(Look at the description first!) Latency Testing: Odin 2 Mini vs Odin 2 Pro (and 4 other handhelds) ChemicalBurrito 2024-08-08 | IMPORTANT: Check out the second video linked just below for corrections on these numbers! There was an issue with the exported videos used to count frames and calculate latency having the wrong framerate. It's all explained - and updated numbers tabulated - in the updated video I've linked below. Essentially, you can double the milliseconds for the results here and it's pretty much right. The updated video adds two more handhelds and the high refresh rate mode of the Razer Edge.UPDATE AND PART 2: youtu.be/UoKONhRQf1EThere have been some discussions on various forums on whether the Odin 2 has input latency/lag issues and whether the Odin 2 Mini might have those same issues. In this video, we look at both the Odin 2 and the Mini and compare to four OTHER retro/gaming handhelds to try to answer those questions.I've tried to do the simplest test possible here to test the devices themselves rather than specific emulators - just use a gamepad test app to register button presses.I've included the video clips for each handheld and the data set if you want to check my work. The button press data was filmed at 240FPS (it plays slower here, of course). If you like, you can skip ahead using the timestamps to see the results.EDIT: I completely forgot to mention this during the video, but the Razer Edge was tested with the screen refresh rate being set at 60Hz.0:00 Introduction0:53 Test parameters/methodology2:23 Anbernic RG405M3:29 Anbernic RG5564:11 Odin 2 Mini4:49 Odin 2 Pro5:28 Razer Edge (60Hz refresh rate set)6:04 Retroid Pocket 3+6:40 Results table, conclusions, and final thoughts
Retroid Pocket Classic 6-button discontinued! Should you get it on sale? ChemicalBurrito 2026-09-17 | Retroid is putting on a sale. Since they are releasing and have released a bunch of new devices recently, Retroid ha discontinued some fairly popular devices and put them on discount until they run out of stock. There's the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, the Retroid Pocket 5, and the Retroid Pocket Classic - all available now for significantly cheaper then they were a week or two ago. I want to talk about the Retroid Pocket Classic today, since that's the only one of these three devices that I actually own. Specifically, I want to talk about the six button Retroid Pocket Classic - and why it's unique and POSSIBLY worth a purchase at the new discounted price.You can use the timestamps to skip through the quick gameplay footage unless you want to see me get blown up repeatedly in shmups because the camera partially blocks my view of the screen! Or maybe you like that ... I'm not going to judge!Retroid Pocket Classic - LONG impressions and testing video: youtu.be/bZjS9MSkyp0Timestamps below.0:00 Introduction0:37 SEGA!1:15 Anbernic ARC D/S2:28 Retroid Pocket Classic3:46 Some quick gameplay9:20 Final thoughts
Xbox Ally Family Comparison - Which one should you get? ChemicalBurrito 2026-09-10 | If you've been watching for a while, you know that I'm into handheld gaming. And in particular, I'm into handheld gaming on PC handhelds. I just really enjoy playing full games on a device that I can stick into my travel bag or backpack. Probably the most famous device for handheld PC gaming is Valve's Steam Deck. Up until just recently, I'd have recommended the Steam Deck as THE entryway into handheld PC gaming. Unfortunately, the Steam Deck line got a rather massive price increase - they're now eight hundred to a thousand dollars when that Steam Deck featured in my Deck Food videos used to sell for closer to three hundred.Now that the Steam Deck isn't really in the picture anymore, probably the best way to get into handheld PC gaming is now via the Xbox Ally line of handhelds by ASUS. In this video, we're going to look at the entire line, including the upcoming Xbox Ally X20, and talk about which device might be right for you.Videos referenced -Xbox Ally Impressions - youtube.com/watch?v=77S6vIDnqGkXbox Ally X Impressions - youtube.com/watch?v=tS6UnB6ITTcXbox Ally PS3 Performance - youtube.com/watch?v=mT919n3segYTimestamps below -0:00 Introduction0:57 The Xbox Ally line2:16 Xbox Ally overview3:59 Xbox Ally X overview5:44 Xbox Ally X20 overview7:34 Who should get an Xbox Ally8:27 Who should get an Xbox Ally X9:24 Who should get an Xbox Ally X20
Must-Play Commodore 64 Games: Fort Apocalypse (featuring Commodore 64 Ultimate) ChemicalBurrito 2026-09-08 | Since I got the Commodore 64 Ultimate, I've been diving back into my Commodore 64 library. Today we're going to look at yet another Commodore 64 must-play game. This is "Fort Apocalypse". This game was released in 1982 - first on Atari 8-bit computers and then on the Commodore 64.Fort Apocalypse puts you in the role of a helicopter pilot tasked with assaulting an underground fortress and rescuing hostages. The helicopter you pilot is armed with bullets and bombs, and is flown in a very similar manner to the ship in Defender. Since the Commodore 64 sticks typically have only one button, you fire bullets if your helicopter is facing left or right, and bombs when it's pointed out of the screen. Separate buttons for bullets and bombs would be very nice, but this is old school. And speaking of old school, this is a typical old school game in that it's hard. Fun, yes. But expect to get blown up ... a lot. By other helicopters, by tanks, by floating bombs, by laser beams, by moving walls, and by invisible walls. Yep, invisible walls. There's just a lot of stuff here that wants to blow you up.Although this is a short video by the standards of this channel, I've put in a few timestamps for easy skipping around.0:00 Introduction1:24 Fort Apocalypse gameplay10:05 Final thoughts
Commodore 64 Ultimate - Unboxing, some testing, and initial impressions. Is Commodore back? ChemicalBurrito 2026-09-03 | This is the Commodore 64 Ultimate, a recreation of the Commodore 64 using FPGA - in other words, hardware emulation, which lets us have a Commodore 64 computer that works like the original but allows for modern niceties like hooking in to USB storage, ethernet, wifi, and of course modern HDMI-compatible monitors.Today we're going to unbox this thing and try it out. I'm excited about this one. My first computer in the early 80s was a Commodore 64. I started with an Atari 2600, but that wasn't educational enough so my parents got me a Commodore 64. At the beginning, I had just the computer, an old Atari 2600 joystick, and a Jumpman Junior cartridge. I'd write BASIC programs down on a legal pad and type them in when I wanted to run one. Later, I got a datasette so I could save things to tape. And finally I got the holy grail - a 1541 disk drive, which really opened up what I could do with the computer. Now, I'm back to the base computer and an old Atari joystick - but THIS base computer won't need the datasette and 1541 disk drive. Let's get this open, see what comes in the box, and give this new Commodore 64 a test run!This is a long one, so timestamps are below0:00 Introduction1:38 Unboxing5:20 Owner's manual8:02 Included accessories11:06 The computer17:37 Using the Commodore 6419:02 BASIC programming24:11 Loading Jumpman Junior26:31 Jumpman Junior gameplay33:05 Commodore 64 Ultimate main menu39:51 Final thoughts
Anbernic RG 55G1 - Pricing information is out! Should you buy it? ChemicalBurrito 2026-08-30 | Today, we're going to be talking some more about Anbernic's new Snapdragon-based handheld, the RG 55G1. We've talked about the possible capabilities of this device before ... since it shares a chip with the Retroid Pocket Classic (the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2), we know that the RG 55G1 is capable of emulation up to some PlayStation 2 and Gamecube games, and the existence of drivers for the chip enables it to play some PC/Steam titles via GameNative. And - unlike the Retroid Pocket Classic - Anbernic's RG 55G1 actually has the controls (read: Analog sticks) to let you play these games.But there are a lot of Android handhelds out there in the market. We'll compare the RG 55G1 to its competition and try to answer the question - should you buy this one?Links mentioned:Qualcomm's marketing material for G1 Gen 2: qualcomm.com/handheld-gaming/products/snapdragon-g-1-gen-2-gaming-platformRetroid Pocket Classic Impressions Video: youtube.com/watch?v=bZjS9MSkyp0RG Slide Impressions Video: youtube.com/watch?v=fLcm60Kzsr0Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:39 Anbernic's RG 55G11:30 RG 55G1 pricing2:54 Comparison with other handhelds7:35 Should you buy?
