Retron 5 Game Console Review & Compatibility Tests

The Retron 5 is a brand new retro video game console from Hyperkin. Join Pat as he gives us his in-depth review. Find out what games are compatibile and what games just don't work! Pat tests out: NES, SNES, Genesis, Gameboy, GBA, and GBC games.
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Pat tests out the following on the Retron5: Castlevania 3, Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, Space Harrier 3-D, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Action 52, Star Fox, Yoshi's Island, Dragon Warrior, Arkanoid, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Emerald, Mother 1&2, Micro Machines, Contra Hard Corps, Super Mario RPG, Donkey Kong Country 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Virtua Racing, Streets of Rage 3, Tetris, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, R-Type

[@malikrath9503]

Ohh thank god it plays action 52.... gotta get my cheetah men on!

[@ProtoMario]

The saves is a killer for this system considering, its 130+ dollars. INSANE, no way I'd even pay 40 dollars for this, with such glitches, this seems put out early because they couldn't fix this at all... Saves are a deal killer for me, especially with the cartridges being able to be played on it, literally no point to playing it if it doesn't save.

[@TheSharkKing45]

wow so much glitches MISSING NO!!! sorry bro even though you are the best glitch Pokemon i just wanted you to blame. oh and +Protomario on thing that make this better is to read ROM files N64 Rom files or GBA files from COOLROM.com because i do use the Visual boy Advance and Project 64 and dolphin(gcn/Wii) emulators which i find awesome

[@ProtoMario]

AUTOBOT TAP OUT You could get a better experience from playing Roms on a Windows 98 system, that is the worst part.

[@TeaganD]

ProtoMario Buy a retron 3, you can play nes snes and genesis, and with a super gameboy, you have 4 systems to play on the console, it doesn't emulate, acts like real consoles, and have up to 3 carts to switch through with a dial on the console, you can also use composite video. And if you use the system on a standard definition tv, you can use the light guns.

[@richardb1720]

TeaganPlaysMc Retron 3 is garbage I bought one and the controller ports were reversed. Major compatibility issues. Sent it back

[@TeaganD]

They were just flipped around... -_- And what kind of major compatibility issues are there?

[@Revillution]

The lightgun issue isn't a RetroN5 issue, it's a TV issue. HD tvs can't support lightguns at all, so blaming the RetroN5 for this is unfair. That said, they shouldn't claim "100% compatibility" they should say something like "90-95% compatibility" excluding lightgun games and homebrew, although homebrew/repo carts may be playable in the future with firmware updates.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

It's not unfair when a light gun cannot even be recognized by the system to begin with.

[@Revillution]

How is it 'not recognized'? It wouldn't be 'recognized' by a standard NES either on an HDTV using traditional AV cables. It uses the same input as a normal NES controller. The problem is the TVs, not the RetroN5, Thus why they didn't 'support' the use of a lightgun, because HDTVs can't support the technology needed for it. Should they have included AV/composite cable support? Yeah, but they didn't because most people use HDTVs these days and newer TVs don't have too many older inputs (AV composite/component) on them anymore.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Revillution.com No, the problem is that you cannot even use light gun peripherals in the first place. The Sega Menacer and Superscope sensors are not recognized as devices by the system. They didn't include AV support most likely as a cost saver.

[@Revillution]

Most likely, even though it's still more expensive then they initially said it would be. :P

[@MFGreth]

They've already mentioned on their Facebook updates that one of their current top priorities for a future update is adding homebrew and unlicensed games to the list of compatible games, though there was no mention of multicarts (which is fine with me, I dont care much for pirate multicarts, though i do like some of the unlicensed games)

[@TheRealAkaRai]

That was a really comprehensive review. I'm legitimately impressed with the sheer number of games and peripherals tested out in this review. Basically every question I could have about the console is answered.

[@AllieRX]

If it's an emulator that looks like a console, I'd much rather play emulators on my PC or Android phone and plug them to my TV.

[@rosstedfordkendall]

It's really more for people that have a lot of old carts lying around and want something to play them on, rather than having to dump them to a PC or download them.

