Wes Ellis./ a personal notebook
Technology. Stories. Side projects.
A few things worth writing down.

A thread · 8 notes · Retro Tech

The emulation bench.

Raspberry Pi boxes, emulation handhelds, CRT shaders, RGB mods, and keeping your own game backups safe.

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    Retro Tech4 min read

    A Raspberry Pi Retro Box: What to Buy, What to Run and What It Can Handle

    The parts list, the free operating systems and the honest performance expectations for a Raspberry Pi 4 emulation box, plus how much storage each system really needs.

  2. 2
    Retro Tech4 min read

    Emulation Handhelds Sorted by Chip, Not by Brand

    A quick way to make sense of the flood of Anbernic, Miyoo, Retroid and TrimUI handhelds, by grouping them by the chip inside, plus the custom firmware worth knowing and why the shape matters more than the spec sheet.

  3. 3
    Retro Tech4 min read

    CRT Shaders on the Steam Deck: Setting Up Mega Bezel in RetroArch

    The RetroArch settings, install steps and preset picks for the Mega Bezel Reflection Shader on a Steam Deck, so old games get their scanlines and a glowing TV frame without tanking performance.

  4. 4
    Retro Tech4 min read

    The Steam Deck and EmuDeck Hotkeys I Actually Need

    One page of the Steam Deck's built-in shortcuts and the hotkeys EmuDeck sets up for RetroArch, Dolphin, PCSX2, DuckStation and the rest, in tables you can glance at mid-game.

  5. 5
    Retro Tech4 min read

    RGB and Retro Consoles: Which Ones Need a Mod and Which Just Need a Cable

    What RGB video is, why it makes old consoles look so much better than composite, and a console-by-console rundown of which ones output it already and which need a mod, plus the displays, cables and sync problems to know about.

  6. 6
    Retro Tech4 min read

    Preserving Your Own Game Collection: Dumps, Backups, Boxes and Old Hardware

    How to back up the games you own before the media gives out, check the dumps against No-Intro and Redump, store the files and the boxes properly, and keep the old consoles running.

  7. 7
    Retro Tech4 min read

    Arcade ROM Hacking: How Hard It Really Is, and Where to Start

    A realistic look at modifying arcade game ROMs, from changing text in a hex editor to rewriting game logic in assembly, with the tools, the friendliest hardware to learn on and a sensible first project.

  8. 8
    Retro Tech4 min read

    The Licensed Retro Emulation Business I Talked Myself Out Of

    I spent some time on the idea of selling legal, licensed retro game systems to bars, offices and streamers. The tech is the easy part. Here's why the licensing sank it, and the smaller ideas that looked more realistic.