Powkiddy RGB30 | HARDWARE REVIEW

[@LazyDevs]

Update: In the meantime, native Pico-8 support has been rolled out for Onion OS / Miyoo Mini. However, there are still some lingering performance issues: kzbin.infowT-8T71edmk

[@vexorian]

I've been having a lot of fun with splore on the MM+ and after downloading games you can use the same SD card on the Miyoo Mini and play those games. I did notice performance issues from time to time, but the vast majority of featured games will just work. I ordered a RGB30 either way, but I'd say that the native Pico8 experience on the MM is quite good, definitely a good gateway experience.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Great video, I need to add “input lag nerds” to my vocabulary 😂

[@puupuuxcii]

❤❤❤

[@LazyDevs]

You're laughing now but we're both going down that rabbit hole eventually 😉

[@anderxale1]

Integer scaling hard liner

[@volo870]

Don't laugh. Lag is what pushed me into collecting real retro hardware.

[@kayonji]

Sir, I wasn't even into portable emulators, but YT recommended me this video for some reason and you just sold me a RGB30. Your content is top notch, and you're a great communicator :)

[@FloatingSunfish]

30:06 Lmao, that keyboard gave me a mini heart attack. 😅

[@CoinGoblin97]

Definitely the keyboard of a maniac

[@FrankJonen]

I wished these would become mainstream. As game devs we need an open device platform with reliable specs that anyone can afford. Not every game needs to be a AAA that costs the GDP of a small country to produce and a hard drive of its own to play.

[@ShadowDrakken]

"OTG" = "On The Go", it identifies the port as a data port that can handle external drives and peripherals, while the other port is a dedicated charging port.

[@LazyDevs]

Yup, but the point was that both are "USB". It would make more sense if the left port was labelled "Power" or something along those lines

[@SparseGameDev]

yeah, on my RG353M it's labeled DC🗲 which is much clearer@@LazyDevs

[@FrankJonen]

I only ever knew OTG as "Off The Grid". Self contained battery powered devices.

[@TomCarlson]

I always love the dramatic pause before saying some is fine. “It’s… fine.”

[@user-kf5um2bd5b]

JELOS is moving to mainline Linux soon for the RGB30 and other RK3566 devices. This move should solve sleep and battery indicator inaccuracy issues

[@LazyDevs]

Oh interesting! How does that compare to ArkOK? I didn't want to mess around with alternative OSes before wrapping up the review

[@HaySidney]

I LOVE my RGB30 so much. I went as far as downloading the source for JELOS and compiling in my own tweaks to make pico-8 stretch to full screen without being blurry. It's an amazing device for pico-8. I've also had a lot of fun with SNES and GBA on it. 11/10.

[@ProphitDesigns]

As much as I love PICO, I feel this device isn't justified as a purchase for me just because I already have an 35XX and a Retroid Pocket 3+. I don't see myself playing anything 4:3 on it. So it would just be a dedicated shmup, PICO and Gameboy/NeoGeo Pocket machine. HOWEVER, I have seen people say that both NES and SNES can look great with an 8:7 ratio. Do you enjoy SNES on the machine that way? If it could offer a new experience in playing SNES then I think that could finally tip me over into ordering one sooner rather than later lol

[@mabelmabel8112]

have you posted those tweaks anywhere? im considering getting one and thatd be cool

[@minimoe2807]

​@ProphitDesigns Also, if you use it for GB, GBC, GG, and NG Pocket, you'll be very, very happy.

[@thomaschipman]

rgb30 is definitely turning out to be my handheld of the year

[@donoteatmikezila]

As a fellow integer scaling hardliner I feel like I can trust this review wholeheartedly.

[@hellihjb]

I totally dig the half english / half german voice-over! 😂

[@minimoe2807]

Mine is on the way. I've been looking for a good GB, GBC, NG Pocket, GG, and Pico8 device. This looks like I've found it.

[@xartl]

I accidently bought a black rgb30 during your video... not sure how that happened...

