Should You Buy The Pimax Portal Retro?
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- Опубликовано: 1 июл 2024
- This is our review of the Pimax Portal Retro, a fairly new handheld emulation device from a company who is primarily known as a VR hardware manufacturer. Even though Pimax are from a different background entirely though, can they make a handheld which competes with the likes of Anbernic, AYANEO and AYN?
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💻 CHAPTERS 💻
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Stock Issues
02:15 - Who Are Pimax?
03:00 - Portal Retro Specs
04:15 - Visual Design & Ergonomics
06:04 - Buttons & Inputs
09:11 - Software Interface
10:03 - Game Testing
14:36 - Other Issues & Score
15:55 - Conclusion
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#pimax #handheld #retrogaming 
Наука
![Pimax Portal - Мощь, Джойконы и VR [Консоль с AliExpress]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c5oYn1sDWCs/mqdefault.jpg)
![Pimax Portal - Мощь, Джойконы и VR [Консоль с AliExpress]](/img/tr.png)
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Please gameplay in new super Mario Bros wii😢
Спасибо за обзор)
Big question with PS2: does it play dirge of Cerberus and dragon quest 8 cause those are the big boys
Great review - In depth and very well informed!
I bought one of these when they were on sale for $149.99. Both analog sticks were defective. Pimax support let me return the device for a refund. Of course I had to pay for return shipping. Based upon my short experience with it I’d say it was very janky. You could tell this model was made as cheaply as possible. It seemed like they took the non Retro version replaced all the cameras with rubber caps and glued the controls to the sides. Idk if it was just my model as well but I seemed to see a weird flicker when the screen was in 90hz mode. This device being stuck on Android 10 was inconvenient as well. Battery life seemed poor. Overall I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m going to probably pick up the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro.
Nobody believe me when I said they were garbage! I knew there was something I didn’t like about this device when I first bought it. That’s why I gave it away.
@@coreystill7197no one believes you just gave away $170 or whatever
Looks cheap.
Thanks for an awesome review Rob. This is an interesting device. It's something to think about, but as you have said, their are other options and other options on the horizon. I think if I got this it could be on the shelf until I'm after something a little different. Thanks again🔥👍🏾
Thanks for watching and supporting us on Patreon!
@@RetroDodois this preconfigured or do we have to setup the frontend/emulators/bios?
Out of the box is bad. Screen flickering by + bad interface. I upgraded the software and increased refreshed rate and installed Daijisho. Both fixed immediately. Dpad is no issue for me dice i only play PS1, PS2, GC, WII games. All of which play perfectly and often at 2-3x resolution. For $150 I'm happy
I'm struggling to get it to play PS2 games on aether, and GameCube games over native, I even have dolphin clocked at 75 cpu speed just to get NFS HP2 working. And games like Battlefront for PS2 can't load the texture properly. I don't remember having these issues with my other devices, any suggestions, because everyone else seems to be saying it should handle them perfectly?
@@archiiebarrett how long ago did you get your portal? Have you done all your updates? I'm doing 2x on PS2 and 2-3x on GameCube no issue. Some light switch games. Only one struggling is 3DS on Citra
@@ramy8700 about 2 weeks ago. I checked my updates, seems like there isn't any left. My roms are fine and on a 128 card. I got the right bios for PS2... I dunno, I'm stumped. Do I need to set it to 120hz? I have it overclocked already, also my NFS HP2 rpm for GameCube is pal, so it definitely shouldn't stutter.
Yeah! Set to 120hz and set performance to High
Hey, I just got mine and after testing it for some time, the screen is hurting my eyes. Not just the flickering but the color angles are absolutely terrible. My left eye would see a black pixel but in my right eye it would appear bright. The screen looks like my old 2010 cheap tablet I got for free. Did you change anything for the screen? Or is mine defective? The angles can't be this bad
Thanks for this. I've been wanting to see a proper review of this device with it coming in at the same price point as the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. I think the biggest advantage it had over the RP4P was being on the market already, but knowing that it's sold out nullifies that. Does the Snapdragon XR2 support using updated graphics drivers? I know they make a big difference in my phone which has an 865.
