Next phone - emulators? - General Questions and Answers

Well its time to renew my contract again, My Touch HD has served me well, I would quite like to get the HD2. The only thing holding me back is performance with emulators, it seems most of the games i play on my phone as emulators. While the performance on the touch HD was OK, the touch screen wasnt ideal for game pads (lack of multi touch)
So my 2 questions are
1: can anyone comment on the HD2 for playing emulators - performance wise with sound on, and the funtionality of the multi touch for controlling it
2: If I opt for a different phone, probably one with a physical keypad to make the games easier to play, and enough power to run the emulators smoothly. What device could people reccomend, even if its not HTC (dare i say that?)
Anyway big thanks to anyone who does offer any useful advice here.

Related

Multiple button press pda phones (For gaming)/Best Gaming Phones?

Alright I'm now a noob after buying my Qtek S100 (Magician) a million years ago when it was not a huge brick at the time, I havn't really been in the loop since. I got burnt with it cuz I couldn't play emulators (Dpad can not do diagonals), other than that it has been a good phone that had a good run and I'm now looking to retire it.
I'm curious have the current gen phones solved this problem yet? (Dear god I hope so) I'm finding it hard to find info if certain phones can do this or not...
New phone choices...
1. HTC Kaiser
2. HTC Touch Pro
3. Sony Xperia X1
4. HTC Diamond 2
5. HTC Diamond
The Kaiser intregues me because it slides to the right side (The way it should be) therefore for dpad games (Nes, Snes) you could theoretically use the keyboard as buttons with the dpad naturally.
The touch pro I like because of its sleeker look, VGA screen and accelerometer functions, but slides to the left and has a poor gaming dpad from what I can tell, also the camera on the Kaiser is apparantly better.
The X1 and Diamond 2 appear to be double the price of the first two with similar features.
The Diamond 1 has no MicroSD which is a deal breaker, but is super slim which I like.
Heres my main criteria... Windows, TouchScreen, Gaming Dpad/buttons for emulators, Good Camera, MicroSD, Price, Clamshell (I wish...)
So any input would be helpful! tia.
you should probably go with the kaiser/ tilt what ever model you can get cheapest. you might have problems with the ones that have screens with higher resolutions than 320x240. i play a gameboy advance emulator on it quite often and it seems to do well.
josefcrist said:
you should probably go with the kaiser/ tilt what ever model you can get cheapest. you might have problems with the ones that have screens with higher resolutions than 320x240. i play a gameboy advance emulator on it quite often and it seems to do well.
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Click to collapse
Cool, but lets say I do want to surf the net (occasionally) 640x480 on the touch pro would be worth it right?
So can you play emulators with the dpad and slide-out keyboard fairly comfortably? or do the face buttons work fine?
Any other comments on the Kaiser vs Touch Pro?? Those are basically my main choices at this point.
i am on my tilt right now actually. the touch pro does have higher resolution but the same screen size so it does not matter in my opinion unless you hae really good eyes. also you play most games in portrait mode with the keyboard closed.

