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Geeky Gadgets
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geeky Gadgets
This App Turns Your Apple Watch Into a Game Boy
Imagine the thrill of playing classic Game Boy games directly on your wrist. Thanks to a new app, your Apple Watch can now function as a fully operational Game Boy emulator. This innovation bridges the nostalgia of retro gaming with the practicality of modern wearable technology, offering a unique way to relive timeless classics. By using the Apple Watch's hardware and touchscreen, the app redefines how you interact with both retro games and wearable devices, creating a seamless blend of past and present. The video below from 9to5Mac shows us how this can be done on your Apple Watch. Watch this video on YouTube. Game Emulation Meets Wearable Technology Game emulation has long been a popular method for revisiting iconic titles on modern devices. This app takes that concept further by adapting emulation technology specifically for the Apple Watch, a device traditionally associated with fitness tracking, notifications, and productivity. By replicating the Game Boy's hardware and software, the app ensures compatibility with a wide array of beloved titles, including classics like 'Tetris' and 'Pokémon.' The result is a smooth and immersive gaming experience that combines the charm of retro gaming with the advanced capabilities of wearable tech. The app's development required overcoming significant technical challenges. The Apple Watch, designed primarily for utility and health monitoring, had to be reimagined as a gaming platform. Developers successfully optimized the watch's processing power and display to emulate the Game Boy's original functionality, making sure that the games run efficiently without compromising their authenticity. Classic Game Boy Titles on Your Wrist The app's standout feature is its ability to run authentic Game Boy games directly on the Apple Watch. Originally designed for a handheld console with physical buttons, these games have been carefully adapted for the watch's compact touchscreen interface. This required innovative solutions to translate traditional button-based controls into a format suitable for the smaller, touch-sensitive display. Despite the challenges posed by the watch's size, the app delivers an intuitive and enjoyable gaming experience. The compact design of the Apple Watch adds a new layer of portability, allowing you to carry and play your favorite retro games wherever you go. Whether you're revisiting the puzzles of 'Tetris' or embarking on an adventure in 'Pokémon Red and Blue,' the app ensures that these classics remain accessible and engaging. Touchscreen Controls: A New Approach to Retro Gaming One of the app's most remarkable features is its innovative use of the Apple Watch's touchscreen for gaming controls. The app replicates the Game Boy's directional pad and buttons directly on the watch's display, allowing you to interact with games through taps, swipes, and gestures. While the small screen size presents some limitations, the developers have optimized the interface to ensure responsive and accurate gameplay. This adaptation highlights the potential of wearable devices as gaming platforms. By reimagining controls for a touchscreen, the app demonstrates how classic games can be made compatible with modern technology without losing their original charm. The responsive controls provide a smooth gaming experience, proving that even devices as compact as smartwatches can deliver engaging gameplay. Redefining Retro Gaming for Modern Audiences The adaptation of retro games for wearable technology represents a significant step forward in the evolution of gaming. By bringing Game Boy emulation to the Apple Watch, this app showcases how classic games can be reimagined for today's tech-savvy audiences. This trend reflects a broader movement within the gaming industry, where nostalgia is paired with innovation to create unique and memorable experiences. For users, this means easier access to cherished games and a fresh perspective on how they can be enjoyed. The app not only revives beloved titles but also introduces them to a new generation of players who may be discovering these classics for the first time. This fusion of old and new underscores the enduring appeal of retro games and their ability to adapt to modern platforms. Unlocking the Gaming Potential of the Apple Watch Beyond its role as a Game Boy emulator, this app highlights the untapped potential of the Apple Watch as a gaming device. Traditionally associated with fitness and productivity, the watch's portability, advanced hardware, and intuitive interface make it an intriguing platform for casual gaming. The success of this app could inspire further exploration into wearable gaming, encouraging developers to create new experiences that use the unique capabilities of smartwatches. The Apple Watch's compact design and accessibility make it an ideal platform for short, engaging gaming sessions. As developers continue to experiment with wearable technology, the possibilities for gaming on smartwatches are likely to expand, paving the way for new and innovative applications. A New Era for Retro Gaming and Wearable Tech This app's ability to transform your Apple Watch into a Game Boy emulator is a testament to the exciting possibilities of combining retro gaming with modern technology. By allowing you to play classic Game Boy games on your wrist, it not only revives cherished memories but also pushes the boundaries of what wearable devices can achieve. As gaming continues to evolve, innovations like this highlight the enduring appeal of retro games and the untapped potential of wearable technology in shaping the future of entertainment. Dive deeper into Apple Watch Game Boy emulator with other articles and guides we have written below. Source & Image Credit: 9to5Mac Filed Under: Apple, Gadgets News, Gaming News, Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Gizmodo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Govee Gaming Pixel Light Review: These Lights Make My Dumb Gamer Brain a Little Too Happy
