Author: taternews

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Arcus Odyssey & Psycho Dream – RetroBit Re-Releases

https://retrorgb.com/arcus-odyssey-psycho-dream-retrobit-re-releases.html

If you’ve been feeling a sudden, inexplicable urge to revisit the 16-bit era, your wallet might be in trouble. RetroBit has officially opened pre-orders for two highly anticipated retro re-releases: Arcus Odyssey for the Genesis/Mega Drive and Psycho Dream for the Super Nintendo.

Expect these to start shipping around this fall, with a price tag hovering around $60 each. While some collectors might scoff at “new” cartridges, there’s a massive practical upside here. Hunting down original copies—especially complete-in-box versions—can cost twice as much (or more) than these re-releases. Plus, for the Psycho Dream fans, this is your golden ticket to an official version that isn’t stuck in Japanese.

A few things to keep in mind before you hit “buy”:

• Regional availability: NTSC versions are ready for US buyers, while PAL versions are available through European sellers.
• Build quality: RetroBit has a solid track record of making high-quality, properly beveled Genesis carts that actually feel premium.

As always, just do a quick hardware check once they arrive to ensure they’re safe for your vintage consoles. Happy gaming!

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

R36 Ultra Review: Another Solid RK3326 Clone for Gamers on a Budget

https://retrohandhelds.gg/r36-ultra-review/

### Deja Vu in the Palm of Your Hand

If you feel like you’ve seen this movie before, don’t worry—you aren’t hallucinating. The R36 Ultra has officially entered the chat, and it brings with it a very familiar feeling: “Wait, didn’t I just buy this?”

As yet another RK3326-chipset clone, the R36 Ultra isn’t exactly trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s essentially an R36S variant dressed up in some fresh, translucent colorways. If you already own a small army of these budget handhelds, there’s nothing here that will blow your mind. Expect the usual suspects: a slightly creaky plastic shell, shoulder buttons that click loud enough to wake the neighbors, and a battery compartment that rattles just a little too much.

However, “same as it ever was” isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re hunting for a bargain. Here is why it might still be worth your $40:

• The Screen Wins: The 4-inch, 720×720 display is legitimately lovely—vibrant colors that make retro titles pop.
• Solid Performance: It handles everything from the classic era up through PSX with ease, with some light experimentation possible for Dreamcast and PSP.
• Budget Friendly: If you can snag it on sale, it’s an incredible entry point for kids or anyone new to emulation.

The Bottom Line: Unless you’re collecting pretty purple plastic for your mantle, this is a lateral move. But for the price of a fancy lunch, it’s a solid, playable piece of nostalgia.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

OnePlus Set to Release its First Controller Alongside Ace 6 Ultra

https://retrohandhelds.gg/oneplus-set-to-release-its-first-controller-alongside-ace-6-ultra/

Hold onto your joysticks—or, well, hold onto your phones. While rumors suggested OnePlus was ready to launch a dedicated gaming handheld, it turns out they’re taking a slightly more “accessory-focused” approach.

Alongside the upcoming Ace 6 Ultra, OnePlus is introducing the “Marksman” gaming controller. This isn’t a full console replacement, though. The controller skips the D-pad and face buttons entirely, relying on your phone’s touchscreen for the heavy lifting. Instead, it focuses on high-performance rear triggers with a lightning-fast 1.8ms response time and customizable macro buttons.

The Ace 6 Ultra itself is an absolute beast, boasting a massive 8600mAh battery and a 165Hz display. To keep things running smoothly, the Marksman controller even supports a magnetic cooling fan and features a built-in “gaming antenna” to boost your signal.

The quick breakdown:

• The Good: Insane battery life, ultra-fast triggers, and a built-in charging port for long sessions.
• The Weird: A dedicated gaming antenna (we’ll believe it when we see it).
• The Catch: No physical buttons—you’re still stuck tapping that screen.

Expect the big reveal on April 28.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Game Over: VTech’s Decade of Failure

https://retrohandhelds.gg/game-over-vtechs-decade-of-failure/

If you think your current tech is frustrating, just remember that VTech once tried to sell the world a “hybrid” nightmare.

