Great video and great review of this system a few months post release, I've been meaning to get myself one and this video continues to reassure that desire
Thanks so much, yes the momentum of development has certainly slowed but the system still has so much more to offer in the next few years. It’s a great purchase IMO
I've been loving mine. I have been playing a lot of the old classics I liked back in the day but the biggest game I've been playing since I got it is the customizing game LOL. Trying out different front ends, adjusting game settings to get that perfect experience, widescreen hacks, etc. I don't know why I find it so enjoyable LOL.
Yep, that’s the classic, I would get a new machine. Spend ages configuring and tweaking it. Setting up front ends and getting everything just right. Then rarely play the games. To be fair. I have really gone far in many games so far on the ODIN2, the high spec and portability means I play it a lot.
I've got one and I love it. I feel it's held back by software more than anything else. I'm waiting for updates with Linux, and hoping to see more Windows emulation to broaden the catalogue further. It's just an incredible device to me, the size, the fit, the performance, and most of all the battery life. It's a real portable handheld.
So I ordered the odin 2 today after doing some research these past few days and it really seems this is a very future proof device but also just very great right now as well. First of all the hardware is not an issue with emulation: any slowdown in games seems to be related to the emulator or limitations of android itself Infact the hardware is complete overkill for any gen 6 or below console... I have no doubt this could even emulate many ps3 and xbox 360 games at full speed (and wii u) if those were on android. So this means if a new device comes out with more powerful hardware than the odin 2, there is no real point in upgrading, and the odin 2 also has future proof features like wifi 7 and hall sticks, so the only reason to upgrade would be for a better screen or something, but IPS screens are amazing anyways.... So anyone with FOMO like myself can safely buy this device and not feel like they are missing out if an odin 3 releases next year. Second of all switch emulation isnt abandoned, there is suyu and sudachi emulators. I'm not sure about PS2 but from what I have seen, that seems to be emulating almost all games flawlessly on the odin 2 anyways even if it dont get updated anymore. And third, from what I have read (no idea if its true, its on reddit) there are people working on an official linux / steamos for odin 2(in cooperation with AYN), meaning native PC gaming is coming. In the mean time its even possible to emulate windows and it seems there are plenty of games that are perfectly playable that way. Also it seems there are many unofficial android ports of PC games that are perfeclty playable such as morrowind, half life 2, hollow knight, slime rancher. And im sure that list is much bigger and is only going to grow further as time goes on. And recently ofcourse we are seeing native ports of N64 games, I think it will only be a matter of time before we are seeing native ports of other consoles. Imagine a few years from now, we could be playing native PS2 or gamecube games on windows/android. And the odin 2 will be more than fast enough to play those if it can also emulate them. So those are things to consider if you are interested in buying the odin 2, and the above points sealed the deal for me so I bought it
I think you are right here. It is just software holding this back. I’d love to see how RPCS3 did on this console. I think an android version is possible. Not so sure about Xenia thoigh, I think that would be some serious work. I have heard of the new forms of YUZU but for now I haven’t really looked into one or the other. To see significant improvements the developers typically take a while to get comfortable with the code base so it’s not something I am really focused on until we see a clear direction, so many forks of YUZU/Citra have already popped up. The third point of true would be simply incredible. I have started testing DOSBOX and windows emulators for native retro PC games but native support for SteamOS would be amazing.
I've had mine since December with dock and case. It's my main way of playing retro at home now. No more wear and tear on old systems. They can sit on display safely. It's also my work time killer, 1 hour lunch, but im done eating in 10 minutes? Time to game! First game I tested it with was FFX 3x upscaled, 60fps no issues at all. It was beautiful
How is the dock experience for you? I find using the toggle to switch the controller off Retroarch is perfect. PSP and Citra also work great. GameCube seems to sometimes work for me. But when it does there is no menu button. So you can never access a game and PS2/Mupen64 need to be mapped each time.
@thegamelounge659 I usually set my game up that I want to play with controller ready before I dock it. Dolphin was the first one I tried to play docked and couldn't find a menu to play with settings while docked. Now it's just a habit 😅
I've been on the fence. This device does have a price that doesn't quite fits my pocket, but I don't like to spend money and then find out better options. But absolutely everybody says the world about Odin 2 and that assures me. But this last events with Nintendo got me worried. But this video convinced me, together with other channel I follow. What still bugs me is the amount of options to tinker with...bezels, frames, front ends, retroarch, cores... jeez Louise...