[@GnobarEl]

Oh Man! It was so funny to watch this video! Great humour you have!

[@kakaodieb]

Again, lovely review from you :) and I didn't knew onion os, so thanks! :D

[@jfroco]

Geat review. Thank you. I'm a fan of integer scaling, but when it comes to a relatively small screen with a high resolution (720p), the combination proves to be excellent for applying shaders, without integer scaling!. For arcade games, I prefer using CRT shaders (like crt-lottes-fast), while for handheld games, I opt for handheld shaders (like lcd3x) . The result is fantastic without any noticeable artifacts.

[@otogiokami]

Miyoo mini plus now has pico 8 native support including splore.

[@Martin_Edmondson]

We really need a Miyoo Mini＋ with the screen from the RGB30! Would be a damn near perfect device. (need to add Bluetooth and native Pico-8 as well.)

[@feldermaus]

We really need to talk about that keyboard! :). Nice review, thanks for releasing this as something I need to look out for.

[@LazyDevs]

Thanks! Yeah I think they call this keyboard style "Unicorn Vomit". It's a thing

[@RodrigoTakehara]

@@LazyDevs

[@ziebo23]

This review is on point! How German of you to point out all the faults that tbh are really major. I'm still trying to understand how charging and powering up the device works for example. Not to mention spending the whole day trying to organise games into separate folders and then discovering nothing for saved or else everything got forgotten. It's simply a total chaos device that somehow works but there is no way to get it to work without fixing it both hardware and software 😢

[@mattduffy2126]

I feel like I'm not smart enough to understand 85% of this video. But as a long time Teamwork/Monster Hunter Podcast fan I love the sound of your a voice and the fact you are still uploading content. Good luck and good hunt my man. I will always be a fan!

[@LazyDevs]

Aaaw! Thank you for tuning in. Good hunt to you too!

[@porkmancer]

Just wanted to say that I loved High Stakes, played it to completion, awesome little game, thanks.

[@JittikMieger]

Re-imaging your firmware SD with a new version of JELOS or ArkOS will fix the battery problem - at least it worked for me.

[@qlnzky]

Well... miyoo mini just got a native pico-8 wrapper. Prepare for those recommendations again!

[@LazyDevs]

kzbin.infowT-8T71edmk

[@BobHop77]

I've been watching quite a number of RGB30 reviews lately, but I'm glad I started playing yours eventually! Great honest review, pointing out cons and pros without whining (yeah I don't get why the "black bars drama" either, it's the SAME FREAKING REAL-WORLD IMAGE SIZE in the end xD ). Also you did make me laugh a couple of times. Oh and your weird keyboard is dope! Thanks for your work.

[@BobHop77]

And so... I've just ordered an RGB30 for myself. Happy! :D

[@jtothebell]

Thank you for this video and especially comparing the RGB30 to the Miyoo Mini. You articulated many of my own frustrations with people recommending devices that run Fake-08 and not Pico-8 for Pico-8.

[@AnaglyphicHacker]

I'll probably be picking up a Miyoo for most emulation, but i think this will be a fun device to pickup if even just for the Pico-8 Games.

[@kingcoheed1208]

Need the Pico8 for Android to get their shit together

[@dsfhljka.5683]

Literally would solve all this beating around the bush

[@TarcisioXavierGruppi]

I would love to see you trying TIC-80 as a game creator and test it in a portable device.

[@jakubiszon6495]

Fot TIC-80 you also need Powkiddy X55 as the ideal handheld :D

[@TheRealTedNeal]

I ordered a RGB30 (thanks to your review!)for Pico 8 and for development purposes. Can’t wait!

[@TonyoPet]

Excellent! Covering all the areas I think should be talked about. I've been using the RG35XX and Fake8, but get really flummoxed about all the great games that just don't work. Excited for a new handheld that checks the right boxes (wifi and native are the big ones for me).

[@TomCarlson]

Love that keycap grab-bag keyboard!

