The Spectrum - Firmware Update 1.0.2 Released By Retro Games Ltd.

[@tomcatsdb4755]

Since it's not specifically called out in the video, it's worth mentioning there's some specific warnings RGL has listed on the support page / firmware download site. First off, use a quality 2 amp charger. The cheaper 1A chargers / TV USB port that powers the unit fine under normal operation may not be sufficient while flashing the unit. Second, they list several things to avoid doing when you update, and they say to use the USB slot next to the HDMI output for the USB stick (that's the one that's directly on the mainboard, and not the daughter board). All of those are to ensure the unit isn't powering anything beyond itself, the USB stick, and a single gamepad / joystick. My guess is they got reports of people bricking their consoles when using the wrong USB slot, low amp chargers and/or having a bunch of extra items plugged in when updating. In any case, it's best to follow their directions to keep your unit safe.

[@johnthecloud]

This is one of the reasons why they should be providing a charger. So many appliances these days don't. There should be a law against it.

[@deanolium]

@@johnthecloud There's really more regulations about not supplying cables/chargers since most can be reused and thus it ends up generating a lot of electrical trash. It's annoying to all hell, especially given that most people have no idea about amps and voltage, and so will just use any charger where the cable fits, then wonder why it's charging slowly.

[@deanolium]

Really, they should have designed the system so that it will only accept the ROM transfer in the one port (which they could give a special colour on the slot), have some detection to make sure the power cable provides enough amperage before doing the flash, and have a safe-mode ROM in there in case the main ROM fails and so it can fall back allowing re-flashing. It would cost a little bit more, but would improve the user experience massively. Especially on something like this which is going to be bought by a lot of people who used a Spectrum back in the day but possibly aren't entirely tech savvy so things like upgrading ROMs are scary.

[@tomcatsdb4755]

@@johnthecloud The odd part here is the unit is labeled as taking 5V 1A power, so this may be a case of firmware updates potentially using more power than they expected for some reason, either that or some chargers don't provide a full 1A so they're trying to make sure people use something that'll deliver enough juice. I'm kind of split on including a wall nub. I have so many at this point and they come on nearly everything power related these days (wall sockets, power strips, etc) that I don't need a new one with each device, but in this case, having a 2A charger keeps the device safe when updating...

[@johnthecloud]

@@deanolium yep, I'm not really that happy with a manufacturer who needs to update the firmware within a couple of weeks of release, and then won't accept responsibility if it bricks your unit. We're talking underlying tech over 4 decades old and with stable emulators that have been around for decades. It's not the cutting edge of technology, and I don't know why they couldn't have got it right the first time around.

[@barneeyebay]

Cheers for the update, by the time Xmas morning arrives I hope that quite a few others have tested the new firmware out. In the meantime I wish they would do something about their stock regarding the Microdrive USB & TheGamePad. TheGamepad would be particularly useful for the c64 mini to solve not having to use the cr***y joystick

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@barneeyebay if you have the a500 mini then the gamepad is the same, but of course that's only an 'if'

[@derekcopsey6989]

I'll put this update on the speccy in the morning, as I have the 1.01 on mine. Thanks Lee for letting us know.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

I'm just about to do mine 🤞

[@martinfurlanic]

I updated my Spectrum and works just fine. The Joystick works well now.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@martinfurlanic that's great to hear!

[@paulm114]

I see my comment on there at 3:40 haha. And yes its safe to update!

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@paulm114 ha thanks for letting us know!

[@seymouriajgr]

I had a big problem with the 1.02 update, it stayed in an infinite installation loop. After many tests I found the solution by changing the USB for a smaller 4Gb formatted in FAT32 and only with the 1.02 installation file (nothing more). What I did was, the moment the TV went black, I disconnected the device from the power, replaced the memory and when I turned it on again it picked up without problems. Be careful with USBs, some cause problems.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

Thank you for letting us know that. Sounds like a scary experience

[@seymouriajgr]

@@YouveBeenGamed Yes, the good thing about this is that if something similar happens to you, at least it is good to know that all is not lost. In any case, at least in Spain, you have 15 days from the purchase for a new direct replacement.

