📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Play Games From 28 Vintage Systems in Your Browser

https://retrohandhelds.gg/play-games-from-28-vintage-systems-in-your-browser/

Ever wish you could hop onto a PDP‑11 or an IBM mainframe without dusting off a vintage chassis? Thanks to a quirky partnership between the Interim Computer Museum and SDF.org, you can telnet straight into 28 historic systems right from your browser.

The setup is a tidy grid of live machines—DEC’s Unix V7 on a PDP‑11, Honeywell 6180 running Multics, CDC‑6500 with NOS, AT&T 3B2, VAX boxes sporting 4.3BSD, Ultrix and OpenVMS, plus a handful of IBM VM/SP rigs. They’re not cartoonish emulators; they’re genuine multi‑user OSes, kept humming as a “living museum.”

Once you connect (via web terminal or any telnet client) you get period‑accurate shells, compilers, editors and even classic games—Rogue, NetHack, Tetris, Adventure, Trek variants—all running on the hardware they were originally written for. SDF bundles tutorials so newbies won’t be stranded at a blinking cursor.

Why it matters: It’s a hands‑on history lesson that shows why today’s tools look the way they do, and it proves “cloud gaming” isn’t a 2020s fad—people have been time‑sharing code and games for decades. Free, browser‑based, and gloriously authentic—a cheat code for retro enthusiasts.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Grab Justice League: Cosmic Chaos For 90% Off Before It’s Gone

https://retrohandhelds.gg/grab-justice-league-cosmic-chaos-for-90-off-before-its-gone/

Ever seen a superhero game pull a disappearing act? DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is about to vanish from every digital store—Steam, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation—sometime in March, thanks to an expired DC licence.

The good news? The delisting comes with a 90%‑off flash sale (some regions even deeper) until March 6, so you can snag the whole trio of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman for about four bucks. If you already own it digitally, your copy stays safe in your library, trophies intact, and physical discs become instant collector’s items.

Why care? This isn’t a cheap tie‑in; it’s a bright, family‑friendly open‑world brawler that runs like butter on handheld PCs and the Steam Deck. Its short three‑year lifespan is a stark reminder how fragile licensed games can be—once the paperwork expires, even solid mid‑tier titles disappear for anyone who missed the window.

So if you’ve been eyeing a light‑hearted co‑op cape adventure (or just need another “comfort food” game for your handheld), now’s the time to press Buy. After March, it’ll be gone faster than a speed‑force sprint.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Sony Announces Plans To Monetize Player Base

https://retrohandhelds.gg/sony-announces-plans-to-monetize-player-base/

Ever notice how a console’s price tag stays stubbornly steady while everything else around it starts to feel pricier? Sony’s CFO just confirmed that the PS5 won’t get a hardware hike—at least not this year—but the company is gearing up to squeeze more cash out of the 92 million owners already plugged in.

The reason? DRAM costs are soaring, and while Sony has stocked enough memory for the holiday rush, it doesn’t want to pass that expense directly to shoppers. Instead, they’ll lean on the “installed base” by:

• nudging digital sales (which already account for 76 % of software revenue)
• tightening discounts on new releases
• tweaking PlayStation Plus tiers or adding subtle paywalls

First‑party hits like Ghost of Yōtei are already proving that premium titles can lift the Game & Network Services profit line, even as hardware sales dip. Gamers are reacting with a mix of resignation (“they’ll juice the whales”) and pragmatic acceptance that higher software prices are the new normal for late‑cycle consoles.

Bottom line: Your PS5’s sticker price may stay put, but expect everything you do on it—from game purchases to subscriptions—to feel a little heavier on the wallet.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

PicPic Is A New Pico-8 Emulator For iOS

https://retrohandhelds.gg/picpic-is-a-new-pico-8-emulator-for-ios/

Ever tried squeezing a tiny fantasy console into your pocket‑sized iPhone? Now you can, without the usual browser hacks or sideload gymnastics.

PicPic is the first native PICO‑8 emulator to slip past Apple’s gatekeeper and land on the App Store. It runs both “.p8” source carts and the quirky “.p8.png” cartridge images at full speed, with proper audio that doesn’t get funneled through a webview. Import your games from Files or Safari, rename them, and let the built‑in library keep your saves exactly where they belong.