[@klotz__]

People don't seem to know that Kioxia is a high quality brand for SD cards. It was originally Toshiba but has been seperated and is now its own company. So no need to change the card!

[@LazyDevs]

Google what Kioxia cards look like. Compare with this one. Even if it is a Kioxia card, it must be the cheapest, most disposable product line they offer. Friend of mine had a failure just yesterday. Needs to reinstall all of his OS, all his roms. All of his savegames are wiped. Easy way to save yourself that headache

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

Smaller cards aren't very expensive... Better off just getting a new one

[@13x666]

Ah. I just love to have some Piko minus acht on my handhelds

[@derekgeorgeandrews]

😂

[@haikaIhalim]

we all know RGC is the top reviewer in this handheld field. for me, your video packed with info, tips (like really useful), as well as pro cons etc etc. but the random wittiness (thats the right word i guess? lol) that keep me watching this. keep it man. u got new subs here :)

[@LazyDevs]

Wow, thanks!

[@JoeBleeps]

What a great video! Thorough, well made, informative and entertaining. You've got yourself a new subscriber. I had never experienced Pico-8 before I got my RGB30 and now it's the main thing I play on this great little console.

[@LazyDevs]

Welcome aboard!

[@terry-]

Great! I love to know about these handheld devices, more so from a game dev's perspective.

[@pole]

Clicked for the device, stayed for the humor

[@HeyMrVelocity]

i wanted to get into pico 8 but i also wanted a handheld retro console so i guess this fits both!

[@qrayg]

To be fair, adding ANY rom for ANY system is the exact same process. It's no more work to install a Pico-8 rom for FAKEO8 than, say an NES, or SNES, or Genesis rom for their respective emulator.

[@LazyDevs]

Yes but retro systems don't have weekly new releases unless you are into homebrew

[@mitchthepreacher1512]

OMG I LOVE THAT KEYBOARD!

[@kokas466]

Update: Onion Os can now run pico-8 natively

[@LazyDevs]

kzbin.infowT-8T71edmk

[@AlastairGames]

thanks so much for doing the Shmups performance! It being able to run Ketsui (and thus hopefully Dai Ou Jou too) is perfect! Shame about Futari though, but still having the other ones work is great! I just hope the input lag doesn't feel too bad tho

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

Thank you for covering shmups

[@danandtab7463]

30:07 omg I love your keyboard haha I'm wanting to do a custom mechanical keyboard but I think I'd have trouble picking out colors and keycaps. You made a keyboard with all of them.

[@Mantenner]

The moment I saw this device I knew you'd make a video on it, it looks like it was made for pico 8!

[@retrasoentertainment3683]

Now that the miyoo mini plus has wifi could be an option to be running pico8 and not fake08

[@babyyodawaffles3242]

Great commentary on false diagonals

[@احمدسنوج]

3 days ago , I turn on my powkiddy x55 , but when I start to play after 30min or less the game freeze ,and I could not leave the game , so I restart the device and checked if there is a new update (from the device itself ) , I contact the internet and update the device , but after the update finish , the device should turn on and the same opinig show up( the jelos logo ) but after the opining the screen do not turn on , I tried to restart the device and charging it but the screen always turn off after the opening , any one can help ?

[@LazyDevs]

Ask in the Powkiddy subreddit or in the Retro Game Handhelds forum

[@احمدسنوج]

@@LazyDevs How do I contact powkiddy support?

[@JB-js4xi]

Great video!!! Loved it. Ha ha...so good. I just bought one and am watching all the videos i can find before it arrives. It's SQUARE!! ❤

[@geoffy8245]

Could you make a tutorial on how to make this a dedicated pico 8 machine as you suggested?