[@johnmiller7917]

Currently in the same situation with the new firmware. Can't even find a usb smaller than 32gb. Just ordered a 2a plug as mine was 1.8a in case it's that. Otherwise I'm going to have to return it.

[@full_time_motorhome]

Did update last night, no problems. Need to keep original file name intact otherwise won’t recognise (tested). Had previous intermittent saving issues with basic program saving (or not in my case). But all sorted.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

That's cool thank you for letting us know it's ok

[@adamskyj69]

That disclaimer (For British consumers) isn't worth the energy of typing it! If their update bricks your hardware, that is their responsibility to fix or replace within the first 12 months of purchase. After 12 months, just hang fire and don't be an outlier when it comes to updates.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@adamskyj69 I've updated mine because I had that broken update stuck on there. I did all the updates for their previous machines and never had an issue

[@adamskyj69]

@@YouveBeenGamed seems great tbh, was just saying.

[@papalazarou6674]

Feeling your pain mate took me three days to unzip and sort out my roms on the usb stick thanks again for the heads up about 256 file size 👍🏻 It's so tempting to upgrade the firmware for me for the usb game kempston support as it is a bit of a ball ache having to set up the controller for each new rom played from usb files. I would be more comfortable upgrading the firmware if the software and information where made available for re flashing the spectrum back from the PC if it ever got bricked

[@YouveBeenGamed]

I'm still doing mine!! My OCD is the problem though as I need everything in the right folders organised!

[@paulradford4100]

I'd like them to give details of the changes they made.. what new issues may appear.. I'm hesitant to download..

[@YouveBeenGamed]

I'm going to do it but mostly because I still have the broken one on mine and it makes me more nervous!

[@its-artificial-ai]

What if you do not dowload it, but someone else does and just gives you the USB stick..... It says by downloading you accept, so just dont download it get it from someone else?

[@YouveBeenGamed]

Now that's some clever thinking!!

[@SeanTube2099]

I’ve updated to 102. It was fine. Only took a few seconds.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

Thanks for sharing this

[@TRONMAGNUM2099]

I'm going to wait until you give an update on how things are working. If after a couple of days everything seems ok, I'll do it.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

Chicken 😂 just kidding that's a sensible approach. As I have the 'broken' firmware on mine I feel I have no choice

[@The-Scots-man]

The simple answer is, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. They obviously rushed the update out without testing thoroughly or they weren’t clear about how to do it, i.e what port, what power supply rating, and whether you can do it with other peripherals attached or not.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

good point

[@BongWeasle]

The update if it goes wrong is their…..responsibility! They released an incomplete product…they release a fix….it’s their responsibility. I wouldn’t even hire a laser to win that case.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@BongWeasle @adamskyj69 I've updated mine because I had that broken update stuck on there. I did all the updates for their previous machines and never had an issue

[@treefidy91]

I’m grinding through the games, trying to see if I can whittle them down to 250 of the best so I don’t need multiple folders

[@treefidy91]

Tell me about it…. I’ve managed to get it down to 650 and now I’m starting to struggle!!

[@johnthecloud]

@@treefidy91 didn't realise the 250 game limit. I bought a spectrum emulator on cd rom about 20 years ago and it has the games in alphabetic folders. I think some of those folders "like S" have more than 250 titles in them, so I might need to split them.

[@treefidy91]

@ I think I know which one you mean… I had one around that time myself, but I may have borrowed the ones I have now from the internet and it has two thousand and odd in the folder!! It’s been a long task whittling them down 😂😂

[@YouveBeenGamed]

probably the smartest move!

[@sven1421]

There should be the possibility to go back to the firmware 1.0.0 always ... just to be on the secure side if an update failes.

[@deanolium]

The big problem is that the code which flashes the ROM is seemingly held on the ROM. So if the upgrade fails, then that code will be unreadable.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@sven1421 in a perfect world yeah I agree, but I'm not sure it's possible

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@deanolium yeah I agree

[@illusions2142]

Do i just drag the downloaed update to the USB and install then put onto The Spectrum or ?

