R40S Retro Gaming Handheld Review - The Powkiddy RGB30 Clone featuring broken controls
Summary
TLDRThe R40s handheld gaming console is critiqued in this video, with a focus on its similarities to the highly praised Pal's RGB3. Despite boasting a budget-friendly price point and a sleek design, the R40s falls short due to its unresponsive controls and a poorly optimized stock firmware. While it offers a decent display and battery life, the out-of-the-box experience is marred by control issues that require DIY fixes with tape, and a confusing firmware setup that detracts from the overall user experience.
Takeaways
- đź The R40s is a budget handheld gaming device with a joystick-centered design and a starting price of $50.
- đ It features the RK3566 chip, which theoretically allows access to some Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast games, but struggles with performance out of the box.
- đ± The device includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, 1 GB of RAM, and a 4-inch 720x720 display.
- đ It has a 4,000 milliamp battery, weighs over 200 g, and comes with two micro SD card slots for expandable storage.
- đš The R40s has an appealing red and white color scheme but suffers from poor build quality in the controls.
- â The D-pad and face buttons are unresponsive and sink into the shell, causing frequent missed inputs.
- đ ïž The shoulder buttons R1 and L1 are nearly unusable without modification, such as applying tape to improve their responsiveness.
- đș The device comes with a mini HDMI output and lacks front-facing speakers, opting for down-facing ones instead.
- đ± The stock firmware, based on Aros, has several issues including incorrect screen ratio settings and missing BIOS files.
- đ ïž Despite the out-of-the-box issues, there is potential for a good handheld if users are willing to modify and optimize the device.
- đ« The R40s is not recommended as a budget alternative to the Powkiddy RGB3 due to its control and firmware issues.
Q & A
What is the R40s handheld device and what is its significance in the context of the video?
-The R40s is a budget square screen handheld gaming device that is being compared to the Pal's RGB3 in the video. It is significant as it is an attempt to provide a budget-friendly alternative with similar features but has some notable issues with its controls and firmware.
What is the RK3566 chip and why is it important for the R40s?
-The RK3566 is a chipset used in the R40s, which in theory should allow it to access some Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast games. It is important because it determines the device's gaming capabilities.
What are the main issues with the R40s's controls according to the video?
-The main issues with the R40s's controls are that the D-pad and face buttons sink into the shell with the slightest pressure, causing missed inputs. The R1 and L1 shoulder buttons are nearly unusable out of the box, requiring modification with tape to function properly.
What is the battery capacity of the R40s and how does it perform?
-The R40s has a 4,000 milliamp battery, which should provide decent battery life. However, the video does not provide specific details on the battery's performance.
What are the display specifications of the R40s and how is the display quality perceived in the video?
-The R40s features a 4-inch 720x720 display. The video mentions that the display is 'admittedly beautiful,' indicating that the quality is perceived positively.
How does the R40s compare to the Pal's RGB3 in terms of control layout and design?
-The R40s has a joystick-centered design similar to the RGB3 but with some differences such as the position of the start and select buttons, and the orientation of the speakers. The control layout is flipped compared to the RGB3, and the R40s lacks front-facing speakers.
What are the audio issues mentioned in the video regarding the R40s's firmware?
-The video mentions that the R40s has audio issues due to missing BIOS files, which cause emulators to run slow and are not optimized for the Nintendo 64 setups.
What modifications are suggested in the video to improve the R40s's controls?
-The video suggests applying layers of tape to the R1 and L1 shoulder buttons to raise them enough to register a button press, as well as potentially applying tape to other controls to improve their responsiveness.
What is the weight of the R40s and how does it feel in terms of build quality?
-The R40s weighs just over 200 grams. The video describes the build quality as initially giving a good first impression but feeling 'okay' upon touching the controls due to the issues with the buttons sinking into the shell.
What are the connectivity features of the R40s mentioned in the video?
-The R40s has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, which are tucked away in the tools section of the firmware but are relatively easy to set up and use.
What is the reviewer's final verdict on the R40s compared to the Pal's RGB3?
-The reviewer concludes that the R40s is a disappointment due to its terrible out-of-the-box controls and confusing stock firmware setup. They suggest that a better alternative would be to get the Pal's RGB3 instead.