The bare walls of my bedroom—bedecked as they are with sporadic small prints but devoid of lights—demand I add some flair to my usually nerdy living space. The Govee Gaming Pixel Light seemed to fit the bill a little too well when I saw it back at CES 2025. The specialized display doesn't support enough colors to show all my favorite 8- or 16-bit artwork at their best quality, and it won't produce strong enough audio for anything more complicated than classic chiptunes. If the digital art and speaker for my desk didn't sport cringey decals and a frame that would make visitors assume I chugged Mountain Dew Game Fuel for breakfast, it would be the perfect antidote to my dull apartment. Govee sent me a pair of pre-release Gaming Pixel Lights long before the company finally made them available on May 19. It sat on my desk for ages, showing me a 32-pixel version of Samus from Super Metroid. Her staunch, visored visage helped me get through the hectic days. Both the $120 32×32 and $140 52×32 pixel frames don't take much effort to set up, though the digital wall or desk art lacks a battery and needs to be plugged into an outlet. Once it's connected through the Govee Home app, you'll have a wide variety of default and user-made effects to add to the screen. Yes, you can stick a static image on the screen, but the real fun comes from displaying GIFs of scenes from your favorite 8-, 16-, or perhaps a few 32-bit retro games. Govee Gaming Pixel Light It does what it needs to do, but limited colors limits what it can show. Pros Bright enough to work in most environments Bright enough to work in most environments Wide variety of art in the app Wide variety of art in the app 30 fps on GIFs offers speedy 8-bit images Cons Gamer aesthetic isn't for everyone Gamer aesthetic isn't for everyone Low-fidelity speaker Low-fidelity speaker Limited color range for pixel art Depending on how complicated your image is, the pixel light may have a harder time displaying every pixel with perfect color accuracy. The smaller device contains 1,024 lights, while the 52×32 version sports 1,664. The $155 Divoom Pixoo-64—a competing pixel light with a 64×64 pixel field—supports 4,096. Considering the limited lights, a 32×32 pixel image of ET might look great on the smaller Pixel Light, but a fan-made 8-bit portrait of Arielle from The Little Mermaid that appears fine on my phone lacked the color definition necessary to show fine features on her nose or hair. The more stark the colors, the better each image or GIF will appear. The screen is bright enough on its highest settings, but you can set it to dim or turn off on a timer if you want to sleep without a rainbow of pixelated light shining at you. Images look marginally better on the larger display thanks to its wider range of colors, but you'll still need to try out various images until you find one that fits your style. You can also upload your own artwork to the Govee app, though any of your photos you take from your phone will turn out splotchy and incoherent on the Pixel Light. You may find that uploading your own pixel art could produce mixed results. I had to try several different versions of Samus before I found a Metroid image that didn't look half bad. The GIFs play at 30 fps, which made a GIF of Sonic's classic spinning leg running animation look extra smooth. Divoom's similar offering runs at 24 fps. The device includes a rear 3W DSP speaker made for pairing your favorite chiptunes with this artwork. The built-in speakers aren't enough to fill a room with sound, but even without much bass, it's just enough to offer a retro feel, as if I was listening to a game on the age-old mono Game Boy speaker. The device itself has a single button for controlling volume and no physical mute button, which means you're forced to load into the app just to adjust your sound. All this meant I was more likely to eschew music entirely. After all, if you're planning to use your Govee Pixel Light to spruce up your gaming room, you'll end up listening to the game you're playing anyway. If you're the type to pick up a brush, you could create your own art and animated GIFs with the sketch mode. It's certainly easier to use with a stylus, but I don't have the time, patience, or ability to sketch something that will look any nicer than the artists who do pixel art for a living. The device has almost too many modes, from a clock feature to a stock ticker. There's even a counter to tell you the current price of bitcoin, as if you really need to pay attention to crypto prices on your fun, cute pixel monitor. The Pixel Light seems to think gamers want a very specific aesthetic, one full of cyberpunk-esque hard-edged contours with decals reading 'loading' and 'game.' A black frame is all I really need. The art is the reason you buy Govee's first real gamer product. But damn me if I enjoy it blaring the Magmar Caverns theme from my desktop, as if my bedroom had any more need for even more Metroid artwork.
