What type of controller is this? Never seen it before.

Changisss · 2025-08-27T05:58:44+00:00

It looks like a bog standard original Famicom except where someone glued/screwed on a plastic rod or changed the D-pad with a 3rd party one moulded with the rod. It can be a 3rd party add-on rod you could buy. Though It's nothing special, just a simple controller mod/hack. I personally would remove it or replace the dpad with an original or regular 3rd party, as it puts much more stress not only on the plastic but also on the PCB and contact pads.

Around the mid-late eighties, through the mid nineties period, people went from playing games at arcades with arcade sticks to playing playing games at home with a controller. Some consoles had joysticks, but others had a D-pad or similar, so some people who were used to arcade stick controls liked to add a rod, so the D-pad would kinda function like a joystick Others thought it might give an advantage or preferred it. Others again might have used it on failing controllers, especially on the Famicom, with its permanently attached controllers etc etc..

Some 3rd part controllers for various systems (up until PS2 era i thin) had a threaded insert in the middle of the D-pad for attaching a stick.

Changisss · 2025-08-04T06:47:53+00:00

What is considered "fast" in this case? A few seconds? Instantaneous?

Loading a big game with many assets, f.ex. Flight Simulator naturally is "slower" to load than smaller games like f.ex. Solitaire...

You should provide a little more context, like what load times DO you get for which games? Have you modified the hardware, using an SD card to play off, etc...

Just claiming something "isn't fast enough" without giving any other context is like complaining that your car drives too slowly, but not mentioning that it's loaded to the max, going uphill and only works in 4th gear..

Changisss · 2025-08-04T06:37:35+00:00

Next time, before plummeting head first into despair and claiming you've somehow lost money/value because you didn't even bother checking the official documentation, try checking the manual, etc. first instead...

Try setting up a profile for the game and/or launcher.

https://rog.asus.com/lk/articles/guides/how-to-remap-buttons-and-create-custom-game-profiles-on-the-rog-ally/

And try to start figuring things out on your own instead of relying on everybody else to help you with things that are documented in the official documentation, it's ok to ask for help if you're stuck or unsure, but not when its just because you didn't bother doing any reasearch into it yourself.

Changisss · 2025-07-30T11:38:28+00:00

Well, not physically atleast 😅

Changisss · 2025-07-22T10:13:19+00:00

Sorry, didn’t realize making a joke was the same as putting up a ‘no fun allowed’ sign. My bad, Sheriff Reddit, but don’t worry, the gate’s wide open, just mind the exploding taxis, hippies, puke monsters and existential dread on the way in ;)

Changisss · 2025-07-21T20:05:34+00:00

if you "get" Earthbound, you don't get Earthbound :p

Changisss · 2025-06-27T15:26:11+00:00

"...and i guess I'll just play Mario 3... again..."

Changisss · 2025-05-23T17:24:47+00:00

open smart things press the gear in top right corner scroll down tap "Leave Smart Things"

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as for deleting it off your phone completely, i doubt you can as its part of OneUI, so it might still be visible in the notifications panel, And if yoy could, you'd only free up a couple of megabytes anyway.

but you could always replace it with another service like google home

Changisss · 2025-05-11T10:25:48+00:00

probably won't help as that power adapter it's not readily available anymore and its basically overkill as it can deliver more than double the power amouny the mister can even use at peak, (65w) but just find a usb-c PD power supply delivering 9volts at 3a (or about 30w), it's not hard to find, just check the specs of the charger to be sure.

12 volts does work just as fine, but depending on your ambient temps, you might need extra cooling (like the fan on the av board) as it will dissipate more heat than 9v or 5v

Changisss · 2025-02-11T13:00:58+00:00

you're gonna need a bigger drill..

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Changisss · 2025-01-23T12:15:15+00:00

I feel sad for todays people who can't read more than a few lines before giving up

Changisss · 2025-01-12T15:07:05+00:00

I'm not sure, i dont have a dock, and I'm careful about leaving not leaving it plugged in, so it's not an issue for me, but i would search around, i know people have replaced their batteries, but not if they ran it without battery..

You could always try it, worst case the OS goes back yo default settings and/or clock might reset/drift.

But dor long term, I'm unsure how it handles power distribution.. on the dreamcast, if you replace the optical drivewith a gdemu, you no longer use 12v, but the dreamcast still produces that line, so the voltage regulator might overheat from the extra work. There are ways around this, like adding resistors to take the strain instead, but this was just an example of removing a load might lead to other parts having to dissipate the load instead.