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter Remake (Demo) - Testing on the Steam Deck - NO SPOILERS! ChemicalBurrito 2026-08-24 | Today we're going to be looking at the demo for Trails in the Sky, Second Chapter. This is a remake of a 2006 JRPG with quality of life and graphical enhancements that make it a lot better to play in 2026.The first Trails in the Sky game came out in 2004 on PC in Japan only. In 2006, it was ported to the PlayStation Portable, again only in Japan. Fast forward to 2011, and publisher Xseed Games brought over the PlayStation Portable version of the game in English, and the game showed up on PC in English a few years later.The PSP version was available digitally or on UMD via a nice premium edition box set that came with a poster, soundtrack CD, and a Bracer pin you could wear if you like. Sometimes I miss the old days where you'd get a game and there were all these goodies inside!But there was a problem with Trails in the Sky, if you were an English speaker. The story is absolutely great, but the game ends on a huge cliffhanger. I'm not going to spoil what the cliffhanger actually *is*, but suffice it to say that the game is not a standalone story because of it. If you were playing on PSP in Japan, Trails in the Sky "SC", short for "second chapter" released the next year. If you were an English language player, you wouldn't be able to experience the rest of the story until 2015 - fully FOUR YEARS later.So that's why you haven't seen the first Trails in the Sky on my Deck Food series here on the channel. It really is a great game, but I'm not going to promote a story-driven game that ends the way Trails in the Sky does until you can get the game that resolves it!Luckily, this time around we don't have to wait four years - because the Trails in the Sky Second Chapter remake releases on September 16 - about three weeks from when I'm recording this video. And there's a demo out right now, so we are going to see how this runs on the Steam Deck.If you haven't played the first Trails in the Sky game yet, don't play the demo of Second Chapter. Seriously - don't do it. Second Chapter picks up literally at the ending of the first game, so just starting the demo will massively spoil the ending of the first game. Go play the first game and then come back to the Second Chapter demo. Now I don't want to spoil the ending of the first game for anyone, so I've gone far enough into the demo to get past the big spoilers and we're just going to take a look at gameplay that doesn't reveal major plot points from the first game. So you can still watch the gameplay footage without worrying that something will get spoiled for you.Timestamps below!0:00 Introduction and the original Trails in the Sky2:46 Gameplay11:16 Game settings11:41 Final thoughts
Dpad top vs Stick top and the Retroid Pocket Nova ChemicalBurrito 2026-08-20 | Today I'd like to have a little discussion about controls. Specifically, let's have the talk about "stick top" versus "dpad top". When Retroid released the Retroid Pocket 6, you had a choice of control options - "stick top" or "dpad top" - which was quite innovative for the retro handheld hobby, as you usually had a device with one or the other. If you didn't like the configuration, you just would skip the device and move on to something else.Now Retroid has released the Pocket Nova, which I've talked about at least once before on this channel. But the choice of control position is gone - the Nova is available in "dpad top" and that's it. Now the Nova is unique because it's the only small 4:3 OLED handheld you can currently buy, and it's got enough power to run games from the PlayStation 2 generation - the last of the 4:3 consoles - without many compromises. The Nova could theoretically be the ideal system for playing PS2 games with something you could stuff in a tiny bag or large pocket. But I passed on it. Too expensive? No. But I knew I wouldn't use it. Why not? Well, that's what we're going to discuss!0:00 Introduction1:33 Dpad top and the PS Vita4:49 What about PlayStation controllers?7:02 The PSP7:40 Stick top11:16 The Steam Deck12:14 Final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition ChemicalBurrito 2026-08-13 | Everything old is new again. Today we're going to take a look at an older game - Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Only it's a new game - now called Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition. It's basically a rerelease of a game that came out in 2011 with fixes to run on modern systems and with quality of life improvements.I'm something of a fan of Snowblind's hack and slash games on consoles. I mean, there's a reason there is a lot of Champions of Norrath and Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance footage on this channel. But I never played this game back in 2011, so I'm not going to be able to tell you how big the quality of life improvements are on this game, although I hear that hot-swapping between the three playable characters might be something of a big deal. But after spending a couple of hours with this game, I think I can at least tell you - or show you - how it performs on the Steam Deck.Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:21 Steam details1:25 Gameplay10:15 Final thoughts
Anbernic RG 55G1 thoughts and Retroid Pocket Classic: GameNative PC testing (Snapdragon G1 Gen 2) ChemicalBurrito 2026-08-11 | Anbernic has a new device they've been teasing for a couple of months now. What we know about this device so far isn't much, but we do know that it's going to be their first device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip.But which Snapdragon? Anbernic hasn't officially said - so let's speculate! We've got two clues - the "G1" in the name of the handheld and a leaked Geekbench benchmark suggests it's the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 - a chip that's also found in a device that's been out for a while - the Retroid Pocket Classic.The G1 Gen 2 is an interesting choice if it's indeed the chip that powers the RG 55G1. The chip is capable of doing retro console emulation up to and including a chunk of Playstation 2 games. The GPU in the G1 Gen 2 is not amazing, so you'd be limited if you're into shaders or if you wanted to upscale things like Playstation 2 games. But there's been a development in PC game emulation that's relevant to the G1 Gen 2. There are now Turnip drivers for the chip - which means that playing your Steam games via GameNative is now an option. Let's see how Steam games will perform on the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 using my Retroid Pocket Classic as the test bed!There is a lot of Ball x Pit gameplay. A *lot* ... so you should probably skip to the next timestamp after a bit.Links:My Retroid Pocket Classic impressions video: youtu.be/bZjS9MSkyp0Anbernic official RG 55G1 gameplay video: youtu.be/KX0LKid0xEwTimestamps:0:00 Introduction and RG 55G1 specs speculation6:18 Borderlands 2 (PC) gameplay10:00 Comments11:20 Everspace (PC) gameplay14:05 More comments15:31 Ball x Pit (PC) gameplay25:45 Even more comments26:13 Persona 4 Golden (PC) gameplay30:24 Final thoughts
