird. I tried to only use the settings available in 351ELEC for example rather than going into Retroarch, but it wasn't always possible given that some things were really specific. It seems to me that taking the time to learn Retroarch inside and out is really, really valuable if you can take the time to do it. Once you learn it on any device, that same knowledge carries over to anything that you want to put retro games on. Custom firmware is pretty specific to that device. Just my two cents. The performance stuff is a SOLID argument. It would suck if you wanted to play N64 games on this device and used Lakka. That being said, I mostly bought this for Gameboy, Atari, Gameboy Advance, Sega, and NES games. I am really picky about shaders, UI simplicity, exact pixel scaling, and overlays. I think this is the OS for me. I did not even know about it until recently. Thank you so much for sharing! I really appreciate this. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Edit: One more thing- Samba absolutely does not let you write files to the SD card, so this is not a good solution for getting games on your device. I am not sure how you got a second SD card working here as well. Very confused by that part.

[@pon1]

Maybe the loading time of the OS is less on Lakka? That's the one thing that might make me use Lakka on a separate SD card. Sometimes I just want to play NES games all week, would be nice to have a SD card with Lakka then if it loads much quicker into the OS. I don't care that much about the loading times of games, but waiting to load the system itself is really bugging me with all the other options. I have the Super Mario Game & Watch, and I really enjoy it simply because it just starts right up, no loading time at all. That's the experience I'm looking forward to in the next generation of handhelds, maybe we can get a sneak peak of that with Lakka?

[@bonytologna]

Ya it’s like a 10 second boot, compared to elec and the others it feels almost instant. For running anything up to ps1 it’s a nice OS.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Lakka takes 14 seconds to boot, and ArkOS takes 18 seconds. One thing to bear in mind is that ArkOS and 351ELEC have sleep modes, so you can just put the device to sleep when not playing it -- the battery drain is very minimal (usually a 1% drop overnight). The device wakes from sleep in about three seconds.

[@pon1]

@@RetroGameCorps Indeed, sleep mode is a feature I should use more often.

[@conza1989]

Hey so I've been going through your back catalogue of videos as I just purchased an RG351M. For DS, if that was the only thing that mattered to you, what would be your go to OS/firmware for the RG351 devices? My guess is ArkOS as a start? Happy to go watch a specific video too if you can point me in the right direction :)

[@RetroGameCorps]

For the RG351M, the DS emulator (DraStic) is the same between ArkOS and 351ELEC. So performance will be equal between the two. Instead, I would look at each of those and see if the other features are of more interest to you. If you're just getting started, I recommend 351ELEC since it has screen configuration optimizations out of the box for the RG351M.

[@conza1989]

@@RetroGameCorps Thank you! I will start with 351ELEC then :D

[@Lyne_Taperz]

Does Lakka have a menu to play mp3 files?

[@bonytologna]

Oh heck ya! I suggested this one a couple weeks back 😀

[@unbuglee]

could you do a review for Lakka on switch? I really want to know do we need jailbreak or not

[@proheng3587]

Nice Work

[@KaraokeDuov2]

Is there a pre-configured ArkOS image that you just flash and insert with game folders like BATOCERA?

[@regametro8517]

Another amazing video, is there any news about any new firmware or update for pocket go s30?

[@adfury]

Thing I like about RetroArch is the longevity. Lakka may be weak now, but I know that the devices will keep getting core updates way past it's usual shelf life. Not as sure with other os'.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Very true, they just keep plugging away at it.

[@gamalinykathirgamanathan5408]

Do you know if it's possible to use lightweight Linux os in those consoles? Like slax os or lubuntu?

[@sevenfacedsin]

I run Lakka on my RPi 4b, and really wish it would come to RG353.

[@troyphelps1634]

Still no way to get Lakka/Batocera on RG350M?

[@edwinbaezjr.945]

for those games not working, is it because its a Nightly Install?

[@ShinHalo40]

Out of curiosity how well does it run Dreamcast

[@elleCX01]

Hmm... seems like something for people who like to tinker around a bit I guess. I'm more excited for future developments with the android OS for the 351 devices. Btw, do you plan to do any videos on CFW for the Powkiddy A13?