[@LazyDevs]

I didn't mean anything beyond just installing Pico-8 and using it exclusively for it

[@davedavenport8673]

I debated between Powkiddy RGB30 and X55 since I can't afford Anbernic RG405M and ended up going with X55. It is less portable, but more comfortable for me to play. 720p screen with 16:9 aspect ratio, handles wide screen content well, but big black bars for more square aspect ratio systems. The displayed size of Pico-8 is about the same dimensions as on the RGB30, but with the black bars. That does not bother me. I love the big screen for the Menu system as well. I also have MM+, but have not put native Pico 8 on yet since I have been on my X55 since getting it last month. I agree about Splore being a great aspect of Pico-8. I wish other systems had a browser type system to access newly created roms by the community. For example, I grew up with and love the Commodore 64 and all the new games being made for it, but have to add the new games manually. I do it over SSH, so no taking the SD card out, but still, Splore is just so easy.

[@coentertainer]

The main complaint I've heard about the RGB30 is that its battery life isn't great. How have you been finding it?

[@LazyDevs]

22:50

[@coentertainer]

@@LazyDevs Thanks! I notice you use the Raspberry Pi build rather than the Linux. Why is that?

[@LazyDevs]

@@coentertainer Most of those handhelds stick to the Raspberry build. Although JelOS can take either

[@coentertainer]

@@LazyDevs Ah right, thanks. Great vid. I hope Onion or something similar comes to RGB30

[@MarceloMedeirosb]

Give arkos a try. It also have shutdown+ sabe/Power on + restore, just like onion os

[@lunsj]

"If you are a Linux Chad" Lol! Loved it. I really enjoy when I watch KZbinrs who use Mac/Windows (99.99% of them) struggle with these SD cards. They plug them into their computer and it tries to format it. I plugged the SD into my computer and it mounted the drive and displayed the files for me. Linux FTW.

[@deadox]

24:37 You can improve shutdown speedrunning by pressing select instead of start; still not an ideal situation overall but that's what I do.

[@LazyDevs]

Oooh, the Select Skip. Nice

[@AishRios]

This video was awesome from start to finish

[@warlordwossman5722]

Anbernic 28XX with muOS can do native pico 8, has wifi and the small size makes it pretty ideal to pocket, I think it can join the RGB30 as one of the best pico 8 handhelds even without a square screen just because it's easier to bring and quickly play for a short while on the go. At home an RGB30 is probably preferable tho.

[@panthros7395]

I love your videos. Thanks for sharing. I recently got Pico-8 Linux on my Steam Deck. Wow! I hope you pick one up and able to check it out.

[@apeekintime]

ArkOS pretty much solves most of these issues with the RGB30. I have one arriving tomorrow to set up for my nephew's 9th birthday. Originally I was going to setup the Miyoo Mini Plus for him but the RGB30 is virtually the same price as the Mini Plus now. I'm bascially paying $8 more so my nephew can have a larger screen and slightly more powerful device (but i'm only loading up 20-30 titles for him to start)

[@EdensukoV]

Is there any intention for an onion os to run on the rgb30?

[@DurgaPrasad-ks9em]

Can it play videos?

[@misjavanlaatum]

Bit of a bonus for the Miyoo Mini Plus: it has Wifi 👍

[@AKTANEARCADE]

So does the rgb30 actually! Oh wait.. you mean related to the Miyoo Mini? I don't know much about the original mini 😢

[@misjavanlaatum]

@AKTANEARCADE yeah, I meant related to the mini. But still: not the greatest pico8 emulation, so that 11-step slog to get a cart on the miyoo is still very much an issue.

[@101touchapps]

how abt the miyuu mini plus

[@chatdos9]

I remember your video after learning you can have native pico 8 on miyoo mini plus.

[@Pridetoons]

I was waiting for you to make this video.

[@snatchcake]

when I saw this device I was immediately thinking: this is it, this is the pico8 console.

[@mritunjayupadhyay1236]

this or rgb20s

[@_Majoras]

19:58 where can i find this zep_dots3d file?

