The BEST System You’re Not Emulating! (spoiler: it's PICO-8)

Today I'm going to show you the BEST system that you're (probably) not playing. Lots of people ignore this system, they think it's too weird or niche to be any fun, but that's a mistake! Today I'm going to show you the GLORY that is PICO-8. A console that doesn't exist...
BUY IT FROM LITNXT HERE: www.litnxt.com/products/powki...
BUY PICO-8: www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php
DOWNLOAD PICO-8 GAMES: www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?cat=7...
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- MUSIC CREDITS -
Intro: Captive Portal - Intro For A Nonexisting Video Game
Outro: RoccoW - Chipho instrumental
- CHAPTERS -
00:00 My sweet sweet angel
01:38 What is PICO-8?
02:48 How to play these games
03:40 My favorite PICO-8 device
04:37 How to find games
05:57 Let's play some games!
13:42 Wrap up
#pico8 #rgb30 #retrohandheld

[@johnathananderson108]

A PICO 16 would be interesting....

[@arthurdurham]

Yah, I would be more interested in these games if they were emulating 16 bit games. 8 bit is just a bit too minimalist for me

[@3van1993]

And then they can make Pico64.

[@jamievandervelden]

@@3van1993pico 128 👀

[@SensibleChuckle]

They are soon to release the first beta for PicoTron which is PSP resolution and more colors, and merges their voxel game development platform with Pico-8

[@edtuckerartist]

Don't skip the 32.@@3van1993

[@martinh4982]

The other great thing about Pico 8 is that all the dev tools are built in. I made a simple racing game with it. Best $15 I ever spent.

[@TechDweeb]

Wish I knew how to do game making stuff.

[@s133p3r0]

Is it something anyone can learn or do you need prior experience?

[@whanethewhip]

​@@s133p3r0 Anyone, it's easy to get into and a great introduction to coding and development. Everything is built in including sprite and sound maker. And having you work with limitations is GREAT because it forces you to make lots of little games to learn more rather than trying to make an epic game right away. Plus you can see code from ANY game and that helps a ton. Also, lots of tutorials here on youtube and there is something VERY satisfying about handing your handheld to a friend to try out a game that you made.

[@edtuckerartist]

@@TechDweeb Lazy Devs and Nerdy Teachers have great tutorial videos on YT.

[@davedavenport8673]

@@TechDweeb There are a bunch of videos on making games or programming pico-8. I just got it a couple days ago and am having fun trying things out. Making sprites, moving them around, playing with music, and looking at the code for games like Celeste. The programming is very much like BASIC (PRINT"Hello World"), but with some modern commands as well.

[@kaczan3]

The real PICO-8 is the friends we meet along the way.

[@TheRealTedNeal]

Thank you so much for including the games names! I’m always looking for more new games on PICO8!

[@TheLexikitty]

Was looking for a good overview on the Pico-8, great video and thanks!

[@historymaker118]

Well the timing on this video is perfect. I'm working on my next Pico-8 game for a game jam this weekend, and now I have something to be inspired by to watch while I work! Great video as always!

[@TechDweeb]

Amazing! hope it goes well!

[@VladlustTV]

I've been meaning to take a look at this system for some time so this is a great introduction to it. Thanks Dweeb!

[@chriscastillo291]

Your videos have become something like comfort. Food to me before I go to sleep😅 it always wasn't like that, and now your videos have grown on me. Keep up the good work.

[@kyleturner8597]

This video inspired me to check out Pico-8. In the last week or so I’ve been following tutorials and now I have a game to show for it. Thanks Tech Dweeb!

[@bellytelevision]

You're the best, TechDweeb! Ahhh I finally got my very own red rgb30 and have set it up with JELOS and Pico-8. It's such a dream ❤

[@TechDweeb]

Niiiiice!

[@svcross-do]

I love Pico-8 games. I wish they run better on Android. Regarding birds with guns, birds don't exist.

[@TechDweeb]

So I hear

[@anotherthing]

@@TechDweeb That's just what our bird overlords want us to think.