[@RetroGameCorps]

Someday I hope to get to it, I have such a massive backlog of video ideas that it keeps getting pushed back. I love my A13 but haven't given it enough attention lately.

[@imcade88]

what do you think about the PiBoy DMG?

[@RetroGameCorps]

I did a video review on it a few months ago, I had mixed feelings.

[@Welipe]

Great vid! I was wondering if you know where to buy custom trigger buttons or custom Dpads for the RG351M? I apreciate the help! Thanks as always :D

[@RetroGameCorps]

Hi, I'm not sure -- I do know that the RGB10 d-pad and face buttons are drop-in replacements for the RG351 devices, but that's about it.

[@babyboyelversatologo4382]

Help please 🙌 doing everything step by step but games won't work

[@zukes94]

Am I the only one who is having difficult saving my game, Only thing that makes my console unplayable, and when I save the game or “saved slot” I can’t load it It’s gone Big issue I’m having unfortunately

[@JBoulter11]

Wait, did you download box art via wifi on an RG351p without an OTG dongle? I thought it didn't have wifi built in?

[@RetroGameCorps]

I have an early unit that had WiFi built in. I do have a guide on how to install a WiFi chip onto the RG351P on my website, and MashTec did a video on it too!

[@JBoulter11]

@@RetroGameCorps Thanks, appreciate that!

[@zuljaras]

Is there any way you could try and run StarCraft 64 on RG351p is any emulator? It is so damn hard and still there are graphical issues that I do not know if they can b fixed. I want expert opinion before giving up.

[@terryterryd]

"What's the point?" - I suppose you also have to see how Lakka performs on a different system. I don't know much about the cores, but I assume they are all different and optimised for the specific platforms... what I mean: A PPSSPP core on RG351 is a different binary to that on the Raspberry pi 4. Conversely, if the core is developed in the same "language" then the compilation may not be optimised for RG351 platforms yet. If none of this, then I guess it's the challenge to the developers to see how many systems they can support.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Yep, I think it’s cool that they made it. But Lakka really shines on hardware that can handle its more advanced cores. Unfortunately the RK3326 devices just can’t keep up.

[@barrieinman7666]

Does this work for the 350?

[@zinesis]

What's up with that long unskipable ad?

[@wargamesmaster]

Quick question about the RG351V, what's exactly inside the "bezels" dossier and on which micro SD card it should be (the card with all the games and emulators or the one with the firmware/OS of the device)? My device works and there's zero problems but this tiny dossier I have on both SD cards just bugs me, I know it seems stupid (sorry...).

[@inlovewithi]

By any chance, is the Pocket Go S30 compatible with this?

[@RetroGameCorps]

Sorry, it's not, but there is an option within Simple30 to have it exclusively load RetroArch, so it's pretty close. You can find the instructions in my written Simple30 guide.

[@BrooklynPlaya]

yesterday my sd card gave up... (rg351p) unfortunately i didnt made a backup.. so now it seems im lost... What are my options now ? please help...

[@RetroGameCorps]

Just grab a new card, Google “RetroArch bios pack” for new bios, flash 351ELEC onto the new sd card (check out my 2021 RG351P starter guide video for more details), then add the bios and your own roms. You can do it!

[@BrooklynPlaya]

@@RetroGameCorps thank you very much for your help. should a 256gb sd also work on the 351p ? i will give it a try today...

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@BrooklynPlaya yes, a 256GB card will work fine!

[@joffhall81]

Hi I need a bit of advice. I’ve had two of these devices one was a RG280m and now a RG351p and am having charging issues. The RG280m arrived and the battery was stone dead. I Put it on charge with a n ASUS 5v 2a output tablet charger plug (using the cable that came with the device) and was on charge for over 5 hours but wouldn’t switch on at all so I returned it and got a refund. Today the RG351P arrived and it’s been on exactly the same charger plug for over 7 hours and it’s exactly the same and not holding any charge. The device will power on when plugged into the charger but as soon as it’s disconnected the device just dies to a black screen. It’s now connected to an Apple iPad 12w (5.2v 2.4a) chargers to see if that has a better outcome. It seems it could possibly be the charger plug that is the issue. So what is the best charging plug for these Devices ?? Or any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks Joff