Steam Deck - Borderlands 4 1.9 Update Testing - Should this even be Deck Verified? ChemicalBurrito 2026-08-04 | If you've been hanging around the channel for a while, you'll know that I'm something of a fan of the Borderlands series. Well, there's a new major update for Borderlands 4 that just released a few days ago - version 1.9. And the release notes mention improving performance on the Steam Deck: "Performance Mode has been adjusted to better maintain maximum frame rate"Now Borderlands 4 has never been a game that anyone would say performed well or was highly optimized - whether you're talking about devices like the Steam Deck or more powerful hardware. But Borderlands 4 is "Deck verified", which we are to assume means good performance on the Deck.Should Borderlands 4 be Deck Verified? We'll test it and see if it meets Valve's criteria. I have edited some loading screen and similar stuff out of the gameplay videos, and the gameplay segments themselves have no commentary. If you want to hear me talk, that's in the "Introduction", "What is 'Deck Verified'?", and "Final thoughts" section.This was recorded on the OLED Deck. I normally record with the LCD Deck, because my camera tends to show a screen door effect when recording my Deck OLED's screen. You can see it to an extent in this video. It's a camera artifact that you can't see on the actual Deck screen. Why did I use the OLED for this video? Space - I wanted to run from SSD instead of micro SD to give the game a fair trial, but I don't have enough room for this huge game on my 256GB LCD right now! Timestamps below!0:00 Introduction0:39 What is "Deck Verified"?1:30 Gameplay (Max frame rate)8:22 Gameplay (30 fps max)13:41 Final thoughts
Odin 2 Pro: Everspace - GameNative 1.1.0 Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-28 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Everspace running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using GameNative 1.1.0 for this test. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings, and GameNative settings used.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and the Retroid Pocket Nova.It's nice to have a game on here that more or less just works well. A lot of PC games played via emulation like GameNative show framerate or frame pacing problems, but Everspace runs pretty well on the Odin 2 (and should do as well on the other devices listed above). That said, there are some graphics glitches - most obviously on the ship selection screen - that you won't see playing this game on an actual PC.0:00 Everspace gameplay9:16 GameNative and in-game settings
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Everspace ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-27 | We're back with more Deck Food ... good games for you to feed your Steam Deck (or Xbox Ally, or Legion Go S, etc.). Today we're going to look at Everspace - the original game. Everspace is a 3D space shooting game with a twist - it's done like a roguelike dungeon crawler. You are a clone. You start in the first sector of space and battle, gather, and craft your way through sector after sector until you die. At which point you become another clone and begin the cycle again at the first sector after using whatever money you earned in the previous cycle to purchase upgrades and power-ups.With a game like this, you want a high consistent frame rate. Can the Deck deliver? Let's find out ...The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video.If you're interested in the game and you're watching my video the night I uploaded it, Everspace is on sale through tomorrow for two bucks. Just buy it.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series is actually short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction1:00 Steam details1:41 Settings and gameplay9:40 Final thoughts
The Retroid Pocket Nova - Some thoughts! ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-15 | In this video, we're going to talk about the Retroid Pocket Nova, Retroid's newest device. We'll discuss specs, compare with a few other devices, and talk about how we got here and got a 4:3 OLED device coming out (finally) in 2026.The RP Mini screen video I mentioned: youtube.com/watch?v=O5Eh1a51GRMTimestamps below!0:00 Introduction0:17 Retroid Pocket Nova specs4:07 What's a mortgage screen?7:20 Want it?9:38 Skip it? (and final thoughts)
Odin 2 Pro: Persona 4 Golden - GameNative 1.1.0 Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-14 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Persona 4 Golden (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.1.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings, and GameNative settings used.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and the upcoming Retroid Pocket Nova.It's nice to have a game on here that more or less just works well. A lot of PC games played via emulation like GameNative show framerate or frame pacing problems, but Persona 4 Golden runs pretty well on the Odin 2 (and should do as well on the other devices listed above). While you can play the Vita version of this game with the Vita3K emulator, using GameNative or Gamehub with the Steam version seems like it's the better way to go now.Another note: Music is off for this video because Youtube copyright flags some of the Persona music. Music works fine in the game.0:00 Persona 4 Golden gameplay20:02 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Persona 3 Reload - GameNative 1.1.0 Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-13 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Persona 3 Reload (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.1.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings, and GameNative settings used.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and the upcoming Retroid Pocket Nova.I had some trouble with this game on the latest GameNative - had to fiddle around because the default recommended configuration gave a lot of distracting graphical glitches - might be something that's just cropped up in the 1.x releases of GameNative. Also, I don't trust the FPS counter on this one - it's all over the place and in both GameNative and the game itself I had a 60FPS limit set because the Odin 2's screen is 60Hz maximum.Another note: Music is off because Youtube flags some of the Persona music. Music works fine in the game.0:00 Persona 3 Reload gameplay15:30 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Fable Anniversary (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-12 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Fable Anniversary (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.1.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings, and GameNative settings used.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and the upcoming Retroid Pocket Nova.0:00 Fable Anniversary gameplay15:52 GameNative and in-game settings
Anbernic RG557: Borderlands 2 (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Dimensity 8300) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-04 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Borderlands 2 (for PC) running on the Anbernic RG557, an Android handheld gaming system powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 8300 (D8300) SOC. The RG557 has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.1.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay and settings for GameNative.One thing you'll notice here is that the game crashes. GameNative 1.1.0 does better with this title than any of the earlier GameNative versions I've tried, but I still wouldn't recommend getting this game to play specifically on the RG557 because the performance is quite uneven and because it crashes ... a lot. (I guess this beats massive graphics glitches that render the game completely unplayable - which is what we had before.) If you're looking for a device for GameNative, it's still best to get something powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon series chips.Borderlands 2 itself was running on lowest graphics settings. GameNative settings are in the video.The Anbernic RG557 was the first Anbernic device released with the Dimensity 8300. You can find this chip in some phones/tablets as well as other Anbernic "7" series devices like the RG477M. 0:00 Borderlands 2 gameplay4:01 Oops! Crash!7:08 GameNative settings
