Author: taternews

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

RH Picks: Best Prime Day Deals of 2026

https://retrohandhelds.gg/rh-picks-best-prime-day-deals-of-2026/

Prime Day is back, and if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your pocket-sized gaming arsenal, the clock is ticking. Retro Handhelds has spent the last few weeks digging through the digital trenches to bring you the best deals on Amazon, specifically tailored for those of us who enjoy retro emulation and portable power.

The real winner here? Accessibility. While you might find cheaper prices on AliExpress, these Prime Day picks offer the peace of mind of easy returns and fast shipping. Whether you’re eyeing a budget-friendly R36MAX for under $50 or splurging on a Windows-powered Legion Go S for $549.99, there’s something for every wallet.

Don’t stop at the handhelds, though. The accessories are just as juicy. We’re seeing serious discounts on 8BitDo controllers, high-speed microSD cards for storing those terabytes of ROMs, and even some adorable retro mechanical keyboards. If you’ve been eyeing a sleek carrying case or a multi-port charger to keep your rig powered up, now is the time.

Just remember, the sale ends Friday, June 26, at 3 AM ET. So, don’t let these deals slip away while you’re still scrolling. Happy hunting!

📰 New article from RetroRGB

New Home for Redump

https://retrorgb.com/new-home-for-redump.html

Ever feel that familiar chill when your browser screams, “This connection is not private”? Yeah, that’s officially a thing of the past for one of gaming’s most vital digital archives. The Redump team, the unsung heroes behind preserving our favorite retro games, has officially packed up their digital bags and moved operations to a new, significantly safer home: redump.info.

For those who’ve been hoarding ROMs and ISOs for years, this isn’t just a cosmetic update—it’s a security upgrade. The old redump.org domain is now considered obsolete. While the old site might stick around for a bit, all future activity, updates, and community discussions are happening at the new location. The best part? The new site actually supports dark mode. Because let’s be honest, late-night emulation sessions shouldn’t require sunglasses.

Already an old-timer with an account? Don’t panic. Your username still works, but you’ll need to reset your password via the new forum at forum.redump.info. New contributors can register fresh and jump right in. This migration ensures that the massive effort put into preserving gaming history remains accessible and secure for everyone who depends on it.

So, go ahead, give the new site a spin. It’s faster, safer, and finally free of those ominous browser warnings. Let’s raise a glass (or a controller) to the team keeping our retro libraries alive.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Retro Game Restore: Status Update

https://retrorgb.com/retro-game-restore-status-update.html

If you’ve been staring at your inbox, waiting for that Retro Game Restore order to magically appear, take a deep breath. Martin, the guy behind RGR, just dropped a brutally honest status update that explains why things are moving slower than a dial-up connection in 1999.

The short version? The Xbox shell project is technically alive—samples are in hand—but the global supply chain for plastics and chemicals is currently playing hard to get. Meanwhile, international shipping remains a logistical nightmare, though things are finally starting to thaw out. In a massive gesture of goodwill, RGR is eating the prepaid duties and tax-processing costs for all pre-orders placed before July 1st. That’s a significant hit to their bottom line, but it’s a good faith effort to keep customers happy.

Here’s the reality check: nobody wins here. You’re waiting for a product, and Martin is drowning in processing fees, lost shipments, and sourcing headaches. Refunding everyone would bankrupt the operation, but shipping delays are infuriating. It’s a classic “nobody’s fault, but everyone’s suffering” scenario driven by global chaos that no small business could plan for.

So, be patient. Martin has a years-long track record of delivering top-tier quality, and it looks like these products will eventually arrive. Just remember that behind every delayed package is a creator trying to keep their dream alive amidst the madness.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Film Companies “Piggyback” on Other Lawsuits to Unmask BitTorrent Pirates

https://torrentfreak.com/film-companies-piggyback-on-other-lawsuits-to-unmask-bittorrent-pirates/

Think you’ve outrun a BitTorrent lawsuit because the ISP’s 180-day data retention clock ran out? Think again. A clever new legal tactic is turning that privacy window into a trapdoor.

Movie studios are now “piggybacking” on the massive library of subpoenas filed by adult producer Strike 3 Holdings. Since Strike 3 targets thousands of IPs annually, they often force ISPs to hand over subscriber details well within the legal window. Now, film companies are asking courts to force ISPs to release those same records for older cases, arguing that if the ISP gave the info to Strike 3, they must still have it stored for litigation purposes.