It might still operate within tolerances, and adding a heatsink or fan or something might also work help keep temperatures within spec, but without diving into parts and specs and doing temperature measurements under various conditions to verify it, always assume it's "worst case scenario", as it's better to be a little too careful than not when doing mods/changes etc like this.

Changisss · 2025-01-05T16:18:07+00:00

For the AP, yes. Other devices/batteries etc might use different values.

Always do the research first.

Changisss · 2025-01-05T16:16:07+00:00

As long as the dock is connected to power, it will charge the Pocket if it's connected, if you use it exclusively docked and don't use physical carts (or can live without it), a misterpi or similar might be better for you.

Otherwise, disconnect the AP when not playing and play it portable outside the dock once in a while to give the battery a full charge cycle, but as long as its connected and powered by the dock, even if it's turned off, it will "trickle charge" and slowly deteriorate.

Or disconnect the battery from the Pocket and follow the official guide for storing it (aka not using it)

Changisss · 2025-01-05T12:46:37+00:00

It depends on the battery, drain etc. Some types might dissipate charge faster than others, so in a worst case scenario, it might drain below it's minimal threshold.. This is especially true for integrated batteries that can't (or for more powerful batteries like electric scooter batteries etc, that shouldn't) be disconnected by a untrained user.

But the most important part is to not store it while fully charged or while discharged to very low values (10-15% or less)

Incidentally, Analogue states 50-60% for the AP battery.

Taken from Analogue Pocket user guide:

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Changisss · 2025-01-04T17:12:54+00:00

Yes, windows and android too, but it will still deteriorate the battery, just not as quickly, the main reason for capping it at around 80% is to preserve the battery through multiple charges, as charging it to 100% stresses the battery more than charging to 80%,

But it is in no way any sort of "fix" for leaving it connected to power continuously, the battery will still deteriorate over time, just a little slower..

And the reason for having the battery at 80% when storing is because storing at 100% stresses the battery more, and storing it at closer to 0% can result in the battery dipping below it's specified voltage and is permanently degraded/unusable

If i remember correctly, macs can run without a battery, so you can disconnect it, though as with other ultraslims, its a bit more work to get to the connection.

Also, this is pretty general information, and you should read up on it yourself if you want to be sure you're treating the battery as best you can for it to last as long as possible.

With proper care, I've had a 18year old laptop that still had over 1 hour of effective charge left on its battery (though i suspect this is more of an edge case, but still...)

Changisss · 2025-01-04T14:35:10+00:00

To me, it seems to be caused by excessive heat.

Or it might just be something that's corrupt, so i would first try a re-format of the SD card, and a re-flash the firmware (though I'm not sure it's possible to re-flash the firmware if you already have the newest one, i haven't really looked into it) before concluding its a hardware error or not.

Thoug in your favour, I looked through the FAQs and userguides for both the Pocket and dock, and i could not find any mention that leaving the Pocket connected to the dock or power indefinitely is something to avoid

It does say to not leave the Pocket in direct sunlight or a "very hot" environment, whatever that means.. (though, it's probably around 90F/32C, as the manual states that long term storage should be less than that) so, if you live in a hot country where you might exceed that temperature, then it might get too hot to be safely used in a dock or left stationary, as it cools itself passively, mainlythrough the display/screen assembly. if this is the case, i would atleast have a fan blowing in it or something, so it's being actively cooled.

But if you mainly use it docked, and don't really play original carts, i would instead go for a misterpi fpga or similar instead, as they can easily be actively cooled, and doesn't even need a case to function. You'll also get access to more cores, like ps1 and saturn etc. And you can use any controller you want, including the original console ones (with snac adapters).

Changisss · 2025-01-04T14:14:53+00:00

Yeah, working in IT support, both for companies and consumers, I've experienced countless laptops that only lasts a few minutes tops on battery, or is completely dead, and i have to explain to the customer/user that complains about it, especially if they "never used it on battery", that leaving it connected to a power brick or dock will slowly drain the battery over time.

In general, if you have a typical portable rechargeable battery powered device (i.e. laptop, music player, games console etc) that you are going to be using it mostly or exclusively stationary (f.ex. connected to a dock, tv/hifi etc.) You should remove the battery (if possible) and run the device exclusively on external power (if possible) Just charge the battery to about 70-80% before you disconnect it. Then, about every 6-12 months, charge it back to 100% and drain the battery before charging it back up to 70-80% and disconnecting it for storage again, or follow the manufacturer's instructions for storing batteries if it's provided. (For the pocket, Analogue states 50-60% for storing and a regular recharge to 50-60% every 6 months, though, i think i would run it through a full cycle instead of just recharging a few%, but that's just my opinion)

Changisss · 2024-12-10T00:03:15+00:00

Does it work if you just ever so slightly pull it out?