[@paperoverflow]

If you own an anbernic that runs emuelec or archos, it really is fun playing pico 8 on those. PC is what works best though.

[@TheRealAlpha2]

Pico-8 games run great on the RGB30, Just about any system with the official engine runs them well because they're such small games, but made with incredible ingenuity. They are the epitome of "pick up and play" arcade games seeing as they don't have the baggage of needing to be cinematic masterpieces. My only issues is that because the code for many of them are available, there are a LOT of clones. I mean there's like 15 Celeste and 32 Tetris clones which makes it a bit hard to find the real gems without videos like this that actually show them playing.

[@bcretty606]

This is the most delightful and fun retro handheld video to date. Because of this I purchased Pico-8 and installed it on my Miyoo Mini Plus. Please make more Pico-8 content in the future!

[@superscatman4236]

This channel is great! Very funny, unique, and surprisingly high quality!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks for saying so!

[@Biddymacp]

Shockingly high quality. Staggering really.

[@disastrophi]

I can’t wait to dive into this world! Thanks TD, you rock

[@brianhawk955]

I've only ever heard of Pico-8 in passing because I love arcade style retro gaming, but actually seeing these games in action completely blows me away. They kind of remind me of more advanced Wario-Ware type games, but with the same pick up and playability. Really appreciate this video TDweeb!

[@TechDweeb]

Yeah exactly. Quick pick up and play style games.

[@MJFallout]

Exactly, it comes from the good design of the little splore browser, too. You only get a few nibbles of information beforehand, but downloading games and jumping right in is near instantaneous, so there's this element of 'Okay, I'm in, what do? Let's figure things out here.'

[@RedCGaming]

Thank You for making this video, I wouldve never known about this! Now to go into this rabbit hole! lol

[@MeatbagTTV]

Wow what a well put together video! Lighting, editing, script all on 10 good job dude

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks buddy!

[@ASAN2042]

Pico8 on rgb30 is insane fun! Great vid man!

[@Pliskin1023]

As a new player from RGB30 I'm new on the system Pico-8, for me a Top 10-15-20 kind of it's worth it. Great video as alway, cheers mate

[@thedragonflytapes5727]

A lesser known PICO 8 game that I absolutely ADORE is called To A Starling. It's a short precision platformer that feels really good to play and looks beautiful.

[@TechDweeb]

I'll check it out!

[@thedragonflytapes5727]

@@TechDweeb If you do, see if you can beat it in under 2 mins. I may have gotten a little too obsessed trying to grind my time down.

[@PlanetSuj]

Right, thats it. I'm subscribed. This is just gold, I've not seen most of these games and have a spare RGB30 lying around. Time to try some of these out!👌

[@Musicman27XX]

Absolutely!!! Make more Pico 8 videos! Also, I love the game recommendations. The Sega one you did, not to long ago was good. I would love to see what kind of whacky Pico 8 games you could come up with. :)

[@BogalaSawundiris]

Need more FPS and boomer shooters for Pico 8 ! ALSO TWIN STICK SHOOTERS !!!

[@ArinoSeb_Gccx_QC]

thanks for the video about the pico-8 console. I was on the fence about getting a PKRGB30 from your last video review you did on this handheld. So should I get the model with the 256GB card with the official customized version to get the pico-8 n=menu to download the game directly on the handheld of all the card have it

[@ROUFNA]

Great channel ☺️ omnipresent humor 👍👍

[@titiojack]

TechDweeb, I really love your reviews. There are very few retro emulation channels that attract my attention. I believe I only follow 4 foreign channels, which are excellent, including your channel (without wanting to belittle anyone). About the console, I love the RGB30 more than the Steam Deck. Furthermore, great video my fellow countryman. Big hugs from Brazil :) (It's not like me to comment on channels but I'm always here following and leaving my like)

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks for taking the time to say so, I really appreciate hearing that!

