RetroTink 4K Showcase | Testing 15+ Video Game Consoles

[@VideoGameShowcase]

One aspect I wasn't able to show in this video is the HDR injection to brighten up the use of scanlines and CRT masks. Here's raw video footage of the feature: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npnacp5jjseggqs - make sure to watch on a display with HDR support.

[@targetrender9529]

Your video quality is excellent, even with KZbin’s compression it looks really good.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Thank you!

[@rockfresh1993]

Faxx

[@johnadlington5416]

Can't wait for mine to arrive - I'll be using it for laserdisc/SD video as well so I'm really looking forward to that and digging out my old consoles from the attic!

[@mat5669]

I was really curious about the results with the ps tv and docked analogue pocket. Thanks for the review.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Sorry for no Analogue Pocket!

[@pixel240p]

OPA duduuuu consegui achar seu canal gringo pela barra de pesquisa! kkkk mano boa sorte aqui também!! TMJ!

[@Gustavo-ix3ut]

A coincidencia do destino: seus videos de "como voce nunca viu" me acendeu novamente a paixao por retro gaming. Agora apos comprar um retro tink 4k pra melhorar a experiencia, encontro esse conteudo maravilhoso tirando todas as minhas duvidas. Thanks Edu!!

[@Foooorms]

this is by far the best retro gaming channel out there great work! PS: ja ouvi essa voz kkkk

[@VideoGameShowcase]

❤️

[@MindForgedManacle]

If you missed it watching the video, even if looks dark to you, if you turn on HDR injection then it lets you keep the scanlines and/or slotmask filter but still brighten up the image. Best of both worlds in terms of emulating the look of high quality CRT TVs!

[@PabloB888]

The image quality on dreamcast and gamecube is surprisingly good. I wish the PS2 console was more capable, because with only 4MB of VRAM (and no texture compression) developers had to compromise on image quality. The vast majority of PS2 games ran at 480i. There were a few 480p games, but developers had to run them either at sub-640x480 (God Of War 2 will certainly run at sub-480p), or at full 480p but with reduced color depth (+dithering).

[@VideoGameShowcase]

The Dreamcast holds up surprisingly well, especially compared to the PS2 and GameCube. I have no issues with lower res on PS2, but 480i is a problem!

[@rickalbuquerque1205]

What plays the PS2 better the 5X or the 4K?

[@wutang_batman]

Great review, and love the new green screen format, it's taken things to the next level. Well done.

[@tubinonyou]

Good video. Yes, I'd like to see an HDR follow up video.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Thanks! Regarding HDR, I’m working on it but not sure if it will actually work out! I’ve included an example of HDR in the pinned comment though if you already wanna check it out!

[@tubinonyou]

@@VideoGameShowcase Interesting. The video is still too dark despite my phone being capable of HDR. I'll check it out on my TV tonight when I get home where I'll be able to ensure the HDR mode is taking effect. Thanks!

[@PabloB888]

​​@@tubinonyou The same on my S21Ultra (OLED with up to 1500 nits), the image is very dim. Every other HDR video on YT looks amazing, so IDK what's going on.

[@tubinonyou]

@@PabloB888 I actually have the S21 Ultra as well. Lol. The video looked better on my LG OLED TV, though... Not quite how I imagined it could look but better.

[@PabloB888]

@@tubinonyou Televisions increase the brightness of HDR content because the APL (150-200nits) in HDR content is too low for daytime viewing. I think I know why this retrotink HDR video look so dim. It's not enough to turn on the HDR output (container) in Retroink, you'll also need to manually increase the brightness, because otherwise you are looking at the same SDR (100nits) image, just in HDR container.

[@BrunaCubbins]

Estou encantada com o teu canal, Edu! Vou continuar assistindo não só porque te acompanho há mais de 10 anos, mas porque tu está fazendo um trabalho lindo aqui. Parabéns!

[@cesarsilva2282]

Parabéns pelo vídeo! Acho muita grana, mesmo para quem mora na gringa. A minha expectativa é o OSSC Pro. Eu tenho um OSSC clássico ligado no Wii. Pra 240p e 480p, ele funciona muito bem. Vi algumas pessoas no Twitter(principalmente no Japão) elogiando muito o OSSC Pro, falando que a imagem dele está melhor que a do Retrotink 5x, o 480i agora funciona bem, aceita até 720p(podendo duplicar o sinal para 1440p) e é menos da metade do preço do Retrotink 4k. Atualmente está esgotado. Parabéns novamente pelo vídeo e sucesso na nova empreitada!

