Just got one and damn that screen is a sexy beast. The controls though are not great for fighting games but everything else was great. Kinda cool playing NBA Jam while my wife watches 90 day fiancé (especially this season am I rite??)
They really should’ve separated the Analogue button from the Start and Select buttons. The placement makes it hard to avoid accidentally pressing and makes reset/save more difficult for Game Boy and PC Engine/TurboGrafx.
@@sketchy0078 Yeah, but it’s a big enough problem for existing games that it should have influenced the rest of the hardware layout IMO. Heck, even by the volume or power keys or on top like the original DMG power switch would’ve been better. :( It was bad enough when I had to take my thumb off the D-pad to hit Start or Select during gameplay on the original GBA (somewhat resolved on the SP). Most GBs are designed such that you could use either thumb blindly to press either button or both, but you’ll end up hitting the Analogue button unintentionally over and over.
Not directly related to the subject of the video, but I feel lile I need to stress out how good the production level of the video is. Super enjoyable to watch, as always!
18:00 Oh no, Tamagachi! My sister is gonna steal my Analogue pocket! 21:12 Sold it for me! I love Dig Dug! I remember playing it in the arcades. If this thing could only play one windows game from 1998 called Outlaws I'd think I'd cry otherwise because Dig Dug was one of my favorites! I cannot wait to play that. I am gonna lose my mind lol 😆
I’ve got mine and it’s an amazing device! If I could have any criticism, it is quite heavy, not a truly pocketable device and the glass screen stick out, making it quite vulnerable to drops.
I would define software emulation as an attempt to interpret code well enough to adapt and execute on a non-native platform. Meanwhile, there is no functional difference between an FPGA and a traditional ASIC-based hardware clone except that the HDL isn’t baked in at the factory (hence, “Field Programmable”).
@@jimbotron70 Exactly. Logic elements are defined and redefined in the field instead of permanently at the fab using a lithographic mask for a fixed function. Since hardware clones have often used ASICs, it’s as much a hardware clone as any other… only this one is better (can be corrected or repeatedly changed to clone something else). When an ASIC clone is less than perfect the flaws get baked in forever, like the SNES 1chip which is essentially an official clone of the 2 and 3chip consoles.
The main problem with software emulation is not even the emulation itself (there are incredibly well made and very precise emulators out there, especially when it comes to everything 8-bit and 16-bit era). The problem, as I see it, is mostly about all that surrounds any software emulator - operating systems and drivers and input/output infrastructure, everything has it's own quirks and add additional timings, it's almost impossible to fully overcome.
another great video. I haven't seen any other reviewer lists the number of FPGA elements count of Analogue Pocket. it's nice to know how many. Thank you. I own one and I like it but it is somehow overheating LCD in max brightness. If they offer multiple display options I would be more than happy. again, your review or comparison is always almost complete version comparing to other guys. I really appreciate what you are doing! thank you
Im not familiar enough with the demand on the fpga chip but i would love to see pc 88 and or 98 support some time. I have really been enjoying pc engine, cps1, and snes on my AP. Oh and just so much pokemon pinball.
Also like the MiSTer, this one became prey of inflated prices and scalpers. Don't buy it from 3rd party; let them choke on their purchases and support Analog only.
Bit hard to support them when accessibility is so low then their extortionate shipping costs. My brother bought one from analogue on the December 4 shipment and it cost him alrother £290 including shipping, currency conversion and ridiculous import charges. I just bought new one on ebay for £280. So if anything it was slightly cheaper.
@@33amaddohow is that analogue’s fault? Blame tariffs. They are importing devices from HongKong then resending them out from LA. Preorders are still wide open for anyone who wants to order. Can’t complain about accessibility anymore.
@otterdonnelly9959 lol ofcourse it's analogues fault. You think other businesses don't import from China and ship from US? And you just said yourself, its pre order. Not exactly easily accessible. U won't get one for months after you pre order. Also there's various logistics to lower charges and costs. For example they could send shipment directly from China. They even charge 59.99 USD just to ship the dock lol. So yes it is their their fault
@@33amaddo I import things all the time to my country. Shipping has been $30+ when items are from Asia for the past 6 months. I don’t see much new things here. Those other companies are usually way bigger than Analogue. I think people forget how small they are and that they can’t claim control over a production line. They have to wait their turn. Also the pre-order means that it is accessible. If it wasn’t available for pre-order it would not be accessible. Just because you have to wait to get it in hand doesn’t mean anything. You secured your order. I don’t get it people complain when they tell you the shipping date range. This same argument came up in 2021 and people cancelled the month before they started shipping out. Oh well. Did they not tell everyone up front “Feb 2024”? We can’t wait 2 months? Gamers act like they never pre-ordered anything in their life. I waited 2 years before I got my AP. Well worth it.