Odin 2 Pro: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (SD8G2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-04 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Trails 1st Chapter (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.1.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings for Trails 1st Chapter, and settings for GameNative.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and Retroid Pocket Nova ...and other devices.0:00 Trails 1st Chapter gameplay11:42 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Ace Combat 7 (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-07-01 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Ace Combat 7 (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.0.0) as of recording this video. (1.1.0 has just been released - literally as I was rendering this video for upload to YouTube!) There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings for Ace Combat 7, and settings for GameNative.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, and Retroid Pocket 6 ...and others.0:00 Ace Combat 7 gameplay9:40 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Shadow Warrior 2 (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-06-28 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Shadow Warrior 2 (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest "stable" version of GameNative (1.0.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, in-game settings for Shadow Warrior 2, and settings for GameNative.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, and Retroid Pocket 6 ...and others.0:00 Shadow Warrior 2 gameplay14:11 GameNative and in-game settings
Are these handhelds REALLY mini Steam Decks? The RG 557 and Odin 2 Pro versus an actual Steam Deck! ChemicalBurrito 2026-06-24 | With the big price increases to the Steam Deck (and most other PC stuff) that have been happening recently, there has been a lot of talk about whether Android devices like the Anbernic RG557 and Odin 2 (along with the Odin 2 Portal and the Retroid Pocket 6, which are essentially the same thing in terms of what they can run) ... whether these devices are "mini Steam Decks" because of software like GameNative. GameNative allows an Android device to run some games for PC directly on the device itself rather than relying on streaming from a more powerful device. Since the Steam Deck also does this by virtue of simply being a PC, I wonder - how effective are these Android devices - that you can often get cheaper than a PC - at being a Steam Deck replacement? There are other videos on my channel showcasing various games running in GameNative, but for this video we're going to pit two Android handhelds head to head running one of my favorite games - Borderlands 2. And then we'll bring in a real Steam Deck for good measure.If you're sensitive to strobe/flashing lights, you may wish to skip the Anbernic RG557 Borderlands 2 gameplay part of this video.Feel free to use the timestamps below to skip to what you'd like to see:0:00 Introduction1:39 Odin 2 Borderlands 2 gameplay7:38 Anbernic RG557 introduction/warning8:23 RG557 Borderlands 2 gameplay11:44 Steam Deck introduction12:24 Steam Deck Borderlands 2 gameplay17:02 Conclusions and final thoughts
Must-Play Commodore 64 Games: Lee (featuring Evercade VS-R) ChemicalBurrito 2026-06-15 | I've been gaming for a while now. My first gaming computer (as opposed to a console) was the Commodore 64 back in the early 1980s. This is another game I played back in the day - a 1984 action platformer called Lee. (Well, NOW it's called Lee. Back in 1984 it was Bruce Lee - complete with an illustration of the famous martial artist right on the title screen! Jump, climb, punch, and kick your way through ninjas, green guys, and the environment to beat the game. Rather than digging out my old Commodore 64, I'm playing this on the Evercade VS-R retro gaming console - a system that's designed to play legal, licensed emulated classic games off of its own cartridges. Lee, along with a dozen other Commodore 64 games, is on "The C64 Collection 1".Although this is a short video by the standards of this channel, I've put in a few timestamps for easy skipping around.0:00 Introduction1:52 Lee gameplay9:29 Final thoughts
Must-Play Commodore 64 Games: Boulder Dash (featuring Evercade VS-R) ChemicalBurrito 2026-06-11 | I've been gaming for a while now. My first gaming computer (as opposed to a console) was the Commodore 64 back in the early 1980s. This is one of the games I played back in the day - a rather influential action/puzzle game called Boulder Dash. The idea is simple, mine diamonds, but don't get into a mining accident involving falling rocks or various underground creatures. Rather than digging out my old Commodore 64 and cartridge, I'm playing this on the Evercade VS-R retro gaming console - a system that's designed to play legal, licensed emulated classic games off of its own cartridges. Boulder Dash, along with a dozen other Commodore 64 games, is on "The C64 Collection 3".Although this is a short video by the standards of this channel, I've put in a few timestamps for easy skipping around.0:00 Introduction1:26 Boulder Dash gameplay9:05 Final thoughts
Must-Play Commodore 64 Games: Jumpman Junior (featuring Evercade VS-R) ChemicalBurrito 2026-06-04 | I've been gaming for a while now. My first gaming computer (as opposed to a console) was the Commodore 64 back in the early 1980s. Like a lot of computers of that era, the Commodore 64 could take cartridges like a game console. One of the first cartridges I got was the game Jumpman Junior. Jumpman Junior is a 12-level early platformer where you run around trying to collect/defuse bombs planted around levels mostly consisting of ropes, ladders, and girders. Each level has unique mechanics and new enemies or obstacles to overcome.Rather than digging out my old Commodore 64 and cartridge, I'm playing this on the Evercade VS-R retro gaming console - a system that's designed to play legal, licensed emulated classic games off of its own cartridges. Jumpman Junior, along with a dozen other Commodore 64 games, is on "The C64 Collection 3".Although this is a short video by the standards of this channel, I've put in a few timestamps for easy skipping around.0:00 Introduction5:22 Jumpman Junior gameplay (first run)10:29 Jumpman Junior gameplay (second run)15:46 Final thoughts
