Author: taternews

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Guide: Crank Up Steam Deck Performance on the cheap with Lossless Scaling

https://retrohandhelds.gg/how-to-use-lossless-scaling/

You’ve got a Steam Deck, but Helldivers 2 runs like a tired sloth on espresso? Meet your new best friend: Lossless Scaling—a $7 magic wand that turns sluggish games into buttery-smooth masterpieces.

Originally a Windows-only tool, the community hacked it loose with LSFG-VK, a plugin that lets your Steam Deck generate extra frames like a caffeinated AI artist. No new hardware needed. Just install Decky Loader, slap on the plugin, paste a tiny code snippet into your game’s launch options—and boom. 30 FPS? Try 90. Classic 30fps retro games? Now running at 120. Yes, really.

It’s not just about speed—it’s about smoothing the chaos. The tool uses machine learning to guess what frames should exist between the ones your GPU can render, making motion feel alive. And if you’re into visuals? It upscales pixel-art gems to HD glory too.

Pro tip: Start with 2x FPS, keep VSync on, and don’t go full Hulk unless you want input lag. Save profiles for your favorites—or just tweak on the fly. It’s like giving your Deck a caffeine IV drip… for games.

Best part? It works on any SteamOS device—Legion Go 2, MSI Claw, even your weird cousin’s homebrew handheld. $7 for this level of wizardry? The devs are saints.

Go. Install. Watch your favorite games finally stop crying.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

French Court Orders Popular VPNs to Block More Pirate Sites, Despite Opposition

https://torrentfreak.com/french-court-orders-popular-vpns-to-block-more-pirate-sites-despite-opposition/

French courts are turning up the heat on VPNs — and it’s getting weird.

If you’ve ever used a VPN to dodge ISP blocks and catch a free Formula 1 race, brace yourself: Paris just ruled that NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN, and others must block access to 13 pirate streaming sites — even if they claim not to log your data. The court’s logic? “You’re still the bridge.” Doesn’t matter if you don’t track users — if you enable access to pirated streams, you’re legally complicit.

The sports giants (Canal+, LFP, beIN) aren’t messing around. This isn’t just a one-off — it’s part of a rolling campaign since 2024, starting with DNS providers like Google and Cloudflare, now escalating to VPNs. The latest order covers the entire 2025/2026 football season and lets LFP add new domains on the fly. Think of it as a never-ending game of digital whack-a-mole — but you’re the mole.

NordVPN’s retort? “This is like trying to stop rain by blocking umbrellas.” They’re appealing, arguing it pushes users toward sketchy free VPNs and ignores the real culprits: hosting providers and ad networks. Fair point. But for now, French users will find these 13 sites mysteriously vanish — even if the VPNs don’t know who they’re blocking.

The bigger question? If France wins, will other EU countries follow? And will VPNs start packing their bags for less litigious shores? Stay tuned. The stream’s not dead — it’s just getting harder to find.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Archivist Recovers Footage From Monolith’s Scrapped Nolan-verse Batman Title

https://retrohandhelds.gg/archivist-recovers-footage-from-monoliths-scrapped-nolan-verse-batman-title/

You ever wonder what Batman would’ve been like if he drove a tank… and also had a memory-obsessed crime syndicate? Yeah, neither did we—until now.

Game archivist MrTalida just dug up nearly a gig of lost gold from Project Apollo, Monolith’s scrapped 2010 Batman game set in Nolan’s gritty universe. And yes—it had the Tumbler. Not just as a cosmetic prop, but in full motion: tearing through train yards, smashing barrels, and looking insanely cool doing it. Footage from Oct ’09 to Jan ’10 shows the vehicle evolving in real time, complete with Hans Zimmer’s Dark Knight score humming under the wheels.

But here’s the kicker: this game was the secret birthplace of the Nemesis System. Those thugs who remembered your face, learned your tactics, and came back stronger? That started as “Batman enemies that track you.” WB killed it because Nolan didn’t care. Monolith pivoted to Lord of the Rings—and gave us Shadow of Mordor. Now? Monolith’s shuttered. The system, gone.

So… we got a Tumbler demo. A genius mechanic born in obscurity. And the ghost of a Batman game that never was.