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Eu acho que a grande vantagem desses novos escalonadores é pra scanlines / máscaras. A resolução extra faz diferença! E algo que não mencionei pois eu não tinha como mostrar mas que outros canais mostraram filmando a TV é o BFI (Black Frame Insertion)… deixa o vídeo bem mais fluido! Valeu!!!

[@123mr123mv]

I loved the review video of the Retrotink 4k, jolly good show well done ❤️‍🔥👌

[@Dokm1n]

Eai Eduzinho gatão, algoritmo do KZbin realmente nunca decepciona hahaha Parabéns pelo canal novo, demorei pra encontrar, logo logo ja estourou entre os gringos ❤

[@MichaelM28]

You should use the Retrotink 4K for HDMI consoles at it provides sharper scaling for 1080p or lower res games than your TVs billinear scaling.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

But at a regular playing distance it doesn’t make much difference honestly!

[@MichaelM28]

@@VideoGameShowcaseI can notice the difference with 720p and 900p games at a regular viewing distance on my 55" TV

[@philscomputerlab]

Can you please test with PC, especially DOS and Windows 98?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I wish! I don’t have a PC from that era!

[@Mr.Goodkat]

I want to digitise some old Hi8 and VHS tapes, how do you think this would compare to the RetroTINK-4K for that?

[@TheGunmanChannel]

When you get past a certain point I reckon we should spend more time playing the games and less obsessing over the image quality lol, but I still love watching your vids.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

You’re completely right 😅

[@pddrogcruz]

Pô, Edu, esse vídeo saiu primeiro pra gringa?kjkkk Brincadeiras à parte, gostaria de parabenizar o trabalho sensasional. Espero que esse canal cresca tanto quanto o outro. Deus abençoe!

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Nesse caso fazia sentido! Vídeos do RetroTink 4K já tavam sendo publicados em inglês mas em português não tinha nada! Então era ok eu esperar um pouco mais pra versão em português!

[@AdamsOlympia]

Can you resize the video output so it takes up a smaller portion of the screen -- Say 1/4th or half of a 4K, for example? I'm tempted to get one, mainly to use with my MisterFPGA - But I don't like playing 8 or 16 bit games full screen on a big 4K OLED (65") since it's so close to me. I usually prefer a smaller monitor or window if emulating old games.

[@ButcherGrindslam]

8:50 - sounds different, because many clones' audiochips had duty cycles swapped. One of the very few clones to have correct sound is Subor (but it's hybrid system - PAL output with NTSC hardware).

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Ah thanks for the info!

[@KyleReeseCel2029]

I could be wrong but it seems like at the moment the RetroTink 4k has better scanline or scaling options than emulators. I hope this inspires people to make better scanline and scaling options on emulators. Otherwise it might be worth plugging a pc into one of these to get the best scanlines/scaling combined with the best re-rendering of polygons.

[@BrianBorkowski]

When using the Tink4k with an Xbox 360, PS3, or Switch, use it with the LCD mode and HDR on. It'll simulate a 720p or 1080p screen in a cool way. I think it's worth it. Those systems looked better on those displays and this does a good job at capturing that

[@KneyerLand]

I hope LCD or CRT masks does not make any image retention on OLED displays

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I’ll try that out! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@BrianBorkowski]

@@KneyerLand I thought the same thing. Time will tell I guess. I don't think it'll be a big issue on newer panels and if you are a person who is cautious.

[@BrianBorkowski]

@@VideoGameShowcase I used to really enjoyed playing those systems in 720p on my HD CRT before I sold it a couple years. I've never seen them look that good before so I'm excited to mess around and try to capture that as well

[@Rosa_Canina]

Can only recommend. They already look amazing on my RetroTink 5 Pro with an 1440p screen, which is a perfect 2x scale for most games from that generation.

[@tomwolfpack8888]

I only have a hd tv and a ps2 what scaler is best at giving clear smooth images?

[@mansenclockworx8215]

Great work 🤙🏼

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Thanks a lot!

[@Sestain]

I have to say that this video seems pretty well made but at some points audio balancing was a bit off, other than that great video.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Thank you very much for the comment and feedback!

[@kellymcguire4970]

What is the size of the TV you showed here? And how big is the N64 picture across that TV?

[@HuyVu-lx1mf]

The question is that is there a noticeable difference on a 4K screen of a 1080 upscaled image from a retrotink 5x vs 4k upscaled image from a retrotink 4k? I am still debating between retrotink 5x or a retrotink 4k for primary PS2 games. Please give me your recommendation for that system alone. Thank you!

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I'd go for the RetroTink 5X honestly. I'd only recommend the 4K for professional use (or if you have no spending restrictions)!

