Nintendo 64 Clones are Here. What to expect | MVG

[@codenamegamma]

Glad my tweet was able to inspire a video! 😃

[@codenamegamma]

@Farelka kek why is this a reply to me?

[@samiulhussain3045]

I subbed

[@NoNickNoKick]

you're the real mvp

[@Charleito]

CodenameGamma nice catch man

[@FrankHarwald]

Note: it's not necessary to copy the framebuffer to get this sort of emulation right on every kind of computer architecture - there are some PCs that physically share their RAM between CPU & GPU known as integrated GPUs & keep those 2 memory regions separate simply by setting some special registers, which are quickly adjustable, meaning their architectures allow for copyless sharing of memory buffers between CPU & GPU. However, this sort of thing usually a) requires to directly talk to the GPU driver which b) usually takes time & c) is likely to mess things up when done while both memory regions are in use, because most kernel & driver ABIs don't expect base & limit registers of physical devices to change while in use by a user program or anything else except the driver or kernel itself so bugger.

[@Schule04]

What to expect: a somewhat broken emulator running on a phone SoC

[@crashoveride879]

*a okay emulator being crippled by garbage hardware

[@error.418]

Yeah, it's actually a pretty great emulator, but... it's not gonna run at peak performance on this hardware.

[@DarkLink1996.]

My phone can run it better

[@jacquelineliu2641]

i.e. you're better off running mupen64plus on your android phone

[@kaizerkoala]

Keep in mind that your phone is probably ten time the price of this machine though... But yeah, it will run terribly. Also, Hyperkin are known for their corner cutting (ironic enough... like their signature box design)..

[@LGR]

Looking forward to checking this out myself at E3 as well, cuz yeah, so many questions. When I've been to their booth in the past they've had early stuff playable for folks so here's hoping it'll be hands-on.

[@ModernVintageGamer]

hope to see you there!

[@AgentXRifle]

LGR and MVG... Two people I am subbed to and love their videos. As for this console, if it's just an emubox I will probably pass. I just want to HDMI my Everdrive64.

[@Iliek]

The cringemaster himself.

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

Why are you looking forward to this? It is just an emulation box.

[@Cuban]

... and then corona hit

[@emmettturner9452]

Emulators aren’t clones. It’s an emulator with a cart dumper and the ability to write back save progress. Hope it can write SRAM, EEPROM, and FlashRAM. It muddies the water to call emulation boxes “clones,” especially when the same company also sells HW clones.

[@RandyRandersonthefamous]

also got to be careful of breaking cartridges!

[@DayVeeBoi]

Yeah def agree. I was totally excited until I actually watched the video.

[@tonberryhunter]

Yeah I was a little confused when he called it a clone console.

[@Dustie1984]

so is this specific one an emulator box or an actual hardware clone?

[@stonedsavage7814]

@@Dustie1984 its an emulator with a cartridge dump. Problem is it can corrupt your cartridge when writing to it.

[@yashy2x]

N64 giving trouble to emulators since two decades

[@elgeniomaestro]

project 64 + glide64 napalm, fixed, almost perfect emulation, including the frame buffer effects like the mario kart example and EVERYTHING in Perfect Dark

[@MrBearyMcBearface]

@@elgeniomaestro I can confirm that project 64 got most everything I tried right. Still can't get quest 64 to not have purple ugliness though, lol

[@geeknproud321]

@@MrBearyMcBearface Try GlideN64 instead of Glide64. Notice the "N". Totally different plugin and even plays Rogue Squadron.

[@MrBearyMcBearface]

@@geeknproud321 wow. Alright.

[@dstack18]

that and the sega saturn

[@MusKubium]

>just an open source emulator with a cartridge port HARD PASS

[@mainodio4420]

As i said below, is better to get a CRT tv (sony Kv20 and up models are pretty affordable with the late sony wega with component video input being the best) it will give your retro consoles a new shine... at least from the very first gen to the seventh. Perhaps consider this if you're not fan of those new hdmi third party pseudo emulated consoles.

[@cencil6497]

Some of us want to play retro consoles on modern TV's. This is (most likely) the only option that is affordable, considering N64 RGB / HDMI mods are hundreds of dollars.

[@BarHonigfeld]

@@mainodio4420 Well, I am not a fan of third party pseudo emulated consoles, but I am also not a fan of CRT tvs. I am old enough to have used them from 1989 (C64) to 2008 (Wii) and I have no nostalgia for that blurry mess.

[@vasili1207]

@@cencil6497 no I paid nothing for my TV .... its the cheapest way....

[@vasili1207]

@@BarHonigfeld you obviously must need glasses.... crts smash hdtvs especially a n64 that only does a blurry interlaced mess as standard .... crt cleans that up.... you got no clue

[@Larry]

It's curious it took so long to develop, the patent for the N64 ran out in 2017. But where are the CD based consoles, surely adding a disc drive to an emulation machine wouldn't be too taxing?