A federal judge recently agreed, granting subpoenas that bypass the standard data expiration limits. The logic? If the ISP holds the document for one lawsuit, they can be compelled to produce it for another. It’s a savvy workaround that keeps the net open long after the original statute of limitations for data retention has closed.

But here’s the catch: IP addresses aren’t foolproof fingerprints. While the same IP and torrent client suggest a suspect, weeks can pass between cases, potentially assigning the address to a new household. Still, for studios like Capstone, this “piggyback” strategy is a welcome liftoff after losing previous battles in court. The era of easy anonymity via data expiration? It’s officially over.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

[UPDATE: Screen Specs] Retroid Teases a New 4:3 OLED Device With the Pocket Nova

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retroid-teases-a-new-43-oled-device-with-the-pocket-nova/

Retroid just dropped a curveball, and the retro handheld community is losing its mind. Right as the weekly podcast was about to kick off, the company teased the Retroid Pocket Nova, a new horizontal device that promises to fix the biggest complaint from last year: the screen.

Remember the “mortgage screen” drama with the Pocket Mini V1? Yeah, this looks like the apology tour. The Nova features a native 4:3 aspect ratio OLED display, finally giving classic games the pixel-perfect presentation they deserve. No more squished sprites or awkward cropping.

Here’s what we know so far:

• Design: It’s a compact, horizontal handheld, likely similar in size to the Pocket Mini.
• Controls: Contrary to some early guesses, inline triggers are off the table. Expect the traditional layout, possibly placing the D-pad above the analog sticks to honor those old-school console days.
• Specs: The chip remains a mystery, but hopes are high for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or better.

While pricing and release dates are still under wraps, this feels like the hardware redemption arc we’ve been waiting for. In a market stifled by high component costs, a device that actually prioritizes retro authenticity over gimmicks is a breath of fresh air. Stay tuned for more updates—because if this screen lives up to the hype, it might just be the one to watch in 2026.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Valve Finally Reveals Steam Machine Pricing and Opens Waitlist

https://retrohandhelds.gg/valve-finally-reveals-steam-machine-pricing-and-opens-waitlist/

Valve finally dropped the hammer on Steam Machine pricing, and honestly? It’s steep. If you’ve been eyeing the desktop console, you’re looking at $1,049 for the base 512GB model, jumping to $1,428 if you want the 2TB storage and that signature Steam Controller. It’s eye-watering, sure, but it tracks with the current memory and storage crunch. It’s definitely not the budget-friendly dream Valve might have pitched back in late 2025, but it is what it is.

Here’s the twist: this isn’t a frantic “first-come, first-served” race. You can join the waitlist anytime before June 25th at 10 a.m. PT. Once that clock stops, Valve enters everyone into a random lottery. You’ll get an email with your results, and if you win, you get to pick your specific config. It’s a much fairer system than the chaos we’ve seen with other limited drops, giving you a genuine shot without needing a supercomputer to beat the servers.

On a brighter note, Valve is opening the gates for DIY enthusiasts. Starting with SteamOS 3.8, you can now install the OS on your own custom PC build, with recent updates smoothing out compatibility for Intel and AMD hardware. As for the Steam Frame headset? Keep your hopes in check; pricing and availability for that are still under wraps.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retroid Teases a New 4:3 OLED Device With the Pocket Nova

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retroid-teases-a-new-43-oled-device-with-the-pocket-nova/

Remember the heartbreak of the Retroid Pocket Mini V1’s cropped screen? Yeah, the community remembers, too. It was enough to give retro gaming fans a collective case of the jitters, but Retroid is finally addressing the elephant in the room. They’ve just teased the Retroid Pocket Nova, a new horizontal handheld that promises to deliver exactly what was missing: a proper 4:3 aspect ratio OLED display.

The teaser image shows a compact device, and while early speculation suggested inline triggers, community insiders have confirmed that’s not the case. Instead, we’re looking at multiple color options and a layout that likely places the D-pad above the analog sticks. Why? Because that classic configuration is ideal for older consoles and those nostalgic 4:3 games. It sounds like Retroid is doubling down on the design principles that made the Pocket Mini a hit, just without the screen drama.

