Category: Tater News

📰 New article from RetroRGB

EverDrive-64 Pro – Savestates Added

https://retrorgb.com/everdrive-64-pro-savestates-added.html

If you’ve ever been mid-boss fight on the Nintendo 64 and realized your life was about to flash before your eyes, this one is for you.

Krikzz just dropped a massive firmware update for the EverDrive-64 Pro, and the headline feature is a total game-changer: Save States. Yes, you can finally bypass those grueling “game over” screens and save your progress exactly where you stand. Just a heads-up—you’ll need an Expansion Pak to access the in-game menu (usually via Down + Start) to pick your save slots.

But the love for retro hardware doesn’t stop at cartridges. If you’re one of the lucky few still rocking original 64DD hardware, the update now allows you to launch disks directly from the main menu.

Here’s the quick breakdown of what else is new:

• “Start Safe” mode: A clean boot that skips cheats and the in-game menu for a pure experience.
• Bug fixes: Improved NES core stability and constant cartridge signatures.
• Better compatibility: Enhanced support for various menu modes and effects.

If you own a Pro, go grab that firmware update and maybe give the manual a quick skim so you don’t get lost in the menus. Happy gaming!

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

MPA Takes Credit for Shutting Down Piracy Giants AnimeFLV and Cineby

https://torrentfreak.com/mpa-takes-credit-for-shutting-down-piracy-giants-animeflv-and-cineby/

### Hollywood Claims Victory in the Piracy War

Ever notice how some massive websites just… vanish? One day they’re hosting millions of streams, and the next, they’re throwing up a 404 error. Well, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) is finally stepping into the spotlight to take credit for a few of those disappearing acts.

In their latest annual report to the U.S. Trade Representative, the MPA is claiming they were the secret sauce behind the shutdowns of streaming giants Cineby and AnimeFLV. While the site operators initially stayed quiet—hinting at technical failures or provider issues—the MPA is pulling no punches, labeling these takedowns as major “enforcement successes.”

It turns out, the “Hydra” of piracy is a tricky beast. While the MPA is celebrating these wins, the landscape is shifting fast:

• The Domino Effect: Cineby likely went down because its video providers (the “Sflix group”) were dismantled by Vietnamese law enforcement.
• New Players: As soon as one door closes, three more open. Copycat sites are already popping up to claim the abandoned traffic.
• The Next Target: The MPA is now eyeing Telegram as a “platform of immediate concern” for hosting illicit content.

It’s a classic game of cat and mouse—Hollywood is swinging the hammer, but the mice are getting faster.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Bootleg Cards, Big Trouble: ESA Takes Notice of Anbernic

https://retrohandhelds.gg/bootleg-cards-big-trouble-esa-takes-notice-of-anbernic/

If you enjoy your retro handhelds with a side of “pre-loaded nostalgia,” you might want to sit down for this one.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA)—the heavy hitters representing major gaming giants—has officially put Anbernic on its radar. In a recent submission to the U.S. Trade Representative, the ESA recommended that Anbernic be classified as a “superfake.”

In the world of trade, a “superfake” is a high-quality counterfeit that’s nearly impossible to distinguish from the real deal. The ESA isn’t mad about the hardware itself, though; they’re targeting the microSD cards that come stuffed with pirated ROMs. To the ESA, selling a device pre-loaded with stolen games is the video game equivalent of a counterfeit luxury handbag.

What’s at stake?

While this is currently just a recommendation, the consequences could be massive if the U.S. government takes it seriously:

• Shipping bans: Anbernic could be blocked from selling devices to the United States.
• Retail crackdown: Major platforms like Amazon and eBay might be forced to purge Anbernic products.
• Consumer headaches: Enthusiasts waiting for upcoming releases, like the RG DDS, could find themselves locked out of the market.

The takeaway? The “grey area” of pre-loaded games is turning bright red, and Anbernic might need to ditch the bootleg cards if they want to keep playing in the U.S. market.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

DroidDeck 0.4.0 Comes With a Whole Lot New Under the Hood

https://retrohandhelds.gg/droiddeck-0-4-0-comes-with-a-whole-lot-new-under-the-hood/

If you’ve ever looked at your Android handheld and wished it felt less like a mobile device and more like a Steam Deck, pay attention. DroidDeck is officially entering its “cooking” era with the massive 0.4.0 update, and it’s bringing a serious kitchen upgrade.