[@CAPCOM784]

Yeah been wondering about the disc based systems myself?I believe they've about run out of options with the major cartridge based systems?

[@sameash3153]

A CD drive? An SD drive would be cheaper and more practical

[@vasopel]

@@sameash3153 true cheaper and more practical if you have the games downloaded and on your HDD already. but....a CD-drive would let you use all your original games without having to rip them first.

[@Golemoid]

@@vasopel just download them CD games are under 1GB

[@vasopel]

@@Golemoid download all my collection even though I have the games allready? no way 😁

[@nigelhighlands3131]

Yeahhh, I'll just stick to my beautiful Jungle Green system hooked up to my Trinitron via S-Video. No compatibility issues there.

[@dr3w399]

s video crt all the way

[@spht9ng]

Holy shit are you me? That's my exact setup lol. 27 inch Trinitron over here.

[@mickyengy3204]

Just got a Trinitron for 40 quid the other day picking up an s-video cable on the 30th looking forward too seeing it in all of its glory

[@Exilis]

So it comes with all the disadvantages of being an emulator and you also need the cartridge.

[@Andy_0L]

Lmao

[@cradledani]

The one thing i noticed is at around 1:38, it has the undervoltage warning in the top right corner, so i would assume whatever hardware they're using, they must be overclocking it quite substantially to get a consistent framerate, which is causing a high voltage pull, and the adapter theyre using to power it just isn't able to supply quite enough voltage/amperage.

[@robbirobson7330]

its probably at the same level of a raspberry pi 3b+ overclocked to 1.6ghz

[@netctrl]

@@robbirobson7330 that looks to me like the raspi voltage icon

[@silentmotion5784]

@@netctrl Yeah I was thinking the same thing

[@leonidas14775]

Good catch!

[@yjk_music]

I haven't noticed that until I saw this comment, but I'm pretty sure that it's undervoltage warning icon coming from RPi's firmware. So, what is this? Is Ultra Retron is based on Raspberry Pi hardware? Or they are just using RPi to develop system?

[@CanaldoZenny]

>N64 "clone" >Its just another box with an freeware emulator. Heck, the jumbotron/frame buffer glitch doesn't even happen on my PC using Muppen64 Plus Core on Retroarch!

[@Deliveredmean42]

It doesn't happen because it has the buffer fix enable. The problem is it's really taxing to slower computers so I presume they disable it to save up performance for the clone console. MVG explains that in the video.

[@_basho_7089]

Whats the best settings for that core? Like filters and stuff Also setting up the button layout for a N64 USB controller on my laptop? Any info ( website/page/YT vid) would be awesome!!

[@m4xw499]

Turn color + depth buffer off, use mupen64plus next and you will see

[@_basho_7089]

Cheers... any controller info cause Ive tried to configure it and fudged it up bad lol

[@m4xw499]

@@_basho_7089 eh I wasn't responding to you. Also there aren't best settings, it very much depends on game and preference

[@phonzeh]

There are so many "good" games that rely on Frame Buffer effects on N64. I would definitely pass on this for anyone semi-serious about going back and playing some classic N64 titles.

[@richardg8376]

Yeah I'm wondering how it would handle Perfect Dark with its numerous effects like fish eye and motion blur. I think some emulators also really struggle with the night vision effect. Would be a large blow if a prominent title like that isn't fully playable.

[@phonzeh]

@@richardg8376 Mupen64plus-next (and Mupen64plusplus iirc) do support frame buffer emulation, but I've not tried Perfect Dark yet. Luckily RARE Replay on Xbox One has satiated my desire for Conker and Perfect Dark.

[@amirabudubai2279]

N64 is one of the hardest systems to emulate. Even common games(Mario 64 for example) lack flawless emulation. TBH, your best bet is to use Dolphin to run the VC version of the game(if it exist). 2nd best option is injected VC emulation.... I am honest not entirely sure why N64 emulators are lagging so far behind. I understand that hardware acceleration is very hard because of the odd graphics "pipeline" of the N64(literally 3 entirely different processors working on the same data, all programmable), but by this point I would expect brute force emulation to be possible. My best guess is that there just isn't much interest do to the fact that most everything on it has been ported and/or remade. Zelda OoT/MM - ported to GC(IMO the best version as it is the original with higher res) and VC. Remade on 3DS Banjo one/two - HD remake on Xbox Mario 64 - VC Mario kart 64 - VC Golden Eye - fan remake in source engine Doom 64 - Injected VC I could go on, but I think I made my point. The only games from my personal library that I couldn't get working flawless were the pokemon stadium games. Sadly, we probably won't get a flawless plug and play option until Nintendo does it themselves.

[@phonzeh]

@@amirabudubai2279 Well said.