[@dsilverb1000]

Hi, for RG351P they recommend 2.0A charge Max... So I would't use that Apple iPad charger with 2.4A you're using ('Then again I'm no Technician specialized on electricity sry.) The one I've been using successfully with my RG351P is a charger "borrowed" from an Huawei mobile phone, Output: 5.0V - 2.0A 10.0W ;)

[@hamsandwichson]

I've loved all your vids! They've helped me set up my Rk2020 to make most n64/psp games play on it. The rk2020 is my 1st device so I went cheap but now that I know more I feel like I can get a more premium handheld. I'm running emuelec 4.1 and don't ever use retroarch unless I have to. What handheld would you recommend around the $100 to $120 range?

[@RetroGameCorps]

I have a "top 5" video coming out in the next couple days, look out for that!

[@DarkwingGeese]

I know this is off-topic, but I have a question about ArkOS and 351ELEC. But before I do ask, I just want to say thank you for putting time into doing all this for us. It means a lot to us and really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Now... I've done everything else with my Anbernic with ArkOS, but how do I run .exe files on ArkOS? And can I actually run .exe files on Lakka, as well? Any help will do. Thanks in advance.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Hi, are you talking about DOS games? Those can be run via DOSBox; here is more info: github.com/schellingb/dosbox-pure

[@DarkwingGeese]

@@RetroGameCorps: No, just regular .exe fan-games like Ultimate Double Dragon, TMNT: Rescue-Palooza, Street Fighter X Mega Man, etc. When I did put them all in the DOSBox folder, it didn't read it. And when I made a PC folder like the one on your list from GitHub, it just brought me straight to the main screen. Oh, right, and I'm using ArkOS for my Anbernic RG351M/P to run it.

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@DarkwingGeese hi, sorry those aren't going to work natively with this device; it supports Linux-based firmwares and those games would need to be specifically ported and recompiled for that OS.

[@DarkwingGeese]

@@RetroGameCorps: Alright. Thank you very much for yoru time. And mostly thank you again for putting your time to help us with everything. Keep up the good work. Be safe and God bless.

[@DesertFoxNL]

Still running my good old ArkOS ... maybe need to look further into the supported systems now. :-)

[@wuMMLe]

I just did a recent update to arkos for the RG351P/M taking retroarch to 1.9.6 adding superfaust snes core and adding the Amstrad GX4000 system check out my KZbin channel can update from final without a reflash

[@mat_max]

What I dislike the most about this interface (either lakka or just RA) is that it really sucks for detecting the games and scraping boxart. It requieres the files to have a very specific name for the boxart and a specific hash (and the databases only have a couple of translations and rom hacks and newer versions haven't been registred) instead of working fuzzily like ES does and take into account naming similarity to the ones in the scraping source database, which, btw, in the case of Screenscraper, is multiple times larger since it contains a lot of rom hacks and translations + the marquees, wheels, videos, etc. I would really like if libretro team started using a fuzzy match software for the playlist scanning and the boxart download and association. Better yet if they implemented the option to use screenscraper as a source for scraping

[@RetroGameCorps]

Very true, it's hard to meet the specific requirements of RetroArch across the board.

[@calholli]

You should be able to reprogram the battery meter... Just run it down until the machine dies on it's own... Then plug in your charger and let it charge all the way up (like over night), before you turn it back on.. Then when you turn it back on-- Run it all the way down again before turning it off.. until it dies on it's own-- and then charge it to 100% again; It should then have recalibrated where 0% and 100% is and should be accurate from then on.

[@Arcantheus]

Thanks man

[@audimazuki9067]

Best firmware for rg351p please ??

[@RetroGameCorps]

I think 351ELEC is the best for beginners, and ArkOS is great for those who like to tinker.

[@cossakrose]

2:56 You're welcome. :D

[@hantke1989]

Linux, the OS to for (retro) gamers... Who would have thought... Hey! What about testing all your retro devices against the sun! The best console to play on the beach :D??? You are in Hawaii, in summer... That is the dream! Spoiler alert, the RG351V does much better than the psvita (LCD), but MUCH better

[@RetroGameCorps]

That’s a great idea!

