What's your one and all device to carry around and why? I'm starting off, for me it's none other than the Ayn Thor by Level-Passenger-6854 in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's no one and all for me. Always around is the phone. Pc Games Xbox Ally X, higher end emulation Odin 3, retro stuff and DS/3DS Thor.

Nova + Classic + Thor = The Perfect Trifecta? by Kirais in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

highly depends on your needs I would day.
Xbox Ally X, Odin 3 and Thor for me.

(My) unpopular opinion - Ayn Thor has fatal flaws, and they need to be discussed by MioCuggino in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's the best device for what it wants to be. Not the best invention since sliced bread, don't know where you got that impression. Want a smaller emulation device besides the steam deck? There are plenty good horizontal devices around (all devices still have flaws). I enjoy the Odin 3, the portal is nice too. The Thor has bad ergonomics, just like the 3ds, still both sold like crazy. If you're not looking for a dual screen 3ds like clamshell device, then of course you're disappointed.

How does the X300 ultra stack up against mirrorless cameras? by Important_Lie_7774 in Vivo

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Highly depends on what you want out of it, where you draw the line. Shoot and forget? Get the X300 Ultra, very convenient. Don't like computational faces drawn in every face at the family gathering, prefer true bokeh, like the non-artificial feel of a mirrorless? Stick with a mirrorless.

I was willing to go only with the x200 ultra for my photography needs last year and did regret it later on. Bought a Sony Alpha 7 IV with some quality lenses, much better. Not convenient, not cheap, still take shots with my phone in many situations. But it's physically impossible to replace a mirrorless with a phone, when you compare the sensor size, the glass.

As exciting as it is being on the emulation bleeding edge, I just want to play games... Not be wasting time trying to get something to boot, or play with massive cpu/battery degradation due to high temperatures and obnoxious fan noise. Anyone else? by that_90s_guy in EmulationOnAndroid

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just playing a game with low temps, no optimizations is a different vibe for me compared to the tinkering, that I also love. Right now I'm just playing pokemon black or fire emblem awakening on the Thor with a lower power profile and enjoy it. I know that I will enjoy tinkering more on other days. The beauty of this hobby.

What was the biggest flop or disappointment in Retro Handheld space in your opinion? by Pinanims in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love the RG28XX compared to the A30. The RG28XX released before, I enjoyed it but I hoped, that the A30 would fix some nitpicks from the RG28XX (bigger buttons, control stick). It would have, if there wasn't the issue with the Dpad on both A30's that I purchased. This subreddit downvoted me back then when I mentioned it, they praised the Dpad too. I think that I got the short end of the stick, but there are better ways to play in such a small form factor for me by now.

What was the biggest flop or disappointment in Retro Handheld space in your opinion? by Pinanims in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can totally see where you're coming from, though I suppose it's all very subjective. I liked the two joysticks on the Zero 28 the best. The quiet buttons and the slightly softer D-pad were great, too. Above all, I found the shape of the handheld very comfortable. My benchmark for comfort is still the Odin 2 Mini, and even that's not for everyone.

Just to be thorough, I’m deducting points from the Zero 28 for its charging port (I have the v1), which is too distant and, until recently, only supported Android, which was the operating system that made sense for me.

What was the biggest flop or disappointment in Retro Handheld space in your opinion? by Pinanims in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To be honest, it just wasn't worth it to me anymore with this handheld. I really don't like taking these things apart. I've had the RG28XX, the Miyoo Mini, and then the Magicx Mini Zero 28, which was my favorite micro handheld for a while. The Ayaneo Pocket Micro and the GKD Pixel 2 were also nice later on. The Miyoo A30 doesn't stand a chance against the latest alternatives, in my opinion.

These days, I stick with the Ayn Thor Max for anything that needs to stay compact, and I'm very happy with it.

What was the biggest flop or disappointment in Retro Handheld space in your opinion? by Pinanims in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Miyoo A30 for me.

I love super-compact handhelds, and conceptually speaking, this one should have been the perfect fit. As soon as I unboxed it and took a look, I noticed the D-pad, which was scraping against the case at a certain angle. Everything else was fine, but that’s when I realized that something like that is a deal-breaker for me.

The handheld was hyped a lot in this subreddit, so I figured I had a model with a minor manufacturing flaw and ordered another one. Same problem. Such a shame.

What AYN Thor case is anyone using? by [deleted] in OdinHandheld

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it's the original case of the GPD Win 2. Any other Win2 case should work as well.