@otterdonnelly9959 I appreciate that. I also import things and I'm a part time small business man mainly selling on ebay but I can tell you its a lot cheaper. I'm not here to argue. I do think you make some valid points but I stick to my views. I was never complaining but stating facts. But I appreciate and respect your views as well. Ultimately we both got AP so let's just enjoy it lol
A note about the Super Mario Advance games since you used them in your comparison.. The colors for the SMA games were made very bright & washed out, because Nintendo wanted to get the most color possible out of the original, non-backlit display. If you play these games on a backlit display, then the colors will not look good. So I wouldn't really use these games for video comparisons because they are inherently flawed when played on a backlit screen. That said, there are ROM hacks for the games that replaces the color palette with the SNES versions, which is much better for playing on a backlit display.
Hi Matt, Love your channel, and your great retro videos. Keep up the Good work 👍 Mister, MSX2, CPC+ and Amiga 1200 owner here 😄 Just checked the Analogue site, and All of the Pockets are sold out 😉 Thanks for bringing it to my attention, will lookout for when hey are back in stock. Seriously jealous of your X68000 😁
All i could get was the black analogue pocket. Everyone was trying to scalp this. I waited got one. Even picked up the adapters for $100. I dont ever preorder or buy from scalpers. So im glad to have a new PC engine express device. Got the duo a month ago too
I loved your no-nonsense approach to the subject, very nice presentation, just a minor nitpick: 27:20 "performance" is probably not the best word to use here, it's just about using what makes more sense for each core. Most MiSTer cores mimic systems that used low bandwidth, low latency SRAM or DRAM, so using SDRAM greatly simplifies core design. However, the N64 core needed much more bandwidth than the SDRAM modules could offer, but since the N64 used RAMBUS, the added latency of using DDR3 shared with the HPS wasn't really an issue.
Alot of people complain about the form factor of the pocket, but this was obviously never a GBA homage. Just a bonus to have it play GBA carts. There are just as many people who prefer this orientation as the launch GBA, but I can see how longer playtimes and shoulder buttons conflict with this orientation. People playing anything above SNES/GBA on the go are already using something else, more powerful and/or more portable, (Odin/Vita etc) so complaining about it what the pocket can't do is useless. It's a boutique/niche item with a premium price tag, that should be priced cheaper. If you dont own any physical carts this would be silly to buy imo. Still, it would be hard to believe that this will be Analogue's first and last attempt in making handheld systems. I just look at this like Analogue's prototype FPGA handheld, especially with obvious kinks in producing the cartridge adapters and docks. Perhaps the next system will incorporate joysticks.
Nice video i have a mister and the pocket, your right the screen is stunning and with the community support they lots to play on the go. the dock it good but no screen filters but they comming by the end of the year that will impove things on the big screen, and CPS 1.5 and CP2 are public day happy days.
It's a neat toy but, having used one, it fails on the controls. Just not that comfortable to play on with it's tiny face buttons, wobbly shoulder buttons and kinda meh dpad. This ends up with me not really wanting to play on it all that much unfortunately. I have a MiSTer and no regrets, can't say the same for the Pocket sadly.
I guess there's a reason the analogue pocket guys felt they needed to give out their tech to so many handheld review RU-vidrs. This device has been all over my feed for the past couple months and it's just not that special
I just got one of the limited edition ones in orange. I've never been interesed in Analogue's consoles and I don't have much interest in original cartridges these days and sold my collection off years ago. Now that the Pocket has openFPGA I'm onboard and it's been a lot of fun. I'm really enjoying loading up NES and SNES translated roms and I'm eveb finding out most tile and sprite work looks better with square pixels. Compare Super Punchout in 4:3 vs square and it's very clear the art wasn't made to accomodate 4:3. I just wish the SNES core had save states.
It may take a while and cost a lot more than most people are willing to pay. The N64 and Saturn cores already required quite a bit of clever solutions by the devs to make it possible on the MiSTer, even with about twice the amount of logic elements the current generation Analogue Pocket has. A rough estimation I've seen is that a Dreamcast core would require something like 150% to 200% the amount of logic elements the MiSTer has, that means 3 to 4 times what the Pocket has. I'm just happy that right now, we've already got some really nice options out there. Even if the price is not to everyone's taste, I'm loving seeing how FPGA gaming is getting more popular each year.
So what happens if you connect this device to a standard USB dock? Can you plug a HDMI cable and a keyboard and mouse and use one of the computer cores in that way, or does it work only with its own dock?
I tried plugging in a USB-3 breakout and using the ports on that to connect up a wired controller but it wasn't recognized. I did not try to connect HDMI though. I don't think it will work because when the Pocket is inserted into the official Dock, the built-in screen goes blank with the words "docked." displayed and that didn't happen here. Power did pass through and the Pocket did charge. I suspect Analogue has gone a proprietary route in order to sell their product but it will be interesting to see if any 3rd party add-ons pop up eventually.