Honestly? Kinda perfect.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Cory In The House Might Be The Greatest Game Of All Time

https://retrohandhelds.gg/cory-in-the-house-might-be-the-greatest-game-of-all-time/

Let’s be real: Cory in the House is a game where you play a kid sneaking around the White House… by hiding in trash cans and impersonating a butler. Critics hated it. The DS version had all the polish of a soggy PB&J.

But here’s the twist—it’s winning.

Since 2013, internet weirdos have been turning this Disney Channel cash-grab into a cult legend. Now, after 17 years, it’s on the verge of dethroning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the critically adored French indie RPG, on Metacritic’s user ratings. And no one’s even trolling anymore—this is real. Dozens of perfect reviews just dropped. People are genuinely, sincerely, bizarrely in love with a game where you collect presidential pencils and dodge Secret Service agents.

Is this irony? Nostalgia? A collective breakdown? Or did we all just finally realize… Cory was the MVP?

The internet doesn’t do “just a joke” anymore—it does unstoppable meme evolution. And right now, the White House is run by a boy in a tuxedo. Long live Cory.

(Also, if you’ve never played it… do it. You’ll cry. Probably from laughter.)

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Cheap Magnifying Headset

https://retrorgb.com/cheap-magnifying-headset.html

You don’t need a $500 microscope to solder tiny components—just a $20 headset designed for watchmakers. Yes, really.

This little gem from mlogiroa was made to fix pocket watches, not PCBs—but its lightweight, flip-up design and interchangeable lenses (2.5x and 4x) make it a surprisingly great hack for casual modders. No heavy stands, no cluttered bench—just pop it on and zoom in on those finicky 0201 resistors. Bonus: you can mix lenses per eye (left=2.5x, right=4x) for depth perception, something fancy visors won’t let you do.

Sure, it’s not lab-grade. The plastic feels like it survived a toddler’s toy box. But for $20? It outperforms half the “soldering aids” on Amazon that cost 10x more and don’t let you flip one lens up while sipping coffee.

Pro tip: Skip the watch repair attachments—they force your nose into the solder joint. Just use the basic lenses and enjoy the freedom to lean back… or at least not sweat through your shirt.

If you’re tinkering on a budget, this is the sneaky upgrade you didn’t know you needed.

(P.S. Still dreaming of that $300 microscope… but this? This is my new BFF.)

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

New Saturn Shooter Took Five Years and Pushes Hardware To The Brink

https://retrohandhelds.gg/new-saturn-shooter-took-five-years-and-pushes-hardware-to-the-brink/

Let’s be real: if you’re playing a 1995-era Sega Saturn game in 2026… it’s either nostalgia, a dare, or you’re Riccardo Campione—and he just dropped Vigilant Paradise, a Miami Vice fever dream that somehow runs on hardware designed to crash under its own weight.

Five years. One man. Zero budget. And somehow, he squeezed a full-blown FPS out of the Saturn’s two CPUs, dual VDPs, and a CD drive that groans like a grandfather at a rave. You play as two rogue cops cruising palm-lined streets in low-poly glory, blasting bad guys while cheesy voice lines and synth-heavy tunes scream through your speakers. Yes, it’s absurd. Yes, it’s brilliant.

The game’s available digitally for $10 on itch.io—and if you’re running it on real hardware? Please use an ODE. CD load times are longer than your last breakup. Emulators? Mednafen’s slow, Kronos stutters, Yabause mutes the music—so good luck, you brave soul.

Campione’s first Saturn project? Yeah. But after Super Heavy Duty on Mega Drive, he clearly knows how to make old hardware scream. A physical release? Maybe—if we all chip in and buy 50 copies. Because if anyone can make the Saturn relevant again, it’s this guy. 🎮🌴

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Epomaker RT82 Review: Retro Modern?

https://retrohandhelds.gg/epomaker-rt82-review/

You know what’s retro? Beige keyboards that weigh more than your first laptop.

Enter the Epomaker RT82 — a 75% keyboard that looks like it crawled out of 1998, but runs on Bluetooth, has a tiny GIF screen, and costs less than your monthly coffee habit.

It’s got pre-lubed switches that feel like typing on butter, a 1.14” screen that displays your battery level (or a dancing cat if you’re extra), and VIA support so you can reprogram keys like a keyboard wizard. The battery? 115 hours with everything off — which is great, unless you’re using the screen. Then it’s a 14-hour power nap. (Yes, your GIFs are draining your soul. And your battery.)

