Here's an open secret: every cheap streaming device sucks. Yes, it's great that people can access so many shows and movies with devices that cost less than $50. It's great that the best ones no longer force you to suffer constant lags and performance issues as well. But over time, the Faustian bargain we make with these things becomes more and more obvious. We save money up front and then pay off our debt through a poor user experience.
I've been thinking about this since I purchased. amazon;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2FsbC1uZXctYW1hem9uLWZpcmUtdHYtc3RpY2stNGstbWF4L2RwL0IwQlA5U05WSDk_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy1wLXYtanctMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjViN2Y1OTA4LTBiM2MtNGUyYi1hMTdiLTRlNGY1YTc3YzE1ZSJ9&signature=AQAAAQ-lLpAGFU6RTEm9COIqk1dlPbhjggGLFPQlEio6AOy5&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fall-new-amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-max%2Fdp%2FB0BP9SNVH9″ class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max A couple of months ago. It's a good example of that handshake: it's status for sale for $40 for most of the last few months, and at that price, it's hardware It's a tremendous bargain. It's fast, works with major HDR and Dolby Atmos formats, and supports all the necessary apps.
But amazon's Fire OS is blatantly bloated. Large honking ads dominate the user interface, most of which put amazon services like Freevee, MGM+, or Prime Video (which is still Blockbuster's streaming service offering) front and center. Some ads directly promote products you can buy on amazon. Dude, you haven't seen the dystopian future until the top third of your 55-inch TV suggests you buy a KitchenAid espresso machine. Once I'm streaming something, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is great. But I have to resist all the ads it sells me, to mentally block out parts of the device I bought with my own money, to get the most out of it.
So why did I still buy one? Mainly because I'm not using it as amazon intends. Instead, I use it to emulate old video games, which will always be the easiest path to my heart. Of course, nowadays it's possible to run retro games on almost anything: a PC, an iPhone, a million different portable devices, a instagram.com/p/CGQoq2HpHKS/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=4a3372c2-3bd8-4ac3-96fa-3a6e7efed364″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:fridge;cpos:9;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>fridge and more. You can do this kind of thing with other Android transmitters like the amazon;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0dvb2dsZS1OZXN0LUdBMDE5MTktR0EwMTkxOS1VUy1DaHJvbWVjYXN0L2RwL0IwOEtSVjdTMjIvP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtcC12LWp3LTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI1YjdmNTkwOC0wYjNjLTRlMmItYTE3Yi00ZTRmNWE3N2MxNWUifQ&signature=AQAAAQ2y2bxb23jWIBA4hC3ucFbkiP1m_9MXD9XJh15Rjxua&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGoogle-Nest-GA01919-GA01919-US-Chromecast%2Fdp%2FB08KRV7S22%2F” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:Google Chromecast;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>Chromecast either amazon;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQlA5TURDUVo_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy1wLXYtanctMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjViN2Y1OTA4LTBiM2MtNGUyYi1hMTdiLTRlNGY1YTc3YzE1ZSJ9&signature=AQAAAanuM6SVOV_ny7LGRsLpqexSSorfte4iqyOfhAMMhCmW&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0BP9MDCQZ” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:amazon’s cheaper Fire TV Stick 4K;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>amazon's cheapest Fire TV Stick 4K also. The Delta emulator was recently enabled on iOS and you can also get to it Also with an Apple TV, although through AirPlay instead of a native connection. I decided on 4K Max simply because seems to have More of a safety net for performance than most other low-cost transmitters. And it's much cheaper than a high-end box like Apple TV or NVIDIA Shield.