PC Handheld Gaming on a budget: Under $1000 PC Handheld Roundup! ChemicalBurrito 2026-06-03 | Let's talk handhelds - specifically the PC variety. With AI stealing all our RAM and storage, it's suddenly gotten a lot more expensive to get into PC handheld gaming. Are there any cheap options left? And what is considered "cheap" these days for a PC handheld? Let's talk about the current options for getting into the hobby of PC handheld gaming without breaking the bank.This video isn't a gameplay footage video - it's more of a chat. So if you want to see gameplay footage and more thorough reviews for most of the devices discussed here, you can find all that elsewhere on the channel.We're going to talk about the Steam Deck and it's "updated" pricing, the Xbox Ally twins, the Legion Go S (well, one of them anyway), and at the end we have a special visit from an old PC handheld friend.As always, I've got timestamps at the bottom if you'd like to skip around.0:00 Introduction2:57 Steam Deck6:51 Xbox Ally12:32 Legion Go S 19:33 Xbox Ally X23:40 Under $1000 specs/price chart25:12 Recommendations and final thoughts
Deck food(with extra steps)! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Star Wars Starfighter ChemicalBurrito 2026-05-20 | We're back with more Deck Food ... good games for you to feed your Steam Deck (or Xbox Ally, or Legion Go S, etc.). On May the Fourth, I decided that I wanted to play some kind of Star Wars game on my Deck. Since I like space sims, I figured I'd try something nice and arcadey - Star Wars Starfighter. At the time, it was on sale for two bucks, so grabbing the game wasn't much of a financial risk! And the game's listed as "Playable" on the Deck, so no problems, right?(So why is this video coming out on May 19th? I'll be telling you more about that later ...)Only ... this game requires a little work to get running. In this video, I'll show you what you need to do to get Star Wars Starfighter running properly on the Deck - including a brief trip into Desktop mode to grab some extra software we'll need. NOTE: The gameplay footage itself doesn't have sound. The game's sound works just fine, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of Youtube recognizing the Star Wars theme and fussing at me so I left it muted.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction0:45 Steam details2:42 ProtonDB details4:23 Installing ProtonUp-Qt7:18 Setting a Proton version8:13 Controller configuration menu10:28 Do we have movie sign?11:54 Gameplay15:18 Final thoughts
JSAUX JoyWave Charging Grip for Legion Go 2 Controllers - Initial Impressions and Testing ChemicalBurrito 2026-05-19 | One of the nice things about Lenovo's Legion Go 2 (and the original as well) is that you can detach the controllers much like you can on a Nintendo Switch and sit the heavy part of the device on a table and play games like you're on a console or TV. The problem with Lenovo's implementation of the idea is that they don't give you a controller grip like you get with a Switch, so it's clumsy. Third party manufacturers like JSAUX and others have taken up the slack here (Lenovo eventually made a controller connector grip, but it's not included with the console), and that's what we're unboxing and testing today - the JSAUX JoyWave charging grip. This connector grip promises comfortable play and simultaneous charging? Does it deliver?Since the Legion Go 1 also has similar controllers (and you can even use Go 2 controllers on a Go 1), we'll test out this grip with the Legion Go 1 controllers as well.Since I've gotten a couple of things for review (Steam Deck modcase and cooler) from JSAUX, I am going to go ahead and add that this grip *wasn't* a review unit from JSAUX.This video really wasn't intended to be near a half hour long, but I found some quirks with this controller grip - particularly when used with Legion Go 1 controllers. I've put time stamps in so you can skip around.0:00 Introduction1:45 Price on Amazon2:44 Unboxing5:09 Testing with Legion Go 2 controllers9:59 Legion Go 2 quirks12:33 Testing with Legion Go 1 controllers16:06 Removing the controllers17:08 What the heck?20:25 Not for Legion Go 1!22:38 Conclusions and final thoughts
Evercade VS-R Retro Gaming Console - Initial Impressions ChemicalBurrito 2026-05-01 | In the previous video, we looked at the Evercade EXP-R gaming handheld. This time, we're looking at its console version - the VS-R console. This is an emulation-focused console with a twist - the games are licensed and provided on cartridges which you can buy from Amazon and other retailers. So if you want to collect retro games on cartridge, complete with Genesis/Megadrive style black plastic cartridge cases and full-color manuals, this might be a system to look at. And this one you can hook to your TV or monitor via a standard HDMI cable.Let's talk about the device, take a look at its features, and play some old-school games. This is a long video, so there are timestamps below for easy navigation.0:00 Introduction0:26 VS-R specs2:03 Device tour and menu functions15:06 Gameplay - In the Hunt (Arcade)18:49 Gameplay - Jumpman Junior (C64)21:52 Gameplay - Moon Patrol (Arcade)24:30 Gameplay - R-Type (Arcade)26:30 VS-R pros and cons33:07 VS-R verdict and final thoughts
Evercade EXP-R Retro Gaming Handheld - Initial Impressions ChemicalBurrito 2026-04-21 | Evercade EXP-R Retro Gaming Handheld - Initial ImpressionsIn this video, we're looking at the Evercade EXP-R gaming handheld. This is a bit of a strange one for emulation handhelds, as while it mostly plays emulated games, the games are licensed and provided on cartridges, which you can buy from Amazon and other retailers. So if you want to collect retro games on cartridge, complete with Genesis/Megadrive style black plastic cartridge cases and full-color manuals, this might be a system to look at. There's even a home console Evercade called the VS-R that hooks to a TV or monitor just like an old-school or modern console (but that's not in this video) which uses the same cartridges. Because there are a number of old arcade games for the EXP-R, there's a simple to use TATE mode for playing vertical arcade games - a neat feature if you're into those games.Let's talk about the device, take a look at its features, and play some old-school games. This is a long video, so there are timestamps below for easy navigation. Oh, and if you're sensitive to flashing lights you might want to skip over the Llamatron gameplay - the old Jeff Minter games like Llamatron had a LOT of screen flashing.0:00 Introduction1:37 EXP-R specs3:48 Device tour18:09 Gameplay - Twin Cobra (TATE mode)20:08 Gameplay - Another World21:22 Gameplay - GODS23:50 Gameplay - Llamatron 2112 (FLASHING LIGHTS WARNING!)26:34 EXP-R pros and cons39:05 EXP-R verdict and final thoughts
ROG Xbox Ally PS3 Showcase and Testing: MY XBOX IS A PLAYSTATION! ChemicalBurrito 2026-04-13 | It wasn't long ago that to emulate PS3 games you needed a beefy gaming PC. But PS3 emulation has come a long way, and you can now start playing PS3 games on handhelds. So I thought I'd showcase some PS3 games from my collection being played on "entry level" PC handheld hardware - the Xbox Ally. If you're a Steam Deck fan, the Xbox Ally has just about the same cpu, so you can expect to get similar performance there.In this video, I've showcased six PS3 games running on the Xbox Ally via RPCS3. We're running at 20W TDP and mostly default RPCS3 settings, so you can get an idea of performance "out of the box". I'm not talking during the gameplay segments, so to hear my opinions on the viability of running PS3 games on the Xbox Ally, watch the Introduction and Final thoughts sections of the video. As always I have timestamps in the video so you can watch whatever parts of the video you're interested in.The Xbox Ally right now is the least expensive viable entry into PC handheld gaming that you can buy at retail, so that's why I'm testing