[@TDRR_Gamez]

@@amirabudubai2279 Doom 64 in virtual console is not good, considering you have to use the stupid password system. If anything, i would recommend running it in Doom 64 EX, Doom 64 GEC Master Edition, Doom 64 Retribution, or emulate it because it's one of the few games that's emulated perfectly. Goldeneye Source isn't exactly the best either, because it only has multiplayer.

[@moomah5929]

So in other words, it's not really a clone but an emulation box with support of real N64 modules and controllers. A clone would run the games natively even if not perfectly.

[@ZeldaDD]

Yeah, I interpreted that initially as 'hardware clone' on the level of the various recreations of the NES hardware out there. This is far far less interesting (especially since it's not even good at running the emulator apparently).

[@richienyhus]

It would be pretty expensive to create a real clone of the N64. You could use a MIPS SOC like the one in the Creator Ci20 board which used the similar but modernised xburst CPU, but because of the weirdness of the N64 hardware you would still need to emulate some parts of the system. That is to say you wouldn't need to emulate the N64's CPU since it's using the same architecture, but the N64's GPU is very unusual as the hardware is custom designed.

[@bangerbangerbro]

@@richienyhus The N64 GPU isn't that unusual is it?. Other than using a fairly conventional CPU (I mean the RSP rather than the central CPU) for transformation? It's fairly conventional with regards to modern designs especially when compared with other machines of the time. Anyway even with a compatible CPU you would still need to get the timing right. An actual hardware clone would literally be a hardware clone.

[@bangerbangerbro]

@@ZeldaDD How else do you interpret "clone" other than "hardware clone"? I clicked on the video just to check it was emulation as I suspected but I was only really actually interested in the product if it was replicated hardware.

[@richienyhus]

@@bangerbangerbro It used the Nintendo designed 'Reality Coprocessor' instead of an off-the-shelf GPU.

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

6:44 , 6:57 - I see no problems; it looks perfect. The Jumbotron bug was pretty easy to diagnose, but I wouldn't have anticipated it affecting the other things like menu transparency or ambient occlusion.

[@yjk_music]

I was already expecting to see an emulator after I saw “Hyperkin”.

[@DarkLink1996.]

@Lassi Kinnunen It's based around wanting to use real cartridges. And for Hyperkin's other products, the convenience of run multiple system's games on one. See: Polymega. If it's 1:1 then what's the problem? Unfortunately this isn't, but there should be fixes in the pipeline. Plus, these types of machines make pretty good ROM dumpers.

[@amirabudubai2279]

@Lassi Kinnunen There are quite a few benefits to these kind of setups. I don't keep my PC plugged into my TV nor do I want want to give my PC to kids so they can play. It is also a good way to legally get ROMs. Of course, the price has to be right and quality good enough. Personally, I prefer something like retropi or even converting an old PC to a HTPC, but most people don't want to go through the trouble of setting that up. TL:DR it is paying for convenience. Nothing wrong with that. This system looks lackluster, but the idea is solid.

[@Clay3613]

They do great portable systems and the HD Atari was better than AtGames.

[@Clay3613]

@William Burns Different games have different aspect ratios.

[@yjk_music]

Clay3613 Yeah, they are much better than AtGames.

[@hiawa23]

Another reason why my N64 is still connected to my old interlace big tube tv.

[@frankwest6984]

Hyperkin has always had issues with their retron stuff. Id rather have composite than average emulation. N64 emulation is nowhere close to %100. Ill stick to my N64.

[@Tim_3100]

Mostly true a lot cant do N64 emulation very well. But faster SBC's for example can run the likes of notriously diffcult to emulate bad fur day on the likes of the odroid Xu4 and N2 with quad and hex core cpu's really well. (Ok they take more power my N2 is powered from a laptop mains plug at 16v)

[@hikaru9624]

I wish I still had my n64.

[@hikaru9624]

@@combustiblelemons9346 those ports would have most likely been modded by Nintendo or their respective companies to run on Wii/Wiiu hardware.

[@WH250398]

You can still get s video to improve things

[@ArtisChronicles]

ytviewerLem 998 if you go by the 3DS virtual console Pokemon games, it's not fully accurate emulation. so I dunno. I haven't done comparisons and I'm probably not going to be able to.

[@AllieRX]

Good luck playing Rogue Squadron on the RetroN 64.

[@ArtisChronicles]

Allie-RX I can't even have battle for naboo run properly on project 64. I'm wondering what other emulators I should look at for that

[@geeknproud321]

@@ArtisChronicles Mupen64 Plus plays Rogue Squadron and Battle for Naboo perfectly with the newest GlideN64 plugin. Project 64 has gotten a lot better, and can do more stuff, but Mupen64 Plus is more accurate and plays some titles Project64 still can't do. Project 64 plays Rogue Squadron beautifully using GlideN64, but still fails when booting Battle for Naboo.