Android Authority
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
This retro gaming handheld can now livestream directly to Discord
ModRetro TL;DR The ModRetro Chromatic can now stream directly to Discord with a simple USB-C cable. A firmware update with the new feature is rolling out today. It's part of ModRetro's broader push to make retro gaming more social and accessible. When it comes to FPGA handhelds, the ModRetro Chromatic is by far one of the most popular. The colorful handheld can play Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges on a much brighter, backlit IPS screen, and now you can also share your live gameplay with your friends without any extra adapters or software. The new feature comes from a firmware update being pushed out today. Once updated, Chromatic handhelds will have native plug-and-play compatibility with Discord. Just plug the device into your computer via the USB-C port at the bottom, and it will appear in the app's Devices list to share. Stream original Game Boy cartridges with a single device on Discord. This makes connecting with your friends for co-op sessions or casual hangouts easier than ever. This is the first retro gaming handheld with native streaming support on Discord, and it's part of ModRetro's wider efforts to make retro gaming more social and accessible. Currently, the device can connect to a PC to record or stream gameplay via OBS, with Windows machines registering it as a webcam. Linux and macOS support is still in the works, although the new native Discord streaming will work on all platforms. The ModRetro Chromatic ($199.99 at Manufacturer site) was first released in December 2024, but its immense popularity has made the retro gaming handheld difficult to find. All colorways are currently sold out on the ModRetro website, although GameStop still has a few of its exclusive gray units available. The company also publishes new retro-style games, complete with a colorful cartridge and box. Currently, ten titles are available, including brand-new games and re-released classics like Toki Tori. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
I can't believe how good the Retroid Pocket Classic is at this price
Retroid Pocket Classic The Retroid Pocket Classic features a new chipset with exceptional retro gaming performance for the price. Combined with the best screen in the biz, this is the new vertical handheld to beat. The Retroid Pocket Classic feels like it took second string to the Pocket Flip 2 when they were both announced earlier this year. The Game Boy-esque handheld was tucked away in the back of the promotion image, and details didn't emerge until weeks later. Sure, some of that was due to the new chipset, which was still unannounced at the time. However, the Pocket Flip 2 felt like it was getting the lion's share of attention, with the Classic being a kind of experimental device for the company. After all, it's the company's first vertical handheld since its first device in 2020. After testing both devices, the Classic is easily my favorite. I cannot believe how good this DMG-style handheld is, and it's made me incredibly excited about the future of Android gaming handhelds in a way I had not expected. A Game Boy for the modern (retro) gamer Nick Fernandez / Android Authority When I first opened the box, I was surprised by just how large the Retroid Pocket Classic is. It's significantly larger than my previous everyday carry vertical handheld, the TrimUI Brick, and roughly the same size as the Pocket Flip 2 when closed. It's also incredibly light. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like a Game Boy with the batteries removed. It's comfortable to hold, to be sure, but it has a strangely hollow feeling, especially toward the bottom. At this point, it's worth pointing out that there are several design options. Most have a standard Game Boy-like layout, with a D-pad and four face buttons. However, the Classic 6 variant features six buttons, taking inspiration from Sega consoles. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority That's the variant that I grabbed for this review, despite falling on the Nintendo side of the aisle when I was younger. I was a late convert to Sega consoles, but I figured the extra buttons would always come in handy as hotkeys when playing consoles with standard layouts. They can also serve as the C buttons for N64, although emulating that console on the Pocket Classic isn't ideal without a stick. There are four- and six-button variants of the Pocket Classic. The Classic 6's buttons are also different in design, with three concave A B C buttons and three smaller X Y Z buttons. These buttons were my least favorite part of the device. They have very little resistance and a loud clacky sound when pressed. I would feel very self-conscious playing this in a quiet place in public, let alone in bed next to my spouse while she's trying to sleep. They're also fairly small. As mentioned above, the Pocket Classic is fairly large, so there's plenty of real estate for larger buttons. The volume and power buttons on the side, while not overly important, also feel downright cheap compared to the rest of the device. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The triggers and D-pad, on the other hand, are great. I almost wish Retroid had gone with a shield design similar to those used by Sega in the 90s for the Classic 6 model, but I suspect it's hard to find a matching off-the-shelf component nowadays. In any case, it's great for everything from platformers to fighting games. The mono speaker is more than serviceable, and it gets nice and loud considering the size. There's a handy headphone jack on the top of the device for better sound, plus Bluetooth 5.1 support for wireless audio. But the real star of the show here is the massive 3.92-inch AMOLED screen. This is the same screen found on the premium AYANEO Pocket DMG, and it's by far the best screen available on any vertical handheld available today. The colors are incredible, the blacks are perfect, and the aspect ratio is great for most consoles you'd want to emulate on this thing. It's also very bright, and I had no problem playing in the bright Spanish sun while my son was napping in his stroller. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority Granted, 16:9 systems like the PSP have large black bars. The bars on 3:2 GBA games (seen above) are still manageable, but I wouldn't buy this device for PSP games. The bezels also play a role here. The Classic 6 model I tested and the Retro colorway have light gray bezels, while the other models have darker bezels. I suspect the darker bezels help blend the screen into the body of the device, so you might want to pick one of those colorways if you plan on playing GBA or PSP games. The chipset of the future Nick Fernandez / Android Authority I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of performance, since this is the first device shipping with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 processor. The Pocket Classic was actually announced a few weeks before the processor itself, leading to some cageyness from Retroid in marketing materials. I ran the device through our standard suite of benchmarks (except for anything related to ray tracing, which this chipset does not support), and the results aren't too surprising. On paper, it's similar to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, a mid-range processor from 2023 that uses the same 4nm process with two performance cores and six efficiency cores. However, the G1 Gen 2 is designed from the ground up for gaming handhelds, and it shows. It's not made for high benchmarks but for solid performance on a tight budget, with great heat management. Temperatures never climbed beyond 30 degrees Celsius in my testing, although the fan on the back of the Retroid Pocket Classic does have a slight coil whine when placed in Sport mode. As seen in the Wild Life Stress Test, the GPU is wildly underpowered, but emulation relies almost entirely on the CPU. The new chipset has a few other benefits not found in cheaper retro gaming handhelds, including fast charging. In my testing, the massive 5,000mAh battery charged from 10% to 90% in just 45 minutes. Once charged, the device sipped power, lasting well over 12 hours for older systems like SNES and Game Boy Color, and roughly five or six hours on more demanding consoles. I'd love to see capacity-limiting battery health features from Android 15 added to this device, but until then, you'll want to be careful not to overcharge the device. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority Results on paper are one thing, but after testing emulation performance, I have to say this chipset blew me away. As expected, I got great results when emulating everything up to Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, as well as handhelds like the PSP and Nintendo DS. However, I was surprised that it could easily handle many PS2 and GameCube games. Demanding games will run slow, but the JRPGs and strategy games that I enjoy run at a consistent 60fps. I'm really looking forward to replaying Wild Arms 3 on this device. Emulation performance is way better than I expected at this price. In fact, performance was only slightly worse than the Snapdragon 865 found in the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 for relevant games at this aspect ratio. That's impressive considering the Classic is just over half the price of the Flip 2. Benchmark comparisons are heavily skewed toward the Flip 2, but the most significant difference in practice is that it can't handle demanding shaders due to the weak GPU. Lightweight shaders work fine, but you might have to do some experimenting to get the best mix of aesthetics and performance. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The other asterisk here is Sega Saturn emulation, but that's not necessarily the fault of the chipset itself. Games like Batsugun and Sakura Wars loaded and ran ok, but there were graphical glitches and occasional crashes. I'm sure there are ways to make it work, but despite the Classic 6's design, I wouldn't position this as the ideal device for Sega Saturn emulation. There are issues with a few other consoles as well, but they mostly come down to the lack of sticks. For me, this isn't really a bug, but rather a feature. Sticks would make this device far less pocketable and detract from the Game Boy-like design. The small sticks found on these kinds of devices are also generally uncomfortable to use. You can make it work by swapping the D-pad for the left stick and