[@Frozkadur]

culwin The only reason i bought it is cus its region free and im to lazy to switch consoles everytime i wanna play a different system :)

[@JamesQPurcell]

***** That litterally doesn't matter to some people. Another thing this thing helps with, it makes recording gameplay footage in HDMI output a snap, without having to deal with a ton of varying systme outputs. Also, I think calling this an 'emulator' is dishonest. I mean, yeah, its technicality emulating rom dumps. But its a completely legal means of rom dumping your own carts. Which gets you out of the nebulous grey area of actual emulation. Not to mention you get to use your own save data (or whenever they patch that up). Also, Region free. 'Real Hardware' is only for serious gameaphiles. Honestly, the fact that you can use the 'real' game controllers is the only aspect of that which matters, and the Retron 5 has the covered.

[@syxx573]

***** Wii doesn't have hdmi though, the lag is real

[@rosstedfordkendall]

culwin Maybe the old console broke? Maybe they sold it years ago but kept the games for whatever reason? Maybe they just want something new that plays games rather than futzing with a 25 year old console? This isn't aimed at people who use emulators on a PC. It's aiming for a much broader market of people who just want to play their old carts. Or for people wanting to consolidate consoles.

[@WH250398]

Drinking game: Every time he says "fine", take a shot

[@MrJholshouser41]

+WH250398 Alcohol poisoning.

[@spechti2045]

Im doing FINE

[@silvershocknicktail6638]

I got a Retron 5 just within the past few months. I was aware of the various minor issues going in - no problems so far at my end. It would be great to see a follow-up video from Pat on whether Hyperkin fixed the problems detailed post-launch.

[@gavinpickens7354]

does it save games on the retron 5 or do you have to use the cartridge to play the game every time.

[@silvershocknicktail6638]

Gavin Pickens You need to use the cartridge to play. It reads the cart into memory as you insert it, then plays the game from there. It's an anti-piracy measure. (There are apparently very simple hacks that can be done to make the Retron run ROMs from the SD card slot, but I've not done any myself.) The actual save-slot data goes to the console by default. It can be saved back to the cart but I've heard of issues with that depending on the game.

[@gavinpickens7354]

Silvershock Nicktail can I use my game genie like I do on my old Nintendo.

[@silvershocknicktail6638]

Gavin Pickens I'm not sure on that one. I might be able to test that. What there definitely is is a downloadable cheats database from Hyperkin, that you load onto the SD card from your PC. Games that have cheats available then have an option in their game menu.

[@silvershocknicktail6638]

Sakaki's Zone Yeah, heard about all of that. Bloody stupid of them. It'd be a shame if a decent product was damaged by something like that.

[@dividebyxer0]

That was an awesome review of the system! You tested the hell out of it with everything you could. You rock Pat!

[@baddumbaccount]

I guess Wally bear says no to retron5 more than drugs.

[@WhiteJarrah]

Has there been any software updates to this console that ironed out the compatibility issues that you outlined?

[@LivingWithTheGuzmans]

Great info thanks

[@InsaneWayne355]

I've been wondering about this thing and you really covered all the bases. Great review! Thanks Pat!

[@KinglyMinotaur]

I really do appreciate the amount of time and thought this man puts into his videos. Pat is a very admirable man in my eyes.

[@Sammo212]

Thanks for posting this! I was thinking of picking one up!

[@THEKLEVER187]

So are you going to I know I am

[@Sammo212]

KLEVA DAGREAT Yeah, I am. Going to wait until I move in a month or so though as I have no real decent place to put it right now. I also want to start getting my retro collection going, but I'm really only to get games I like opposed to everything I can.

[@THEKLEVER187]

Right right ...I got a buddy that knows a retro shop owner so he said I could get an all back retro 5 for $120 not to bad at all ...and I feel yuh on only getting games you wanna play lol

[@Whytemane]

Steven Simmons Don't touch this thieving little POS. They stole ALL of the Emulators they used WITHOUT permission of the emulator's creators.

[@THEKLEVER187]

I mean yea they stole free emulators but made a system that we all needed

[@jcau99]

This was really well done, thanks for spending so much time on it.

