Category: Tater News

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Epomaker G84 HE Review: Gaming With Style

https://retrohandhelds.gg/epomaker-g84-he-review/

If you’ve ever dreamed of a keyboard that looks like a gaming rig and types like a pro‑mechanical, meet the Epomaker G84 HE. At $85 it throws a 75% layout, tri‑mode wireless (Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4 GHz, USB‑C), an 8 000 mAh battery pack, and eye‑popping RGB into a plastic case that feels surprisingly sturdy.

What really sets it apart are the hall‑effect “Duskrise Magnetic” switches—pre‑lubed linear keys with a buttery 55 g bottom‑out that you can tweak via Epomaker’s desktop app. The software is a bit clunky (it defaults to Chinese and isn’t web‑based), but once dialed in you can drop the actuation distance for lightning‑fast game inputs or raise it for comfortable typing.

The board’s ergonomics are decent: two‑stage feet, a raised back for underglow, and a slightly extended 75% layout that keeps the arrow cluster handy. The only quirks? A gradient keycap scheme that might clash with your setup and a wrist‑rest that sits oddly due to a slanted front plate.

Bottom line: the G84 HE isn’t perfect, but for gamers who crave fast, customizable actuation without breaking the bank, it’s a surprisingly well‑rounded contender.

📰 New article from Wololo.net

Optimizing a 2D Godot Game for the Nintendo Switch. My first-hand experience

https://wololo.net/2026/01/21/optimizing-a-2d-godot-game-for-the-nintendo-switch-my-first-hand-experience/

Ever tried squeezing a PC‑born Godot card game onto a Switch and watched it crawl at 1 FPS? That was my reality until I started treating the console like a picky roommate—clean up, cache what you can, and stop asking it to do everything every frame.

First off, I slashed the base resolution from 1080p to 720p. It sounds trivial, but that alone nudged the framerate up by 7‑10 FPS. Next came a cache‑overhaul: repeated string lookups and card‑copying were eating cycles like nobody’s business, so I stored results once and reused them, scoring a 95 % hit rate.

I also stopped stuffing every invisible card into the scene tree. Unused nodes were still being ticked, so I pulled them out and kept references in plain variables—instant CPU relief. Finally, I migrated most logic out of `_process()` to signals or one‑off calls; if something truly needs per‑frame updates, it’s now as lean as possible.

TL;DR: lower resolution, cache aggressively, prune the node tree, and keep `_process()` to a minimum. With those “low‑hanging fruits,” my Switch build jumped from a sluggish crawl to a respectable 20‑25 FPS, proving even modest 2D titles can run smoothly on portable hardware when you tidy up the code.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Sony Gets Third AI-Related Patent Granted

https://retrohandhelds.gg/sony-gets-third-ai-related-patent-granted/

Imagine your favorite game character popping into your ear with a cheeky podcast that tells you how to beat that boss, what your friends just unlocked, and the latest DLC gossip—all without you lifting a controller. That’s the vibe behind Sony’s newest AI‑related patent, “LLM‑Based Generative Podcasts for Gamers.”

In plain English, Sony wants consoles (and even VR headsets, smart TVs, PCs, or phones) to run large language models that stitch together recent gameplay data, news and tips into an on‑the‑fly audio show. The twist? It would use the game’s own characters, voiced by AI‑generated versions of their original dialogue, so you hear “in‑universe” banter instead of a sterile robot.

Why it matters:

• Personalized help that feels like a friend rather than a tooltip.
• Cross‑platform reach, with Microsoft and Nintendo even named as potential hosts.
• Privacy & rights headaches—the system would mine your play history and friends’ activity, and voice‑cloning could rattle voice actors.

It’s still a patent, not a product, but it signals Sony’s ambition to turn the PlayStation ecosystem into an AI‑driven recommendation engine that talks you deeper into its world. Keep an ear out—your next gaming session might come with a built‑in podcast host.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

NVIDIA: Contact With Anna’s Archive Doesn’t Prove Copyright Infringement

https://torrentfreak.com/nvidia-contact-with-annas-archive-doesnt-prove-copyright-infringement/

NVIDIA isn’t about to go quietly into that good night. After authors sued the chipmaker over “millions of pirated books” allegedly fed into its AI models, NVIDIA filed a sweeping motion to toss the case.