Love that you enjoyed my review. Well the front ends and Bezels are just nice extras really but even then configuring everything just to run is still quite a lift & that’s before you have looked at Texture packs etc.
my only thoughts are - yes a bigger screen (my eyesight aint what it used to be). bigger battery and i love the wing style size grips. however odin sell loads of parts. its just a 3d printing project away :) this is what i love about the odin. you are right. i cant find any channel that has anything negative to say.
It’s amazing. I think the fear right now for a lot of retro handheld channels is that there isn’t a lot that will come along and beat it. We may have peaked for a while 😂 That being said, DIY never really works out for me. Nothing ever goes back the same way. I have some hall sensor sticks I wanted to add to my Retroid Pocket 3+ but worried I’ll destroy it
@@thegamelounge659 yeh have someone around whos better than you. my friend is awesome with the 3d printing. far better than i am. so many online services you can send your files to and get a print in the post in a few weeks.
If I didn't had an SD I'd buy this in a heartbeat, its so awesome to see where these devices are going tho I can imagine Nintendo not being happy with a device that roughly costs the same while having an astronomical library of games on various consoles (if you know where to look).
Thanks for the response. Agree if you have a SD then hard to justify the cost of another handheld. Although I do think they are different. This is a better emulation device. PS2, Switch games seem to run smoother. Although the SD does support more consoles being Linux based. The SD obviously has the PC library too. It also is a lot bigger and less portable. So different devices I think
I wasn´t lucky with my odin 2. It arrived a week ago and a black line of dead pixel started to show on screen. Trying to contact Ayn know to see if they solve the problem somehow.
This is always the fear with these Chinese handhelds. My Retroid Pocket 4+ has an issue with the trigger and they won’t respond. I think if there is a dead pixel then they will have to replace. Let me know how it goes.
My R2 trigger snapped today 🤦🏼♂️ no heavy use either, the spring is super thin and fragile, not sure t Why they used it. I've contacted retroid but no response yet. Luckily I had ps4 controller laying around and was able to swap the springs, for now. @@thegamelounge659
It’s just a bit limited by the software. Would love to see windows get implemented onto this device. I love mine but I do feel like getting to play pc games would boost this device to the next level
I think you are right.m, for me that’s the next level. I love my retro console gaming but I neglect the PC side of things. So want to start testing DOS-BOX with some old games, of course Windows emulation on Android is coming but you are right native PC support (like the Steam Deck) would make this instoppable
Agree, it’s a difficult one because I love the screen for retro games but I have tried quite a few streamed games and have to say that’s when you feel the larger screen would be beneficial
With all the positive reviews the Odin2 has it was a strong contender for my new handheld but in the end it lost out to the upcoming Pocket Evo hard to compete with a 7” 120hz Oled display.
These are handhelds that are mainly used for retro emulation and Switch emulation. None of those are designed to play above 60 frames. A display with a higher refresh rate than 60Hz for emulation purposes is useless and its only going to make the battery run out quicker if run on 90Hz or 120Hz at all times. A 60Hz display is only right option for portable emulation.
I ended up getting a loki max due to the sale they had and thinking the higher spec would be better overall but due to possobly the delay in delivery and paired with the odin 2 coming out at roughly the same time for such a competitive price we just haven't seen the same community support which has been disappointing.
That’s really interesting. These devices rely so much on the community embracing them. Look at things like the Miyoo Mini. Incredible work has gone into that device and it’s a far better device for it
i'm exactly in the same case of you, i don't want to play 8/16bits games on this one, even if i had set everything with nice shaders and bezels.... i think the Anbernic Rg's are more appropriate for that. Thanks for your review.
I've loved my Odin 2 very much. Like you, I'm enjoying a lot of gen 6, especially PS2... Playing through vice city again on a handheld just feels wonderful. That said, the state of MAME emulation is the only thing holding it back, but that's a knock on Android more than the Odin 2 as the existing Android MAME emulators just stink.