The UI feels right at home on mobile: a configurable on‑screen d‑pad, multiple color themes, even alternate app icons for those who love to personalize. The core app is free, but a subscription unlocks premium goodies—clearly labeled “NOT related to PICO‑8 or Lexaloffle” to keep the lawyers happy.

Sure, it won’t sync with Lexaloffle’s BBS and the paywall may irk purists, but for anyone who wants to fire up Celeste Classic in bed without AltStore drama, PicPic is currently the smoothest, most legit way to enjoy PICO‑8 on iOS.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Nintendo Files A New Trademark For The Game Boy, But It’s Probably Nothing

https://retrohandhelds.gg/nintendo-files-a-new-trademark-for-the-game-boy-but-its-probably-nothing/

Ever notice how Nintendo’s legal filings feel like Easter eggs for fans? The company just lodged a fresh “Nintendo GAME BOY” trademark in Brazil—nothing flashy, just paperwork—but the timing is deliciously juicy.

It lands smack‑dab on Pokémon Day and the franchise’s 30th anniversary, right as FireRed and LeafGreen get reborn on Switch. Naturally, speculation spikes: could we see a throwback Game Boy console or an official reprint of the original cartridges? With vintage Red/Blue/Yellow carts now fetching three‑figure sums, an official run would crush the reseller market overnight.

The more sober take is that Nintendo routinely renews trademarks to keep the brand safe—no guarantee of a product. Still, the company has a track record of nostalgic hardware drops (Famicom Mini, Game & Watch editions, even a modern Virtual Boy viewer). So while this filing alone isn’t proof of a new handheld, it does signal that Nintendo still cherishes the Game Boy name.

Bottom line: for now it’s just legal housekeeping. If you were hoping for a surprise Game Boy launch on February 27, keep your expectations in check—but stay tuned; Nintendo’s nostalgia engine is humming louder than ever.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Lakka 6.1 Released With CRT Support

https://retrohandhelds.gg/lakka-6-1-released-with-crt-support/

If you thought the retro‑gaming scene had hit a plateau, Lakka’s fresh 6.1 release is here to prove otherwise. The new build swaps in LibreELEC 12.2 and a long‑term‑support Linux 6.18 kernel—think broader driver coverage and fewer “my‑old‑PC‑won’t‑play” headaches, especially on single‑board computers and dust‑gathering desktops.

RetroArch jumps to 1.22.2, bringing the UI polish, latency tweaks, and quality‑of‑life upgrades that have been standard elsewhere for ages. Meanwhile the core library gets a serious overhaul: PlayStation 2 finally runs via lrps2 (the pcsx2 relic is gone), Nintendo 3DS arrives with panda3DS, DS fans get both melonDS and nooDS, and niche gems like Tamagotchi, PuzzleScript, DOS‑era Turbo PC/XT, Amiga, Lynx, and even Cave Story join the party.

What makes 6.1 a retro‑nerd’s dream is its official Raspberry Pi images tuned for analog TV setups—CRT lovers can finally plug into their old tubes without the usual hack‑fest. A new first‑boot script also lets you pre‑configure Wi‑Fi and drop custom RetroArch settings onto the SD card before the system even powers up.

Bottom line: if your drawer is full of forgotten boards, Lakka 6.1 gives you a compelling reason to dust them off and relive 8‑bit glory in 2026.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Zelda Game & Watch Hacked Into a Tiny Emulation Powerhouse

https://retrohandhelds.gg/zelda-game-watch-hacked-into-a-tiny-emulation-powerhouse/

Ever tried turning a nostalgic desk ornament into a pocket‑sized retro arcade? That’s exactly what tinker‑legend Tito from Macho Nacho Productions did with Nintendo’s limited‑edition Zelda Game & Watch. He ripped out the stock 16 MB flash, soldered on a beefier 64 MB chip and slipped a custom microSD slot onto the tiny board, then flashed homebrew firmware. The result? A glittering LCD shell that can now run Retro‑Go SD, load ROMs, save states and emulate dozens of classic consoles—all from a device that originally only offered three Zelda titles and a clock.

The mod isn’t for the faint‑hearted: it demands hot‑air rework on microscopic surface‑mount components, careful shielding with foil and Kapton tape, EPROM dumping and firmware flashing before you even touch the SD slot. One misstep and your collector’s piece becomes an expensive brick.