[@BlakeWilliamRhodes]

Really like this review. I like the more dramatic ones that you do, but this one is so in depth and informational that it just blows me away.

[@FriedrichHabetlerMusic]

That was a really good review! Thanks a lot.

[@MikeyTaylorGaming]

If you're looking for a 1080p Upscaling Emulation device I'd reccommed softmodding the vWii on the new WiiU... Everything played through the vWii is upscaled to 1080p no problem and looks fantastic, I actually record my retro let's plays via the WiiU emulation apps. (Toejam and Earl 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles for MegaDrive/ Genesis showcase these on my channel if you're interested in seeing that!) The only downside to that is that you can't use the original controllers... but at least the saves work! hahaha

[@AnalogX64]

Thanks for being so through with the testing and review. You did an excellent job.

[@SSinthaNorthwest]

Excellent review Pat. Very informative and in depth...Thanks!!!

[@iwanttoseemrshow]

Could you plug in a 32X add-on, or a Sega CD add-on for the Sega Genesis?? Would love to play that again (no, I'm not kidding)

[@PatTheNESpunk]

There is nothing on the console to interface them with.

[@rosstedfordkendall]

Sega CD has a very specific connection to a Genesis expansion port that the Retron lacks. The 32X worked with actual Genesis hardware. The Retron 5 wouldn't know what to do with a 32X, assuming you could even fit it in the Genesis slot. It's emulation, not actual Genesis hardware.

[@rosstedfordkendall]

They don't want to run ROMs off an SD card slot because they're afraid of being accused of supporting piracy. Same reason the thing won't work if you remove a cart, even though the game is held in memory and not played on the cart. They're being a bunch of weiners over this, but I can kind of see where they're coming from.

[@Denji2006]

rosstedfordkendall Oh I'm pretty sure these companies are looking for ways to stop this. Legal loopholing is only good when they do it :p

[@TeaganD]

***** The Retron 3 doesn't emulate. it actually plays like an NES,SNES, and GENESIS game where it crashes like on an original NES, it loads up like on the original GENESIS and SNES, and when you take any of the carts out, it acts like you actually broke the game, no emulation.

[@redwing559]

could you do an updated review on the retron 5 since it has been over a year and some patches may have been released?

[@polaropposites96]

Such a helpful and thorough review. Thanks, man. Great criticism.

[@Helvetica_Scenario]

Excellent review. You went over all the important features, and made sure to address all the cons without providing any misinformation.

[@nio107]

it's a bad thing that homebrew dpesn't work, that's the "future" of those old consoles :s

[@drclaw411]

It's not all homebrews that don't work it seems. Plenty of mine, including my Mr Gimmick from Save Point Video Games, work fine.

[@HamtaroSonicHedgehog]

They're planning on releasing update patches for homebrews.

[@drclaw411]

Plenty of my homebrews do work. Fix it Felix Jr, Mario Return to Dinosaur Land, and Boneless to name a few.

[@nio107]

well, I don't have it yet, but I will like to have 100% homebrew support.

[@nio107]

true, I'm not saying it's a bad console, but if the original NES and SNES can play the homebrew carts, Retron should do it, there's not a real reason why not to do it...

[@AmaranthOriginal]

That controller looks like an unholy abomination.

[@jomichael1060]

True

[@The8BitDuke]

Thanks for the review, Pat! Was curious about this!

[@weblefeck]

Thanks for the video, was looking at getting one of these but you've told me all I need to know. I'll see if they fix a few things first!

[@prophismusic]

pat, i love you, but you seem to miss that that the basic purpose of this system is for a new generation to access the libraries of all these classic consoles.it seems youre expecting way too much, with the unlicensed games and light gnus not working complaint. the fact that it up-scales everything to 720 alone is amazing, it sounds great, and plays smoother than some of the consoles. plus , has auto save features.. im getting one in the future. still thanks for the video and your opinion .

[@PatTheNESpunk]

I explained what worked and what doesn't work and what you can look forward to and what not to expect. I was trying to remain as objective as possible to let people decide for themselves.