[@YouveBeenGamed]

You put the update on the root of the usb. Full instructions here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqOsgJpvdpWtq6ssi=XHZqLxN24DDe-AEP

[@elvismemphisgs]

Just got one of these What joystick can you use Can you post link

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@elvismemphisgs so far I've only used the a500 mini gamepad so I haven't tested any others. On the a500 mini itself I used a PS4 controller but I had to use a powered usb hub to run it. Worked great though

[@deanolium]

The firmware warning is a very generic one which all companies will put whenever you upgrade it, since if you lose power or break the connection midway through the process, it will always brick the machine, unless they designed the system to be able to detect a broken ROM and then go into a special safe mode. But very few companies do this since it requires a secondary ROM for the safe mode (usually built into the CPU), which means money and development costs.

[@deanolium]

So people shouldn't worry about doing it, but instead just make sure they have a good power supply and a good USB stick.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@deanolium very well said and informative. Thanks for your thoughts

[@its-artificial-ai]

I cannot recall ever seeing any one else put a disclaimer like that before an upgrade...

[@treefidy91]

I think I might hang on for a bit… 🤞🏻

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@treefidy91 sensible plan!

[@elvismemphisgs]

Can you send link for Joypad Are they on Amazon or eBay

[@YouveBeenGamed]

amzn.to/4g8vsq8 sorry for the delay

[@jafwilding]

I’ve never updated the firmware for any of my Retro Games machines. Had a history of ruinous updates. And never felt the need.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@jafwilding on the flip side I've done every update without a hitch to all my previous machines, but I completely take your point, it's always a bit of a gamble

[@Sean-cx6up]

Didnt hear of any bricks from an update. Plus, everyone has this disclaimer these days.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@Sean-cx6up that's very true

[@its-artificial-ai]

Everyone? Care to name a few that do, I have never seen one like that before..

[@NJLS]

this is selling for over £180 on amazon - is that right?? full of bugs and almost the cost of an xbox?! surely the price can't be right?

[@YouveBeenGamed]

not sure about the price, or the comment about it being full of bugs. I've not come across many personally

[@SpeccyMan]

Sadly this will not fix the error on mine. It is touted as a Spectrum with a real working keyboard. Guess who got the one without a working keyboard. Press M to select language. That worked because the M key was working. Press B for next. That is where it failed as the B key - and several others - are dead! Can only return it for a refund as the place I bought it only had 5 and they are totally out of stock. Seriously pissed off.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@SpeccyMan so sorry to hear this mate that really sucks. I hope you can get another one asap

[@alittlepeaceandkarma]

I ain't got me speccy yet 😂

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@alittlepeaceandkarma hate hearing this my friend

[@alittlepeaceandkarma]

@YouveBeenGamed By the time I get mine The Spectrum+ will be out 😜

[@bigbabatunde1218]

An update less than a week after launch? What sort of junk madness is this? Fy¢kin unbelievable if you ask me.

[@electro-soma]

That's pretty standard nowadays. I've bought many items that saw a firmware update released quickly after launch.

[@johnthecloud]

@@electro-soma but this is an emulation of a 40 year old computer, not cutting edge technology. Then again, I guess Sir Clive Sinclair also had a history of releasing botched hardware that needed fixing post release. At least he took responsibility for fixing it though, and didn't tell you to get lost if you bricked your Speccy.

[@bigbabatunde1218]

@@electro-soma So they made this mass update culture the standard and everyone should be okay with that should they?

[@bigbabatunde1218]

@@johnthecloud Blaze are the same with the Evercade. 30 and 40 year old games all of a sudden not running correctly all because of updates.

[@electro-soma]

@@bigbabatunde1218 No. I never said that. Everyone shouldn't be ok with it, but it's standard practice nowadays. Whereby it's easy for developers to provide quick firmware updates as issues are reported.

[@MichelBoryoku]

Can't you "unbrick" the system if you put the USB drive into the USB port closest to the HDMI, turn on the device by holding the power button 10 seconds? It forces it to go into a factory-reset-update mode _(This had to be used on devices that were still in the Factory Testing Mode)_ And, I don't know how the USB is used, but maybe it can be unbricked by connecting it to the PC. That of course WOULD require Retrogames to provide an app or have it be done from their website.

[@YouveBeenGamed]

@@MichelBoryoku I really couldn't answer this but I'd be interested to know if it's possible