Category: Tater News

📰 New article from RetroRGB

cpsdigiav (Arcade HDMI) Mod Back In Stock

https://retrorgb.com/cpsdigiav-arcade-hdmi-mod-back-in-stock.html

If you own a collection of Capcom arcade boards, you know the struggle: trying to get that crisp, vintage glory onto a modern 4K TV usually involves a mountain of expensive cables and scalers. Well, grab your wallets, because the wait is officially over.

The CPSDigiAV mod kit is back in stock at VGP. This isn’t just some cheap adapter; it’s a zero-lag powerhouse that adds true digital HDMI output directly to CPS 1, 2, and 3 boards, as well as Neo Geo and Toaplan v2 hardware. It handles everything from 240p up to 1440p and even packs its own on-screen menu, making it a heavy hitter for anyone serious about high-end arcade preservation.

While emulation via MiSTer is great for casual play, this kit is for the purists who demand the absolute best signal possible from original hardware. Whether you’re looking to game on a flat panel or run professional-grade live streams without needing an OSSC, this is currently the gold standard.

At around $185, it’s a significant investment—but for those of us chasing that perfect, lag-free arcade experience, it might just be worth every penny.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Publishers Seek $19.5 Million and Domain Takedown Order Against Anna’s Archive

https://torrentfreak.com/publishers-seek-19-5-million-and-domain-takedown-order-against-annas-archive/

If you enjoy a good digital game of whack-a-mole, the publishing industry just upped the stakes.

A heavy-hitting coalition of thirteen major publishers—think Penguin Random House and HarperCollins—is coming for Anna’s Archive. They aren’t just looking for an apology; they are seeking a staggering $19.5 million in damages. The core of their argument? The “shadow library” isn’t just facilitating massive piracy, it’s also feeding their copyrighted books into AI training models without permission.

The publishers are currently asking for a default judgment after the site failed to show up in court. While a $19.5 million payday sounds impressive, let’s be real: the site’s operators are anonymous, and collecting that much cash from an unknown entity is a bit like trying to collect rent from a ghost.

The real goal here is a scorched-earth injunction. The publishers want a court order targeting over 20 different domain registries, hosts, and ISPs to effectively pull the plug on every remaining Anna’s Archive domain. It’s an ambitious legal net, but as we’ve seen with music companies before, shutting down a site that already knows how to hop domains is much easier said than done.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Valve Hopes to Avoid Another Steam Controller Mess With the Steam Machine and Steam Frame

https://retrohandhelds.gg/valve-hopes-to-avoid-another-steam-controller-mess-with-the-steam-machine-and-steam-frame/

If you thought the recent Steam Controller launch was a bit of a chaotic scramble, buckle up—Valve is clearly trying to avoid another server-melting meltdown.

After their recent launch saw fans crashing Valve’s servers faster than a speedrunner on caffeine, some interesting code has surfaced in a recent Steam update. It looks like Valve is prepping a reservation system for the upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame, much like the one used for the Steam Deck.

The goal here is simple: prevent the “everything is broken” panic by drip-feeding orders. Based on what we saw with the controllers, expect some strict rules, such as:

• A limited number of devices per account.
• Strict windows to complete your purchase once invited.
• Potential eligibility requirements based on account history.

We’re also seeing hints of four different Steam Machine configurations in the code, likely varying by storage capacity or controller bundles. While we don’t have a concrete release date yet, it’s clear Valve is busy getting its ducks in a row to ensure the next launch is a smooth ride rather than a digital riot.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Dusk: Unofficial Twilight Princess Port

https://retrohandhelds.gg/dusk-unofficial-twilight-princess-port/

If you’ve ever wanted to play Twilight Princess on your phone without turning your device into a literal space heater, grab your snacks—the fans have done it.

A new unofficial port called Dusk has officially entered the ring. Unlike traditional emulation, which can be a battery-draining nightmare, this is a native port. That means we’re talking about buttery smooth 120Hz framerates, better aspect ratios, and much lower power demands. It’s currently playable on PC, Linux (shoutout to Steam Deck users), iOS, and Android.