[@prophismusic]

Pat the NES Punk no doubt gave you a thumbs up

[@rosstedfordkendall]

I don't think he's expecting too much when Hyperkin claimed 100% compatibility in some of their marketing.

[@prophismusic]

rosstedfordkendall oh did they? ouch, then is understandable. i know in the past systems had issues here and there too. we'll is if it's capable of 100% compatibility in the future then. this is a great video on showing the current function

[@RichardCraig]

Upscaling just means the pixels are bigger... it doesn't do anything to improve the visuals unless you use a filter like HQx or Sx2ai.

[@Raziberry]

Can we get a "fine" count on this?

[@JZS161GTE]

Great Review! One thing to note, to get 4 controllers connected using the NES Satellite you can get NES controller extension cords on ebay for about $4 ea and use them to be able to plug in the dual connectors to each side of the retron 5.

[@nathanielbeven9052]

nice edit on that SHUTTER FLICKER. Love you, love the show!

[@DwwwD]

It needs the cartridges... 1 usb slot... Meh. Just buy a dirt cheap crap laptop and emulate that shit all day.

[@topicvideosguy]

or a Pocket PC or Droid 4. Surprisingly, the Droid 4 can play Dreamcast games. No, I'm not kidding.

[@Bro-cx2jc]

I was impressed to find that my Windows XP laptop could play Nintendo 64 XD shows how much I know.

[@CryptoJordanVR]

I wish Hyperkin would make a console that could play old disc based console games like PS1, PS2, GameCube (maybe even Wii?), Original Xbox, Sega Saturn, and Sega Dreamcast. And you know what? What the hey! Why not slap a 3DO in there while we're at it? That way all of our favorite old disc console games could actually look good on HDTVs. And it could be called the Retron CDS (compact disc system), although PS2 & Xbox games were made with DVDs the name CDS just sounds better.

[@CyricOz]

This review is very informative, thank you very much sir. I learnt what I was wondering most about the system.

[@lodown505]

thank you Pat!!! i was needing a thorough review of this system.

[@Mchenrygames]

Just a glorified emulator. A Wii can do a better job at emulating those systems and more. You can even hook up real controllers with a GC adapter.

[@KnightOfGames]

Homebrew is fuckin' 10/10 amirite

[@eggplantunleashed4740]

Yeah, I was going to point this out - The latest Builds of "Not64" run LoZ OOT, no problem @ 60 FPS, without much Lag, A Wii is sooo much better for Emulation.

[@Mgm_Designs]

Nice job, this is a console worthy 99% looks, compatibility, and fair pricing. Keep trying Hyperkin.

[@masonterry2285]

***** its the company that makes the Retron 5

[@Mgm_Designs]

An experimental console in its prototype stage.

[@Mgm_Designs]

Yeah, for everybody who wants to play stuff from the 80's and 90's! Including me, once updates for emulators stop.

[@sevenpimp]

Great Job Pat! I always look forward to your vids!

[@snoopyfix2]

Great video man! Very in-depth and informative! Thank you! Keep it up.

[@mistervanderveer]

Why not just emulate games on a vastly superior PC? More customization, tweakability, homebrew, connect it to whatever devices you want (monitor, tv, any gamepad, joystick, etc.), multiplayer support, and, save 140 bucks in the process. There is no difference between the cardridge and extracted roms.

[@bean420man]

Just get the real consoles.

[@Gimboy202]

the problem with the real consoles is many people (myself included) no longer have tvs that have standard AV jacks on their new tvs. Meaning you cannot play the old consoles. I don't own this console but IMO if someone is in a similar situation as me where the old consoles simply wont work without buying a different tv this is a great option. Not to mention to buy all of these consoles separate would be much more then the $140 price tag they are offering.