[@ViBENo1]

are the ABXY correctly painted? i'm glad that you reviewing pico8 games cause even if i'm not a nerd of old handheld world i bought rgb30 because of pico8 games. there are tons but i have no time to check all. btw are there any worms armageddon/world party replica games for pico8?

[@whyserkan]

Thanks for the video. I think it was a bit hard to see the games from this distance. Otherwise great content again 👌

[@VeshSneaks]

I adore the Pico-8, I've had so much fun playing with games I found on there. There's even a demake of the Suica Game that's really fun to play, too. I'm curious where you nabbed those coloured face buttons for your RGB30 though. Kinda want some for mine now!

[@thomaschipman]

those are the new buttons. they changed the buttons around the time they released the yellow version. the all black button variant no longer exists.

[@Killysunt]

I've had Pico 8 for years from an Itch Io bundle & never given it a spin, may have to try a couple games

[@BortHog]

Never heard of this! Definitely interested

[@jessejayjones]

So funny, loved this intro, hahaha!

[@MandyRosko]

I just got into Pico 8 Because of you and I keep downloading more games. I love this little system, and I finally got it working on my Retroid Pocket 3+ so now it's given my little device a new life. Can't wait to see your favorite games. Will you do a list of the free and paid Pico 8 games?

[@missmoonrise5680]

im using pico 8 on the miyoo mini plus. i used the pico8 wrapper and it runs splore but i cant type in thew console and my mouse only works on nthe right side of the screen it just stops when u get half way going left do u know how i could fix this so i can make vpico games on my miyoo

[@nextgm30]

Seeing this video a couple weeks ago not only had me discover the console, but I made my own game for it!

[@iamskipper]

hei @TechDweeb ! Great Videos as always =) . Can you demonstrate how do u download the PICO 8 games from the URL into the recent Anbernic devices ? Thanks man

[@mauriciofreitas9439]

Bro, help me about HDMI, how to play on TV without delay? I got RGB30 and when I plugged on TV by Mini HDMI I used the console as controller but there was almost 2 seconds of difference… thank you

[@DrewBerriesmusic]

So glad I found this video. I have this device and these games look amazing 🙏🏼🍓

[@TechDweeb]

Nice! Enjoy!

[@crystal_is_cozy]

I love pico-8 games. I’ve been playing Matchy Matchy and the Bun Bun Survivor game on my miyoo mini plus for days now

[@TechDweeb]

Matchy Matchy looks great!

[@AaronThePony]

What is the Pico-8 game on the console front end on your RGB30? The one at 14:30

[@Sadtiric]

I'm glad you made this one, too! I've been curious about Pico-8 stuff more and more, as Russ mentions it. I'm sad my RGB30 is (metaphorically) collecting dust; the SSD case, also a Russ special, has been keeping it safe! I hope to use it more soon! I wonder if the Analogue Pocket will get Pico-8 someday..?

[@TechDweeb]

Oh man the Analogue Pocket would be an awesome Pico0-8 device!

[@Sadtiric]

@@TechDweeb We just have to ask the right people, right? It seems like a no-brainer to me. 💚

[@xerostyle]

do compressed/encrypted multicart games like shadowking (or any of mot's games) run on the rgb30?

[@zinesis]

A list of top games on pico8 would be great.

[@juniorelizondo4144]

Awesome video! Are you going to review the rp4 pro?

[@siamese605]

Hello from South Dakota. I really enjoy your videos, man. You really pay attention to the esthetics and ambiance of the videos outside of the products themselves. Your narration is natural and engaging. I noticed in another video that you had placed a little paper cut-out of a cat next to the product and that's when I realized, "Damn, this guy is really great at what he does." Thanks for re-igniting my interest in retro games and handheld. Just curious, have you ever played Trap Gunner for PS1?

[@SocialistDog]

Hey buddy. Ya gonna get that mig switch thingy? I plan on installing the mig dumper to my steamdeck

[@edtuckerartist]

Do you think Picotron will get a version for the RGB30?