The team at TwilitRealm has been cooking this for six years, and the results are impressive. Beyond just running natively, it includes several “quality of life” upgrades:

• Visual Perks: Custom character bloom, depth of field, and adjustable shadow resolution.
• Gameplay Tweaks: Faster climbing, an autosave feature, and smoother UI elements borrowed from the Wii U version.
• Mod Support: PC/Linux versions support texture packs right out of the gate.

It’s not quite perfect yet—Android users might run into some graphical bugs and a slightly confusing file structure—but as an early release, it’s a massive win for Zelda fans who want to take Midna on the go.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retro Handhelds Weekly: The RG Rotate Arrives, A New Yoo Handheld Appears, and Minish Cap Hits PC

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retro-handhelds-weekly-edition-98/

### Hardware Hype and Unofficial Ports

If you thought the handheld market was slowing down, think again. This week is looking absolutely packed with new hardware teasers, some questionable “deals,” and a legendary Zelda title finally breaking free from Nintendo’s ecosystem.

First up, Anbernic fans, get your wallets ready. Pre-orders for the RG Rotate are officially opening, and if you move fast (within the first 72 hours), you can snag a bit of a discount on the Polar Black or Aurora Silver models. They’re also refreshing the RG34XXSP with a gorgeous new Metallic Blue shell—because even if you don’t love the hardware, the color is hard to resist.

On the more “experimental” side of things:

• The Yoo Y1: Designer Lao Zhang (the mind behind GKD’s Pixel series) has teased a polished new Android handheld that looks incredibly promising.
• A Word of Caution: A “Lenovo” branded handheld has popped up on AliExpress for $71. It looks official, but the red flags are flying high—proceed with extreme skepticism.

In software news, it’s a big week for fans of The Legend of Zelda. Thanks to an unofficial native PC port by developer MatheoVignaud, The Minish Cap is finally playable on PC via GitHub. No more relying on the Wii U Virtual Console! Meanwhile, the N64 modding scene is reaching new heights with Paper Mario Star Nova, a massive total conversion mod that reinvents the original classic.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Saturn MiSTer Core Optimizations Overcome Chock-Full FPGA

https://retrorgb.com/saturn-mister-core-optimizations-overcome-chock-full-fpga.html

### The Saturn MiSTer Core is Finally Breathing Again

If you’ve been following the MiSTer scene lately, you know things have been… tense. The Saturn core has essentially become a digital heavyweight, growing so massive that it was pushing the DE-10 Nano hardware to its absolute breaking point. We’re talking 99% capacity—the kind of “living on the edge” that makes computers want to die and developers lose sleep.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel (literally). A new set of updates has arrived, and while they might not be a total overhaul, they are a massive relief. The core has been optimized to make compilation actually possible again, preventing the “dire situation” where builds were failing left and right.

The most charmingly unnecessary addition? The hardware LEDs now mimic an original Saturn! You’ll see red and yellow lights for power and disc activity, plus a green light for saves. It’s a small, nostalgic win in a much larger battle for stability.

The Quick Takeaways:

• Optimization is key: New updates make it easier to compile the core without your PC catching fire.
• Dual RAM advantage: There are now separate builds for single and dual RAM setups, with the latter offloading tasks to free up precious resources.
• Where to find it: These aren’t in the main “update_all” branch yet—you’ll need to grab them from the “unstable nightlies” channel on the MiSTer Discord.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Court Awards Aylo $4.2 Million, Not $84 Million, in Pornhits Piracy Case

https://torrentfreak.com/court-awards-aylo-4-2-million-not-84-million-in-pornhits-piracy-case/

### The $80 Million Reality Check

If you ever thought winning a lawsuit was as simple as asking for a mountain of cash and receiving it, the recent battle between Aylo (the powerhouse behind Pornhub) and the pirate site Pornhits might change your mind.

Aylo recently went to court seeking a staggering $84 million in damages, alleging that the operator of Pornhits bypassed DMCA notices to host thousands of their copyrighted videos. They even tried to justify the massive price tag by using web traffic data to “guess” how much revenue they lost.

However, Judge Benjamin Settle wasn’t buying the math. While he did grant a default judgment against the site, he slashed the payout from $84 million down to a much more modest—though still significant—$4.2 million.