[@dannyofthededd]

I would much rather have all the original hardware but it's a matter of space,cost,availability and convenience for some folks..I have a decent collection of pal snes and megadrive games but not being able to run them at 60hz full screen without either modding my consoles or re collecting all the various games and consoles from different regions was a bit of a ball ache and required a lot of space and a huge CRT TV. Hopefully someone will get it right one day so i could pare down my collection and save on wear and tear on my original hardware for posterity

[@art92]

Gimboy202 who doesnt have old tv lying around?!? i have like 5 or 6 old school tvs lol playing them wouldn't be a problem

[@dannyofthededd]

***** aye not for a long time though. stuff like atari 2600's right through to n64 were produced in their millions and are pretty much bomb proof and repairable with cheap components.. the generation to disappear first will be the disc driven stuff but most of the games have been rehashed in HD anyway..what will become rare are CRT TVs. I can see a gap for specialist made ones as the old consoles just don't look right on anything else which for me is also a problem with clone systems made to run on lcd or plasma screens

[@dannyofthededd]

***** wahhh…maybe they'll have cracked it by retron 10 or something. there's still loads of games that simply don't work properly on it which baffles me but hey ho. hdmi output on anything other than last gen (and perhaps dreamcast through via) just isn't right no matter how many filters you use ;)

[@playstationd78]

I've seen a couple of overview vids on the retron 5 and I gotta say this vid is the best by far! Good job pat!

[@MattEightSix]

Nice Job on the review Pat. Super thorough. Thanks.

[@xmg5688]

I bet my softmod xbox works better.

[@crushedsnake7226]

A very well done clip! Big thank you

[@The_Nokia_3310]

Great video, might pick one up in the future

[@robertj668]

What a well thought and excellently executed Console Review!

[@TonyWoW01]

Amazing depth of testing in this video. Great job!

[@hobotron2000]

Great review! I'm probably still going to get one eventually, but I don't know if that's going to be in the immediate future.

[@DennisMangual]

Wow, this was a awesome thorough review, thanks so much for the hard work.

[@NilsByte]

great review. answered all my questions.

[@Sazime]

Holy crap this review is complete. Awesome work!

[@Supercoincoin3D]

Great review, full of details. Thx a lot!

[@ZiggyTheWorld]

That's what I call a FULL review. Very instructing, thank you!

[@rayfincham1595]

Thanks for your review, I still haven’t gotten one yet, and I am still undecided about taking my older systems out, maybe one day if I see the retron 5 at a good price I will grab one.

[@nateh.512]

Awesome review. I had no idea this even existed, but your video was nice because it helped me understand that this system isn't perfect although can possibly be fixed in the future via updates. Thanks for the review!

[@CharlesFlahertyB]

A fantastic and very thorough review, thanks.

[@timberjennings663]

Fantastic and thorough review!

[@Anthoneycfs]

Awesome that compatibility test!

[@stupidTRISTEN]

Great review really enjoyed it

[@redneckvideogamer2449]

Thanks for this review, I've been considering getting this for a while now. I also just found your channel today when I noticed the Rooster Teeth/Gerstmann video, watched it and subbed. Don't know how I haven't come across your channel until now. You have some cool videos!

[@chris20sith]

Great review! good job!

[@Ratlegion]

You worked really hard here. Thanks.

[@jonnymars7164]

Great review very thorough.

[@midnightkitty8172]

Thanks for posting this review, Pat. Until now I wasn't aware of the Retron 5, so this was really interesting to me.

[@SuperJim]

Thanks for the honest look at the machine Pat. I ordered one back in October and I have been told September now here in the UK. I am just hoping Hyperkin haven't been lazy with PAL Snes or I'm buggered!

[@Troop3r]

Excelent review... has a lot of info... thanks!

[@gabesapp2416]

thanks bra. ive been really indecisive on this. good thorough review though!

[@CageCombo]

great video & review

[@nycheeseburger1011]

This seems perfect for my purposes. Great review!

[@AudreyYun]

Incredibly helpful thank you

[@Jeremymcdev]

A follow up video after a few firmware updates on the bugs you saw would be nice.

[@DOGSAVAGE666]

Great review pat cheers

[@alex_macieira]

Very awesome and in depth review!

[@muticere]

This is easily the best product review video I have ever seen and it's kind of a bummer that you couldn't keep making more videos in this style. You do such a good job at this kind of hyper specific analytical review.