Outlines
đź R40s Handheld Gaming Console Overview
The script introduces the R40s handheld gaming console, comparing it to the Pal's RGB3 due to their similar joystick-centered design and color schemes. It highlights the R40s' budget-friendly price point, starting at $50, and its RK3566 chip, which theoretically allows access to some Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast games, though the device struggles with performance out of the box. The R40s comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 1GB of RAM, a 4-inch 720x720 display, a 4,000 milliamp battery, and weighs over 200g. The script also notes the unoptimized firmware and the device's physical design, including the control layout and the lack of front-facing speakers.
đ§ R40s Controls and Firmware Issues
This paragraph delves into the R40s' control issues, describing the unresponsive D-pad and face buttons that sink into the shell, leading to missed inputs. The joysticks are noted as the most reliable controls, while the R1 and L1 shoulder buttons are nearly unusable without modification. The script also criticizes the out-of-the-box firmware, which includes an unoptimized version of Aros with several annoyances and quirks, such as incorrect screen ratio settings and missing BIOS files that affect emulator performance.
đ” Audio and Gameplay Experience
The script mentions audio and gameplay elements, though the actual content related to this is missing from the provided text. It seems to suggest that there will be gameplay footage and a return to the discussion of the R40s' features and performance after a segment of applause and music.
đ« Disappointments with the R40s Handheld
The final paragraph concludes the review by expressing disappointment in the R40s due to its poor out-of-the-box controls and confusing firmware setup. It suggests that with effort, the device has potential, but a better alternative already exists in Pal's RGB 30. The script ends with a thanks for watching and a sign-off with music.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄR40s
đĄImitation
đĄRK3566
đĄBudget Handheld
đĄBluetooth and Wi-Fi
đĄ720x720 Display
đĄUnoptimized
đĄControls
đĄShoulder Buttons
đĄAros
đĄGameplay Footage
Highlights
The r40s handheld is compared to the Pal's RGB3, suggesting a possible imitation.
It features a joystick-centered design and new color schemes.
The r40s is priced as low as $50 during sales, making it a budget option.
Equipped with the RK3566 chip, it theoretically supports some Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast games.
The handheld struggles with performance right out of the box, particularly with Nintendo DS games.
Includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 1GB of RAM, and a 4-inch 720x720 display.
The battery life is decent with a 4,000 milliamp capacity.
The r40s weighs just over 200g, making it relatively lightweight.
The device comes with an unoptimized version of the R OS.
Control layout is flipped compared to the RGB3, with an emphasis on start and select buttons.
Lacks front-facing speakers, opting for down-facing ones instead.
The shoulder buttons are of poor quality, causing missed inputs.
The face buttons also sink into the shell, affecting responsiveness.
The joysticks are reliable despite the other control issues.
R1 and L1 shoulder buttons are nearly unusable without modification.
The firmware setup is confusing and not optimized out of the box.
Video out works well but requires a restart for external screens.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are functional but located in the tools section.
The r40s is a disappointment due to poor controls and firmware setup.
There is potential for a good handheld if users are willing to modify the controls.
The r40s could have been a budget alternative to the RGB3 but falls short.
