Category: Tater News

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retro Handhelds Weekly: Retroid Pocket 6, KTR2, Xbox FSE on Legion Go 2, and Much More

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retro-handhelds-weekly-edition-79/

Hey there, retro fanatics—your weekly dose of handheld hype is here, and it’s wild.

This week felt like a toy store exploded in a tech lab. Retroid Pocket 6? Finally, real photos. KTR2 just dropped pre-sales in China—finally, a new player besides Anbernic and AYANEO. And MANGMI’s Pocket Max? Powered by the Snapdragon 865. Yes, that’s a 2019 chip… but hey, if it runs PS2, who’s complaining?

Meanwhile, software got a major glow-up. Xbox FSE just landed on the Legion Go 2—no more hacky workarounds! Dolphin emulator added RetroAchievements support (because who doesn’t want bragging rights?), and ePSXe—yes, that ancient 2015 relic—got its first update in ten years. CHD files? Done. The past is alive, folks.

And let’s not forget the weirdest gift of all: Tiger’s R-Zone. A red LCD strapped to your face in 1995? Yep, that was “VR.” We laughed then. We laugh now. But we still keep one in a drawer. For science.

Meanwhile, the Odin 3 and AYANEO Pocket Ace got deep dives, ASUS ROG Ally got a budget-friendly nudge to $490, and someone made a PICO-8 emulator for iOS. We’re not worthy.

The retro handheld scene isn’t slowing down—it’s accelerating like a SNES cart with a bad battery. Grab your coffee, check the deals, and don’t forget: if it runs Doom or Donkey Kong Country, it’s a miracle. And we love miracles.

— Your friendly neighborhood retro nerd 🕹️☕

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

KTR2 Could Shake Up the $100 to $200 Handheld Market

https://retrohandhelds.gg/ktr2-could-shake-up-the-100-to-200-handheld-market/

Hold onto your joysticks—China’s got a new contender in the $150 handheld wars, and it’s not Anbernic or AYANEO this time. Enter the KTR2, KT Pocket’s surprise upgrade to the KTR1S, and it’s packing some serious juice for the price.

We’re talking magnesium alloy builds, 4G connectivity (yes, cellular on a retro handheld), and—biggest win—active cooling with a fan. That’s rare at this price point, and if it actually works well, it could be a game-changer for long gaming sessions without thermal throttling. And yep, it’s powered by the fresh-from-2024 MediaTek Dimensity 7300, making it the first handheld to use it. Sneaky smart.

Pricing? Starting at just $142 for the Wi-Fi model, with 8GB/256GB hitting $199—right in the sweet spot between budget bots and premium beasts. It’s going head-to-head with the MANGMI Air X, Retroid Pocket G2, and AYANEO Pocket Air Mini. All good options… but the KTR2’s fan + 4G combo could be the secret sauce.

The real question? When does it land stateside? If KT Pocket pulls off global shipping without a price hike, this might just shake up the whole market. Watch this space—retro gaming’s about to get a lot more interesting.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

ShaderBeam – CRT Beam Emulation Windows App

https://retrorgb.com/shaderbeam-crt-beam-emulation-windows-app.html

You ever miss the way old CRTs smudged motion like a watercolor brush? Meet ShaderBeam—the free, no-install app that turns your modern 120Hz monitor into a time machine for CRT motion clarity.

Developed by the genius behind ShaderGlass, ShaderBeam slaps Blur Buster’s legendary CRT beam emulation right onto your desktop. No fancy hardware needed—just a high-refresh screen and a spare GPU (yes, even your motherboard’s integrated one). Just extract the .zip, run it full-screen, and watch your 60Hz emulator games gain that sweet, smearable motion blur we all secretly loved (and pretended not to miss).

Here’s the kicker: you don’t even need to use it for gaming. Try it while scrolling Twitter or watching YouTube—suddenly, your 4K screen feels alive again. And yes, it’s open source, zero cost, and runs like a ghost app—no installer, no bloat. Just pure nostalgia in a .exe.

Pro tip: Enable your integrated GPU (even if nothing’s plugged into it) for best performance. No dual monitors? Still works. Just read the GitHub docs, tweak settings, and prepare to be weirdly emotional when your pixel-perfect SNES game glows like it’s 1998.

Go on. Download it. Your eyes will thank you.