The fpgas of the shelf are very expensive. Considering that the device is great calue. I would have liked in horizontal orientation. Fpga portable are very rare
It's good for custom palettes while playing Game Boy games! I happen to have a barrage of palettes for the Analogue Pocket, and... well, I won't say too much, but you're in for a surprise!
Analogue pocket seems good on paper but I've heard the horror stories of trying to get one and the poor communication. It's kind of rubbed me the wrong way and steered me to cheaper, less accurate devices (despite the pocket being something I could actually use due my physical game collection). Maybe things have changed. But it's hard for me to know that from videos online by people paid to promote the thing (no offense). It's a really cool piece of technology though.
Also I think hardware purists go a little overboard with how good actual hardware is. I mean there is a difference but most people won't notice them 99 out of a hundred times. It's really only certain edge cases, like specific games, where the accuracy of hardware really comes into play.
Yea apparently their customer service is pretty poor but I haven't had to deal with it at all myself. For what it's worth, I never take paid sponsorship and only review items that I am personally interested in. The Pocket was actually a birthday gift from my partner :)
Great video, BUT i dont see how people can enjoy this device when they cant serve people, i mean i am waiting for months and still no update of them. AND with such demand over the device you'll probably receive none ever
Better get on it of you want one, they restocked for Christmas. I got in the Dec 4th restock, and it arrived the same week. That particular restock sold out within the day. There is another restock currently on right now, and shipping Feb 2024
Great video, although my one gripe is that the way you do the comparison between software emulation and FPGA seems to imply that only FPGA is capable of cycle accuracy. I think it's fair to say that it's merely more feasible to achieve cycle accuracy on FPGA due to its parallel processing capabilities, but accurate documentation is still necessary to get there.
@@jimbotron70it is computationally expensive, but paradoxically, FPGA *costs more* to do just because the chips are more expensive to make than CPUs. You can buy CPU cycles for dirt-cheap now, and even low-end devices can run cycle-accurate software emulators like bsnes/Higan without issue. FPGA is in theory more power-efficient by comparison, but if you look at the battery life of, say, the Pocket compared to other CPU-based handhelds, it isn't as if the Pocket has way better battery performance as a result of being FPGA-based.
@@jimbotron70There's a fairly big caveat, unless we're talking baremetal software, or at least some special real-time Linux based setup. If we want true cycle accuracy, we need to guarantee timing within our software, and that's just not a thing in non real-time operating systems like Windows and your regular desktop Linux distros. Then there are all the external OS services a typical emulator relies on like input devices and graphics, and suddenly cycle accuracy is a distant dream. I'm not trying to make a statement about the superiority of FPGAs or anything, I'm just saying that cycle accuracy in software is a pretty complicated concept.
I still wish someone would use the form factor of a regular controller and have a screen that flips down over the controls which would tuck into the shell as the screen closes and the grips could slide up to make it sort of square shaped. Hopefully one of the designers of these handhelds sees this comment and does it.
@@shadowaccount I don't like the shape of the 3DS. It's pocketable alright, but I want something that unfolds into the shape of a modern gamepad. Think of it like one of those phone clips that attaches to a gamepad, only instead of being separate pieces they fold together into a square you can pocket.
It's a cool device. I like the shaders and screen quality. How it can recreate the looks of the original hardware's display minus the negative aspects. Like gameboy's ghosting for example. But that's pretty much it for me. It's too limited and bare bones for my liking. I prefer more versatile systems like Rp3 plus and AYN odin 2 where I can emulate more powerful systems, native gaming, watch content and my favorite, streaming games.
For me it's the best handheld machine. I played it a lot. I have just two regrets. That you can't save state when you want and the multidirectionnal cross is too small and not very confortable
I still want a Pocket, but my nostalgia is a sucker and lover of Liquid Crystal displays with no backlight nor front light, I never care of the dull quality of those, but for me that era is special, seeing the first smaller color displays in action, the colors of those dim pixels have a charm really special to me that almost any light screen can replicate, but Pocket is almost there.
Damn, the screen on Analogue Pocket is breathtakingly good. Especially combined with filters (unfortunately the filters are only usable in cartridge mode rn, Open FPGA picture still has that raw look, like on a cheap emulator device). I have a Mister FPGA and I don't usually play on handheld devices, but the screen is so awesome I'm thinking of getting one (though not before they implement the same kind of quality filters in Open FPGA mode).
@Matt, if it was sent in to you and they let you keep it - you should clearly state that and mark video as Paid Promotion according to the RU-vid Terms.
they should make it if you're holding down the home button it'll show you all the button commands for all the shortcuts instead of having to rely on memory.
I am straggling to make cores to work installing them manually. If I use the updater then complex cores like Neo Geo (which require files like sfix.sfix ) will work without trouble? Thanks in advance
Yea using an updater is the easiest way to ensure that you have the latest released cores and all the files get put into the right places. Neo Geo still gave me a bit of a problem simply due to the fact that it won't play .neo files. You need to use the Darksoft Neo Geo format instead. Or at least, you did at the time I wrote this.