[@Guilherme1Lelis]

I could recognize that biladeiro's voice anywhere hahaha. Will you bring some MiSTer FPGA content here?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Hmm not sure, I think I'll prioritize for now real hardware... and I cannot simply adapt the MiSTer FPGA content I already produced for the other channel because it's outdated now! Thanks!

[@kybone25]

Hi :) I'm just wondering if you could tell me what features the Retrotink 4K has over the 5X? I don't imagine you will be able to see the difference between FULL HD 1080p and 4K when playing a retro game on a modern display?! I just simply want to be able to play my Genesis, NES, SNES, N64, PS1 and PS2 games on my OLED and have the best picture possible. As I have already mentioned, I cant imagine the 4K, technically being the "best possible" option, being visibly better than the 1080p option. Am I right in thinking this? I don't do live streaming or anything, I just like to play though some of my old games now and then. Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated

[@Brodensson]

The 4k option will probably show the biggest difference if you use filters to emulate the look of old CRT TVs and LCD panels. Otherwise, the difference is very small. If you've got a $4000+ entertainment setup, I'd go for it. Otherwise, the RetroTINK 5X is still the best all round option.

[@OwtDaftUK]

I am personally waiting on the analogue morph4k. It's cheaper and the fact you would be able to easily replace the analogue parts to repair is very cool. Scart sockets can be very touchy when they are old.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Personally, I wouldn’t trust nor feel comfortable with a PixelFX product.

[@PixelPoke]

How well does this integrate to a multi console setup? I dont imagine having to plug and unplug stuff constantly is very good. DOes it work well with Hdmi/Componet splitters?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I’ve been using it with an HDMI switcher and a SCART switcher! So far so good!

[@pretty_jesus]

@@VideoGameShowcase thoughts on SCART vs component switcher setup? Trying to decide between all SCART or component setup

[@maegnificant]

Do you think this is going to work well with switch games? I have a 1440p Oled Monitor and I think the 120hz BFI upscale mode could be a gamechanger.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

The BFI feature is awesome! I didn’t mention it in the video because that’s not something I’d be able to record and I didn’t test it thoroughly to feature too. But from what I tested it works super well, it really makes the games look smoother. With the switch you could test 720 -> 1440p with BFI besides 1080 -> 1440p BFI too.

[@maegnificant]

@@VideoGameShowcasei don't like setting the switch to 720p, it makes the resolution of the textures so blurry, maybe it gets set to undocked mode? But do you think going from 1080 is good, sinxe it's not an even scale?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Yeah, even from 1080 to 1440 it’s good! And you can also do 1080 to 1080 if you prefer! But 1080 to 1440 should look better than letting your monitor scale!

[@maegnificant]

@@VideoGameShowcase or should I pick a downscale res and then upscale again? How would you upscale the switch to 1440p with this device? Btw I got an order down :)

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Use the Switch in 1080p, set the output resolution to 1440p120! Then you can try different upres methods in the Tink 4K!

[@danelectr]

How about the ossc?

[@Fellipe2k5]

Vídeo muito bom! Tenho interesse primeiramente para videogames como 360, PS3, Switch é Wii U. Talvez não vou conseguir pegar dia 9/12 mas acho que em janeiro eu consiga

[@NintenPizza]

So when using a QD-OLED that's 144hz, you can use Retrotink 4K's 24fps dual strobe BFI and knock down 60% of OLED motion blur(And 50% with 120hz OLED TV's, and 75% with 240hz)? It's just a shame that the OLED BFI flicker in general is excessive(I can only imagine it being worst with dual strobe BFI) and nearly unbearable on whites, plus it's capped at 1080p(not a deal breaker unless you're going for 77-83") + 24fps, instead of 4K.

[@KinoKonformist]

Brazil Phantom System have different color because it's PAL region. All PAL region versions have little bit different colors (they closer to original pallette cause PAL is better and more correct system in almost every way, except 50 fps for videogames).

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Hmm PAL-M though, so it runs at 60Hz! I’m not sure why the different colours are because of that honestly, it could be the components (since it’s a clone). Thanks!

[@WanderingNasi]

Which gbs-c are you using? I’m in the market for one

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I have the GamesCare one, I vouch for them. Most cables I’ve got are by then, my SCART switcher… really good!

[@KneyerLand]

Do you know when it will be available to Purchase

[@VideoGameShowcase]

On the 9th of this month!

[@rossgirdeen3247]

How is the retro tink construckted looks like a quality device

[@VideoGameShowcase]

It's FPGA based! The best scaler I've ever used. But for general gaming I'd use the RetroTink 5X Pro, which is more affordable and produces really good results.