Yes this is a gen 6 handheld for sure. The PS2 in particular is really impressive. Interesting you are not a fan of MAME. I’m not hugely into MAME but I tried MAME4Droid and thought it was pretty good on the whole.
@@thegamelounge659 you sir are a gentleman and a scholar. I was using Retroarch, bouncing between a few cores like fbneo. I tried MAME4Droid 2024 and practically everything I've tried runs. Only thing I don't like is touching the screen brings up a menu, still trying to figure out how to disable that. But for now, I'm in business, thanks!
I had long time ago a caanoo, that was able to play much early game console and was happy with it. I was lurking on all other new consoles that would allow me to play to other consoles and finally after months of video, reviews,... I took the pro odin2... That is a wonderful console, very easy to hold and play... Ok the configuration is really a pain in the a... since I like to play with the most of it, I like to add the hd textures,... so these are not easy to configure for each console and games... 512 sd card is too small for all I like to play... gamecube, wii, ps2 games with enhanced textures and full screen are wonderful... Switch emulation is great too. Finally I play less on old systems as the later ones are so nice... I also play a lot for the moment on 3DS games... When the screen is correctly configured, it's a pleasure to play
Love this, seems like you had a very similar experience to me so far. I haven’t played a lot of 3DS, no system ever seems to run Luigi’s Mansion 2 for some reason. I agree with the 512gb not being enough but the prices go up very sharply above that. The solution I have is a tiny USBC microSD card reader, and 2 additional 512gb sticks. One with the PS2 library, one with the GC/Wii. It actually works very well. I use file explorer to just move games on to the primary microSD card that I want to play more from those consoles. Not perfect but has worked for me. Where do you get texture packs. I tried a bit with N64 but they were always incomplete.
@@thegamelounge659 for the textures pack I looked on the net, tooke some. there are groups of people creating textures. I will look after the link to send to you. Otherwise one guy is creating a lot of 4k textures for zelda, mario,... you need to pay for it, but i'ts not so expensive and the result is quite stuning... Mario sunshine in 4K is absolulutely mad :)
So personally I used their website. I don’t think there is any difference between their website directly or their AliExpress page though. So maybe go with whatever is cheaper
I also made a video on these as a few have asked after my review: ODIN 2: How to Manually Install Bezels in Retroarch ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yvWS4wfXfn4.html
So I really like your video. I've had my odin too for about 3 months now. And I pretty much have everything set up for the winlator But I Heard you weren't happy with the color I don't know how much you are into modding, but you can the odin shell. Saying you got a transparent one. And depending on how dark you get it, it would block out most of the light, not all of it. You would have to paint it basically to stop that from the inside out.
That’s interesting, I’m not that comfortable taking things apart. I seem to never be able to get thing back the same way. It’s a good point though that hopefully soon they will start to release custom shells.
Honestly no, the 16-bit generation is where you normally feel this the most and I can’t say I do. Rhythm games don’t really work like Space Channel 5 etc. but this is an issue with anything outside of real hardware I find
@@thegamelounge659 good to know. The only complaint I've heard about this system is the input lag. If it's not bad then it may be time to pull the trigger. I don't like the size of the mini, I want something a little bigger but not Steam Deck big.
I got one of these a week ago and I need help on downloading some emulators so if anyone has any advice or videos to watch it would be heavily appreciated
So most of the emulators are on the AppStore: Retro Systems: RetroArch Dreamcast: Redream N64: M64Plus FZ PS: Duckstation PSP: PPSSPP GameCube: Dolphin NDS: Drastic The 3 that can’t and you will need to source APK’s and install manually are Switch: YUZU 3DS: Citra PS2: NetherSX2 It’s not tricky to find these…
Try o be honest no, my Retroid Pocket 4 does a better job with DC. Redream doesn’t have the graphical issues but does have crackling and slowdown. The device is powerful enough of course so must be software/setup related
Love the review. I would love your advice about something. I recently bought the Ally and wish the battery life was better. I like the device but barely get an hour playing games like Fortnite, Baldur's Gate 3, Rocket League. I wish it had more life. I have been thinking of just making that device one I play in bed. I am curious on getting something else as well with more battery life. I am torn between Odin 2 Pro and playing games I grew up on on things like ps2 and other systems and what not or getting a steam deck oled so i can still play some pc games and emulating as well. I haven't done much emulation besides a tiny bit on my phone like 10 years ago in high school lol with only gba and n64, I know a lot has changed since then. What would you recommend? Odin 2 Pro or SD Oled or just a massive battery pack for the Ally and if a battery pack whats a good one? Please let me know. Thanks. Also subscribed and will check out more content :D
Thanks so much, really appreciate the comment. The shorter battery life when playing more demanding games is going to be an issue with the SD/Ally, it’s one of the incredible things about the ODIN2. It functions more in line with a phone battery wise. I think you have nailed it. Ally will play your PC library, the ODIN is more emulation based. Personally I am loving revisiting the classics from PS2, GC etc.