[@marshallgs]

They will have to write savedata back to eeprom/flash/sram on the cartridge. Flash on N64 carts has several incompatible variations and I predict there will be lots of bugs involving save data loss. Pokemon Snap, Majora's Mask, Pokemon Stadium etc.

[@JoolsWills]

Fantastic job as usual. Appreciated the technical details regarding framebuffer emulation. N64 is a complicated beast to emulate.

[@miljororforsprakpartiet290]

25 years later, they still can't match the original.

[@hugh2hoob668]

i still have mine the 64 is durable only working system i have i just have to get new cables

[@omegarugal9283]

the original is so fucked up to be emulated accurately

[@mikealangeloy]

PC does pretty well

[@joemann7971]

@@mikealangeloy The PC has bruteforce behind it. The retron is effectively a raspberry pi with a cartridge slot.

[@pepsiforbread1416]

Hey, blame Nintendo and SGI for the N64 being a complicated machine

[@andrew8293]

They are allowed to sell the emulator under the GPLv3. But they ARE REQUIRED to supply source code to ANYONE who wants it. If they did not modify the source and If they used FreeBSD and their own Rom dump software for the emulator platform then they are a-ok for not distributing source code.

[@GameplayandTalk]

Hyperkin doesn't have a great track record in my book, so needless to say my hopes are not high. I'll be interested to hear your further take on it though once you get your hands on it.

[@gregjarvis1232]

Hyperkin=Garbage

[@BulletFever1]

@@gregjarvis1232 nah their ps2 controller is better than the official one imo

[@SneakyGreninja]

Hyperkin's products I've bought in the past have been great for the most part , they're great in my book

[@krazycharlie]

I think we will be better off waiting for Analogue to release their own rendition of the N64. Let's hope they will!

[@gregjarvis1232]

@@krazycharlie Couldn't of said it better myself!

[@MofoMan2000]

Earlier this week I dug out my old N64 and hooked it up. Damn thing still runs like a champ. I was getting down to some Mario 64 and just enjoying the hell out of it. I played it until 2AM last night and was late to work this morning, but it was worth it.

[@74bobby]

2 MVG Videos In one week Score. Great Video Brother...

[@andreamitchell4758]

but just how will Nintendo and youtube conspire to shut this video down

[@mwitz7096]

Thank you, this needed to be made. I would've just gone crazy over it if not

[@tails64dsntchannel8]

if it 'aint FPGA it's not worth it.. although the N64 whould be a nightmare to reproduce...

[@DarkLink1996.]

Probably, but hopefully Analogue is working on something in secret

[@DarkLink1996.]

@@thunderhayes Indeed. They're kind of the pioneers of the FPGA console market. I wonder if there'll be a built in game. They seem to go for unreleased or majorly cut back games that they restored

[@RetroDoneRight]

FPGA isn't some perfect emulation miracle, and Analogue aren't the pioneers of it.

[@ClockworkBard]

So here's the big question regarding a FPGA'd N64. Should they go for authenticity by retaining the 240p resolutions and low framerates, or should they follow the emulator tend of improving them?

[@TheDeelunatic]

@@RetroDoneRight I agree with you on that. FPGA, though good for some things, would be a nightmare as Tails64DS stated to set up as a N64. Anyone that pulls it off though would have my deepest respects though. @DarkLink1996 They were not the first to do the FPGA consoles. RetroUSB and their AVS comes to mind for example, The idea of and availability of FPGAs has been around since the 80s. Now for people using them to emulate old chips in game consoles, that's kinda recent but started as hobbyists tinkering with possibilities, RetroUSB's AVS is the earliest that I am aware of that actually is a commercially available option for an FPGA based game console.

[@jokuemt]

yeah cool another n64 thing that runs mario 64 and ocarina of time(with half effects missing or buggy) and nothing else

[@ArtisChronicles]

William Burns at least that's an official Nintendo release lol

[@jamesbuckwas6575]

This looks decent

[@JesuszillaS]

Probably can’t even run the math minigame in Mischief Makers.

[@Osai1234]

Perfect Dark, Mario Golf, Majora’s Mask, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Smash64, Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Stadium, 1080 Snowboarding, Wave Racer 64, Banjo KaZooie, Jet Force Gemini, Donkey Kong 64, and SIN AND PUNISHMENT is out but like yeah you’re right man

[@Stjaernljus]

GPL 3 also states that GPL 3 software on a hardware device should be user replacable. So no locked down hardware in combination with GPL 3 code.

[@mattafaak]

$5 says this will get a jailbreak/homebrew firmware shortly following release.

[@Stjaernljus]

@@mattafaak they will probably follow the GPL but putting GPL3 software on closed hardware is a thing some companies try to get away with.

[@gyroninjamodder]

From what I remember, it doesn't need to be user replaceable. That's only a restriction if the software is replaceable in the first place. You still have to distribute the source code though. This can be done with a simple link in the manual or even just on the website for the product.