the Xbox Ally here. If you have a pricier PC handheld, you'll likely get better performance than you see here.0:00 Introduction2:47 Gameplay - Minecraft PS3 Edition6:10 Gameplay - Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch11:32 Gameplay - Persona 515:36 Gameplay - Doom 318:59 Gameplay - Borderlands 222:06 Gameplay - Mass Effect25:52 Final Thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Platform 8 ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-27 | We're back with more Deck Food ... good games for you to feed your Steam Deck (or Xbox Ally, or Legion Go S, etc.). The previous video on this channel featured The Exit 8, an anomaly-finding game where you're trying to find your way out of a train station. This time, we're looking at the sequel to that game (by the same developer) - Platform 8. This time you're trying to find a way off an endless train. And the anomalies are a bit more aggressive this time.I did a whole "run" for this video. Don't worry, one run won't spoil all of the anomalies for you. You should be able to get a good idea of the performance of the game from the gameplay footage. The gameplay footage itself has no commentary. If you're looking to hear me talk, that's in all the other segments of the video.The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video.If you're interested in the game, it's $3.99 regular price on Steam.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction1:03 Steam details3:07 Settings and gameplay13:43 Final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: The Exit 8 ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-19 | Welcome to "Deck food", a video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally, the Z2A Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With device prices only going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. And that's still true despite Borderlands 4 being "verified" now! Games like today's feature - The Exit 8 - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. I did a minor settings change from the default settings to improve the frame rate.The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video. But for this game in particular, it's probably not going to make much difference.If you're interested in the game, it's $3.99 regular price on Steam. If you're not sure, wait for a sale.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction0:59 Steam details1:37 Settings and gameplay7:20 Final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: HoloCure ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-16 | Welcome to "Deck food", a video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally, the Z2A Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With device prices only going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. And that's still true despite Borderlands 4 being "verified" now! Games like today's feature - HoloCure - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. Tweaking settings really isn't necessary for this title - it runs well right from the download.The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video. But for this game in particular, it's probably not going to make much difference.If you're interested in the game, it's free on Steam. That's it ... free.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction0:31 Steam details2:45 Gameplay6:10 Insane gameplay7:26 Boss battle9:00 Minigames10:09 Final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Planet of Lana ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-06 | Welcome to "Deck food", a video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally, the Z2A Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With device prices only going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. And that's still true despite Borderlands 4 being "verified" now! Games like today's feature - Planet of Lana - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. Tweaking settings really isn't necessary for this title - it runs well right from the download.The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video.If you're interested in the game, it's $1.99 on Steam up through March 17th.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction0:17 Steam details3:20 Gameplay15:16 Final thoughts
Anbernic RG 557: Planet of Lana (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (D8300) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-06 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Planet of Lana (for PC) running on the Anbernic RG 557, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 8300 SOC. The RG 557 has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest preview version of GameNative (0.8.0) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, settings for GameNative, and in-game settings for Planet of Lana.The RG 557 released in 2025, but there are several other Anbernic handhelds that use this SOC - basically any of their devices whose model number ends in "7". You can also find this SOC in phones and tablets. In general, Mediatek SOCs are worse that Qualcomm SOCs for emulation, and the D8300 is no exception to this rule. I've gotten far more games to run on my Odin 2 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) than on the RG 557.For this game, the default configuration had massive graphics problems. I got rid of some of the graphics problems, but if I don't have the graphics set in-game to "potato" or "low", the game crashes immediately after loading a save. You might also notice that the game crashed right after getting through the prologue. I was able to (not shown) load the saved game that got generated and continue after the prologue, but I don't expect this game to be terribly stable on this chip at the moment.Oh, and if this looks good to you because you're wanting to play something like Another World, it's (as of this upload) $1.99 on Steam through March 17th. Definitely a recommend if you're primarily playing this on a different device.0:00 Planet of Lana gameplay11:59 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Planet of Lana (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-05 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Planet of Lana (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest preview version of GameNative (0.8.0-prerelease) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, settings for GameNative, and in-game settings for Planet of Lana.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, and Retroid Pocket 6 ...and others.This game does illustrate why just because a game is an "indie", it won't necessarily run better on GameNative than a bigger game will. I've put a runthrough of the prologue in this video (mainly to avoid spoiling the puzzles), but you can definitely see that there's significant slowdown in parts of this game when playing it through GameNative.Oh, and if this game looks good to you because you're wanting to play something like Another World, it's (as of this upload) $1.99 on Steam through March 17th.0:00 Planet of Lana gameplay12:09 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Borderlands GOTY Enhanced - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8G2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-02 | This is a test of Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest version of GameNative (0.7.2) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, settings for GameNative, and in-game settings for Borderlands GOTY Enhanced.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. They include the Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, and Retroid Pocket 6 ...and others.0:00 Borderlands GOTY Enhanced gameplay9:55 GameNative and in-game settings