[@LazyDevs]

Type "install_demos" in the Pico-8 command line

[@voiceranger2]

Thanks so much for this great review. I was primarily interested in the RGB30 as a dedicated Pico-8 device, and you answered almost all my questions. I was excited to see that you can develop on it directly (that is awesome), but being able to hook it up to a TV was what really put me over the top! I would honestly plan on playing with a wired controller to maximize the “retro console” experience for Pico-8 , but I’m curious- would it be possible to use a USB hub and a second wired controller to get 2 player couch co-op?

[@LazyDevs]

2 player co-op might be hard because of the issues I have mentioned with assigning controllers to the right players. It would work for emulation tho!

[@hungryhiker1681]

I’m working on my first game ever! Thanks for the shmup tutorial, love it so far. I’m halfway in the series. I bought the rgb30 to be able to play my own games on a handheld. How did you get the start pico 8 option on your rgb30? Would love to use it for fun to develop on the go. My pico 8 only has: backup, carts and splore. Thanks for the amazing content!

[@LazyDevs]

The "Start Pico-8" is just the name of the script in that version. It just launches into Splore

[@hydraciano]

I have an RG35xx, which is sigtly bigger than myioo mini and it HURTs to grip it. The Myioo mini would litteraly damage my hand in 2 minutes

[@markwinnington1426]

I love the RGB30 - especially now I've found that Shovel Knight and Stardew Valley 1.6 are playable (if purchased on Steam, for example) using PortMaster. Great little toy. Also, plug in mouse and keyboard with usb or bluetooth, and a screen using the miniHDMi port. Bam, it's a minicomputer. ;-p

[@alexdcpe]

I'm not sure why but none of the Miyoo Mini issues you showed happen to me. Perhaps you're using an older version of fake-08? I'm on the latest 4.2.2 Onion OS. Everything runs fine, including the sound. EDIT: I shouldn't say "none" to be fair, I didn't try any of the games you showed that did not boot at all.

[@msg308]

Do paid games show up when using splore? Or would I need to go through the whole add the game to the SD card process?

[@LazyDevs]

Paid games need to be loaded the old fashioned way. Right now there aren't that many tho

[@DavideNastri]

I use my gameboy zero for pico8 but this really looks awesome!

[@ScottSnowdenart]

Are you still liking this handheld? I just ordered the RG CUBE XX in the hopes that it will be the “perfect” p8 handheld. Curious if you have looked into that one at all. It was between that and the uconsole but I couldn’t resist the great black Friday deal that just went down for the cube.

[@LazyDevs]

Yes I still like it but also the RG Cube is something I've been interested in as well! Looks very promising

[@MichaOstrowski]

There's MinUI for this if arcade games are not your thing, and apparently GarlicOS will be ported sooner than later.

[@IslanKleinknecht]

Has Pico-8 fixed the controller 2 problem yet?

[@LazyDevs]

There has been a feature that was designed to solve this issue but the feature isn‘t working correctly yet

[@thisisreallyme3130]

@LazyDevs "pigame20", will you be doing a review on this? Using a Pi Zero has some advantages with software support. and control, but it's gonna be a bit "fiddly" (but in a different way than some of these closed source fiddly platforms). Cheers.

[@LazyDevs]

Looks like a fun DIY project. But the screen resolution makes this really unappealing to me as a device to actually play.

[@mumfnah]

Good info. I have the MM+ w/OnionOS and agree it is great. But im really considering getting fhis RGB30 and delving into Pico-30, not something i have really played and this seems to be one of my best bets for getting into that at the moment. Plus, i really want to see this screen for myself and play some Megadrive and old handhelds like Lynx and GameGear. Reckon i will get one on pay day

[@jazzybeat28]

Yeh, I got one with bleeding lights and broken button. Powkiddy customer support is bad. It takes two weeks to get a response and they asking to fix this myself and no return option. The device also has issues with sleep. It does not work, you have to force to turn it off if you want to save battery.

[@LazyDevs]

Yup, I bringing up the sleep problems in the video. One of my main criticisms. Hope Support will eventually come through for you

[@GmailNexus]

I feel they didn't do themselves a favor by releasing the device in white color. In case of non 1:1 Aspect Ratio Games it makes the black Bars much more noticeable.