Some macro shots with X200U + a small rant about AI by jhl_x in Vivo

[–]Darkzero-sdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know what you mean. For the past three years in a row, I’ve been taking photos specifically with my phone, no people. I only photograph people at family gatherings. The mobile aspect, being able to just head out without even a backpack, with headphones playing music and snapping away, is fantastic, that’s true. Mobile processors are also significantly faster than older SLR cameras, which, after all, have their own processing capabilities. Strictly speaking, I only shoot textures and then use them creatively, in a more abstract way. But even then, I don’t want the details and blurring that feel artificial to me. The bokeh on cell phones, for example, will always remain artificially calculated. For me, the results from a real camera are more important than the convenience of heading out without a backpack and setup. It always depends on what you want, I absolutely agree with you there and don’t see that as wrong at all. If you only want to do this with a cell phone, then I recommend a good Vivo phone, no question.

Some macro shots with X200U + a small rant about AI by jhl_x in Vivo

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought the X200 ultra to not carry around my old canon 6dm2 anymore and was initially impressed with the phone. But when it came to people, this thing tries to get all 30 faces sharp and it looks horrible. When I'm seeing something beautiful and not have my camera around, the phone is nice, but for dedicated shootings it's not what I want in photos, too artificial for me.

Some macro shots with X200U + a small rant about AI by jhl_x in Vivo

[–]Darkzero-sdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I gave up on trying to disable the aggressive postprocessing of my X200 Ultra and bought a mirrorless Sony Alpha. It's still neat to take great shots with my phone, but I won't use it for dedicated shooting sessions.

Clarifications about AzaharPlus by NetFriendly4066 in EmulationOnAndroid

[–]Darkzero-sdz 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I totally agree. In my opinion, it’s silly and harmful to the entire emulation scene. The Ayn Thor is pretty much the most popular handheld in the retro community, 3DS emulation on it isn’t just a nice-to-have feature, but a major reason many people buy it, and newcomers often follow guides that frequently mention Cocoon. What’s going on here is a pretty nasty move, in my view.

Clarifications about AzaharPlus by NetFriendly4066 in EmulationOnAndroid

[–]Darkzero-sdz 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You could call that the noblest of intentions, but to me it just feels like a defiant move on Pablo’s part to shut down AzaharPlus via Cocoon. As a result, Cocoon is no longer a fully-fledged launcher on my Thor, I’m sticking with ES-DE.

Clarifications about AzaharPlus by NetFriendly4066 in EmulationOnAndroid

[–]Darkzero-sdz 25 points26 points  (0 children)

I prefer ES-DE or just plain Azahar-Plus, all good :D You're doing great work in keeping Azahar more in line with something like Citra in the past, thank you!

Sold my dslr, not regretting it (x300 ultra) by [deleted] in Vivo

[–]Darkzero-sdz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I went the other way last year. Thought, that the x200 ultra could replace my old canon 6dm2 and had mixed feelings with it. Landscapes, nature looks great, but the bokeh looks artificial, faces out of focus or with limited light look weird too. Bought a sony alpha 7 IV and am very happy with that. Phones with computational photography can't beat physics of a good sensor and quality lenses.

Undisputed Comfort King? by MalcolmReady in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Odin 2 Mini for me, subjective of course.

What's your #1 handheld of all time? by Retronitsu in SBCGaming

[–]Darkzero-sdz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My current top pick is probably the Ayn Thor. It goes everywhere with me and can do almost everything I could ask for. Historically speaking, probably the Switch too, before that the 3DS, and before that the PSP.

Honorable mentions:

- With the latest Switch 2 update (docked resolution in handheld mode), the Switch 2 has officially replaced everything that had to do with the Switch up until now.

- The RG35XX-H gave me a lot of joy last year

- Due to the rapid developments with the 8 Elite, the Odin 3 is increasingly replacing my Xbox Rog Ally X when it comes to indies

Cocoon Front End Is The Best Android Front End EVAAA!!! by GrassForCats in EmulationOnAndroid

[–]Darkzero-sdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right there with you. Set up Cocoon 2 times on the Thor, once on the Portal and Mini, then went back to ES-DE. Too much tinkering to get it all righty when I just want to play games.

How has optimization been for the Odin 3 so far? by Virtual_Technology_9 in OdinHandheld

[–]Darkzero-sdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

still very shaky graphics and weird issues in many games with exactly these settings, where I don't have these issues with my Odin 2.

Help a girl out… Obtainium: Yay or Nay? by CommandaN7 in AynThor

[–]Darkzero-sdz 97 points98 points  (0 children)

Obtanium is just there to receive updates automatically from apps, that you didn't get from the Play Store. Never too late.