[@LiEnby]

They might have a shitty updater that doesn't check anything when you try to update thus making it ' replaceable'

[@TDRR_Gamez]

A solution would be adding a USB port and the option to update on the console itself. It checks for, say, a configuration file which has the "instructions" on which files will the console replace on it's hard drive. That's not exactly hard to do and avoids many problems in the future.

[@AaronPaden]

Doesn't Hyperkin have a reputation for using non-commercial licensed software in their products? We'll see, but I'm not confident they will actually comply with the terms of the GPL.

[@SCIN]

where the 4mb ram expansion cartridge fits, or will it already have in that clone n

[@bangerbangerbro]

Considering it's emulation and there will be plenty of RAM I imagine it will be able to emulate the machine with the full 8 MB (actually 9 MB) as with the expansion pak plugged in. But it probably won't be able to emulate many of the games that actually use the expansion pak very well.

[@xtrup]

0:38 en la pantallita de arriba todos los plugins fallan en mostrar esa pantallita, paleta, pixel, grafico, action live, 3D, replay race como gusten decirle no aparece la pantalla de cómo va el corredor!

[@boleshuggah]

thank you MVG, love your vids and your honesty and editing. I hope you continue making good videos for us!

[@abumuad]

Brother, I had to sub. I have spent the last few days watching your uploads. They are entertaining, nostalgic and educational. You're awesome! Thanks for the uploads.

[@BenColc]

Perfect Dark's CamSpy, BombSpy, and DrugSpy gadgets render the frame with a fisheye lens effect. I wonder if those will be broken on the Ultra Retron.

[@USSMariner]

"... *Yes* "

[@The1uptriforce]

big time

[@TheRealJPhillips]

$50 says it WILL be.

[@Heavenira]

I remember Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day had this issue whenever pausing. I'm glad to have some closure.

[@renakunisaki]

It's also why Zelda and Paper Mario take ages to pause on emulators.

[@Booruvcheek]

My verdict: don't bother, just run an emulator on a decent PC.

[@philrod1]

I play an original N64 on a 1920x1080 LCD using composite. I'm calling that "good enough". The controllers are definitely showing their age, though.

[@Booruvcheek]

@@philrod1 Thumbs up! Original hardware is by definition the most faithful way to play old games, and if you're OK with composite, then by all means, full speed ahead! Me, on the other hand, I don't have N64, plus I'm a big fan of sharp pixels. Despite of what many say, I do prefer LCD screens for retro games, so..

[@groszak1]

don't you know how expensive "a decent PC" is

[@Booruvcheek]

@@groszak1 I used to play Mario 64 on a 300-something Acer laptop I bought in 2014

[@stonedsavage7814]

@@groszak1 I'm piss poor and I have a decent gaming pc if I can do it anyone can do it.

[@johndee759]

Thank you MVG for making this video. You are the best.

[@debrebeuf8959]

1:25 at .25x speed, you can see that the analog stick does not have more than 8 directions

[@LiEnby]

Oh god there really being that lazy :?

[@TDRR_Gamez]

"Doesn't not" is double negation, so it has more than 8 directions :D (seriously, the correct expression is just "Doesn't")

[@debrebeuf8959]

TD RollinsR uhh i think that was autocorrect. i couldn’t imagine making a double negative mistake. ill edit the boy

[@Maximus20778]

@@TDRR_Gamez you must a parties

[@HenrikoMagnifico]

I still want to to port your Xbox N64 emulator over to PC or maybe even SOC. It would be fantastic I'm sure!

[@Alien_Bob]

I have -64 faith in Hyperkin delivering a quality product

[@RetroDoneRight]

@Lassi Kinnunen chances are your phone costs 10x what this thing will. It won't run anywhere near that.

[@ModzvilleUSA]

I see that Reaper icon. Amazing Recording Software, good taste my dude.

[@ShaneMakesMovies]

Did this never come out? I'm only just hearing about this now and just wanted to know the status of it

[@phillippi2]

Hyperkin has to do all of the following, to be in compliance with the license: 1: Allow the software to be used for any purpose. 2: Provide any code for the GPL covered software they distribute; whether or not changes were made. 3: Allow people to redistribute/resell exact copies of the software. 4: Allow people to redistribute/resell derivative copies, as well. Please note that any time the software is redistributed, even by end-users, all of these terms must be met.

[@dstinnettmusic]

Is it under GPL 2 or 3? Because if it’s under GPL2 it isnt that strict.

[@mattafaak]

Emulator consoles are alright if the emulation is spot-on. No N64 emulation is spot-on at this time. But at least someone is taking the first step to a modernized N64 clone.

[@blue1764]

Third party true but in house that's a different story

[@aaronhess7635]

as long as i can play wwf no mercy via hdmi then count me in.

[@Capitan_Chaos]

it's been two years . where is it?

[@niespeludo]

N64 clones, CAVE shirt and sub 10 min upload by MVG... a good way to pass this friday. Love your content man.