The judge’s reasoning was blunt: you can’t just use “mere guesswork” to claim massive losses. Without concrete evidence of lost profits or actual impact on their bottom line, the court opted for the statutory minimum.

The takeaway? While the defendant is unlikely to actually pay up, Aylo got something better than cash: a permanent injunction and control over the Pornhits domain. It’s a win for copyright, even if it wasn’t the jackpot they were hoping for.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

3D Blu-Ray + Proper CRT Cadence w/ Raspberry Pi3

https://retrorgb.com/3d-blu-ray-proper-crt-cadence-with-raspberry-pi.html

### The Ultimate Retro-Tech Hack: 3D Blu-Rays and CRTs

If you find yourself living in a very specific niche—one where you crave both the immersive depth of 3D Blu-ray playback and the buttery-smooth, flicker-free cadence of a vintage PC CRT monitor—then pull up a chair. You’ve just found your new favorite weekend project.

It turns out you can use a single Raspberry Pi 3 to master two completely different worlds. By using an older version of LibreElec (v9.2.8 specifically), you can unlock 3D .iso playback on compatible flat panels while simultaneously configuring the Pi to output the perfect signal for CRT monitors.

There is, of course, a little bit of “retro-engineering” involved:

• The Hardware: You need a Raspberry Pi 3 (the B+ version is best). The newer Pi 4 and 5 lack the specific decoder chip required for this 3D magic.
• The Software: Since modern Kodi versions have dropped support for this feature, you’ll need to manually install the older v9 software and potentially “borrow” some firmware files from newer builds to ensure a smooth boot.
• The Magic Trick: By using “EDID spoofing,” you can trick your display into accepting higher refresh rates (like 72Hz), making your CRT content look incredibly fluid.

It’s a bit of a technical scavenger hunt, but for the enthusiast who refuses to compromise on either 3D depth or retro clarity, it is well worth the effort.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

SuperStation One RGB SCART Cable

https://retrorgb.com/superstation-one-rgb-scart-cable.html

If your retro gaming setup feels a little “fuzzy” around the edges, Retro Gaming Cables might have just found your new best friend. They’ve officially launched a new RGB + Composite SCART cable designed specifically for the Super Station One.

Now, if you’re looking at this and thinking, “Wait, isn’t that just a Sega Saturn cable with a haircut?”—you’re close. While it shares some DNA with the Saturn setup, this version uses a modern 10-pin MiniDIN connector that actually fits the SSOne properly. Even better, the connector is slim enough to play nice with an HDMI cable plugged in right next to it.

The real magic, though, is the dual-signal capability. This single cable syncs on composite video, allowing you to toggle between RGB and Composite signals effortlessly. To make sure it wasn’t bringing any unwanted “static” to the party, the developers tested it through a RetroTINK 4K—and the shielding held up beautifully with zero interference.

Quick shopping tip:

• Need it fast? Grab the standard length from RGC.
• Need a custom length (or live in Albania)? Check out handmade options from Eduart Misiraj.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Digital Pictures Documentary / The Story Of Double Switch

https://retrorgb.com/digital-pictures-documentary-the-story-of-double-switch.html

If you’ve ever looked at a 1990s Full Motion Video (FMV) game and thought, “I need an eight-hour deep dive on this immediately,” then congratulations—your time has come.

Nick from PandaMonium Reviews just dropped what can only be described as the The Last Dance of retro gaming. It’s not just a documentary; it’s a massive, multi-part docuseries covering the rise and fall of Digital Pictures and the making of the cult classic Double Switch.

Don’t let the runtime intimidate you. While it spans nearly eight hours, it’s structured more like a bingeable Netflix series than a dry lecture. There’s no filler here—just a tight, cohesive narrative packed with:

• Never-before-seen archival footage.
• Fresh interviews that breathe new life into old legends.

A “bombshell” revelation regarding the infamous Night Trap* ban.

Whether you’re an FMV fanatic or just a lover of great storytelling, this is a masterclass in gaming history. It’s free to watch, so grab some popcorn and prepare to lose an entire weekend to the era of interactive cinema.