Before they became the kings of chirpy, alphabet-learning laptops, VTech had some serious delusions of grandeur in the 1980s. They didn’t just want to make toys; they wanted to crash the console market by creating machines that were simultaneously gaming consoles, home computers, and educational tools.

The problem? They ended up pleasing absolutely nobody.

First came the CreatiVision in 1982. It promised a dual life as a computer, but required a keyboard made of two awkward joysticks that felt like trying to type with chopsticks. It couldn’t compete with the Atari 2600, and parents didn’t want a flimsy toy masquerading as a PC.

Six years later, they tried again with the Socrates. This time, it was an “educational system” with a sluggish processor and a wireless keyboard that only worked if the lighting in your room was absolutely perfect. It had almost no games and even less charm.

The takeaway for hardware devs? Trying to solve two different problems at once usually just results in one crappy machine. VTech eventually learned their lesson, retreating to the much safer (and much more successful) world of durable toddler electronics.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

MiSTer FPGA News – Mortal Kombat, Sync Saves with PC Emulators & More

https://retrorgb.com/mister-fpga-news-mortal-kombat-sync-saves-with-pc-emulators-more.html

MiSTer FPGA News – Mortal Kombat, Sync Saves with PC Emulators & More

If you’ve ever felt the heartbreak of losing a high score because you switched from your MiSTer to your PC, we have some good news. A new tool called 1Retro is officially entering the chat. Developed by the GolemFPGA team, this lightweight background service syncs save files across MiSTer, Windows/Mac emulators, and even handhelds like the Analogue Pocket via a clever cloud system. Best of all? You can log in using a QR code—no more frantic typing on a MiSTer keyboard.

The hardware scene is also heating up with some impressive DIY projects:

• The Multi Controller Adapter (MCA-Retro): A single USB beast that lets you plug in everything from SNES and N64 to Neo Geo and PlayStation controllers for use on PC or Pi.
• Hamgeek MiSTer: If you’re struggling to find hardware, Hamgeek is now stocking ready-to-go setups with great reviews.

On the software front, CoinOp Collection is on a roll. New cores for Tumble Pop and Psycho-Nics Oscar are available via Patreon, while work continues on Dark Seal and Edward Randy. Just a heads up: some newer Midway Z/Y-Unit cores (including Mortal Kombat) now involve a specific DRM sign-up process tied to your hardware.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

$5 HDMI to VGA + Audio DAC

https://retrorgb.com/5-hdmi-to-vga-audio-dac.html

The $5 Retro Hero

Who says you need to drop a fortune to get that crisp, nostalgic glow on a CRT? If you’ve been hunting for a way to bridge the gap between modern HDMI hardware and old-school VGA monitors without breaking the bank, you might want to clear some space in your budget.

A recent deep dive from RetroRGB reveals that a tiny, $5 HDMI to VGA + Audio DAC is punching way above its weight class. While it sounds too good to be true, the reviewer found that as long as you feed it an “HDMI Limited Range” signal, it performs remarkably close to much pricier converters.

This little gadget is a dream for enthusiasts using MiSTer FPGA, RePlayOS, or Kodi. It handles those weird, non-standard resolutions and refresh rates we love so much without breaking a sweat.

The Pro Tip: If you’re using this with a MiSTer setup, don’t forget to tweak your `.ini` file settings (specifically setting `hdmi_limited=2`) to ensure you get the best possible signal quality. It’s a small configuration tweak for a massive upgrade in value.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

India’s Expanding Site Blocking Orders Hit Legal Wall at Delhi High Court

https://torrentfreak.com/indias-expanding-site-blocking-orders-hit-legal-wall-at-delhi-high-court/

### The Hydra Gets a New Head

If you’ve ever tried to track down a pirate site, you know the drill: you block one domain, and two more pop up like a digital hydra. For years, Indian courts have been using “dynamic injunctions” to stay ahead of the game, essentially allowing officials to add new mirror sites to a blocking list without needing a new court date every single time. It was efficient, it was effective, and—according to a recent Delhi High Court ruling—it might actually be illegal.

In a trademark dispute involving the Mahindra conglomerate, the court hit the brakes on this “future-proofing” trend. While rightsholders wanted the power to add new infringing domains to an existing order, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said, not so fast.