Why care? The Zelda Game & Watch already boasts a crisp screen, solid d‑pad, USB‑C power and marathon battery life—perfect hardware that was wasted on a fixed trio of games. With this hack it finally lives up to its “pick‑up‑and‑play” promise, giving retro fans a legit handheld emulator in a cute, legal‑grey shell. (As always, the ROMs you load are your responsibility.)

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

AISLPC RG52 Mini Review: Budget Brawn

https://retrohandhelds.gg/aislpc-rg52-mini-review/

If you thought budget handhelds were all “meh‑ware,” AISLPC’s new RG52 Mini might make you reconsider. The little 5.5‑inch box packs a Rockchip RK3562, 2 GB RAM and an 8 GB eMMC (expandable via microSD), pushing classic titles—PSP at 2×, Dreamcast, N64—into smooth, full‑speed territory.

Designwise it’s a retro‑future molded shell that feels sturdier than its plastic looks suggest, with a comfortable curve and textured grip. The “fan” vent is just an exhaust port (no fan inside), so don’t expect active cooling—but the device stays cool enough for long sessions. Controls are solid: a standard D‑pad, Switch‑style sticks, Hall‑effect triggers, and decent face buttons, though the Back/Home buttons sit where you’d instinctively hit Start/Select, leading to occasional thumb mishaps.

The stock EmuELEC OS is functional but sparse—Nintendo cores are missing and some DS games are mislabeled as Sega titles. Still, it’s a workable platform for newcomers who don’t mind a little tweaking.

At $109.99 (roughly $80 on sale) the RG52 Mini offers more punch than most rivals like the Mangmi Air X, especially if you’ve got a PSP library to dust off. In short: decent build, better performance, quirks that are fixable—definitely worth a look for budget‑conscious retro gamers.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Wobbling Pixels: Scaler Shootout Document Update

https://retrorgb.com/wobbling-pixels-scaler-shootout-document-update.html

Ever feel like picking a video‑scaler is a choose‑your‑own‑adventure novel? Wobbling Pixels just dropped the newest edition of his “Scaler Shootout” spreadsheet, and it finally puts the RetroTink 4K CE, Morph 4K, and OSSC Pro side by side in a way that even non‑geeks can read.

The updated sheet is a deep dive—think rows of feature ratings, cost breakdowns, and a handy summary tab that scores each scaler on everything from latency to color accuracy. Wobbling Pixel retested a slew of specs, restructured the pricing section, and added per‑feature grades so you can spot the strengths (and quirks) at a glance.

Why it matters: if you’re on the fence about which scaler will give your retro rig that crisp 4K glow without breaking the bank, this is the cheat sheet you’ve been waiting for. It doesn’t cover the higher‑end RetroTink 4K Pro (that beast belongs in its own league), but it does link to a quick launch video if you’re curious about how the Pro stacks up against the CE.

Bottom line: grab the spreadsheet, skim the tabs that matter to you, and let the numbers do the heavy lifting—your next HDMI upgrade just got a lot less mysterious.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Meta Employee Deleted 9TB of Torrented Files, Adult Film Producers Claim

https://torrentfreak.com/meta-employee-deleted-9tb-of-torrented-files-adult-film-producers-claim/

Ever wonder what happens when a tech giant’s internal file‑sharing meets Hollywood’s “no‑piracy” crusade?

In July 2025 adult‑content studios Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media sued Meta, accusing the company of siphoning torrent‑downloaded movies to train its AI. The claim is massive—up to $350 million in damages—and hinges on a trail of BitTorrent traffic that the plaintiffs say their proprietary tracking software captured.

Meta’s answer? A motion to dismiss, insisting the occasional downloads were just “personal use” by employees and not part of any coordinated data‑mining scheme. The plot thickened when Strike 3 pointed to a February hearing in an unrelated book‑author case where a Meta employee allegedly erased 9 TB of torrent files—prompting plaintiffs to demand immediate discovery before the evidence can vanish.

Meta counters that nothing was destroyed, that proper legal holds are in place, and that only 157 downloads over seven years were even mentioned in the complaint. The discovery request now targets everything from ML‑Hub logs and PySpark traffic to hidden AWS IP addresses.

Both sides agree a trial could land in early 2028 if the case survives dismissal—so keep an eye on this clash of copyright watchdogs versus AI ambition.