The goal here isn’t to turn your device into a full-blown Linux machine, but to give you that seamless x86 gaming experience right on top of Android. This latest version moves away from the old LXQt desktop and adopts a much sleeker, SteamOS-style KDE Plasma interface.

Here’s why this update is a game-changer:

• Unified Libraries: You can now integrate GOG, Epic, and Amazon Games directly into Steam, complete with cloud saves.
• Better Control: It adds native Steam touch controller support and allows your built-in hardware to emulate everything from a DualSense to an Xbox 360 controller.
• Performance Boosts: Thanks to some clever PRoot optimizations, workloads are seeing performance jumps of up to 57%.

It’s still early days for the project, but with community-driven fixes for specific titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, DroidDeck is quickly becoming the software to watch for handheld enthusiasts.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Live Gamer Ultra S Review

https://retrorgb.com/live-gamer-ultra-s-review.html

If you’re trying to bridge the gap between your vintage console collection and a modern streaming setup, you know the struggle is real. You want crisp visuals without the lag turning your gameplay into a slideshow. Enter the Avermedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro).

This USB 3.0 powerhouse is built for speed, handling up to 1080p60 lossless capture or 4K60 compressed video. The best part? It’s essentially “plug and play.” No annoying driver hunts required, and it plays nice with Windows, Mac, and even Linux.

For the retro enthusiasts out there, here’s the lowdown on how it handles older signals:

• The Good: It works beautifully with MiSTer’s low-latency modes, even when using Direct Video.
• The Not-So-Good: It isn’t OSSC SNES 5x compatible, so keep that in mind if that’s your specific workflow.

Ultimately, if you need a reliable, high-speed way to get your retro gems onto a screen without a massive headache, this is a solid contender for your toolkit.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

VBoy Color Virtual Boy Emulator

https://retrorgb.com/vboy-color-virtual-boy-emulator.html

Remember the Nintendo Virtual Boy? That red-and-black headache machine that most of us tried to forget? Well, it just got a much-needed glow-up.

A new open-source emulator called VBoy Color has officially dropped, and it’s doing something the original hardware never could: adding actual color to the games. No more squinting through a monochromatic void; you can now experience these classics in a vibrant, full-color palette that looks surprisingly slick.

But the real magic happens if you own a Quest VR headset. The emulator supports true stereoscopic 3D, meaning you can step inside the games for a fully immersive experience. If you aren’t into VR, don’t sweat it—it also works in 2D mode on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android.

This is a perfect example of why emulation is king. While original hardware is great for nostalgia, software can do the “impossible” stuff, like fixing the Virtual Boy’s biggest design flaw.

The Quick Lowdown:

• The Hook: Full color and true 3D via Quest VR.
• The Vibe: A massive upgrade for a console that was famously “difficult” to love.
• Availability: Free and open-source on GitHub.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Super ZSNES v0.320b

https://retrorgb.com/super-zsnes-v0-320b.html

If you’ve been staring at your Apple TV wondering if it could be anything more than a Netflix machine, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

Developer zsKnight just dropped update v0.320b for Super ZSNES, and the headline news is a complete fix for tvOS 27 support. For anyone looking to turn their living room into a 16-bit time machine without buying a dedicated console, this is a massive win. At just $3 for the Apple version, it’s arguably the cheapest “gateway drug” into the world of emulation.

But it’s not just about compatibility. This update brings some serious muscle to the experience:

• Retroachievements: You can finally chase those digital trophies while you play.

Audio Upgrades: New enhancements for heavy hitters like Super Metroid and Secret of Mana* make the soundtracks pop.

• Quality of Life: Better mobile button layouts and new interpolation for smoother audio.

Whether you’re a hardcore emulator or just want to show a friend how good Mega Man X used to sound, this update makes the couch-gaming dream a whole lot easier. Just remember: switch your TV to “Game Mode” so you don’t deal with annoying input lag!