[@jfwfreo]

Nintendo 64 emulation isn't exactly good on a full desktop PC (I dont know of any open source/available emulator that is able to accurately emulate every Nintendo 64 game out there), I can't imagine how crap it would be on the anemic low powered hardware systems like this usually have.

[@alinepiroutek8932]

At least the native N64 Virtual Console emulator on Wii was God! Fullspeed Mario Tennis with 4 players.

[@grn1]

@@alinepiroutek8932 Pretty sure Nintendo uses some sort of recompiler for VC games. They usually have all the same glitches as the originals but the fact that the Wii can play N64 games at full speed suggest recompiling. They probably do a decent amount of testing as well to ensure there's no major glitches outside those originally present. (In case you don't know a recompiler basically takes the original code and converts it to modern code which can add various bugs to the game but it's fast while an interpreter tries to perfectly emulate the original hardware but tends to be slower.

[@alinepiroutek8932]

@@grn1 The N64 emulation on Switch uses Dynamic recompiler but its performance isn't nowhere near Wii Virtual Console.

[@gvcvbbhvbbccxcvn]

project64k

[@bluehatguy4279]

If they are going to use the emulator, they may as well include an option to render at 1080p. They probably won't, but their main competition are home PCs which can do so easily.

[@hjups]

Great Analysis! I think your device specs will be spot on as well, since that's going to be the most cost effective solution for Hyperkin. Just a quick note about hardware, most likely the device has a cheap FPGA in it, to interface the cartridge ports and controller ports to the CPU. The simplest solution there would probably be to use a 7$ USD Spartan 6 FPGA connecting to the CPU via an SRAM bus (so the CPU sees the FPGA as an SRAM). Custom drivers can then be written for the OS to map any functionality that you want to the SRAM bus. There is an interesting question here though... what are they doing about the N64 bootloader? That's copyrighted by Nintendo, and surely they won't expect the end user to supply a pirated copy for the system to run? For the framebuffer explanation, I don't think you explained that correctly. From my understanding, the framebuffer effects that are done by most N64 games were done on the CPU. So the dataflow was say render the screen to address PTR_1, then the CPU reads the memory at PTR_1 and either modifies it and copies it to PTR_2 (the jumbo-tron effect is most likely a strided DMA from one memory pointer to another), and then if copied, tell the video output interface (which makes the NTSC or PAL signal) to draw from PTR_2. While the CPU is working on the framebuffer, the RDP can be drawing the next frame to PTR_3 (so you have a 1 frame lag). This is because the RDP could not address the main RAM directly, and instead needed to have texture data copied to it via a DMA. To copy an entire frame-buffer would not be feasible due to the limited texture memory (I think it was 4K?). Though Nintendo did mention the possibility of copying an indexed output of the framebuffer, but you wouldn't be able to draw anything else. Basically, using the CPU in combination with a DMA was the easiest solution. Note that this still explains why the emulators don't work correctly, they would need to copy the framebuffer out of the host machine's VRAM and back into the system RAM, which takes more time on the host machine and will therefore slow it down.

[@xtrup]

En castlevania cuando pones star no sale el action live del recuadro del rostro del personaje y cuando tiras un ítem con cada plugin se miran diferentes colores ó efectos cómo cuando tiras el agua bendita se mira gris con otro plugin se mira verde y etc, etcétera!

[@QLTD]

nothing beats the original hardware!

[@thatssomegoodpie]

5 years later and still no news about this thing.

[@MegaManNeo]

I don't mind emulation solutions albeit a FPGA would have been impressive. The issue is just how much N64 emulation is hit and miss. The hype is real among those who want it, I much rather dump the cartridges and play those in PJ64 if I have to.

[@ericwood3709]

Or even a natively compatible MIPS CPU. The company is still around and making chips.

[@cslack813]

I love your videos. They're in depth and very informative. Thanks!

[@stolencommentpolice7600]

Emulator + HDMI cable + PC + Bluetooth n64 controller on Amazon. But that's just me some ppl prob just like having a collection.

[@patrickclifton7661]

As soon as I saw this announcement, I knew you were going to do a video on it. The frame buffer issue was the first thing I noticed and tipped me off to emulation as well. Great video as always. Looking forward to your follow up from E3.

[@MauroMathProfe]

Where can I get that clone

[@ZILtoid1991]

Depending on the SoC architecture, you can still get a modern shared CPU-GPU RAM architecture. The Raspberry Pi is technically capable of such feat, but probably needs some driver modification. The simplest way to solve that framebuffer issue is probably by writing a program for the VideoCore IV's QPU (shader processors) in assembly to pull the texture from main memory, but I don't know if the graphics driver would freak out since the shader is reading from a memory address it's not supposed to. I know these information since I looked up for how to program the Raspberry Pi's GPU for my retro game engine, and GLSL hides many of the shader features I would've needed for emulating the graphics of older systems, and even on PC I had to use SSE2 to speed-up the rendering.