👉 https://github.com/mausimus/ShaderBeam

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Cloudflare Reports Surge in Streaming Piracy Takedowns, Removes 20k+ Storage Accounts

https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-reports-surge-in-streaming-piracy-takedowns-removes-20k-storage-accounts/

Here’s your punchy, newsletter-ready take:

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Cloudflare just went from “passive middleman” to piracy cop—by accident?

Remember when Cloudflare just shrugged and forwarded copyright complaints? Yeah, that’s over. In the first half of 2025 alone, they axed over 54,000 hosting takedowns—a 3,800% spike from last year. What changed? They gave copyright holders API access. Suddenly, studios and sports leagues could auto-blast takedown requests faster than a DVR can skip ads.

The result? Over 21,000 R2 storage accounts deleted—mostly automated. And it’s not just about deleting files. Cloudflare’s now geo-blocking pirate streams in France, and even voluntarily blocking UK piracy sites (with a polite 451 “This site is blocked by court order” sign). Smart. Targeted. Not the nuclear option.

But here’s the twist: They’re still refusing to block DNS—because breaking the internet’s backbone isn’t in their job description. And they’re calling out LaLiga for causing collateral damage, blocking thousands of unrelated sites just to stop a football stream. Oof.

Cloudflare’s new mantra? “We’ll help you clean up piracy—but we won’t become the internet’s firewall.”

Good luck, Hollywood. You’ve got a new gatekeeper—and he’s got an API.

—

Word count: 198

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Sega Channel on MiSTer

https://retrorgb.com/sega-channel-on-mister.html

Remember when your console needed a phone line just to download games? Welcome back, ‘90s nostalgia.

Shane Lynch just dropped a MiSTer core that brings the Sega Channel—the 90s cable-based game service that made your Genesis feel like a tech demo from the future—to life. No more waiting for Saturday morning ads; now you can browse virtual game menus, watch trailers, and even snag demos like it’s 1996—all without dial-up screeching in your ear.

It works on MiSTer setups with 128MB SDRAM (so check your hardware first), and while save files aren’t supported yet, the experience is shockingly authentic. Just drop the ROMs into your MegaDrive folder, load the .rbf file, and suddenly you’re scrolling through pixelated game listings with that iconic chime playing in the background. Some ROMs launch straight to games; others give you the full Sega Channel interface—complete with “Upcoming Titles” and cheesy voiceovers.

And hey, if you’re not a MiSTer user? BillyTime! Games also offers Raspberry Pi images—and MAME’s now got it too. So whether you’re modding a console or just dusty-ing off your old cable box, the Sega Channel is officially back. And yes, it’s as gloriously clunky as you remember.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retro Handhelds Deals of the Week

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retro-handhelds-deals-of-the-week/

Retro Handhelds Are on Fire This Week — And Your Wallet’s About to Thank You

Let’s be real: if you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to buy that Anbernic RG477V or a PowKiddy V90S… well, the universe just dropped a holiday-sized gift basket of deals.

From $199 Anbernics to $34.99 retro clones that look like they were smuggled out of 2003, the deals are insane. The RG40XXV? Down to $57. The Miyoo Flip? Under $60. Even the legendary AYANEO Pocket DS is slashing prices like it’s Black Friday in July.

But wait — it gets better. x86 beasts like the Lenovo Legion Go S? Down to $479. SSDs? 1TB for under $130. And don’t sleep on the 8BitDo Pro 2 — now $63, with Hall Effect sticks that feel like magic in your palms.

Even the storage is on sale. Want a 2TB microSD card? Grab it for $173. Need a 4TB WD Black SSD? $499. Yes, you can now store every PS1 game ever made… and still have room for your 4K fan edits of Sonic.

Controllers, mini PCs, free games on Epic and Steam — this isn’t just a deal list. It’s a full-blown retro revolution with a 10% discount code and free shipping.

Your future self is already holding a handheld, smiling. Go ahead — treat yourself. The only thing cheaper than these deals… is regret.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

AYANEO Unveils Details on the Pocket Vert

https://retrohandhelds.gg/ayaneo-unveils-details-on-the-pocket-vert/

Meet the AYANEO Pocket Vert: a sleek, vertical handheld that’s less “powerhouse” and more “Game Boy luxury edition.”

It’s got a gorgeous 3.5″ 1600×1440 screen, diamond-cut shoulder buttons, and a full-metal body that screams “I’m expensive but also kinda cute.” But here’s the twist: it’s powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1—weaker than its predecessor, the Pocket DMG. Huh? Turns out AYANEO isn’t trying to beat your Switch. They’re aiming for the Analogue Pocket crowd: retro purists who want a minimalist, premium-feeling device for GB/GBC gems. No sticks? Check. Touchpad instead? Yep. It’s basically a Game Boy with a $300 price tag and a crystal-textured finish.