The plaintiffs lean on an email thread showing Nvidia’s team asked Anna’s Archive for “high‑speed access” to its shadow library. Nvidia counters that a friendly chat—plus a vague “green light”—doesn’t prove it ever downloaded anyone’s books. In legal terms, the complaint is built on “information and belief,” i.e., educated guesswork, not hard evidence.

To make matters messier, the authors’ amended filing now drags in every unnamed NVIDIA LLM, plus a laundry list of other pirate sites (LibGen, Sci‑Hub, Z‑Library). Nvidia says this is a classic fishing expedition: no specific titles, no proof of download, just speculation that big datasets must contain their works.

The chip giant also knocks out the newer contributory and vicarious infringement claims, arguing there’s no concrete customer who actually used pirated data. While it leaves the core “Books3” claim for a later battle (likely fair‑use defense), Nvidia wants the whole expanded lawsuit dismissed before an April 2 hearing in Oakland.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Virtua Racing Deluxe 32x – Complete Disassembly

https://retrorgb.com/virtua-racing-deluxe-32x-complete-disassembly.html

Ever seen a classic arcade title ripped apart like a lab rat—only to come out looking healthier than ever? That’s exactly what Matías Zanolli just did with Virtua Racing Deluxe for the Sega 32X, and it’s a geek‑fest you won’t want to miss.

He’s posted a full, buildable disassembly on GitHub that not only maps every corner of the game but also rebuilds to a byte‑identical ROM across all regional versions. In plain English: the code is spot‑on, and the documentation backs it up. While there’s nothing for casual players to download just yet, the groundwork is laid for anyone daring enough to tinker with 32X hardware or port the title elsewhere.

What this means for retro devs:

• Byte‑perfect rebuild – every translated function matches the original down to the last byte.
• 75 SH2 functions and 107 SH2 + 503+ 68K named routines fully documented, with clear subsystem labels.
• A 4 MB expansion ROM (including a 1 MB SH2 workspace) that could eventually unleash parallel processing tricks.

The possibilities are tantalizing—optimizations for the original console, fresh ports to PC or even new homebrew projects—but they’ll take time. So if you’re itching to dive in, head over to the repo, star it, and maybe toss a few bucks at Zanolli’s Patreon while you wait. Retro hacking never looked so polished!

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Weekly Roundup #499

https://retrorgb.com/week499.html

If you’ve ever wished retro‑gaming could run in 4K without turning your living room into a fire hazard, this week’s RetroRGB roundup has the goodies you didn’t know you needed.

First up is a brand‑new Neo Geo HDMI mod that finally lets those classic arcade fighters shine on modern TVs—plus all the schematics are open source, so tinkerers can dive right in. DreamMods’ VM2 pre‑orders also hit the airwaves, promising smoother video scaling for a slew of older consoles. And for anyone who’s ever cursed at tiny solder joints, the Solderless PicoLoader and its sibling PicoIDE now ship open‑source, making firmware flashes as painless as plugging in a USB stick.

A quick firmware bump lands on Analogue’s 3D line (v1.2.0), unlocking smoother textures for those beloved N64 titles. Meanwhile, Okami fans can finally spin the vinyl soundtrack on their turntables—pre‑orders are live. And if you’ve been hunting a GameCube memory card that actually works with modern hardware, the FlipperMCE open‑source card is here to save your saved games.

All of this (and a few “worst HDMI cable” horror stories) is wrapped up in a 33‑minute video/podcast that’s available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and more. Grab it, support Bob on Patreon if you can, and keep the retro revival rolling.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

NVIDIA: Contact With Anna’s Archive Doesn’t Prove Copyright Infringement

https://torrentfreak.com/nvidia-contact-with-annas-archive-doesnt-prove-copyright-infringement/

Ever wonder how many “oops” moments happen behind the scenes of AI labs? NVIDIA just filed a legal‑warrior’s manifesto to toss out a class‑action claim that it fed its models with pirated books from Anna’s Archive, a shadow library that even the authors can’t quite pin down.

The plaintiffs argue they spotted an email thread where Nvidia asked for “high‑speed access” to millions of texts. The twist? No one proved Nvidia actually downloaded any of their titles. In its motion to dismiss, Nvidia points out the complaint leans heavily on “information and belief”—legal speak for “we think so.” Even Anna’s Archive says it never talked directly to Nvidia, only a middleman.