@thegamelounge659 Thank you so much for responding. Yeah I ordered a battery pack for the rog ally and I decided that I will pick up an odin 2 pro for emulation around memorials day. What's your favorite games to emulate? I really loved Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter series from PS2 as well as Tony hawk games and would love to replay some pokemon classic games again and donkey Kong country as well.
I think that’s a wise decision. I am really enjoying the Ratchet & Clank games at the moment. As well as playing Simpsons Hit & Run, also playing a few Wii games like Super Paper Mario and DKCR. The great thing about the ODIN is you can pick up a cheap dock and it outputs at high resolution on the larger screen.
I’ve been debating between an Odin 2 or a Lenovo Legion Y700 tablet which also has a Snapdragon. Price is comparable and the Legion Y700 has an 8.8 in screen which is a HUGE plus imo especially for PS2, GameCube, and Switch games. Do you think there’s any reason to go with an Odin 2 over the Lenovo tablet?
So this is really interesting, I’m not sure if the OS is tailored for gaming on the ODIN, but Dolphin runs far better on the ODIN 2 that on comparable tablets. The extra screen real estate on the Lenovo is good but it’s nice to have a really comfortable all in one gaming system. I personally think the ODIN2 screen is a great size for the PS2, GC but it really comes down to personal preference.
I've got both. The Lenovo Y700 2023 version is a little less powerful than the Odin, but it plays everything the Odin does and I honestly can't tell the difference when it comes to performance. I do end up using my Y700 more than the Odin, simply because I love the screen size. Pair it with a Gamesir G8 usb c controller and you have a super comfortable gaming experience. On the flip side though, it's also much heavier. So take that into consideration. I can games on the Odin for longer sessions than the Y700. End of the day it depends on your budget, but you can't go wrong with either.
@@KungfuKumquat Thanks for the breakdown I appreciate it! I still haven’t gotten either, but when I do pull the trigger I’m leaning toward the Lenovo Y700. That screen size is the big selling point for me
this devices biggest shortcomings for me are face button size, and analog stick length. both of which could use about a 25% increase. both are currently passable though. odin2 and steam deck are current kings of handhelds
I see your point, the analog stick issue can be resolved though as they are hall analogue sticks that pull off so you can get larger versions that can replace without having to open up the device
I don’t know if the RP2S is a lot smaller than the RP4. Plus it’s not going to have the performance of the RP4 PRO and it’s actually a little thicker. The RP4 is a fantastic device though. I really see it as an ODIN 2 lite
Hi! 😊 For Sega Saturn... is better the RP4 Pro or the Odin 2 Pro? I need your advice and experience, master. I need to know if the RP4 Pro is enough for playing Saturn or not (with games like Panzer Dragoon Saga, Burning Rangers or Shining Force III). Please 🙏🏼 *Note: Sorry, this is a copy of my comment in your video of the RP4 Pro 😋
Hey, so the Retroid 4 PRO will run the Saturn using the Beetle core on Retroarch, but you will see some frame drops in some games. For these you can use Yaba Sanshiro which for me is a less accurate experience. Of course the ODIN 2 is the better Saturn experience but it does come at a significant price premium.
What is that Samurai game you are playing at 12:40? I bought the grayish Odin 2 exactly because I think the light bleed on the transparant ones is awful. Also, I cannot get Kirby (Switch) working properly. Need some more tinkering I guess (using Skyline). Nice re-review btw. I subscribed to your channel. Honest video.