Kaiser stolen. Should I replace it with a Touch Pro

My trusty Kaiser was stolen by Bangkok motorbike bandits :-(
I have had a look at HTC's latest offerings & the build quality is a bit flimsy for my liking considering the price tag !
I like a keyboard so options become more limited.
I can get a Vodafone Touch Pro for sensible money, is it a worth while upgrade, worried about the graphics speed, key mapping issues plus the useless d-pad design.
Basically how much better is the touch pro to the kaiser.
Thanks,
Got the Touch Pro for Christmas and took a while to get used to it but now there is no going back
VGA is so much nicer than QVGA regards graphics text etc.
TF3D looks so lush compared to M2D.
The amount of on board storage is amazing no more having to install everything to SD.
CPU speed is a defo bonus have noticed with games i play etc.
HW Keyboard is so much better regards typing and the extra row for no's i never used to use the Kaiser keyboard now with TP always use.
I'll agree not great for key mapping but are solutions, the d-pad design takes some getting used to as smaller\flush.
All i can say is go for it you will like and to be honest for the money i think the only substantial update from Kaiser.
That's a bummer about the loss. But, get the Touch Pro which is a step up!
Thanks for the replies.
stylez said:
Got the Touch Pro for Christmas and took a while to get used to it but now there is no going back
VGA is so much nicer than QVGA regards graphics text etc.
TF3D looks so lush compared to M2D.
The amount of on board storage is amazing no more having to install everything to SD.
CPU speed is a defo bonus have noticed with games i play etc.
HW Keyboard is so much better regards typing and the extra row for no's i never used to use the Kaiser keyboard now with TP always use.
I'll agree not great for key mapping but are solutions, the d-pad design takes some getting used to as smaller\flush.
All i can say is go for it you will like and to be honest for the money i think the only substantial update from Kaiser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What games do you play & do you have any issues due to button mapping & d-pad design ?
I played duke nukem, micropool, asphalt 3d, block breaker & chess on kaiser
I assume the build quality is very good with the touch pro, what's your opinion.
I also used my kaiser as an mp3 player, I assume from reading threads that touch pro should be better in this area.
After looking at the current creaky flimsy htc models I just can not part with serious $ for them so it looks like I'm bound for a touch pro & yet more months of tweaking & mortscript writing
Thanks for the replies
The main game playing on TP is Need For Speed and the graphics are sweet, playing Tripplix & Bejeweled too.
Build quality is good have to say i'm handling with more care as the Kaiser was a brick and could withstand anything i wouldn't put as much faith in the TP.
Has been good as an .mp3 \ video player, regards video it's defo better than Kaiser and has Radio "have to use the wired head set for signal"
You have volume control straight there on side and i have pretty much everything needed in 2-3 taps, there is software to do it just so busy making the device mine in kitchen not got around to it.
I think the main thing i like about it is the TF3D interface everything has fluid motion & 100% working landscape with TF3D 2.1, the gyrator is amazing being able to shake the device to turn off alarm in morning "using g-alarm" and just tweaky programs that use it.
Not sure what else to say? Apart from "just do it"
As a mechanical engineer I loved the Kaisers solid build & movements.
Hopefully the Touch Pro will surpise me or at least meet my satisfaction.
I have one on its way, on your head be it "Stylez" if I don't like it
Thanks.... !
Have to chuckle
You will like
Have fun when comes it may take a while to fall in love as it did me since the Kaiser is so well built but you will grow to love and then never put her down
Mmm ! I'm getting the feeling I've been mugged twice !! lol
I assume the build qualiy is pretty solid on the TP ? above average ?
Most reviews give it high ratings.
Oh well, soon be able to rate it myself
lol no you miss reading me
The Kaiser was a brick built like a tank no more modern devices could take a round from an ak47, moving onto any device will be change and a big one i had was not having a ROM to my specification to which time in the kitchen has sorted as you will know a device is more loved when made pimped to how you want.
The device is awesome
I'll let you know my opinion once I've got my hands on it & spent a little time together.
Thanks for your opinions. Helped me make the decision to go for the TP & save a fair few £'s over a new HTC model.
I think it's worth paying a little more for a Touch Pro 2. It tilts like the Kaiser, has higher resolution, and is just a better phone in my opinion. But if price is your issue, TP is fine or even getting another Kaiser is not bad. Kaiser's are dirt cheap on eBay nowadays.
I would either go with a Kaiser or jump to a TP2. The TP has a few quirks that I don't like (gets hot after a few minutes of usage) among a few other things.
Got a Touch Pro
well I went for the Touch Pro due to the fact I like the size, design & the spec should meet my needs.
I could of gone for the Touch Pro 2 but after handling one I was not willing to pay the price tag for the cheap feel of the device plus it is quite big.
The Touch Pro is a very capable device & can be had for sensible money making it a great buy.
Currently have mine running TAEL WM6.5.5 standard ROM & hours of tweaking.
I am happy with the device, slider could of been a little better !
Likes:
Great sound quality for mp3 playback (using 3.5 adaptor & SE w880 headphones)
Nice Screen
Tactile keyboard
Plenty of apps & support to resolve most users issues
build quality is good
nice sized device, not too big not too small
good amount of memory and RAM
Dislikes:
D-Pad fiddly to use
battery could do with more Mah
Keyboard Slider is not the smoothest or strongest feeling
A couple more hardware buttons would of been useful
This device is simply a good buy & can be had new for around £150
Got mine from Vodafone & was supplied unlocked.
Thanks for helping me with my quandary :-D
Glad you like
Cost the same as i paid and @ that the device is a steal.
Good choice; Indeed the D-pad sucks, especially in games like Call of duty 2 (which can be hardware-accelerated on the raphael).
You can always buy a bigger battery, though your raphael will get thicker if you do that.