Speculation is already running wild about the internals. Everyone is hoping for a significant upgrade from the Snapdragon 865, perhaps even an 8 Gen 2 chip, to handle modern emulation alongside the retro classics. With hardware prices remaining stubbornly high, this device feels like much-needed news in a quiet 2026 market. We’re waiting for the official specs and price, but if this “mortgage screen” lives up to the hype, it could easily become the go-to retro handheld for purists.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

AI-Generated ‘FIFA World Cup’ DMCA Notices Ask Google to Delist Pirate Sites

https://torrentfreak.com/ai-generated-fifa-world-cup-dmca-notices-ask-google-to-delist-pirate-sites/

Imagine sending a DMCA takedown notice that sounds like it was written by a robot who just learned English from a legal textbook. That’s exactly what happened recently when dozens of complaints appeared online, claiming to be from FIFA’s legal team. They wanted Google to scrub pirate sites from search results during the World Cup.

The catch? The language was bizarrely convoluted. Terms like “proprietary digital layout assets” and “programmatic indexing matrices” popped up instead of clear copyright violations. In fact, an AI detector flagged the text as 100% machine-generated. Even weirder, the notices demanded the removal of entire domains, not just specific infringing pages—a move that’s way beyond standard DMCA protocols.

But here’s the real twist: the list didn’t just target World Cup streamers. It also went after sites streaming the NBA, NFL, Formula 1, and even WWE. FIFA is unlikely to care about wrestling rights.

So, who’s behind this? It’s highly probable that a pirate site owner is faking FIFA’s identity to take down their competitors. Whether it’s a clumsy enforcement effort or a clever scam, one thing is clear: these broad, AI-spun takedowns deserve serious scrutiny.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Doom64KB Ported to Neo Geo with Two Working Levels

https://retrorgb.com/doom64kb-ported-to-neo-geo-with-two-working-levels.html

Remember when Doom was just a 2D raycaster trying to look 3D? Well, someone decided to take that nostalgia trip even further back. Coding wizard FrenkelS has successfully ported the famously stripped-down Doom64KB engine to the NeoGeo, proving that if you’re clever enough, you can squeeze almost anything into a tiny box.

While previous attempts on the classic arcade hardware relied on basic raycasting tricks, Frenkel’s version is the real deal. It actually runs on authentic Doom maps and assets, capturing that signature verticality that made the original so revolutionary. It’s not just a tech demo; it’s a love letter to how far we’ve come in game design.

Currently, you can’t just plug this into your arcade cabinet at home. The code is live on GitHub, but it’s optimized for vintage PCs with exactly 64KB of RAM. So, while you won’t be playing E1M1 and E1M8 on original hardware anytime soon, it’s a fascinating glimpse into what’s possible when constraints force creativity.

The takeaway:

• Doom64KB is now running on a NeoGeo emulator.
• It uses real Doom maps, not just fake 3D tricks.
• It’s a brilliant reminder that limitations often breed innovation.

If you think modern games are too bloated, this is the perfect reminder that sometimes, less is definitely more.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

[UPDATE: PortMaster Dev Responds] Starboard Finally Brings PortMaster to Android Handhelds

https://retrohandhelds.gg/starboard-finally-brings-portmaster-to-android-handhelds/

Starboard just dropped, and it’s finally bringing the beloved PortMaster library to Android handhelds. If you’ve been itching to play your favorite retro and indie ports on devices like the Retroid or GPD, this is the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for. No more rooting or complex Linux setups—just a streamlined app that creates a genuine Linux execution environment right on your Android device.

The feature list is genuinely impressive. You get a one-tap catalogue integration, dual-screen support for those flip-style devices, and even experimental GPU acceleration via virgl. It handles everything from SDL1/2 games to GameMaker titles and even Xash3D (Half-Life). Best of all? It requires no root access, making it accessible for the average gamer who just wants to play.

However, it’s not without its quirks. The app isn’t open-source, which understandably raises some eyebrows in the retro community. A developer clarified that while the rootfs wraps PortMaster tools in a Debian container via proot, there’s no suspicious telemetry—just an optional feedback system using your ANDROID_ID. Also, keep in mind that not all 1,800+ ports work out of the box; you’ll need to enable compatible ones in the settings, as some require specific runtimes.

Despite a recent update noting some “deep architectural flaws” in Starboard’s backend, many ports still run smoothly. If you’re curious, grab the beta from GitHub and see if your handheld can handle the load.