The XR2 IIRC is based on the Snapdragon 8 Gen1.
Your videos are very professional and informative!!
Glad you think so!
Had mine for a while, managed to get one for £250 on eBay. Great device for emulation however noticed the buttons do start to squeak after a couple of weeks/months usage.
Will probably end up selling it now the Odin Pro 2 is so far ahead of everything else now.
Was an original backer and my conclusion is its an absolutely okay device... could probably fix most the complaints by just selling new joy cons with better buttons at least for the version with detachable controls
I have a bit of an oddly specific question, I have the hardest time adapting N64 games to using the right analog stick as the C-buttons. Some games (road rash 64, wwf no mercy) just need buttons instead of a stick. I'm looking at the triangle and O button above the ABXY diamond, are those dedicated function buttons, or would it be possible to program those as A and B for the N64 emulator and the ABXY as the C-buttons?
Use mupen or N64oid
I have absolutely no problem with 3ds or wii upscale to 1080P
can you connect it on the tv?
Too bad y’all missed out on the deal of a lifetime for this device last week 😅
Where can i get it
I do wish it did have VR emulation like from Dolphin VR and 3DSen VR... Because well it's Pimax's thing and so far the only way to see retro games in VR is on PC with a VR headset...
I will say I saw it confirmed on reddit that you could use usb-c earphones or headphones, as well as usb-c adapters
IPhone ass excuse lmao
@@RukaIXR I only have one because I had to buy earphones for my samsung phone, and I hate using bluetooth
What Mi phone did they slap these controllers on
I bought the 128gb vr version because the retro was sold out. 10 days shipping BTW. My only complaint is android 10 and the atrocious customer service. The device itself solid and plays everything I've thrown at it very well
owner of both Pimax portal 4k version and the Odin Pro 2.
Pimax looks nice and can play buffy great 😆 and all but it would heat up constantly even with the loud fan on 🙄 also, it stopped working after 2 weeks I got a message saying that there was something up with a sim card??? and would not go away. I tried everything! went on reddit for help. Finally pimax messaged me with shady instructions to reinstall the software from multiple websites … not happening!
Odin pro 2 is amazing!! seriously the battery last forever! and that thing plays everything without needing the fan on. I am very impressed with this device!
Unfortunately the pimax is just not what i expected. I wanna love this device and support it however it just looks and feels ok and plays games well when it did… I will keep it as a souvenir haha
for me, the most interesting feature of the pimax portal was the native display port. connect it to a laptop on a plane flight. don't know if this supports that
Glad to finally see someone do a proper powerslide in Crash Team Racing in one of these reviews.
😂
8:25 for anyone wondering
Thanks for the review. Almost pulled the trigger when they had that recent sale, but glad I passed at the last minn
You and the comment section just helped me save some money 😂
imagine, you have to use a handheld like a handheld... MADNESS !
Is this better than retroid pocket 4? Specs and screen seem better but feedback doesn’t??!
The Switch 2 looks great.
I was very confused by the lack of a headphone jack, but then I remembered the regular Pimax Portal is supposed to be a Meta Quest 2/3 competitor and those don't have it either, requiring either wireless headphones or a USB connected method. I really want to like the Pimax Portal, especially given how powerful they are for the price. But I simply CAN'T get past those controls, they just look awful.
Edit: the price for the Retro is currently $199, and my statements on power were based upon that. Obviously at a "normal" price, the Odin 2 is better, although much, MUCH bigger.
Great review but that's messed up they kind of pulled the rug out from under you about the stock situation.