Colors? Black, white, or Lava Red (the latter costs $20 extra—because why not?). Storage and RAM options are slim, accessories are classic (leather case? yes please), and the Indiegogo page is live. Launch? Probably January.

If you’re after a sleek, nostalgic pocket gem with zero bloat… this is your baby. If you want to run Switch emulators or indie AAA titles? Keep your Pocket DMG handy. This one’s for the purists—and the people who love a good design statement.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Duckstation Adds GPU Revision Toggle

https://retrorgb.com/duckstation-adds-gpu-revision-toggle.html

Ever wonder why your favorite PS1 games almost looked different back in 1995? Turns out, Sony swapped out the GPU mid-run—and now, thanks to Duckstation, you can toggle between them with a single click.

Before this, proving the difference meant juggling two original PS1s, capturing video at mismatched resolutions, and probably crying into a controller. Now? Just open Duckstation, go to Settings > Graphics, check “Texture Modulation Cropping,” and bam—you’re time-traveling through hardware revisions.

The early GPU? Less accurate texture handling, softer visuals. The later one? Crisper, more consistent rendering. Some games like Final Fantasy VII or Metal Gear Solid might’ve looked slightly “off” on launch models. Now you can see it in real time—no soldering iron required.

It’s the kind of nerdy, hyper-specific feature only true retro lovers would geek out over… and honestly? We’re all a little bit in love with it.

Go try it. Play Tekken 3 on the old GPU. Then switch. Feel the difference? Good. You’re not just emulating a console—you’re archaeology-ing its soul. 🎮⏳

(Yes, we know it’s 2025. We’re still shocked this didn’t happen sooner.)

📰 New article from RetroRGB

The Untold Story of the Nintendo Entertainment System

https://retrorgb.com/the-untold-story-of-the-nintendo-entertainment-system.html

You know how the NES changed gaming forever? Turns out, it almost didn’t make it to U.S. shelves at all.

Frank Cifaldi’s new Video Game History Foundation deep-dive reveals the wild, almost-comical journey of how Nintendo’s Famicom became the NES. In 1983, America was buried under the video game crash. Retailers hated consoles. So Nintendo? They didn’t call it a “console.” They called it an “Entertainment System” and sold it like a fancy VCR with cartridges. No joysticks—just two buttons. The Zapper? A bonus toy, not the main event.

And here’s the kicker: Nintendo shipped 100,000 units to New York as a test run… with no marketing. No ads. Just word-of-mouth and sheer stubbornness. It worked. Kids saw it in toy stores, begged their parents, and boom—8-bit magic exploded.

The real heroes? The unsung Nintendo employees who fought to keep the project alive, even when bosses said “no.” Watch the panel video—there’s footage of prototypes, handwritten notes, and stories you won’t find in any textbook.

If you’ve ever held an NES controller and thought, “Man, this thing changed my life,” now you know: it almost never made it off the shelf.

(And yes, the audio podcast is great too—just don’t miss the pics.)

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Legal Push to Unmask Minions 3 Leaker Targets YouTube and Reddit

https://torrentfreak.com/legal-push-to-unmask-minions-3-leaker-targets-youtube-and-reddit/

Here’s your punchy, newsletter-ready version:

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Minions 3 Leak? Meet DrChoclateBob — the guy who just won’t quit.

It started with a whisper: a leaked audio file of Minions 3 showing up on Reddit and YouTube. Not just once—again and again. Even after strikes, bans, and account terminations, “DrChoclateBob” kept re-uploading. Like a cartoon villain with a microphone and zero sense of timing.

NBCUniversal had enough. They didn’t just sigh and move on—they went full legal mode. A California judge signed off on DMCA subpoenas demanding everything: names, addresses, IPs, phone numbers. Basically, the digital equivalent of “We know it’s you.”

The goal? Not just to punish—but to prevent. With the movie still six months from release, Universal is treating this leak like a national security breach. (Spoiler: It’s not. But the stakes feel high when your billion-dollar franchise has talking yellow blobs.)

Bonus twist: The same docs also mention a Lorax pirate. Probably unrelated… unless DrChoclateBob moonlights as a children’s movie anarchist.

Bottom line? If you think “just one more upload” won’t get you tracked—you’re not thinking like a studio with lawyers and subpoenas on speed dial.

—

Stay legal. Stay yellow.