Razer Edge: Borderlands 2 (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon G3X Gen 1) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-02 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Borderlands 2 (for PC) running on the Razer Edge 5G, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon G3X Gen 1, which is roughly equivalent to a Snapdragon 888+. The controller I've got attached isn't the default Kishi v2 - this is a Kishi v3 with full-sized TMR sticks. The 5G model of the Razer Edge is equipped with 8 GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. I'm using the latest version of GameNative (0.7.2) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, settings for GameNative, and in-game settings for Borderlands 2.My Razer Edge has been in quite a few videos on this channel, and I still use it daily. I'm glad that this device is capable of running the full PC version of Borderlands 2 with all the DLC, instead of just the Vita version which misses a lot of it. The Vita version performs better as far as framerate goes, but the PC version has better graphics and more enemies (they had to cut back for the Vita version).0:00 Borderlands 2 gameplay10:29 GameNative and in-game settings
Odin 2 Pro: Borderlands 2 (PC) - GameNative Gameplay Test (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) - No commentary ChemicalBurrito 2026-03-01 | GameNative allows you to run games from your Steam library on Android devices.This is a test of Borderlands 2 (for PC) running on the Odin 2 Pro, an Android handheld gaming system powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC. The Odin 2 Pro has 12 GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. I'm using the latest version of GameNative (0.7.2) as of recording this video. There's no commentary on this video - it's just pure gameplay, settings for GameNative, and in-game settings for Borderlands 2.The Odin 2 Pro has been out for a few years now, but there are quite a few gaming handhelds (and phones) that use the same SOC and should give similar performance as you see in this video. Here are a couple of them - Ayn Odin 2 Mini, Ayn Odin 2 Portal, Ayn Thor, Retroid Pocket 6.0:00 Borderlands 2 gameplay13:20 GameNative and in-game settings
Anbernic RG557: GameNative - Four PC games tested! ChemicalBurrito 2026-02-26 | If you've watched this channel for a bit, you've probably noticed that I like playing PC games ... on handhelds. Most of the time, that means PC handhelds like the Steam Deck and Xbox Ally X. But there are now several options out there for playing your PC games from Steam on either Android handhelds or Android phones. One of those options is an open source app called GameNative. We're going to test out GameNative on Anbernic's most powerful Android handheld - the RG557 - and see how well it works. The Anbernic RG557 comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 8300,12 GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage. And if you're going to be playing PC games, you're going to want as much internal storage as you can get!The Dimensity 8300 is not the IDEAL SOC for emulation, as the Mediatec SOCs are typically lacking driver support for emulation. But we're going to try it anyway. I've included four game tests here in this video. Feel free to use the timestamps to skip to what you want to see.There is some commentary in the gameplay footage, but most of the commentary is in the Introduction and Final thoughts. Enjoy my first venture into GameNative.0:00 Introduction5:02 Doom (2016)7:18 Backrooms - Escape Together13:26 Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance19:12 Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance II23:04 Ball x Pit29:17 Final thoughts
WTF? Borderlands 4 is DECK VERIFIED? ChemicalBurrito 2026-02-17 | I've been using Borderlands 4 as an example of a poorly optimized game that doesn't run well on handheld devices, and now Gearbox has gone and somehow gotten the game DECK VERIFIED as a supposedly excellent experience on Steam Deck? We have GOT to check this out. Let's see if the game's performance has improved enough for verification, or is this another title where Valve's basically dropped the ball and let something that runs like crap be promoted as good on the Steam Deck.This video features an OLED Deck. In my testing, Borderlands 4 performs a little better on the OLED Deck than the LCD Deck.Timestamps below!0:00 Deck verified? Really?2:52 Settings3:25 Gameplay9:31 Aftermath: Should this be verified?
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Trials of Mana ChemicalBurrito 2026-02-06 | Welcome to "Deck food", a video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally, the Z2A Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With device prices only going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. And that's still true despite Borderlands 4 being "verified" now. (More on that in a different video!) Games like today's feature - Trials of Mana - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. This video highlights the game and shows game settings to get good performance on the Deck (and would be a good starting point for the other handhelds I mentioned above). Just a note - tweaking settings really isn't necessary for this title - it runs well right from the download.The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video. For this particular game, I initially had it on the microSD card for my first few hours of gameplay and didn't have any problems, so I'd say it's pretty safe to put this one on your microSD if you're running short on internal storage.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Introduction0:43 Steam details2:14 Settings and gameplay9:46 Final thoughts
Myrtle Beach Snowstorm Part 2! (January 31, 2026) - 11PM Walking tour on Ocean Boulevard (4K60) ChemicalBurrito 2026-02-01 | This is another non-gaming video due to the snowstorm. More gaming content is coming when this stuff melts a bit!This is more raw footage of the January 31, 2026 snowstorm. It's between 10:30 PM and 11:00 PM now, and it's gotten a lot colder. The actual temperature was around 20F and the wind chill was around 4F or so according to the weather service. While that doesn't sound too cold to y'all up in the northern part of the USA (or Canada), 20 degrees was the record low for January 31st here in Myrtle Beach. (It dipped down to 19F either as I was finishing this walk or just after I got back home ... which set a new record low temperature.)This video was recorded after it had been snowing for about four to four and a half hours, so there's a good bit more snow around than there was in my earlier video.
Myrtle Beach Snowstorm (January 31, 2026) - 7PM Walking tour on Ocean Boulevard (4K60) ChemicalBurrito 2026-02-01 | First off, this video doesn't contain any handheld gaming systems! Let's spend a half hour taking an unedited walk in the snowstorm at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This was recorded on January 31, 2026 at around 7PM or so. This is the beginning of the snowstorm here in Myrtle Beach. We'll stroll down Ocean Blvd and out to the ocean.And yes, it's quite cold for here!