Transcripts
[Music]
hey everyone so another day another
handheld with this one being the
r40s as Oscar wild once said imitation
is the sincerest form of flattery and if
that is indeed the case Pal's rgb3 must
be extremely flattered by the r40s here
we do have a joystick centered design
some new color schemes as well as some
other differences here and there one or
two which could potentially be argued
for better I guess while the v majority
being for much much worse we'll cover
all those later but essentially we've
got another budget Square screen
handheld coming in as low as $50 during
the recent Choice Day sales so to the
surprise of No One the r40s sports the
same chip as the paly rgb3 with the RK
3566 this would in theory give us access
to some but not all of the Nintendo 64
and Dreamcast catalogs except for the
fact that the r40s struggles straight
out the box with those capping in around
the Nintendo DS catalog otherwise we've
got Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 1 gig of RAM an
admittedly beautiful 4in 720x 720
display a pretty decent 4,000 milliamp
battery a weight of just over 200 g and
a pretty heavily unoptimized version of
the otherwise great R straight out of
the box so rather than bringing up the
rgb3 comparison over and and over again
I just thought I'd compare them
essentially side by side during my first
impression section we of course have the
control layout flipped as well as a
great emphasis to the start and select
buttons while unfortunately dropping the
front-facing speakers in favor of having
them downfacing here from the top down
view we've got some truly terrible
shoulder buttons as well as the volume
buttons that have been swapped around a
mini HDMI output as well as the reset
and power buttons
from the underneath view we've got the
speaker grills two USBC ports the
headphone jack as well as two micro SD
card slots overall the r40s red and
white color scheme does look great to me
but it does feel okay initially too and
gives a pretty good first impression
that is of course until you actually
touch the controls unfortunately there's
no getting around the fact that the
controls of the r40s are by far the
biggest disappointment of the whole
handheld the D pared while having a good
feel to it physically sinks terribly
into the Shell with the slightest amount
of pressure and this causes missed
inputs on incredibly regular basis
making it feel not very responsive at
all the face buttons suffer from a very
similar fate sinking straight into the
Shell with the tiniest amount of
pressure applied making them near
impossible to react to button mashing
but at the very least feel more
responsive to the d-pad I was still
missing the odd input with the face
buttons but on a much smaller scale when
compared to the
d-pad the joysticks despite being the
standard switch style sticks are easily
the most reliable of all the controls
with the biggest disappointment by far
being the R1 and L1 shoulder buttons
these things straight out of the box
must have registered once every 10 or so
presses and that's being generous
they're that bad and gave no indication
of a button press at all they're
essentially unusable straight out of the
box and pretty much require you to open
the handheld up and apply some layers of
tape to them to be able to raise them
high enough to actually be able to
register a button press how on Earth
this was missed is beyond me and it's
incredibly disappointing as it
completely ruins the control scheme I
actually opened my r40s up as I assumed
mine must have just arrived broken but
unfortunately the switches themselves
are so thin and aimed at such an angle
that the plastic of the button simply
struggles to reach them straight out of
the box what's ridiculous is the
controls fa so much better with some
layers of tape applied to pretty much
all of the inputs and it's such an easy
fix that it's just so frustrating that
this was missed in the first place so
essentially unless you're prepared to
jump in and apply layers of tape to
pretty much all of the controls yourself
the outof the boox controls for the r40s
are absolutely
terrible additionally disappointing is
the out ofthe boox stock firmware this
seems to be a build of Aros which in
itself is a great OS but the version the
r40s come shipped with unfortunately has
a few annoyances and quirks firstly some
of the systems are set up as if the
screen has a 4x3 ratio instead of it's 1
by one so on the one by one systems like
Game Gear or Game Boy Color you've got
to jump into vetro AR and change the
video configs yourself to make the most
out of its good screen otherwise there's
some audio issues all sorts of missing
bias files that causes emulators to
unslow and completely unoptimal jast
Nintendo 64 setups the actual Aros base
is solid at least so those who are
prepared to Tinker can and will get
better results but it's certainly a
disappointing outof the Box experience
initially thankfully the video out works
well although you do need to restart the
handheld or start it up fresh plugged
into your external screen Bluetooth and
Wi-Fi work well although they are tucked
away in the tools section of R but are
relatively easy to set up and play so
I'll cut some gameplay footage now and
suiz back up at the end
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Applause]
let's
[Applause]
go let's go
[Applause]
[Music]
St e
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he
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he
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what
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yeah e
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a
a
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[Applause]
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ha
take
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[Laughter]
[Laughter]
ha
get ready fight
wow
black two
[Applause]
up and left up and left
come
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
on you
okay
get this
so overall the r40s is a disappointment
what could have easily been a budget
friendly alternative to Pal Kitty's rgb3
is absolutely hampered by its terrible
out of the boox controls and the
confusing stock firmware setup just
completely ruins its good first
impressions if you're willing to put in
the work there is a potential for a good
handheld here but you can easily just
get a much better alternative with with
Pal's RGB 30 well that's it for now
thanks so much for watching
[Music]
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