[@andree1991]

Anyone know anything about this? it's 2021 now and nothing new has been released since this video came out

[@negativeM]

So when is this Retron going to release? I checked the Hyperkin website but it was not on there. Just want to know when its coming out. Thanks.

[@samsoulee]

Good luck running Killer instinct on this hardware !

[@Ziggurat1]

Can you arrange an interview with kevtris? It would be interesting to hear a conversation between a software technical guy and a hardware technical guy regarding FPGA emulation, the now and the future.

[@ShelfWarmer]

THIS

[@itsmestan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure they still haven't released this yet.

[@joemann7971]

You're not wrong. I've looked at the website and it's still not there. They sell wireless N64 controllers though.

[@Coldsteak]

perhaps it's just for prototyping purposes.

[@1yaz]

Since they are using GPLv3 software, Hyperkin must provide the source code to their firmware. In addition, they must have a system that is tivoization free, i.e their product must allow flashing of non-signed firmware. Therefore, their product should be homebrew friendly ;)

[@eduardofrances]

I think this is a bit of drama for the sake of drama or he didn't took the time to invesitigate... Hyperkin posted in their website all the GitHub links to the R77 emulator repo in compliance with the emulator license as an example.

[@ToddsNerdCave]

Great video brotha! I look forward to your thoughts on it after e3.

[@IamR3D88]

Did this get cancelled or just super delayed? This video is a couple years old now and still no N64 on their store

[@simbin.]

I'm not sure why anyone would want this. Especially when all N64 emulators have so many incompatibilities. I'm assuming it will still be cheaper to refurbish $20 N64 from eBay, solder $7 RGB mod, and purchase HD Retrovision cable.

[@LiEnby]

Yes, especially if you throw it in a box that never receives all the updates to the emulator to make it run better

[@r-starfan4ever236]

simbin So fuckin' what? If us N64 fans wanna play our classic games again, hell yeah we want this.

[@hikaru9624]

It's an option at least and it's some progress made to make a clone n64 that will be at least better in the future. Also not everyone can modify a console (hell there are folk //drivers// who don't even know how to change a tyre when the get a flat).

[@simbin.]

Hikaru WDM It's not a clone though. It's an emulator in a plastic shell with a card slot to dump roms.

[@hikaru9624]

@@simbin. my mistake. But it's still an option at least because n64 parts are probably rather hard to find these days (I assume it is anyway, certainly for genuine parts).

[@westmcgee9320]

I’m amazed that there are people who are concerned about getting a “better” image from the NES, N64, etc. it’s fine as it is, to me, but if it weren’t, I wouldn’t expect anything to make it much better.

[@Digiflower5]

I wonder if that buffer thing is what gives me trouble when emulating n64 on wii u. I use n64 injects.

[@Smartphonekanalen]

I have seen something similar.

[@Digiflower5]

@@Smartphonekanalen any ideas if there is anything i can do? Love the wii u and it's my own personal n64 classic but a few of my favorites won't work or have issues.

[@Smartphonekanalen]

@@Digiflower5, I experienced it with n64 app for homebrew 2013/2014. If you Google you will see a lot of problems with wii64 emulator and stil it's one of the best. I'm sorry but it's hard to emulate n64. Maybe someone else can help you.

[@Digiflower5]

@@Smartphonekanalen no worries a lot has changed since 2013/2014 you can use nintendos own emulator now. The one they use for the virtual console games.

[@TDRR_Gamez]

@@Smartphonekanalen That's a bad recommendation as Wii64 is VERY outdated, use Not64 instead which is still updated and has many performance and stability improvements compared to Wii64. And anyways, no, the framebuffer is not the problem. Because the Wii U VC is oftentimes designed with shortcuts around the game it's trying to emulate (eg: the game doesn't use a special effect, so the VC has that effect disabled to keep framerates high, or it uses custom microcode for the RDP) It means that you would need to find a game on the VC that shares the same effects and same RDP microcode, which in some cases is impossible.

[@brucesi]

Did this ever come out? Not seeing it on their website.

[@rozenravn7221]

I wait in hopes Analogue will attempt to recreate it with their Midas touch

[@hdofu]

and it will cost more then a new laptop

[@MrRandomposter]

Very thorough as always. Great channel.

[@XeonProductions]

I'd rather have an FPGA based clone, but that would raise the price considerably.

[@IceKoldKilla]

Literally gonna wait for your review when you get one or try a few different ones before I buy one. I've been wanting to get back into N64 ever since I gave it away when I was 12. Soon though. I can't wait for these clones!

[@MotoJoee]

I’ll just wait and save my money until a clone comes out... if that ever happens

[@timreuscher492]

This could be the kind of push to get Nintendo to do an N64 Classic mini. The emulation could be a problem, but if you get a lot of Nintendo programmers I bet the problem could get solved somehow.