[@OIFEagle]

Excellent review, very informative. Unfortunately I didn't understand a few of the terms.

[@electricadventures]

Excellent comprehensive review Pat, you definitely spent the time testing out all of the features. It's a bit more expensive now, so not a buy it now for me, but I am sure with a few more updates it will allow flash and multi-carts and make it a bit more attractive.

[@jamescoward110]

Great review Pat.

[@14141313]

AWESOME :D i have been waiting for this for like ever:D

[@Meidoification]

Haha, nice job on the review. I bet Hyperkin wasn't expecting an actual honest review. I was considering buying one (if nothing more than to play GB games on my TV) but now I've reconsidered. Thanks!

[@NickyG_vz]

very good review. nicely done

[@sinonlovelysharpshooterggo8581]

This is a great system, I may have to tell my boy about this. thanks for telling me about it.

[@jeremybds1901]

Awesome review, thank you

[@ExtremeMusicSpace]

excellent review !

[@jorglct]

Nice review. Thanks

[@changerstranger6342]

I have this system. I had put in a Super Famicon game. It read it it as unknown, still played it.

[@LordKaiser003]

There on 0:56 is the amazing Acii Pad, The best controller on the SNES if you mod it a little by simply changing it's short cable with a regular SNES controller pad cable.

[@The90sGamingGuy]

I bought one of these a three weeks ago and am enjoying it. Just want more games to become compatible with the system. Light gun support would be nice too. Great review!

[@grandmyst312]

i have to say, this is the best retron 5 compatibility review i've seen so far game wise. as someone who has a retron 3, retron 5(since may 29, need to do a firmware update) and many other systems. i'm glad to see some of the glaring issues i'm not the only person having. when i get the chance to update the firmware, i can test out the system some more with my library of games and then post a review myself along with original controller usage(something i've seen no one do as of yet, especially nes)whereas problems exist atm. take care.

[@MegaFaisal1975]

Great work Pat. Thanx.

[@anticalgary]

Pat, thanks for your review. Would you consider giving thoughts on the Super Retro Trio which came out last month? A lot of people who were waiting for the the Retron 5 decided to go for that instead- I was one of them. I am curious to find out what you and others think about it. I for one love it- all of my games work on it.

[@mfkrwill]

I was actually looking to get this so i could record gameplays/reviews using my Roxio GameCapture card (Which uses hdmi input and output for recording). I think i may end up getting it eventually. But i think i will hold back until some updates for it come out. Thanks for the review!

[@georgetedrick2276]

Thank you! That was very informative. Heard another review that praised the Retron 5 over repairing an NES toaster with the "Blinking Light Win" retro fit. I think I will wait for the bugs to be worked out on the Retron 5, and fix the NES. I am looking to get a PowerPak and they only work on the NES toaster. Question: 4 player mode/dual controller 2 player Smash TV with the Retorn 5. Did you try using extensions to plug ib the 4 player adapter? I play Smash TV with the optional dual controller for single player (works great with some velcro and a small sheet of plastic). Thanks again

[@TheExaminedLifeofGaming]

It looks like they did a surprisingly good job on this. The video upscaling seems like a cool feature for putting one of these in a modern living room. Not sure I'd need one though, except maybe to play handheld games on a less agonizing machine.

[@johneygd]

Thank you soo much for this review, i was waiting for sooo long to adventualy see a real review with unboxed console of it. They should do more investigation to fix those bugs, issues and glitches in games unless it's unfixible,i guess despites the year delay it rolled out too fast.

[@acusterx]

Thanks for the review. I have a C2 console that plays NES and SNES but I can't play a few of my games on that one. Maybe I'll give this a try.

[@hmwpyro18]

The Retron 5 seems like a good console I can add to my collection, only after knowing that the issues have been updated. I'ts perfect for someone like me that finds it hard to find all the consoles that the Retron 5 supports, plus, it saves up a lot of space, and I'm already running out of space

[@MoGaming_YT]

Amazing review, thank you for making this.

[@wwjoshdew]

Oh Hi there!

[@inlovewithgoats1092]

Thanks for the Review! I´m going to buy it.