why are emulators on android still quite basic ?

hi all,
ive dabbled with quite a few emulators on the android platform, and most are a bit dissapointing, and the paid for ones are the worse of all, totally lacking in features and compatibility.
when i got my jxd s7300 i thought it would rekindle my interest in emulation, with its 7 inch screen and half decent d-pad, but ive now dug out my old psp cos the emulators on that are better than the very basic emulators on android.
whether its snes/amiga/psx/mame, the psp emulators are the complete package, but the android emulators pale in comparison.
for example, every single emulator on the psp has autofire/turbofire options in the input options, cos even back in the psp days emulator authors had the common sense to realise that the cheap tacky psp buttons were not designed to be repeatedly mashed playing some manic old school shootemup.
today, on touchscreen tablets and tablets and phones etc with very cheap and small weedy physical controls, the need to not constantly mash the buttons is even more important, and not to mention making the whole screen shake in ones hands as one stabs the buttons like a demented gibbon playing some old school manic shootemup, which were designed in the day for arcade quality joysticks and buttons which were much easier and more comfortable to repeatedly hammer.
on android, mame4droid reloaded, snes emus, final burn alpha, epsxe, and nearly all versions of various emulators for just about every old school system, AND NOT ONE OF EM has the common sense option of an autofire option in the input options, what the hell is going on ?, are todays emulator authors convinced that modern tablets and phones have arcade quality microswitched buttons on them ?
the only half decent emu with an autofire option is mame4droid, but thats old and runs only a few pre 80s stuff properly. mame4droid reloaded is much better, but the autofire option was removed !! (by mame devs i suppose), but what excuse has the author of final burn alpha, the authors of the various snes emus, amiga emus, psx emus, etc etc,
all pretty good emulators, but lacking in features and compatibility, and in the case of epsxe, not even able to sync the sound correctly.
all these emulators rendered virtually unplayable cos of lack of even the simplest autofire option, and believe you me, there are not many old school games that dont require constant stabbing of the fire buttons.
also, as an aside, ive posted for months on a few forums asking if anyone knew of an android app that could assign an autofire rate to a single button, to be effective whilst using various emulators, and to date, NOT A SINGLE REPLY to any of the posts, so it seems this avenue is not an option, so that makes it all the more important for emulator authors to implement this simple feature.
cheers
mattemat said:
hi all,
ive dabbled with quite a few emulators on the android platform, and most are a bit dissapointing, and the paid for ones are the worse of all, totally lacking in features and compatibility.
when i got my jxd s7300 i thought it would rekindle my interest in emulation, with its 7 inch screen and half decent d-pad, but ive now dug out my old psp cos the emulators on that are better than the very basic emulators on android.
whether its snes/amiga/psx/mame, the psp emulators are the complete package, but the android emulators pale in comparison.
for example, every single emulator on the psp has autofire/turbofire options in the input options, cos even back in the psp days emulator authors had the common sense to realise that the cheap tacky psp buttons were not designed to be repeatedly mashed playing some manic old school shootemup.
today, on touchscreen tablets and tablets and phones etc with very cheap and small weedy physical controls, the need to not constantly mash the buttons is even more important, and not to mention making the whole screen shake in ones hands as one stabs the buttons like a demented gibbon playing some old school manic shootemup, which were designed in the day for arcade quality joysticks and buttons which were much easier and more comfortable to repeatedly hammer.
on android, mame4droid reloaded, snes emus, final burn alpha, epsxe, and nearly all versions of various emulators for just about every old school system, AND NOT ONE OF EM has the common sense option of an autofire option in the input options, what the hell is going on ?, are todays emulator authors convinced that modern tablets and phones have arcade quality microswitched buttons on them ?