[@jamesodonnell8806]

Hi great channel. What handheld plug in and play would you recommend for dream cast Saturn n64 psp please I have a miyoo mini plus. Is there anything that’s that easy to pick up and get into thanks

[@TechDweeb]

If you want acceptable performance in those systems something like this would work well. Otherwise you'll want a T618 device like the RG405v or the RG405m.

[@colin458]

Thank you for making this

[@okayman81]

Oh yeah! More pico8 fun for sure, I'm all for it 😊

[@googaboogaloo]

Do I have to play pico 1-7? I don’t want to get lost

[@TechDweeb]

No. Those are technically not part of the same picoverse as pico-8, so you're good.

[@googaboogaloo]

@@TechDweeb good I’m glad

[@rethardotv5874]

Cool sweater. It matches well with the hands and the consoles

[@VariantNYC]

the intro was so funny i subbed 😂

[@TechDweeb]

Appreciate it!

[@aztekno2012]

Nice little story at the beginning. 😉

[@AndyS2K76]

very good video but i don't know how to delete a game downloaded with splore on RGB30....do you know how to do?

[@socalrcguy1]

How many pico 8 games thats already included when you buy the RGB30???

[@mirkodiciano4647]

these games look awesome really wanna try dank tombs great vid TD

[@georgeogden1277]

Another fun video! I found a Pico 8 selection on my Pow Kiddy X55 but it doesn't contain any games. It has Splore but that doesn't seem to work? Any suggestions?

[@TechDweeb]

If you want to use Splore you'll need to add the official Pico8 app by downloading the Raspberry pi version and adding the files from the zip into your pico8 directory (that's a paid app btw). If not you'll be stuck with using emulation. You can run pico8 games through Retroarch. But you'll need to download them yourself because splore won't work unless you use the official software.

[@beeb5400]

Can I play pico 8 on the retroid pocket 4 pro

[@MrCosmicVictory]

good video, really good. i didnt know any of this. now im curious, considering the graphics, could these games exist on atari? nes 8bit?

[@TechDweeb]

I don't think so. They are 8 bit games, so that would be NES/GBC era, but neither of those would have the processing power to be able handle most of these games. I'd say that even though they're coded for 8 bit architecture you'd need at least a Sega 32X level retro console to run them.

[@F0r3v3rT0m0rr0w]

My retroid 4 just shipped. When it arrives ill be 100% sure to put pico 8 on it

[@leechismyname]

how to play pico8 on trimui smart pro?

[@ChrisFooDeg]

I’m still on the fence on getting a rgb30 I feel like they’ll come out with a better version when I buy it lol

[@VRBug]

Installed Pico-8 natively on my Miyoo Mini + and I agree, it's awesome! Mai-Chans Sweet Buns it hugely addictive []-)

[@asselinpicard1554]

Thanks a lot for this video. I was waiting for it. I missed some of this games. I enjoyed playing Beckon the Hellspawn, porklike, charge! and Jack of spade. So many good game are hidden in splore O_o Can't wait for your next pico8 video ;)

[@AlistairBrugsch]

5:53 "Indie Retro News Cracktro" by some guy called abrugsch 😂

[@gmitchellfamily]

This has blown my mind. Can't wait to tinker and get it running on my r36s I'm getting any day now. Cab Ride and that taxi game look particularly interesting but do not show up in the Pico8 cart collection when I search. Is there another repository somewhere?

[@TechDweeb]

Most games are available on Lexaloffle www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=41332 You can also search in the Splore app

[@TheRealTedNeal]

I’m running PICO8 on my RGB30. It’s great!

[@BdR76]

The amount of pico8 games can be overwhelming, but I can recommend Ascent, To A Starling and Arcane Nectar They're like bite-sized triple A games, excellent game ideas, large levels and sometimes even a great sound track

[@bembelknecht]

I am curious to see what their other fantasy console Voxatron will be like; admittedly haven't got the time to get into it yet, but seems promising since pico is very pico

[@i_DONT_get_IT]

Lexoloffle needs the assistance of maple syrup, do they not? I can not emphasize this more than I can already. Please? I’ll give you a root beer

[@TechDweeb]

100%

[@wweyler]

I want a top 100 pico-8 games list video!