Still, having a dedicated device for TVs is convenient in a way that non-streaming devices are not. I'm not lugging a giant gaming PC from my desk to my living room, and I'm not paying more for a mini PC when I can spend much less on a dongle that emulates quite well. Official consoles like Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 have many retro games in their libraries, but far from everything. And while I'm a collector who's spent way too much on consoles and games from decades past, the process of getting that original hardware to work decently on a modern TV is famously laborious. Sometimes I just want to play half an hour of National League '94, Ken Griffey Jr. introduces Major League Baseball either chrono trigger without having to take out the SNES (or Genesis), scaler and a bunch of cables from my closet. (Related: I'd also like a bigger apartment, but c'est la vie in New York.) The emulation on the Fire TV Stick isn't as faithful as the real thing in terms of image quality, but it's certainly playable and generally less of a hassle to just turn it on and use.
After configuring it, of course. Turning a Fire TV Stick into a retro gaming hub isn't especially complicated, but it does require a little preparation. There are many tutorials that will guide you through the entire process, but here is how I made it work. First, I needed some accessories: a Bluetooth controller, some kind of amazon;elmt:;cpos:19;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwMEJYNUZPQ0s_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy1wLXYtanctMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjViN2Y1OTA4LTBiM2MtNGUyYi1hMTdiLTRlNGY1YTc3YzE1ZSJ9&signature=AQAAAWTfaytz5e5KOwmH8JPt2i_6lYAH1UBnGmL1ZcWV55yz&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB00BX5FOCK” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:USB thumb drive;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:19;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>pen drive
After formatting my USB drive and loading it with my games, it was simply a matter of downloading the popular interface. amazon;elmt:;cpos:23;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwOTc1M1hSVkY_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy1wLXYtanctMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjViN2Y1OTA4LTBiM2MtNGUyYi1hMTdiLTRlNGY1YTc3YzE1ZSJ9&signature=AQAAAcrN4XxewBaFHTdLL-7zR_g7uOe9dKvGtxeh9FRBMkYY&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB09753XRVF” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:RetroArch;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:23;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>RetroBow from the amazon App Store, downloading the “cores” for each console I wanted to emulate within RetroArch, pointing the app to the correct folders on the USB drive, and configuring my gamepad controls. I've done this on dozens of devices over the past two years as I've gotten deeper into the retro gaming rabbit hole, so the entire process took me less than an hour. Demystifying RetroArch would take me another 1000 words, so I'll direct you to this magnificent video tutorial by Retro Game Corps. It's long, but these things always require a little pain up front and I think it's worth it. Turning a device like this into something completely different feels like I'm getting away with it. It's exciting, even if it means I'll end sounding like this guy.
As for what can actually be played on this thing, I found that 4K Max works best emulating consoles up to the original PlayStation. Games on PS1, NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, Genesis, and older arcade machines have been consistently smooth. Is technically It's possible to run things from the N64, Dreamcast, PSP, or Nintendo DS, but they're more unpredictable, so I wouldn't trust them unless you're the kind of sadist who enjoys playing with resolution scaling and switching between emulators. Still, this leaves me with hundreds of games to enjoy. Some are essential (donkey kong), some have been lost in time (UN Squad), some make me want to defend myself (Ecco the dolphin) and none of them are live service garbage designed to disrespect my time.
I understand this is a strange niche search. Emulators are daunting at first and many old games feel like relics for a reason. However, in a small way, turning this ad-ridden, data-sucking streamer into a retro mini console has felt like regaining ownership of the device I paid for. The ads are still there and my home screen will continue to pester me to watch the Anne Hathaway movie. amazon;elmt:;cpos:29;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0lkZWEtWW91LUFubmUtSGF0aGF3YXkvZHAvQjBDVjcyWDFCTD90YWc9Z2RndDBjLXAtdi1qdy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNWI3ZjU5MDgtMGIzYy00ZTJiLWExN2ItNGU0ZjVhNzdjMTVlIn0&signature=AQAAAWx-9FndEM3XsGW6kCRFMWG1GPWTfAy0PwiCOlxIaAF3&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FIdea-You-Anne-Hathaway%2Fdp%2FB0CV72X1BL” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:latest rom-com;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:29;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>latest romantic comedy on Prime Video. (My wife and I relented; it was fine.) But with a little trick, I folded it to show more of what Yo you want to see, and you got an easier way to engage in some nostalgic fun in the process.
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