Yup :/
I honestly don't know. I am really drawn to the Odin 2 because it can play N64 and Gamecube upscaled. It can even play Wii games which is a bonus. However, I am torn because I also want something that can play AAA heavy hitters. So, Im debating between OneXPlayer 2 (great Battery life, specs but bad tech support) Ayaneo 2S (bad battery life, okay specs, and supportive Tech support) or Steam Deck (800p screen, glitchy and bad to worse tech support). I also don't know, since this coming year Retroid Pocket 4, Ambernic 35XX H, and others are being released. But I really want one with great Battery life, tech support, and AAA specs. Its a plus, if it has HDMI ports, extension slot, and USB slots. Battery life is an important issue. I don't count Asus because battery is down the drain. Lenovo price is out of reach, well over priced. But, im still hoping for that one handheld pc thingy. Wouldn't it be better if their was a gaming handheld that asked for a "Built your ouen handheld." Customizable by price and affordability change. Once the specs are ready its sent to the customer. If theirs an update to the processor the customer can change it or buy it while it's installed (or self install for a cheaper price (at your own risk 🤷♀️)). People do that with PC computers how hard is that for gaming Handhelds. Customers are willing to fork the cash out if they see people have the heart and support otherwise why would we pay $1100+ for a handheld?
AYANEO may be the way.
Thanks Retro Dodo for narrowing down. I've been looking at the specs and AYANEO Kun has a wonderful battery life. I genuinely like to hear feedback.
How does Aya Kun fair with a large screen? What I mean to say is if I play Halo will the words be large enough to read? I have fairly large hands does the handheld seem overly large to carry?
Since they use Windows perfect for Steam, cloud play and retro gaming which AYANEO would you recommend me? This is of course as a future reference. Finding work is tough in the U.S. much less those who are seeking for LGBTQIA+ affirming jobs. I was hoping to get one handheld thingy around my 3-4 pay check. My cousins are new to the pc handheld experience too. Happy Holidays! 🙂
I’m sorry who wouldn’t get a switch oled. Especially cause that flash cart dropped……..
14:29 Im struggling to get mine to play anything over n64. Is there anything in the device settings I'm missing or specifically on aether and dolphin I need to do to get my games running at anything over native and without stuttering, dropping my cpu speed or losing graphic textures?
Still having issues? I bought mine during the $150 sale and GC/PS2 runs perfectly at 2x
@@ramy8700 I've sorted most out. Downloading an older version of aethersx2, running the screen at 120, and reinstalling my games on a different 256 SD card did the trick. I did drop the CPU speed to 90 on dolphin too. Some games still don't run super well, usually when audio tracks kick in, for instance, Auto Modelista on GameCube runs poorly. But my PS2 games mostly run fine with little hiccups when shading at 2x. Mapping the awful controls was a pain, the delay hurts games like Smash Brothers Melee, but not bad for 150 bucks.
From the chipset to the janky hardware/software and the limited quantity, my guess is that they decided to discontinue their standalone VR headset since it wasn't going to be able to compete with the new Quest 3 and they had a bunch of unsold headsets and spare parts laying around that they needed to clear out as fast as they could 🤷♂️🤣
but can it run F-Zero GX Sand Ocean
Asking the real questions lol
l don't think you can buy Pimax Retro anymore. l asked Pimax, they said they won't restock the Retro version.
They informed us it will restock in February. Take that as you will.
@@RetroDodo idk man, l asked them just a week ago. Maybe they wanted to sell me other models so they told me they wouldn't restock. lol
retro dodo your specs are way off the display 3840x2160 has 60hz, 120hz and 144hz. you can go upto switch games.
baffling decision to not have a headphone jack.
instant no go for me, even if the device were otherwise perfect
I've been gone for awhile what happened to the muscly guy
He's still here don't worry! It's just that the small bald guy (me) is making videos on the channel too now :D
correction all the pimax models are sold out lol
no headphone jack!? L A M E. and the "d-pad"? why?!
Never heard of it.
Until the moment I'm hating, all the android games just work on touchscreen (if i wanted use touchscreen i use my phone), all the games that i tested, except for pokemon white just worked on touch, why have the controller? I'm having a hard time to install the emulators, i couldn't install DK or the switch emulator... And i have the most expensive one, so is very frustrating until now.