[@LazyDevs]

There are other color options if this bothers you

[@GmailNexus]

@@LazyDevs True! Seems like the white version has the best overall availability in Europe though. Just saying it was - from a marketing standpoint - probably not the smartest move to release and promote this color option in the first place 🙈 But doesn't matter much since other color options are available 👍🏼

[@ShadowDrakken]

Love my Miyoo Mini Plus, but Fake-08's audio emulation of Pico-8 is AWFUL. Like worse than the browser version. But I'm the same as you, I still very much appreciate that Fake-08 exists at all.

[@AlastairGames]

Mame has a Run-Ahead feature, I wonder if that fixes the input lag?

[@budgetking2591]

really hard to choose between this and RG35XX-H

[@LazyDevs]

Doesn't play Pico-8 natively. Not even in competition.

[@Kulpo]

So is the RGB30 better than the Chi Gameforce in every regard? Or do you feel like some things on the RGB30 were a step down?

[@LazyDevs]

Excellent question. Yeah I'd say the RGB30 is an upgrade overall. There is one thing I liked about the Gameforce. It had a dedicated shortcut button. I find using SELECT as a function button to return to the home menu or launch the Retroarch Menu a bit awkward. Also I found the sleep function on the Gameforce a bit less useless but that may be subjective. Overall the devices are similar. If you have the Gameforce and you are happy with it, there is no need to feel any fomo. I'd wait for a device that REALLY changes the overall usability.

[@LakituINFO]

Great Video, thanks! You mentioned the Anbernic 351V - does it play Pico-8 natively?

[@LazyDevs]

Yes it does!

[@jellyscape]

as someone named john 5:58 really tripped me out

[@Yusei255]

is it true with Pico 8 games, that you download the cover from the site where you buy your license, and that's basically the game itself.

[@LazyDevs]

Yes

[@PixelisedPaul]

Excellent review Krystian, but we really need to discuss the glorious f***ing keyboard at 30:07. It’s beautiful.

[@LazyDevs]

Heck yea. Unicorn Vomit FTW!

[@opuofbengal5935]

The Xbox Series X/S is the best dpad I have ever felt on any controller!

[@LazyDevs]

Haven't tried that but the Xbox 360 was the worst for me

[@opuofbengal5935]

@@LazyDevs Very true! I purchased Persona 4 arena ultimax on 360 and I had an awful time because of the 360 dpad. I have lost all hope on them making that game backwards compatible, so I'll have to buy it again because like I said now they have the best dpad!

[@EBHawellsGames]

Hard-liner here. I need Pico8 5x integer scale tutorial please? I watched in slow motion 5 times but was unable to read the video in the screen

[@LazyDevs]

Start Button-> Game Settings -> Per System Advance Configuration -> PICO-8 -> INTEGER SCALING (PIXEL PERFECT): ON You might need to do a system update first.

[@EBHawellsGames]

@@LazyDevs thank you!

[@DarthOwenZ]

pls also chk XU10 retro gaming handheld... thanks!

[@hotmintchoco]

😂 if the left is USB ... then whats the right one? Chopped liver? omg i choke 16:13

[@BigHeadDog1979]

Splore missing from pico 8 folder. Anyway to get it bk?

[@LazyDevs]

Splore is not a file. It is a command you type in the command line

[@BigHeadDog1979]

@@LazyDevs issue resolved

[@derekgeorgeandrews]

Definitely gonna pick one up even though I am happy with the gameforce chi. Awesome and entertaining video. 😂

[@carrillos435]

Great video. I will be subscribing. So how do turn it off/on the correct way?

[@therocketman0123]

Thanks for the video! I wish the color options were better. I have been wanting an indigo device to hit my GBA nostalgia! Also, I’ve learned that I think I prefer Android device because they are so much more accurate with battery percentage indicators.

[@LazyDevs]

Powkiddy just announced more color options