[@PotatoImaginator]

i miss arcade games :(

[@michaeldemers2716]

I love Lakka. I use Berryboot and a Pi4B. I think you can do two player gameboy with Sameboy emulator.

[@chibonchibon3967]

I've commited to may realease of 351elec since thats work best for me, yet.... this video is poping out... sigh... cant resit to try it LOL

[@pinkandbluebloxplayers3320]

Hi Russ I have a question dose Lakka running on Odroid Go Advance I was trying this firmware on my rgb 10max and it seems my rgb 10max can run this firmware is that possible to run on such device like rgb 10 max and rgb 10 I just want to know

[@RetroGameCorps]

In general the RGB10 Max should run any ODROID Go Super firmware just fine. Some firmwares (like Lakka, apparently) will have OGA firmwares that can also work with the OGS, and by extension the RGB10 Max. There may be some button mapping issues, but otherwise it's work experimenting with!

[@pinkandbluebloxplayers3320]

@@RetroGameCorps okay what about the rtro arena 🤔 dose this firmware run on the device like that I'll sending you a picture on the your social media page

[@itsTheCurry]

What software is best for these devices? I am getting an rg351v and want to know what to pick, i would like to play some dreamcast and n64 games.

[@RetroGameCorps]

I would recommend ArkOS for the RG351V, it's in active development and has the best DC and N64 performance.

[@paparansen]

i wrote it a few times: there is no need to extract the image ;-)

[@jorv1971]

Yeah Man I Wanna Do It.

[@Arrowdodger]

It's cool and all this is an option, but it doesn't seem like it'd be one I'd want to use.

[@cloudiolology]

TLDR " avoid lakka and 351droid on these devices!" :p

[@pippuzzu1981]

Why? Lakka not good on this devices?

[@SanchezS]

Yea very light but the team will need to do more work to make run smooth 👍

[@BjNi-rb8oj]

Instant like:)

[@dustinlawson5882]

someone needs to make one with a internet browser.praying lol

[@pyjama9556]

The hot garbage lakka/ra combo!! Looooong way to go in development for these guys on the harder to run consoles!

[@kiruoful]

I'll stick with 351Elec

[@madmacabre]

Seems like an OS that I would really despise. Retro arch interface with poop performance? Jesus

[@oxycarter420]

lakka can sukka

[@largolagrande]

Has anyone the " Powkiddy RGB 10 Max" (RG351P) black screen problem? It's not booting. Cant' get beyond the black screen after followed the instruction for a new SD card with 351 Elec. Seems like a lot of people (?) or a few have this problem? What's wrong? Did anyone overcome this? Could not find a solution. May someone could help. Would be really kind and appreciated.

[@RetroGameCorps]

351ELEC doesn’t work on this device. I recommend using EmuELEC or RetroOZ.

[@largolagrande]

@@RetroGameCorps Ah! Thank you so much for letting me know! I've read multiple reddit posts about this issue but seems like no one could figure it out on their own so I gave up for now. Kinda sad 351ELEC does not work.

[@Soejin]

add subtitles to your videos. It is sometimes difficult to understand you, especially for non-English speakers.

[@RetroGameCorps]

My subtitles/captions are added automatically by KZbin, but it sometimes takes a few hours for them to pop up.

[@Soejin]

@@RetroGameCorps KZbin machine translation is very flawed. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the content. If I can point you to a person in Brazil who understands retro portable video games well, and who knows a partnership between you would be Victor Iemini @victoriemini. Thanks anyway for your attention.

[@RaineyRetro]

Lakka basically downgrades the rg351 systems lol got it

[@NicoDarkhope]

"Retroarch interface" is not a + but a big - !

[@charlibiris]

Lakka and subscribe

[@alpacamale2909]

>winrar

[@texasgunslinger6201]

really ? incomplete video.

[@adnerayala3409]

351 again 🤔 no for me bye , PS Vita lover here ,

[@jorv1971]

RetroArch is NOT an easy system