[@rossgirdeen3247]

@VideoGameShowcase I have a lot of HDMI consoles I wanna hook up. That's whats selling me on it. I have a 5x and does a great job. It'll either be a tink4k or a fx morph

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Ah got it! I've been playing God of War 2 via the PS3 collection with the RetroTink 4K and I'm loving it so far. Between the RetroTink and the FX Morph I'd go with the Tink since I'm so used to it and it works so well!

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

Which arcade boards switch resolution? I;ve never come across such a game

[@VideoGameShowcase]

They don’t switch resolution from what I understand, but they can use unusual resolutions / frequency / refresh rates!

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

@@VideoGameShowcase Ah yes indeed. There are also some pcb's where you can switch between resolutions in de dip switches. Mr. Driller G for instance. you can select either 240p or 480i.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Had no idea! Thanks!

[@castrofox]

É interessante ver a diferença na apresentação desse canal, em comparação com canais brasileiros, como o do próprio Edu. Estou curtindo!

[@laura9x64]

damn, that n64 scaling looks almost as good as the ultrahdmi

[@Dronetothetop]

I want to play 2D Switch games with the CRT filters.

[@Leemacht]

Can this run the games of the original XBOX?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Hey! It doesn’t run games, it simply takes in the console’s signal and outputs in HDMI. It does accept Xbox via composite and component.

[@jon_bone]

How do you get PS2 games to go 480p?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

The ones that do usually have an option to turn on progressive mode! There’s also a button combination as far as I know but I’ve never used it, I always activated it under graphical options.

[@jon_bone]

@@VideoGameShowcase What graphical options? In each game's settings?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Yeah, in each game go to the options menu! For God of War it was in the main menu options. Before selecting new game / load game!

[@rodrigodh1]

Vai apresentar esse canal pro seu outro publico?

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Não pretendo! Quero deixar ele crescer por conta própria! Valeu!

[@god6384]

scanlines looks so dark though lose a lot of brightness

[@BeyondEntertainment_]

🔥

[@brandogg]

Soul Calibur 2 also supports widescreen btw.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I normally go with 4:3 with games from the analog era… just personal preference 😅

[@henriqueoliveiraassuncao5779]

usksEDU... it kinda rhymes!

[@1ZosoLZ]

Using hdr on ps3 is good so it does have a good reason to use it for hdmi consoles

[@TheFirstGlitchMan]

I have create an hdmi upscaler with antialiasing ia

[@Matthewsavant]

I’ll just stick to my computer with emulators 👌

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Nothing wrong with that! 😅

[@Matthewsavant]

@@VideoGameShowcaseI used to collected for NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, 32X, Saturn, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, GameCube and Wii but then it got stupid expensive like after 2016 or so. I had been collecting since the early 2000s but the prices people were commanding became unreasonable so I sold off my entire collection and replaced it with a PC with emulation. I had some heavy hitters in my collection and made a ridiculous amount of money selling of my collection and I haven’t looked back. It’s cool having the physical carts/discs but it is not even close to worth it anymore.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Yeah, prices have gone crazy. I’ve been collecting since the early 90’s, but I only buy stuff I’ll actually play and I’ve really dialed down my purchases since around 2017 / 2018.

[@santos_pedro]

no way, udeskrb??? Brasil reference

[@connerbryant7215]

Man it just looks like this doesn’t do much for image quality to me…

[@keaton718]

750 yankee dollarydoos, hot damn. I kinda just want it for N64 so might be better off just getting the Analogue 3D.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Hmm consider the MiSTer FPGA. It’s awesome!

[@Chester_Allan_Quilas]

I'd just buy a GPD Win Mini or ROG Ally for that pricerange!

[@markoragnos6757]

God I love chrono cross. Or of best rpgs ever.

[@8bitfrenzy376]

Too bad the price is absurd

[@Sebastian-xy3xk]

It's not really an absurd price. It's a very premium scaler that comes at a cost due to the chips it comes on board with. 4K is a very demanding resolution to scale things up to compared to 1080p or 1440p.

[@SMSmediaservices]

It definitely is an expensive unit…however people keep buying them and they’re currently out of stock. I’m willing to bet a lot of people would pay even more for it.

[@laurenalexander4438]

Seriously. $750? I paid $600 for a laptop that can play all the old stuff with a ton of shader passes to emulate the CRT look. Plus, it has a 144hz screen with g-sync, so I can play at ade games at their original refresh rate. Makes a lot more sense than having 50 different consoles hooked up at once.