[@I4get42]

GooOoood morning TD! That was great :-) If you haven't tried it yet, Age of Ants is awesome too. It is Age of Empires, but you are an ant colony ....and on Pico8.

[@edtuckerartist]

There is also Voxatron - from the same dev (voxel based games).

[@s133p3r0]

Nobody ever mentions Marble Merge. If this was a real handheld that was released, it would be the systems tetris. That game is about as close to perfect as you can get, it's the best game i've played so far on it.

[@nirgunawish]

are there any games that play like gbc?

[@KING_B00]

Great video TechDweeb! Interested in PICO-8 and I have an RG35xxPlus. Do you think this system can handle these games? I heard about performance issues with the og RG35xx

[@SensibleChuckle]

The best experience by a long shot is on the RGB30. It has a bigger display and sounds are exactly right. The Pico-8 emulators don't compare. For this interested in a Pico-8 emulator, it seems silly to emulate something already so simple anyways, why not just get Pico-8? Seems the emulator would be larger and clunkier than just buying Pico-8.

[@sethtoybes9392]

@@SensibleChuckle It also runs natively (and great) on the Miyoo Mini Plus!

[@SensibleChuckle]

@@sethtoybes9392 Lazy Devs Academy says otherwise. It works but not as well they say. I think image size and pixel averaging had a lot to do with it, irrc. I like the horizontal layout as my hands don't feel cramped. But I say go with what you enjoy! 👍

[@sethtoybes9392]

@@SensibleChuckle I wonder if they meant the Fake-08 emulator that is on the miyoo mini. Recently the full pico 8 was brought over. I haven't experienced any slow downs with the full fat version rather than the emulator (fake 08) which I have had some crashes and slow downs with. Either way totally possible. As for ergonomics you are 100% correct but I can't justify buying yet another device. As much as I'd love to have a dedicated pico 8 handheld. I love Pico 8 so darn much!

[@eliranbenami2125]

What is the name of this handheld?

[@wills2652]

I love pico 8 on my miyoo mini plus!!! It’s amazing!!

[@danandtab7463]

Can anyone tell me how you get Pico-8 to use the entire screen of an RGB30? I got it working otherwise.

[@TechDweeb]

Are you using the official software or the retorach core? If you're on the official software I don't think it's possible to adjust the settings, it should automatically be fullscreen. If you're on the retroarch core you'll have to go into the retroarch settings>video>scaling and set integer scale to OFF.

[@danandtab7463]

@@TechDweeb I'll fiddle around some more, as one does with these things. I am using Pico-8 not the core, so far.

[@HansenHansenHansen]

Is it only rgb30 that can support splore/ pico8 natively? 🤔

[@richfrommitch]

I bought an RGB30 for this very purpose. It's great. The Pico version of Donkey Kong is a joy to play.

[@SensibleChuckle]

I'm learning to code for it and I bought the RGB30 for game previews and testing as I code because it's not real until it's on a console-- which is so fun too see your own game running that you dive back into the editor screen and tweak the game further... it's incredibly hard to stop!

[@s133p3r0]

Play marble merge, trust me.

[@shinigamiauthor]

all that pico 8 footage has convinced me that i "need" an rgb30

[@TechDweeb]

Ha. Need.

[@sjsnBsb]

Long awaited dweeb…..long awaited 🤩🤩 Nice content as always 💪🏽

[@RyonMugen]

These techdweeb stories get so deep and scary sometimes LOL. Your hilarious man.

[@Mr.Monster1313]

Is there a way to put pico 8 games on my rgb30.without buying the $15 thing..can i just find pico 8 games and put them and play them on my rgb30 ????

[@TechDweeb]

Yes, but then you'll be using the retroarch emulator which doesn't have great performance. Worth a try though! You can just add the games to your RGB30 and give em a try.