PS: steam doesn't work also, keep asking to install the app like I'm playing in the browser on pc
PS2: if you want a good emulator videogame to play old games( GBA, SNEs, Genesis, PSP...) buy the trimui smart pro, I paid 67$ and it was really worth it, runs perfectly, battery for life... Everything is good, but NDS lag a lot
With the RP4 Pro release, the value proposition is weak at best. Great content young lads. Thanks.
That Dpad is a Deal Breaker. It looks like it would be decent for streaming pc games from a PC though
The question is can you buy it? Out of stock everywhere
Did you just... not watch the video? No, they say in the video it's sold out until (possibly) February
Sold out until February and then it will be full price too, you're better off looking elsewhere at this moment in time.
@@RetroDodocan you bring your channel to BitChute?
NO HEADPHONE JACK? LOL
Can they please stop using the joycon controller layout in these devices. At least give us an option to upgrade to a normal controller layout like the Switch.
I picked it up for 150. So it wasn’t that bad. I just thought it looked cool. But I like playing with this stuff. I was up all night tinkering with the Ayn Odin 2 this morning. I got the switch to work. But I was up all night trying to find out how to get Roms! But I can’t find them anywhere. I found one site. But it only had 9 games on the site.
I thoguht you said you agve it away.
@@PJP-DJP I did give it away. But I always buy multiples of things because I have a problem with letting things go. I do like to give things away. But I like to have one for myself too sometimes.
@@coreystill7197you can't even find games yet you're flaming everything on the portal 😂😂😂
Battery draining mess with uncomfortable buttons.
"plays everything" except for your ACTUAL CARTS & GAMES 😅
Bruh how do you not have a pair of bluetooth headphones? 😂
Byeee....
At released finally? 😒
What's the point. A Pimax Portal is 280 bucks, not counting shipping.
You know what I bought for exactly 280 bucks?
A used Steam Deck with all the accessories.
What happen to the other guy?
Half-baked device.
That D-pad is REALLY and i mean REALLY horrible... what where they thinking it really plays like sh*t and that makes this device EPIC fail that is made for RETRO games...
Oh no that stupid D-Pad ain't gonna fly. The damn controller doesn't even come off why make then like the Joycons?
This device is garbage. I purchased this two weeks ago and gave it away to some random stranger at Starbucks because it sucks so bad.
😂
It doesn't suck up water well, so you hardly get any flow through the ground coffee. I wish I hadn't taken it from some random stranger at Starbucks. I'd stick with a Starbucks Portal machine. It might be more expensive but at least it's available and it makes good coffee. @@PLASMAZEONCORE
On today's episode of "Things that never happen"
@@xenram4637he’s not lying, I’m the stranger he gave it to and I threw it in the trash after 1 day of use… terrible.
@@xenram4637 yes it happened! Let's see this year I gave away a pimax portal, 6-miyoo mini plus, 2- PlayStation 4's, 2-Xbox one's, a Nintendo switch lite, and a 1xplayer! You see I have a good amount of money! You don't have to be a RUclipsr to do nice things for people. I like to find random strangers and friends who have the same passion I do for these electronics! Because it's my hobby! My monthly bills add up to $1,200 a month. I make over $14,000. What do you do with all of that? Other than share some from time to time with cool people. Hope you have a wonderful New Year's keep enjoying those electronics!
RP4 Pro smokes this on every account, with a lower price tag and better value proposition.
True
This has larger screen, better refresh rate and higher resolution than the RP4 Pro, and was also cheaper at $150 before it sold out. So there were some good reasons to grab one while they lasted.
@patientgamer2041 Yeah, at $150, it was a great buy, even with that awful dpad.
Where is old guy your video presentation sucks
So annoying, the use of American vernacular from a UK channel. Stop it!
Change the thumbnail this thing is a pile of crap compared to other devices in its price range. Not to mention it absolutely does not "play everything" as the thumbnail implies. Get the clickbait ratchet and clank screen off the thumbnail and show a retro game because that is all this pile is good for.
Unfortunately I really don’t like this guy voice and it is ruining the video…