[@TheWretchedWorld]

@@laurenalexander4438this is an enthusiast product, it only works best when paired with a high end oled tv, the price is high but if the price is your barrier for entry it’s not for you. For me I’ll just stick with my crt I got on the side of the road for free. This is for the 1% of 1% of retro gaming enthusiasts that are willing to pay whatever for the best experience.

[@toututu2993]

​@@Sebastian-xy3xkWait until you see vr with duel screen 4k that cost only $500 from meta with way more features and function lol

[@GetLostGames1]

I just was this retrotink so much but I don’t buy myself anything.

[@TheFirstGlitchMan]

This device give me 60fps at 4k in a 30fps game

[@KAZUNARl]

750 USD? Who’s this for?

[@bradlauk1419]

It's good, it's not $800 good.

[@MrMoroPlays]

good thing it's $750 then

[@mikeg2491]

And yet no one has built anything better for cheaper. Until someone does this is the market price. Personally I will be buying it because I am both a retro game enthusiast but also have hundreds of laserdiscs and DVDs, it’s a bargain compared to the price of some of those video scalers from the 2000s.

[@BagzAndPresident]

@@mikeg2491a bargain is EMULATING

[@Alorso_]

It's expensive because it has so many features and options shoved into a relatively small box, I get the hesitation but getting down to that price point for an all-in-one device of this quality is the best that's available now

[@icanttrustasoul.]

*750 ??* 😂😂😂

[@kailee87]

in my opinion for me, Retroarch on PC, way to go but these retro emulators good for those who dont have PC

[@snesfan8935]

Nice gizmo, but it's not my cup of tea. Retro consoles are meant to be played on CRT TV (it's just my opinion). Also, so many times i heard that "this" and "that" upscalers are awesome and have no problems in switching signals and etc.... Bull****

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I love playing on CRT's... pixels blend properly together creating the illusion of more resolution and more colors, the input lag / delay is basically non-existent... but personally I find it very inconvenient keeping one. I said that as the owner of two... I find myself playing games more often via scalers than on my CRT's. But that's just personal preference... in the end yes, CRT's should be the better option!

[@gorofujita5767]

Terrible investment (700$ afaik) IMO. None of this corresponds to the subjective image quality a decent 19 inch CRT television would produce. My usual litmus test is to check how sonic games look. I know for a fact my trusted Mitsubishi CRT PAL TV will *show Sonic with perfectly rounded and angular quills,* and *no visible jagged edges* AT ALL. Back in the day, I would play 16-bit Sonic on many different TVs (friend's houses, school's cafeteria even) AND I do know for a fact how those games are supposed to look -- and to be fair I assume that to be the intended look, as it makes characters look much higher res and almost pre-rendered at times. Whatever does not get me closer to this kind of picture quality is counter to the idea of playing these games how they were intended to be played.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

I totally get your point and agree that the CRT experience is different. I even have one and love it. But for real hardware in my own gaming space I’ve been opting for the Tink 4K (and before the Tink 5X) since it’s much more practical, the CRT filters are awesome and the input lag is extremely good. Thanks for the comment 😅

[@gorofujita5767]

​@@VideoGameShowcase Yeah my comment isn't meant to be "antagonistic" towards you, but to 1) Propagate my POV; 2) Maybe getting OP (you) to see the POV in the comment and hopefully talk about it in a future video 3) Maybe get some controversy going, and even help OP with the algorythm Whatever the case, I am not in favor of people returning back to their CRTs as a permanent solution. Since these are no longer being produced, and time will dictate that they will all fail on a long enough timeline _(oh and they do get a lot dimmer before even failing to turn on btw, thus ruining the experience),_ the good long-term solution lies in getting better shaders and/or filters to be created (via software like in reshade, or hardware, like in devices like retrotink). So yeah, at the end of the day, I am in favor of more devices like the retrotink being released and doing increasingly more stuff. But if I (and other people who think like me) don't speak out, there won't be an awareness there's a demand to replicate the actual CRT look

[@VideoGameShowcase]

Regarding CRT’s, I really wish we still had a way to buy new ones honestly. I have a JVC I love but I can feel it’s failing unfortunately! Thanks again for the comment! Awesome info!

[@yournightmare9999]

To many kids crying about price they should ask their parents for buying one or Santa 🎅 maybe he bring them one for Christmas

[@CDbiggen]

I have a pretty big retro console collection, but emulation beats all of it hands down unfortunately. No desire to get this.

[@jaredt2590]

Nobody should watch this he uploaded it in 720p.

[@VideoGameShowcase]

You're wrong. This video is in 4K.

[@MagicTheKrakening]

looks cheaply made... not sure how you can justify $700+ for this when the quality looks suspect