adding an overlay on the screen for the other stick, but that's not a great experience, either. Just stick to D-Pad-focused games. The lack of sticks is a feature, not a bug. Interestingly, while the chipset nailed emulation performance, it suffered from occasional stutters when navigating menus in Android 14. It also lacks compatibility for some Play Store games and apps, both in terms of software and controls. Some apps turned the screen on its side, with no option to rotate it back to its proper position. I suspect many of these quirks will be fixed over time, but one thing that can't be fixed is the lack of video out support. I confirmed with Qualcomm that the chipset simply doesn't support it, so you'll have to look elsewhere to play on a big screen. Regardless, it's extremely impressive how well this chipset performs, and it's made me very excited to see the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, which is confirmed for the next flagship Retroid Pocket handheld. Retroid Pocket Classic review verdict: The best value in Android gaming handhelds Nick Fernandez / Android Authority With all that said, the most surprising thing about this handheld is the price: it starts at just $119 for the 4+64GB version. I'd recommend bumping that up to the 6+128GB for $10 more, but that's an incredible value for what you're getting here. Sure, you can spend half that on something like the TrimUI Brick ($84.99 at Amazon) seen above, but the Linux-based handheld is smaller, far less powerful, and you lose compatibility with Android games. For more power, you'll have to pay hundreds more for the AYANEO Pocket DMG ($419 at Manufacturer site), which is frankly overkill for a device like this unless you really want a luxury Game Boy clone. The Retroid Pocket Classic is unbeatable in its price bracket. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Retroid Pocket Classic, and I suspect it will replace every other vertical handheld in my collection. You'll still have to jump through some hoops to install emulators and a decent front-end like ES DE, but for $120-130, it's worth the trouble. Just think about whether or not you really need those two extra buttons from the Classic 6 edition. This is an incredible first showing for Qualcomm's cheapest gaming-focused chipset and an absolute home run for Retroid. I love this device, and I can't wait to see more handhelds utilize these chips. Retroid Pocket Classic Bright AMOLED display • Exceptional performance • Incredible value MSRP: $119.99 A Game Boy for the modern (retro) gamer The Retroid Pocket Classic offers exceptional retro gaming performance for the price, with a screen that can't be beat. See price at Manufacturer site Positives Bright AMOLED display Bright AMOLED display Exceptional performance Exceptional performance Six-button option Six-button option Great battery life Great battery life Incredible value Cons No video out No video out Middling buttons Middling buttons Some compatibility issues
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The New VMUPro Aims To Be The Ultimate Sega Dreamcast Accessory
Two VMUPro color options This week, 8BitMods opened up pre-orders for their brand-new take on the iconic Sega Dreamcast Virtual Memory Unit (VMU) memory card dubbed the VMUPro. This new device packs a ton of features into a small form factor to go far above and beyond what a typical VMU is capable of doing. This includes built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, up to 2TB of storage via microSD card, USB-C charging, extremely long battery life, an all-new color IPS screen, automatic cloud storage backups for save files, and even the ability to emulate 8-bit consoles like the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, and NES, Sega Master System. While innovative at the time, the original VMU from Sega had a lot of shortcomings in terms of actual storage size, battery life, and screen quality, but it served its purpose of feeling like something new and revolutionary when it released. By all accounts, it sounds like the VMUPro really could be the last VMU anyone would ever need to buy just as they claim. Personally, I have a large Sega Dreamcast collection of several VMU color variations, multiple controllers, wheel peripherals, flight sticks, and dozens of games. It's one of my all-time favorite game consoles so I immediately pre-ordered one of these as soon as they became available. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder The most enticing part to me is the essentially endless amounts of storage, cloud backups, and excellent battery life on the VMUPro itself. According to the listing page, a single GB on a microSD card is equal to over 8,000 original memory cards. Isn't that insane to put into perspective? You'll even be able to manage your save data directly on the VMUPro as well without even needing to turn on the Dreamcast. There are lots of little mini games you could play and functionality you'd get from Dreamcast games for this device that made it really unique and special. This will not be the ultimate way of super-charging your Sega Dreamcast and I'm extremely excited. The VMUPro The VMUPro is available for pre-order directly from 8BitMods in a variety of colors including classic white to match the standard Dreamcast colors.