Hey. It’s Muramasa: The Demon Blade for the Wii. Brilliant game that benefits from the traditional controls. I only discovered this one a few years back
@@Belsteak thanks, got it working thanks to you pointing me in the right direction. I’m an emulation noob but learning a lot from the community (written guides and YT).
So Witcher 3/Dark Souls all work with no issues through Switch emulation. I haven’t actually tried any windows emulation yet, that will be the next evolution of this device for me. Not to sure if many others can comment on this?
I’ve given up on it a bit. My development partition ended up making me format my whole Xbox. Also I loved having the UWP apps on the main frontend for a while. It’s a shame MS stopped that.
i purchased this device but at what cost :( 360$ base price for the pro model 40$ for shipping and 90$ taxes :( :( :( but absolutly worth it !!! i prefer this to a steam deck especially because of the ergonomics and simplicity
So I use a mix I find with Redream you get some horrible frame drops occasionally. Flycast Retroarch core doesn’t do this. But there do seem to be more graphical issues generally
But why but the odin 2 , i literally bought it because whats after YUZU ....... It pretty much can run everything android has available , this is gonna be actively played for 5 years plus , unless somehow xbox 360 and ps3 ,wiiU gets to android .
unfortunately there is no way at all to get the nintendo emulators on this device now ? and do you think the abillity will come back ? i also have a switch lite and i'm now doubting wheter i should get a Nintendo switch online subscribtion or not.
There is a way to get them on, just not through the Play Store anymore. The emulators are now essentially in a final state, meaning they won’t progress. Other emulators will come along but as with all these things they take time so we are in a limbo state
They have just announced an ODIN2 MINI with the same spec but smaller and smaller battery. Personally I think they will release an updated model with a larger screen but who knows when…
@@lucykaede5863 most games work well for ps2 even though the app is no longer updated. there are a select few games that simply wont do well, although i have yet to encounter any. Major hits like god of war, gta, jak, ratchet and clank etc. work great. i've seen people mention sly 3 and valkyrie profile 2 as games that just wont perform well because of the emulator and im sure theres more but they are few and far in between.
100% the pro is the sweet spot. I have seen some PS2 and Switch games exceed the 8GB and the max utilisation was playing Switch where I saw it go over 10GB. So the pro is where I think most will want to be
And actually the black model is the prettiest, so classy. But you straight basic men will go for the transparent colors (ratchet) and white (basic). Time always says i'm right so
I love Daijisho, but it hasn’t been updated in a while. ES-DE for me looks so slick and work so well. Out of interest what do you find works better in Daijisho?
I was kind of looking to get one, (or a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro) then was put off a bit by Nintendo attacking the emulation scene, and now a bit interested again but spent the cash elsewhere. Worth getting one of these used for around 3500SEK (320 USD rn according to exchange rates) or look at something else? This looks small and sleek compared to the deck and I've got small hands. I'm currently still happy with my Anbernic 351P (yes really) but obviously pretty much anything would be an upgrade from that so... Edit: oh and some of the cash I spent went towards a Wii U so... Does that emulate and if so does it emulate well? 😛
So there is no Wii U emulator at the moment. But if they do release CEMU on Android then this is more than powerful enough. Yes this is a great portable device size wise. Not pocketable but feels really good.
Rockin' the white one here and just bought the new 1.5T sd card for $90, it's onsale couple weeks back. It's simply heaven. Haven't touch my Steam Deck for months now.
The SD card size limitation is an issue. I have all my PS2 isos in CHD format and GC isos in RVZ for max compression. A 512GB card isn’t enough. $90 is amazing
@@thegamelounge659What do you mean by that? That SD cards haven’t enough capacity or has the Odin a limit for SD cards? I have ordered a refurbished Odin 2 Max because I know, that I need more space to store my childhood. :-)
He means the sd cards have limited sizes. I thin only recently they developed a 2 tb sd card for an insane price. We arebasically limited ti 1,5 tb sd cards.
Regarding playing 'retro retro' games vs PS2-era-ish - I have a Red Magic 9 pro, and a RG353m Whenever I use the RM9P, there Is the novelty of playing 3DS games upscaled without worry, but there's also this weird sense of 'wasting my time', if I open up RetroArch and play Game Boy Tetris (even though it's still my favorite version) It's a very dumb 'problem', but just think it's interesting that that sensation occurs at all
