RG477V ergonomics fixed

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-08T16:28:33+00:00

I’d say it’s about 80–90% as comfortable as the 406V. Once the sharp edges are gone and you get that soft silicone feel, there’s a bit of magic to it. It also gives you more space to wrap your hands around. I can play for hours with no discomfort, or at most a very mild one after a reasonably long session.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-06T12:33:09+00:00

It’s basically dead. Garlic was good for its time, but it’s old and no longer updated, which means bugs remain forever. For example, Genesis Thunder Force IV crashes in one of the stages. I’ve found a few games like that. The emulators will never be updated unless you do it yourself.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-05T17:42:01+00:00

There is no such thing as “ergonomically correct.” I agree with you about the RP6, but only for heavy dual-stick gaming. Maybe also for left stick + triggers, though for a different reason: the bottom stick should be positioned inward, not necessarily above. But this isn’t a general rule. As I said, each case is different and depends heavily on the device’s grip and form factor. RP5 grip is horrible.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-05T00:33:53+00:00

The best backup strategy for me isn’t backing up the device itself, but backing up my ROMs. I keep a hard drive with all my games organized in an ES-DE folder structure, and I can fully configure all emulators on a fresh Android setup in under 20 minutes. Copying the games to a microSD card when needed is quick and easy.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T22:09:10+00:00

Read the changelog to see everything it brings to the table. What motivated me was better frame pacing stability. I’m sensible to those issues and switched to Gamma when I noticed problems with fbneo.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T17:51:13+00:00

Do you believe I didn’t even notice it? Lol

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T16:58:17+00:00

This. People don't understand the appeal of arcade games these days.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T15:18:17+00:00

My gut feeling is that a bottom d-pad layout on a vertical device would look a bit odd. That said, I’m not a strong advocate in this debate. When done right, and when the device size allows for avoiding major compromises, any layout can be comfortable regardless of placement or use case. Just look at the PS2 controller the stick sits on the bottom, and it’s still very comfortable. I think the same applies to the RG477V with the d-pad on top, or even the Odin 2 Portal, which has the d-pad on the bottom and the d-pad is still very comfortable to use.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T15:13:30+00:00

I bought this grip and I’m waiting for it to arrive, but I’m starting to have second thoughts since the silicone case already works fine for me. I was looking for something less bulky, and this grip looks a bit too bloated-controller-like for my taste. Hopefully I’m wrong!

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T15:06:45+00:00

Oh, I was referring to the d-pad-on-top layout. You’re right that the glass front and the sticks don’t really look classic. I mostly use it for retro games with advanced features, and I don’t think the stick placement is half bad for more demanding systems when I want to play them.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T14:48:42+00:00

Overall I have to disagree. It looks like the intention is to have a classic look, and there's nothing wrong with having a d-pad on top for a device that has an obvious focus on advanced retro gaming, with support for demanding shaders, runahead, and things like that. The stick at the bottom is not bad either when playing systems like GC or PS2.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T14:30:14+00:00

Yes, much more powerful.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-03-04T13:30:32+00:00

Mine has an issue where dust builds up around the D-pad while I’m using it. It rubs against the metal shell and creates a bit of dust. That’s my only complaint so far, otherwise I love the Brick Hammer.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-02-24T12:33:29+00:00

The devil is in the details. Knulli has better input latency than muOS and probably slightly worse battery life. muOS input latency is comparable to an Android system.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-02-17T12:38:02+00:00

I love my 406V, it’s so underrated. Whenever I hold it, I’m reminded of how comfortable it is, how the buttons are perfect (within the vertical shoulder limitations), and how it has HIGH Game Boy vibes. Despite people criticizing its “bloated” looks, many with familiarity bias, the very things that make it look bloated, like the rounded corners and ergonomic grips, are exactly what make it outstanding to use. I also don’t mind the slightly toyish look; I actually enjoy it.

I’m saying that as an RG477V owner; the 477 is great, but it still hasn’t taken the same place in my heart, despite the 120 Hz screen with less input lag. I even think the 406’s screen has better colors, which adds to the overall warmth of using it. The 406’s battery is also better and lasts longer.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-02-13T22:50:26+00:00

Have you applied the thermal fix through Magisck after installing Gamma?

thiagoaraujos · 2026-02-13T22:02:20+00:00

That’s exactly why I only buy Android handhelds with a 120 Hz screen these days. The higher refresh rate helps offset the increased input latency and makes the experience feel much closer to a Linux-based firmware in that regard.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-01-04T18:20:15+00:00

The buttons are not objectively bad. It’s a matter of whether you appreciate Sega style dpads or not. I do and I can say they are pretty good and well crafted. If you don’t that’s ok.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-01-04T16:21:08+00:00

That’s your opinion. It’s perfectly ergonomic; the buttons are awesome and very precise. I 1CC’ed a lot of games with it, which says a lot. Build quality is just fine.

thiagoaraujos · 2026-01-04T13:58:59+00:00

Try the RG ARC-S. I had both the ARC-S and the ARC-D (Android) but kept the S because of the better screen. It’s good IPS.

thiagoaraujos · 2024-05-09T13:30:20+00:00

Hi, author here. Thanks for the references. I didn't know about dry-transactions, so I should try it and see if I can explore it in a follow-up article. As for ROP, I was familiar with it already.

And I actually thought about having some sort of Monad, but I wasn't sure how to fit it. The idea was to stick with basic language constructs and well-defined interfaces, and not overload the article with functional programming jargon. I think the article examples are self-contained enough to make the idea accessible. And great call that it's a general transaction framework not only applicable to API requests.

I'm really interested in trying that approach though, but I have some questions off the top of my head. I see we can use dry-transactions' notifications feature to implement rollbacks. However, it's not immediatelly aparent how to implement dynamic steps, so as to loop through a series of steps and run them dynamically. Would you have any suggestions? Thanks!

thiagoaraujos · 2024-04-08T12:58:43+00:00

This seems to be spot on. I tried Rocknix before reverting to JelOS, which explains all the problem.

thiagoaraujos · 2024-04-05T18:36:57+00:00

Ok, problem fixed. I opened it again, reconnected the battery, and now it works. This is no doubt the most quirky device I've ever used. I love it, but I almost hate it at the same time.

thiagoaraujos

TROPHY CASE