The height? A bit too “throne-like.” The pogo pins? Exposed and drama-prone. But here’s the thing — it feels right. Chunky keycaps, retro curves, and a screen that turns your desk into a nostalgia vending machine.

If you want a keyboard that looks like it belonged to a 90s hacker with a Tamagotchi, this is your baby. Alternatives? Womier SK75 for color, 8BitDo for button-mashing fun. But only the RT82 lets you put a GIF of a screaming raccoon on your keyboard while typing “urgent email.”

$86 for that? Worth every penny. 🎮⌨️

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Weekly Roundup #496

https://retrorgb.com/week496.html

Hey there, retro radars—your weekly dose of nostalgia just got a serious upgrade. 🎮

Bob from RetroRGB is back with another wild ride through the land of classic gaming tech. This week? We’ve got a PS2 emulator update that’s smoother than your favorite 90s arcade cabinet, and a Virtual Boy ROM cart batch—because who doesn’t need more reasons to squint at red-and-black pixels?

But wait—it gets better. The Titan 27” IPS monitor is now a budget-friendly dream for retro gamers (no more squinting at 4:3 CRTs in 2024). And if you’ve ever wished your Tomb Raider gameplay had analog sticks? There’s a patch for that. Yes, really.

Also: the Octopus Fight Stick is in stock (yes, it looks like a sci-fi octopus took over an arcade cabinet), and Sega merch is now on Amazon—because nothing says “I miss 1996” like a Sonic hoodie.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered how to sharpen a knife using water… well, Bob filmed it. Because why not? 🤷‍♂️💧

Support the channel, grab some gear via their links (no extra cost!), and remember: retro gaming isn’t just about the games—it’s about the weird, wonderful junk we collect along the way.

Patreon? Yes please.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Groupon ‘Redeems’ Itself With Rapid Takedown of Pirate IPTV Deal

https://torrentfreak.com/groupon-redeems-itself-with-rapid-takedown-of-pirate-iptv-deal/

Groupon just became the unlikely hero in the fight against pirate IPTV—by nixing a deal so suspicious, it practically screamed “I’m illegal.”

BREIN, the Dutch anti-piracy group, spotted a Groupon listing for OpliTV—a service promising 29,000+ channels for a steal. The discount? A jaw-dropping 32% off an already absurdly cheap annual plan. If it sounds too good to be true? That’s because it was. BREIN flagged it, and Groupon didn’t just blink—they deleted it immediately.

Why’s this a big deal? Because when a trusted platform like Groupon features pirate services, it accidentally gives them legitimacy. Consumers think, “If it’s on Groupon, it must be safe.” Not so fast. These services often vanish overnight—and sometimes come with malware or ties to organized crime.

The secret sauce? BREIN’s new “Trusted Flagger” status under the EU Digital Services Act. Think of it as a VIP pass to fast-track takedowns. Since getting the badge last September, Groupon and others now treat BREIN’s notices like urgent alerts—not suggestions.

Still… we just found another Groupon deal for a similar IPTV service. And it’s already sold 1,000+ times. So while the system works—sometimes—it’s a whack-a-mole game. And the moles are still very, very cheap.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Virtual Boy Owners Finally Get the Flashcart They Deserve

https://retrohandhelds.gg/virtual-boy-owners-finally-get-the-flashcart-they-deserve/

Let’s be real: the Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s “whoops” moment—a red-eyed, neck-straining relic that died faster than a Tamagotchi on vacation. But now? It’s having a renaissance.

Enter MrCART: the flashcart that finally treats Virtual Boy owners like grown-ups. No more juggling fragile, $300 cartridges or begging your PC to talk to a 1995 handheld that hates you. Just pop in a microSD, power on, and scroll through your entire library—on the actual screen. Yes, you read that right. No PC. No wires. Just you, your d-pad, and 20+ games at your fingertips.

It even saves your progress. No more replaying “Teleroboxer” from scratch because you switched games. And it looks like a real Virtual Boy cart—dust cover, original shell, zero modern clunk. Beneath the nostalgia? An ARM chip zipping through 4MB games in under a minute.

For fans who’ve spent years preserving this weird little system, MrCART isn’t just a tool—it’s redemption. You can finally play the Virtual Boy… without wanting to throw it out a window.

Pre-orders are open. Your eyeballs will thank you.