On this episode of You Don’t Know Flack, I talk about my latest attempt to get an emulation PC up and running in my living room. I run through the parts I bought, the front end I settled on, and some of the work it took to get things up and running. I’ll probably end up writing and posting a more detailed “how to” article on my website, but this episode is a good overview as to what I did to get things up and running.
[Links]
Link: GastricSteps.com
Link: YDKF Episode 122: MAME Cabinets
Link: YDKF Episode 104: Console Copiers
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Hi Rob, I’ve listened to many of your YDKF podcasts and read Commodore, but this is the first time I’ve interacted to you. I just listed to your Emulation PC episode and thought I’d comment.
You should really take a closer look at the OUYA. Like you, I’ve tried many options of having an “all in one” emulation setup on my TV, and have found the OUYA to be far and away the best solution so far.
I originally used a “slimline” PC like what you discussed on the podcast, but it was prior to HDMI so the video wasn’t optimal, and I just found the setup and configuration to be endless: from the front-end to making each emulator work correctly, it was a lot of work to maintain (which you described).
I then moved onto hacking the Nintendo Wii and loading emulators using the “Homebrew Channel”. This is still a pretty good option, with pretty good emulators for the NES, SNES, Genesis, 2600 and others. Using a Nintendo Classic controller works pretty well for the most part. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is much activity these days for keeping the emulators up to date, and the Wii isn’t powerful enough to run some of the more modern systems.
In comes the OUYA. It is a very tiny box, has HDMI out, and has many great emulators (many by Robert Broglia which are Android ports and very well done). You can connect an external hard drive to it, and I have the full “NoInto” collection available to play games for the 2600, NES, SNES, Genesys, Neo-Geo, MSX (including Coleco), TG-16, and others. I haven’t tried MAME yet but it is available.
Many people complain about the quality of the controller but I have found the latest revision to be pretty nice and I’m quite happy with it. Also, you can connect most bluetooth controllers including those for the PS3.
The OUYA has been by far the easiest and most reliable emulation solution and I highly recommend it. All the emulators can be downloaded from the online store, but there are also ways to side-load as well. I have heard the OUYA is available for $59 at Target right now, which makes it a no-brainer.
Enjoy the show and thanks for all you do!