📰 New article from Retro Handhelds
Starboard Finally Brings PortMaster to Android Handhelds
https://retrohandhelds.gg/starboard-finally-brings-portmaster-to-android-handhelds/
If you’ve been itching to play PC games on your Android handheld without rooting your device, your wait is officially over. Enter Starboard, a new app that finally brings the beloved PortMaster catalog to the Android ecosystem. Previously, this treasure trove of retro and indie ports was locked to x86 handhelds or required complex Linux setups like RetroDECK. Now, it’s just a tap away.
Starboard works by spinning up a genuine Linux execution environment on your phone. It’s not magic, but it feels close. You get one-tap installation from a controller-friendly library, dual-screen support for those clamshell devices, and even experimental GPU acceleration via virgl. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with EmulationStation DE, so your games appear with proper cover art and descriptions.
There are a few catch-ups, though. First, Starboard isn’t open-source, though the developer has been transparent about its proot-based setup and lack of suspicious telemetry. Second, not all ~1,800 PortMaster titles work out of the box; you’ll need to tweak settings to reveal compatible ports since many require specific runtimes.
It’s a game-changer for Android handheld enthusiasts. No more turning your Retroid Pocket into a dedicated Linux box. Just download it from GitHub and start playing.