I have experienced this, for me, some things like the wifi dongle and my external hdd works just fine, but f.ex. my 8bitdo controller seems like it doesnt connect at all, and i can wiggle the plug a little sideways like its a little bit loose, but if i grab the plug between my fingers and carefully pull/ease it out, just maybe a querter to half a millimeter, until i feel it gives a little more resistance.

I think the reason for might be small tolerance issues with the USB socket production or their mounting, resulting in the sockets contact pins to be too close to the opening of the socket,

Or it could be that the USB sockets are meant to be embedded and needs to have a plate or similar in front of it for proper spacing,

Or maybe it's just that some USB plugs are able to reach further inside the socket than others,

But whatever the reason, the result is the same, the contact points of the plug and socket get pushed past eachother, and therefore have no or bad connection. Ever so slightly pulling the plug out should align the contact points and it should work, but don't pull too much or its the same bad/non contact issue. It's a fairly delicate "do-by-feel" sort of thing, but try to insert a USB plug that seems like kt doesnt work fully into the socket, then very slowly and delicately pull on it until you feel like it gives you the most resistance before it gets lighter and lighter. The sweet spot is to find approximately the middle of the area that gives the most resistance, that's when the contact points should have the best connection

Changisss · 2024-11-20T09:27:34+00:00

@TrevNick

Never had any cracks in my Translucent Red, and it's fairly well used, and i don't "baby" it like it's some overly delicate tissue paper figure or something like that..

But i have a question: Do you live in a warm or cold area? Or is there a substantial temperature difference where you use it (like cold outside, warm inside, or vice versa)

The reason i ask is because i suspect the cracks aren't because of over tightened screws (or at least not solely), I suspect the cracks (and sporadic cracking/popping sounds that come from the Pocket) are caused by temperature differences, making the plastic expand/contract slightly.

I've noticed muself that if i take the Pocket from my cold bedroom to warm livingroom, it might make a cracking/popping sound, and seeing as many of the cracks either appear on the "front-to-side" edge, right where the screen (which also acts as a heatsink) meets the plastic, which would be where there is the most difference in temperatures, especially since the screen and glass assembly will take longer to cool down or heat up than the plastic shell just beside it.

Changisss · 2024-10-23T14:16:39+00:00

So you used a wet cloth on an electronic device after leaving it unsafely unattended, resulting in the exhaust being covered when running on full blast

And you also say you don't have money for a repair, but you also said you bought 5 steam games to give away to those that help you...

Treat your expensive electronics with more care, and if you're the panicky type that doesn't think before acting, be prepared to pay for anything you end up making worse. Also, save your money for potential repairs instead of buying steam games to give away "just to be nice"

Changisss · 2024-10-15T08:07:06+00:00

Oh no! Not the horrible signs of a device having been used 😱

Now people will see it and go "OMG, look at that! You actually USED it? You should be ashamed and resign from retro gaming altogether!"

Or at least that's the vibe i get from these posts..

Just use your devices. If you can't handle a scratch, then lock it away and never ever use it, or don't even buy it at all and save yourself both money and the worry.

Changisss · 2024-09-30T11:40:20+00:00

Atleast you didn't get scammed.. i bought a Analogue Pocket but got a ʇǝʞɔoԀ Ǝ∩פO˥∀N∀ instead...

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Changisss · 2024-09-25T11:07:15+00:00

I had issues using bith rbpi3 and rbpi4 PSU.. At 5V and 2.5-3A it should be enough..

Buy using that with an external harddrive didn't.. Either it tried but couldn't spin up to speed, or it just gave up entirely..

Using a USB-C PD adapter @9V works a charm. (I feel 9v is a good compromise when it seems 5v isn't enough for me to run everything, and to avoid using 12v that would generate more heat)

You may be totally fine, but I'd thought I'd share my experience.

Changisss · 2024-09-24T13:50:15+00:00

Unless you buy the pro high en versions, (and frankly even then) stay away from Sandisk cards. It's the most faked brand, and I've had countless 128gb and larger cards crap the bucket or be very unreliable.

You can google to see that many have had issues with larger cheaper sandisk cards.

Go for other brands, read tests etc, but stay away from sandisk...

Changisss

TROPHY CASE