Nvidia also calls the expanded lawsuit a “fishing expedition,” noting the authors now name‑check every AI model and shadow library under the sun—from LibGen to Sci‑Hub—without concrete evidence. The chip giant wants the court to scrap all but the core copyright claim (which it’ll battle on fair‑use grounds later).

Bottom line: Until someone shows a download log, Nvidia’s not in legal hot water over the book‑theft allegation—just a lot of courtroom drama.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Sony Gets Third AI-Related Patent Granted

https://retrohandhelds.gg/sony-gets-third-ai-related-patent-granted/

Imagine your favorite game character popping into a podcast‑style chat while you’re stuck on that boss level—Sony’s newest patent is trying to make exactly that happen.

The Japanese giant just secured its third AI‑related filing, dubbed “LLM‑Based Generative Podcasts for Gamers.” In plain English: a large language model would stitch together recent game updates, friends’ achievements and handy tips into a short audio show, narrated by the very characters you already know. Think animated avatars with AI‑crafted voiceovers that sound more like in‑world banter than a robotic tutorial.

Sony isn’t limiting the idea to the PS5. The patent lists consoles, VR headsets, smart TVs, PCs and even smartphones—as far as “any device that can host a game.” Microsoft and Nintendo even get name‑checked, suggesting a broader industry push toward conversational gaming assistants.

The upside is clear—personalized, on‑the‑fly guidance that keeps you glued to the ecosystem. The downside? Privacy concerns around data mining and the uneasy prospect of voice actors’ likenesses being cloned for AI scripts. Whether this ever makes it past the filing stage remains to be seen, but Sony’s vision shows they’re betting big on a talking console that nudges you deeper into play.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

AYANEO’s Latest QA Slip Means A Free Pocket Air Mini For Buyers

https://retrohandhelds.gg/ayaneos-latest-qa-slip-means-a-free-pocket-air-mini-for-buyers/

Picture this: you’ve just pre‑ordered a sleek new Android handheld that promises a beefy 6,000 mAh battery, only to open the box and discover it’s running on a modest 4,700 mAh cell. That’s exactly what AYANEO’s latest “oops” looks like with its Pocket S Mini.

The company says a mis‑step in the supply chain—using an older prototype spec—caused the shortfall, and fixing it would push shipments back months. To smooth things over, AYANEO is giving every pre‑order customer either a full refund or the downgraded handheld plus a free Pocket Air Mini, a smaller Android device that packs a Helio G90T instead of the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2.

Why it matters: This blunder lands squarely on AYANEO’s recent “2026 Service Improvement Plan” promise of tighter QA and clearer communication. The free Air Mini is a generous‑sounding make‑good, but it also underscores a pattern—customers are repeatedly asked to accept less than advertised.

Bottom line: If AYANEO wants to rebuild trust, this should be a one‑off apology, not the opening act in a new series of “we hear you” promises. Keep an eye on how they handle the fallout; your next handheld purchase might depend on it.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

iiSU Alpha v5 Tries To Move Past Drama With A Better Dual‑Screen Frontend

https://retrohandhelds.gg/iisu-alpha-v5-tries-to-move-past-drama-with-a-better-dual-screen-frontend/

Picture this: a dual‑screen handheld finally gets a launcher that looks like the slick mockups it was promised years ago. That’s the promise of iiSU Alpha v5, the newest build from the beleaguered iiSU team.

After founder UsagiShade quit amid a Discord drama (and even refunded about $5K in donations), the devs have stripped out the grand‑vision social fluff—Shopii, news feeds, Miiverse‑style hangouts—and gone back to basics. Alpha v5 focuses on polishing the Android frontend for clamshell devices like the AYN Thor and AYANEO Pocket DS. Expect a revamped UI, smoother navigation, animated transitions, and better controller handling, plus scrapers (SteamGridDB, ScreenScraper) that finally make your game library look decent.

The team is also shouting from the rooftops that Usagi is no longer involved, hoping to distance the project from past missteps. While the app remains a work‑in‑progress and can still be fragile, this release feels like the first solid step toward turning iiSU into a daily driver rather than a cautionary tale.

Bottom line: if you’ve been waiting for a usable dual‑screen launcher, Alpha v5 might just be worth a try—provided you’re okay with a few rough edges.