[@IcoKirov]

Techically there are new games for retro consoles as well. Not a ton, but there are some and they are good

[@charc144]

Loving the Pico8 stuff, give Dinky Kong and Marble Merger a go.

[@alexmontanus]

I need a handheld with just a d-pad and 2 buttons, a square screen and has wifi. When you start it you directly go into pico-8 splore.

[@TechDweeb]

Not sure if you can have this boot directly into Splore, but there might be a way. The OS is open source so you could always do it if you learn how to tinker.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

Theree's also the pretty promising fantasy console Tic-80, though the budget emulation handhelds don't really run this platform that well.

[@derekgeorgeandrews]

check out Harold's Bad Day, Scrap Boy, Quest for the Book of Truth, Porklike, Minima (need keyboard though), Lost Night, Witch Loves Bullets, Dusk Child, Ascent, UFO Swamp Odyssey, Berzerk (pahammond version) there are so many good ones. Invincible Run Gun Bot Tomatoworm pinballvania (all by same guy who made lil satans cake quest) I also made a few of my own, such as Hobobot , which is in the featured carts list. 😌 Thank you for the awesome videos. Love your content and humor good sir.

[@TechDweeb]

Solid suggestions!

[@s133p3r0]

You forgot Marble Merge, how does nobody know about that one?

[@vhsretrogamer1664]

Would be cool to have pico 8 pixel perfect device though. All these years digging into retro handhelds made me a pixel purist unfortunately. Maybe I should visit a doctor

[@TechDweeb]

True. Although at 720x720 it's basically impossible to notice that it's not pixel perfect. Even with non integer scaling the pico8 pixels are either 5x5 or 6x6, which is not noticeable at the resolution we have here.

[@thomaschipman]

you can integer scale and get nearly full screen.

[@TempoTronica]

Can you play Pico-8 on RG35XX?

[@SquantoShinyShorts]

I love Katamari Christmassy, would pay money for more Pico-8 Katamari lol

[@rjsprojects]

I run Splore on the steam deck and it's a great experience there, especially if you're using the OLED version.

[@TechDweeb]

Gotta try that!

[@dhiroopulipaka7401]

does it support save state??

[@darthwolvi7428]

I am waiting impatiently for my RGB30. Ordered it after your review video. Pico8 will be fun to explore. Sorry about the imaginary veranda. Did it have an imaginary swinging chair on it?:) thanks again for the great content. Can you please do a top 20 games for Pico8? The handheld should be here within the week:)

[@TechDweeb]

Niiiice! Enjoy your toy!

[@darthwolvi7428]

Just arrived yesterday. Weird issue with sound. It goes away in games. I have to turn output off and back on to get sound in game. But then the volume is loud and I can’t lower it:( I’ll need to do some digging.

[@frankysour]

Just discovered that pico 8 exists like 2 weeks back. And one week into it I also discovered that it does not exist, but still enjoying it. I play it on an rg35xx plus, though, where I think it's not possible to have it run natively, correct? This is almost making me purchase an rgb30 only for this reason. Opinion: is rug it natively really that much better? What am I missing by using it into RetroArch?

[@TechDweeb]

Yeah I don't think there is a native version for the 35xx Plus yet. Yes running natively is much better. You'll notice that lots of games have stuttering issues in retroarch, or graphical glitches, or they won't launch. And most importantly you can't use Splore which is a very fun way to use Pico8 and discover new games. Don't buy this purely for Pico8, stick with what you got, but if you DO buy it for pico8 you'll get the superior experience.

[@frankysour]

@@TechDweeb Ehm... My dear TechDweeb... Though I appreciate the effort, honestly you are not very good in convincing me to avoid throwing money to this............ 😂😂😂

[@lloydmilton9808]

Have you ever tried to make your own game on the Pico-8 architecture? I'm no coder, but I still have some ideas that I would love to impart on the community.

[@TechDweeb]

Nope. But I'd love to some day!