[@goldenpotatogold2934]

Tim Reuscher put a better prossrcor problem solved

[@timreuscher492]

@@goldenpotatogold2934 definitely

[@VideoGameXDomain]

It's 2021 and where is this Hyperkin console?

[@AddableStone13]

It became Vaporware

[@skootdiggity1301]

Hmm, could they put one of the new parallel libretro cores in a unit, or would the licensing prevent them from using the core for a commercial product?

[@bartekpekala77]

I can already see how corrupted Conker's going to be... what a shame

[@Abel-Alvarez]

And pokemon stadium.

[@bartekpekala77]

Abel Alvarez unfortunally

[@Papaio_Oo]

There is still no Hyperkin 64 published yet.... Im so sad....

[@Rick_Todd]

If it's Emulation , Then I'm sorry but , I'm out.

[@starman5901]

Rick Todd grow up

[@MusaFinderi]

Of course it's emulation. How could they replicate SGI custom chips.

[@Vulpine_Cloaker]

I won't discourage the use of emulators, however I won't use one. To each his (or her) own.

[@Vulpine_Cloaker]

@ironmike southern if I have the original console available I'll use the original console, if I don't have it... Oh well I'll just save up enough to buy the console required to play the games.

[@zombeat7376]

I agree with you rick todd, I tried n64 emulators on the pc for years. It can look great but all you ever do is mess wirh settings to get it working properly like having to constantly change plug ins to find out which one works best for each game it is tedious and really fkg annoying when all you want to do is play a game.

[@apu_apustaja]

*Looks like this is still not out (in mid-Jan 2021!)*

[@RandomCat125]

Yeah no, I'll just stick to my original n64 thank you very much

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

I thought the system was now released, until I found out this was an old video talking about the emulation when it was only just revealed to the world.

[@shunandromeda4767]

As always with hyperkin it went nowere

[@dsproductions19]

Unless I'm mistaken, the frame buffer issue was one of the main reasons why Pokemon Snap took years to run in emulation, even to the point where the first emulator to make it compatible was the VC version on Dolphin , oddly enough.

[@truealchemouse]

So in other words, yet another """fine"""" Hyperkin product. Fun fact: I've never used a hyperkin product I've never had to take back within a week because of issues. I've learned to keep away from their offerings.

[@Terkzorr]

0:38 Whenever I see the Luigi Raceway screen broken in MK64 I know it's just a bad emulator, it's always the first thing I test when checking out N64 emulators. The GlideN64 graphics plugin has this issue fixed for a long time now.

[@Brookiethehornedpupper]

No shocker I don't think hyperkin products are really all that great . At a casual standpoint there clones run stuff for the average audience. But for the hardcore scene imo never think they are up to snuff.

[@piurtv]

Wait, considering your video about the N64 Classic Mini : Does it mean games that don't run well with HLE will not run well on this despite using the official cartridge ? So, Hyperkin's UltraRetron will not be able to run Killer Instinct Gold correctly ?

[@Eddies_Bra-att-ha-grejer]

>paying for emulation >hdmi for retro consoles soyak.jpg

[@madden8021]

Wait for Analogue to work on an N64 console of its own. It'll be Worth the Weight

[@nathanmead140]

@@madden8021 *wait*

[@madden8021]

@@nathanmead140 I'm hoping though, The N64 is a complicated console outside the SNES, NES, Sega Master System & the Genesis.

[@WH250398]

@@madden8021 Is it going to be that heavy then?

[@Eddies_Bra-att-ha-grejer]

@@madden8021 Analogue's clones are hardware emulation though, they're worth it in some cases. This is just total trash though.

[@TofranBohk]

Did they use a GCN style analog stick in their controller? (I.E. no plastic dust and slop after using it for a while)

[@templar646]

Guess this project died

[@yashy2x]

Great job as always sir You deserve our subs

[@RisingRevengeance]

I will probably have to buy one... when another company makes one.

[@Wolfwood2057]

I'd definitely buy one if it's good, but that's because N64 emulation is really bad. And chances are if the clone is using emulation, it will also be really bad.

[@MidnightMechanic]

Being HDMI out, is it true HDMI output, or all the games running at 720p upscaled? The original N64's output resolution was piss poor, but that helped considerably for processing, since obviously there's less detail to render. I'm noticing some gameplay in 4:3 aspect and others in full screen, but I still have no idea if any postprocessing is going on to display in true 1080p. Emulators can handle some high resolution output just fine, but the hardware is most likely on the weak side, and there's probably not going to be easily accessible display settings to fix the rendering bugs. WYSIWYG.

[@tecpaocelotl]

That means Pokemon snap won't fully work.

[@r-starfan4ever236]

How? Please explain.

[@thequake2009]

This is awesome!!! Always wanted a N64 clone!! Thank you for the video