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Still Hanging Onto your Playdate? Make Sure You Update It Before October 15

https://retrohandhelds.gg/still-hanging-onto-your-playdate-make-sure-you-update-it-before-october-15/

If you’ve been letting your Playdate gather dust while you chase the latest handheld hype, it’s time to shake off the cobwebs. This quirky little yellow console is a community favorite, but it’s currently facing a bit of a digital “expiration date.”

Panic recently sent out an urgent nudge to owners: update your OS immediately. Here’s the deal: on October 15, the secure certificate used by older versions of the Playdate OS will expire. If you don’t update, your device will lose its ability to connect to the servers.

While you can technically fix this after the deadline, it involves a much more tedious manual update process. To avoid the headache, just head into Settings > System > System Update and keep going until you hit version 3.1.2.

It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind, especially since there is plenty of fresh content to play once you’re updated. Season 3 is officially rolling out, with new titles like Gloom Gate and Soggy Froggy already hitting the scene. Grab that crank and get updating!

📰 New article from RetroRGB

MiSTer FPGA News – Amiga 3DFx, Sega X Board, Atari Falcon & More

https://retrorgb.com/mister-fpga-news-amiga-3dfx-sega-x-board-atari-falcon-more.html

### Retro Gaming Heaven: New Cores and Hardware for MiSTer

If you thought your MiSTer FPGA was already a complete time machine, think again. The latest wave of updates is so massive it feels like the developers are trying to simulate the entire history of computing in a single weekend.

The heavy hitters this week include the arrival of the Atari Falcon and a brand-new SGI Indy core. While the Indy is still finding its footing (expect some slower speeds and no sound for now), it’s a massive leap toward professional workstation emulation. For the arcade lovers, the Sega X Board has landed, bringing legendary “Super Scaler” titles like After Burner and Thunder Blade to your setup.

Here are the highlights you shouldn’t miss:

PC Enthusiasts: The PCXT-EGA core received a massive overhaul, offering much better timing and support for classic monitors. Plus, the `z486` core is seeing major performance gains—Doom* is running smoother than ever!

• Amiga Fans: The BigMig 3Dx2 GPU is pushing boundaries by using an ARM processor to boost CPU performance, leaving room to implement a Voodoo 3-class GPU.
• Hardware News: d3fmod announced the “Mercury” IO board, a sleek, Saturn-style tribute case that turns your MiSTer into a dedicated mini-console.

Whether you’re looking for classic Konami shooters or deep-dive DOS emulation, there is something new to download and break your sleep schedule.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Game Industry Asks U.S. to Flag Denuvo Cracker ‘voices38’ as Notorious Piracy Threat

https://torrentfreak.com/game-industry-asks-u-s-to-flag-denuvo-cracker-voices38-as-notorious-piracy-threat/

### The Hunt for the Ghost in the Machine

Usually, when the U.S. government talks about “notorious piracy markets,” they’re pointing fingers at big, flashy torrent sites or shady streaming portals. But this year, the gaming industry is playing a different game entirely.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is asking the U.S. to officially label a mysterious figure known as “voices38” as a major piracy threat. Unlike a website you can simply block, voices38 is an anonymous cracker—the “upstream” source that breaks Denuvo anti-tamper technology.

The logic is simple: without the crack, there is no product. By labeling the individual rather than just the sites that host the files, the ESA hopes to trigger a massive crackdown on the digital footprints, donation channels, and social media accounts that keep the operation running.

It’s not just a hunt for ghosts, though. The ESA is also throwing heat at:

• FitGirl: The massive repacking site that the industry claims has cost them over $1 billion in hypothetical losses.
• Emulation Handhelds: Labeling pre-loaded devices (like Anbernic) as “superfakes” because they arrive stuffed with pirated games.
• Cheat Sellers: Arguing that hardware like Cronus Zen belongs on a piracy list because it circumvents game protections.

Whether the USTR actually adds a “person” to a list of “markets” remains to be seen, but the industry is clearly tired of playing whack-a-mole.