A ton of fun!!!
The first one I got was used, so I didn't even bother trying it. I don't blame this on Amazon, but rather the particular seller. I sent it back and ordered another one, which was new. This is a great system. It was easy to set up and get to playing. The selection of games on it is very good, though it is missing some of my favorites. However, the great thing about this system is that you can also play games it doesn't come with using a micro SD card. The console... It's well built and looks quite nice. The placement of the two USB-C ports on the front for wired controller connection is great, especially in comparison to other Atari retro consoles, and even the original 2600. The controller ports being in the back of those was always a bit unwieldy, while being in the front is just natural. The top is simple, with a Power and Home button, the latter of which is also on each controller. The ring lights are also nice looking, and they're adjustable, from the default, alternating rainbow colors to solid white and solid orange. You adjust the lights with the Menu button on the controllers. The USB-C power port and full size HDMI ports are on the back, and well placed. And the best part... the micro SD card slot, which is on the left side. The console has a bit of weight, which adds to it feeling more solid, though some of that weight comes from a metal plate on the inside that they added to make it feel heavier. Still, its heft is nice. The controllers... For most games they're very good. The joystick part feels quite different from a traditional CX-40 Atari joystick, both in its style and the way it feels, but it's quite nice. Not cheap feeling. They have a light ring around the bottom of the joystick, corresponding with the lights around the Power and Home buttons on the console. They also have a small rotatable knob used for Paddle games, and it's actually quite nice. It turns very smoothly, with just a little resistance. Now I say the controllers are very good for "most" games, as some games require the use of more than just the A button, and the positioning of the B and C buttons can make games that require the use of them, such as the Arcade version of Missile Command, much less enjoyable to play, if not downright unenjoyable. Other than that, the controllers are quite good. The weight is also quite nice when the batteries are installed. On the top, there are Home, Select and Start buttons. On the back is a Menu button, a connectivity light, a USB-C port and a power switch. Some people have found that input latency is a problem when using the controllers. Because it uses the common wireless 2.4GHz protocol, other devices that use 2.4GHz, such as routers, TVs, mice, etc. can interfere with the signal, causing issues. However, these controllers can be used wired, though you have to provide your own USB-C to USB-C cables. This will eliminate all of the wireless related latency. And when using them wired, you don't have to use batteries in them, though without the batteries they'll be considerably lighter in weight. With this said, I notice barely any input latency at all when using them wirelessly. The latency is so little that it's nearly imperceptible. In fact, it's less than with both my 2600+ and Flashback 12, and both of those use wired controllers. Other... Though the unit comes with a USB-A to USB-C power cable, it does not come with a power adapter. You need to provide a 5V adapter of at least 2A. It also comes with an HDMI cable. Summary... All in all this is a great system. It's a lot of fun. The selection of games is quite good and the game play is outstanding, even for the paddle games. There is also new firmware available and there are videos on YouTube that give step by step instructions on how to update it. Mine came with version 1.20, and the new firmware is version 1.30. It contains some bug fixes as well as changing the games layout on the screen, making it easier to sort through them. Two pieces of advice: - If you're using a modern TV, make sure to set the TV to Game mode in the picture settings. Without doing so, the latency can be fairly noticeable, as the TV processes a lot of things for the picture. Game mode disables all of that extra picture processing, making the picture response much more real time. - This is an important one. Look at the seller reviews before you buy this, and make sure to buy it from a good one. Read more





