ROG Xbox Ally X - Initial Impressions and Testing ChemicalBurrito 2026-01-27 | In a previous video, we looked at the Xbox Ally, which is Asus and Microsoft's "budget" PC handheld device. In this video, we'll look at the "permium" offering- the Xbox Ally X - which features a bigger battery, a beefier processor, more RAM, and a few other things.We'll look at the hardware, talk about the Windows Full Screen Experience, and play some games. As this is a long video, feel free to take advantage of the timestamps below.The gameplay featured here hasn't been heavily optimized - it should give you an idea of what the performance of the device is pretty close to "out of the box". That said, all the latest updates/drivers as of the recording of this video have been applied, and the amount of RAM dedicated to the GPU was increased over the default (this can be done within Armory Crate and does not require tinkering in the BIOS). The Cyberpunk benchmark uses the Steam Deck preset for ease of comparison with other handhelds.0:00 Introduction0:38 Xbox Ally X specs4:43 Device tour8:38 Size comparisons15:05 Full screen experience24:23 Gameplay - Star Ocean 3 (PS2 PCSX2/3x upscale)29:10 Gameplay - Halo 3 (Halo MCC)33:20 Gameplay - Borderlands 437:26 Gameplay - Final Fantasy XVI42:21 Gameplay - Borderlands 346:29 Gameplay - Borderlands 251:21 Gameplay - Persona 3 Reload58:19 Cyberpunk benchmark (SD Preset)59:36 Xbox Ally X pros and cons1:07:33 Xbox Ally X - verdict and final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Star Ocean - The Last Hope 4K & Full HD Remaster ChemicalBurrito 2026-01-20 | Welcome to "Deck food", a video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally, the Z2A Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With device prices only going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. Games like today's feature - Star Ocean The Last Hope - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. This video highlights the game and shows game settings to get good performance on the Deck (and would be a good starting point for the other handhelds I mentioned above).Still working on making sure the gameplay footage looks better given the limitations of my (potato) PC. Probably also need to fiddle a bit more with camera positioning for the gameplay footage in the middle too, you can see some visual artifacts that are the fault of the camera and not the Deck itself.The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is installed on internal storage - if you play with the game on a micro SD card instead, you may get increased loading times from what you see in the video.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Deck Food Introduction0:29 Steam details2:27 Settings and gameplay8:44 Final thoughts
ROG Xbox Ally - Initial Impressions and Testing ChemicalBurrito 2026-01-15 | Valve recently announced that what was probably the best budget entry to get into handheld PC gaming - the LCD Steam Deck - is no longer being produced. So what replaces the Steam Deck if you are looking to get a new handheld PC without spending a whole lot of money? You could of course get a Steam Deck OLED. There's the Legion Go S (some configurations are budget friendly, some are absurdly expensive). And then there's ASUS and Microsoft with the handheld that's the subject of this video - the Xbox Ally.In this video, we'll take a good long (well, an hour - which is shorter than some of my initial impressions videos) look at the Xbox Ally. We'll look at the hardware, talk about the Windows Full Screen Experience, and play some games. As this is a long video, feel free to take advantage of the timestamps below.0:00 Introduction1:27 Xbox Ally specs6:58 Size comparisons10:38 Device tour13:37 Full screen experience19:34 Let's game!20:05 Gameplay - Star Ocean 3 (PS2 PCSX2/3x upscale)23:31 Gameplay - Star Ocean the Last Hope Remaster27:14 Gameplay - Warhammer 40K Space Marine Anniv.31:07 Gameplay - Borderlands 335:24 Gameplay - Borderlands 239:08 Gameplay - Borderlands 441:23 Gameplay - Persona 3 Reload45:41 Cyberpunk benchmark47:01 Xbox Ally pros and cons54:48 Xbox Ally - the verdict and final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Warhammer 40,000 - Space Marine ChemicalBurrito 2026-01-06 | Welcome to "Deck food", a video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally and the Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With PC prices only ever going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. Games like today's feature - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. This video highlights the game and shows game settings to get good performance on the Deck (and would be a good starting point for the other handhelds I mentioned above).Still working on making sure the gameplay footage looks better given the limitations of my (potato) PC. Maybe I should start recording stuff with a Steam Deck!The Deck featured in today's video is an LCD Steam Deck with 256GB internal storage. The game is actually being played from a microSD - if you play with the game on internal storage, you'll get reduced loading times from what you see in the video.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Deck Food Introduction0:30 Steam details2:08 Settings and gameplay8:12 Final thoughts
Deck food! Good stuff to play on your Steam Deck: Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced ChemicalBurrito 2026-01-05 | Welcome to "Deck food", a new video series where I take a look at games that are a good match for playing on the Steam Deck and other lower-powered PC handhelds like ROG's Z1 Ally and the Xbox Ally, the Legion Go S Z2 editions, and similar devices. With PC prices only ever going up and up, it's good to know what kind of options you have for games that are a good gameplay experience on the more affordable PC devices.Games like Borderlands 4 are not going to qualify as good "Deck food", since while you can technically play Borderlands 4 on a Deck, it looks horrific and runs poorly. Games like today's feature - Borderlands GOTY Enhanced - are actually enjoyable on the Deck. This video highlights the game and shows game settings to get good performance on the Deck (and would be a good starting point for the other handhelds I mentioned above).I have tried to get the gameplay footage quality up on this video compared to the other PC handheld videos - let's see how well I did! My main PC is a bit of a potato, so it craps out if my video settings are too high while recording so I've been tweaking things behind the scenes to hopefully get less compression artifacts in the 60FPS video.Even though this is a short video (no, really! This series will actually be short videos!), timestamps are provided below.0:00 Deck Food Introduction0:30 Steam details2:15 Settings and gameplay8:09 Final thoughts
Borderlands 4 - December update tested on ROG Ally Z1 Extreme ChemicalBurrito 2025-12-29 | In the comments on my last video showing the Borderlands 4 December update on the Steam Deck, someone was wondering how this new Borderlands 4 update might work on the original ROG Ally. This "quick and dirty" video aims to test that out. The original ROG Ally packs a Z1 Extreme processor, but is limited by having only 16GB of shared RAM. In this video, 6GB of RAM is set aside as video RAM, leaving 10GB for the system.The gameplay footage itself doesn't have any commentary - I've put the commentary before and after the gameplay segments. As usual, time stamps are provided below.(If there is some audio desync in the gameplay footage, blame the fact that my capture card died and my old/backup one can be a little laggy.)0:00 Introduction0:53 Gameplay/Settings (15W, 30FPS)5:58 Comments6:24 Gameplay/Settings (15W, Uncapped)11:41 More comments12:17 Gameplay/Settings (15W, Uncapped)17:21 Final thoughts