The logic? Once a judge signs off on a final ruling and closes a case, their authority ends. You can’t just have a court official playing “whack-a-mole” with new websites once the legal proceedings are officially over.

Why this matters:

• More paperwork, more money: Studios and rightsholders can no longer rely on automatic expansions; they’ll likely need to file fresh litigation for every new wave of clones.
• Legal inconsistency: Different judges in the same court might rule differently, creating a massive headache for lawyers.
• A call to action: The judge didn’t just say “no”—he explicitly called on the Indian Parliament to rewrite the rules to handle the realities of the modern internet.

For now, the “dynamic” era is on ice, leaving the heavy lifting to the legislature.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

RePlay OS v1.6.4 – Touchscreen Support

https://retrorgb.com/replay-os-v1-6-4-touchscreen-support.html

If you’ve ever found yourself squinting at a tiny Raspberry Pi screen while trying to navigate menus with a controller, developer RTA just handed you a massive win.

The latest RePlay OS update (v1.6.4) has officially introduced touchscreen support. This means if your setup includes a touch-sensitive display, you can finally ditch the buttons and interact with your retro library more intuitively. It’s a small change that makes the whole handheld or desktop experience feel much more modern.

But the “Alpha Player” got some serious love, too. The built-in video player is now much smarter, featuring new zoom modes (hello, 21:9 and ultra-wide support!) and adjustable frame blending to make your playback look smoother. They’ve also cleaned up subtitle handling and added better audio track selection.

A quick heads-up on the upgrade path:

• Running v1.6.0 or higher? You can update directly through the RePlayOS GUI via your network. Easy peasy.
• On an older version? You’ll need to do a fresh MicroSD re-flash.

It’s a meaty update that makes the OS feel more polished and flexible than ever.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retro Handhelds Weekly: Steam on Android, Open-Source DS Hype, and Hardware Chaos

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retro-handhelds-weekly-edition-95/

### Hardware Chaos and Steam Dreams

If you thought the retro handheld market was settling into a predictable rhythm, think again. This week’s news feels like a fever dream of experimental hardware and software breakthroughs that might actually change how we play.

Anbernic is clearly leaning into the “weird” lately. After a rocky start to 2026, they’ve teased the RG Rotate, a device that looks like it’s trying to find its soul through unconventional form factors. Not all news is quite so experimental, though; AYN dropped a bit of a bombshell regarding their upcoming Thor and Odin 3 batches, announcing a transition to UFS 3.1 storage—a slight downgrade from the 4.0 we were expecting.

On the software side, things are getting seriously impressive:

• Steam on Android: Thanks to ROCKNIX, your Qualcomm-based handhelds (like the Retroid Pocket 6) can now run native Linux games and Windows titles via Proton. It’s basically a mini Steam Deck in your pocket.
• The Return of the Classics: After an eight-year slumber, the Snes9xTYL emulator for PSP and PS Vita has finally received an update.

Whether you’re looking for open-source DS flash carts or browsing new indie titles on the Afterplay storefront, it’s a wild time to be a collector. Grab your coffee—the handheld wars are just getting interesting.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

GitHub Reports DMCA Takedown Record and Surging Anti-Circumvention Claims

https://torrentfreak.com/github-reports-dmca-takedown-record-and-surging-anti-circumvention-claims/

### The Great Code Crackdown: GitHub’s Takedown Spree

If you thought your inbox was the only place getting flooded with “urgent” requests lately, think again—GitHub is feeling the heat. The world’s largest code repository just dropped its latest transparency report, and the numbers are a bit startling.

Copyright claims are on a massive upward trajectory. Most notably, “anti-circumvention” claims—requests to kill projects that bypass digital locks—have surged by 41% this year. To put that in perspective, back in 2020, these types of notices were rare occurrences; now, GitHub is processing hundreds of them annually.

It’s not just the “lock-breaking” tools getting targeted, though. Total DMCA takedowns are also climbing, with the number of affected repositories jumping over 50%. Interestingly, much of this seems to be caused by a few massive “bulk” complaints hitting popular projects rather than a million tiny ones.

The silver lining? GitHub is doubling down on its role as a developer bodyguard. Thanks to recent legal wins that protect platforms from being held automatically liable for user actions, GitHub says it has more breathing room to side with creators and keep the open internet—and your code—running.