the only half decent emu with an autofire option is mame4droid, but thats old and runs only a few pre 80s stuff properly. mame4droid reloaded is much better, but the autofire option was removed !! (by mame devs i suppose), but what excuse has the author of final burn alpha, the authors of the various snes emus, amiga emus, psx emus, etc etc,
all pretty good emulators, but lacking in features and compatibility, and in the case of epsxe, not even able to sync the sound correctly.
all these emulators rendered virtually unplayable cos of lack of even the simplest autofire option, and believe you me, there are not many old school games that dont require constant stabbing of the fire buttons.
also, as an aside, ive posted for months on a few forums asking if anyone knew of an android app that could assign an autofire rate to a single button, to be effective whilst using various emulators, and to date, NOT A SINGLE REPLY to any of the posts, so it seems this avenue is not an option, so that makes it all the more important for emulator authors to implement this simple feature.
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bear in mind though that getting emulation to work- especially on Android, considering its mostly for phones- is a feat in itself. On many emulators, graphics rendering in itself is still a problem. Developers would rather make sure that a game can actually run decently rather than focus on things like autofire which (considering the beta stages of most emulators) would only slow progress down.
Android wan't designed to be a gaming system. The fact that we even have DS and PSP emulators- yes, barely capable, but still- is quite a big thing.
You seriously can't expect miracles when it comes to emulation. The developers work hard as is, trying to make things work. Autofire isn't a "common sense" feature, its an extra. "Common sense" features would include graphical rendering engines and other options such as frameskipping and display options that could help smoothen game performance. Whereas PSPs are meant to render games and the like properly even through emulation, Android wasn't. Again, bearing in mind that this is an OS that was meant to run on a phone or tablet.
End of the day though, entirely at the dev's discretion, but the dev would rather have a playable game than features which make it easier.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk HD
Soryuu said:
Bear in mind though that getting emulation to work- especially on Android, considering its mostly for phones- is a feat in itself. On many emulators, graphics rendering in itself is still a problem. Developers would rather make sure that a game can actually run decently rather than focus on things like autofire which (considering the beta stages of most emulators) would only slow progress down.
Android wan't designed to be a gaming system. The fact that we even have DS and PSP emulators- yes, barely capable, but still- is quite a big thing.
You seriously can't expect miracles when it comes to emulation. The developers work hard as is, trying to make things work. Autofire isn't a "common sense" feature, its an extra. "Common sense" features would include graphical rendering engines and other options such as frameskipping and display options that could help smoothen game performance. Whereas PSPs are meant to render games and the like properly even through emulation, Android wasn't. Again, bearing in mind that this is an OS that was meant to run on a phone or tablet.
End of the day though, entirely at the dev's discretion, but the dev would rather have a playable game than features which make it easier.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you make some valid points, and i understand android is not the ideal platform for emulation, BUT, the fact that android does have some pretty good emulators, afba (android final burn alpha), mame4droid reloaded, being two of the best, shows what can be achieved,
but its a crying shame that running some classic old school shooters in these emulators is such an awkward and uncomfortable experience due to stabbing away on the cheap and nasty controls of modern tablets and phones, and not to mention the damage visited upon on said controls after a lengthy session of frantic button mashing, thousands of presses on a single button just to maintain a steady rate of ingame weapons fire or whatever.
im not asking for the moon on a stick, just simple autofire options, and those that dont need such a thing can easily choose not to use the autofire option if they choose not to, although why anyone would rather bang away on their expensive phone/tablet buttons thousands of times in a session of flying shark on mame, or whatever, rather than simply toggle autofire on, is beyond my comprehension, yes, the original arcade game did not have autofire (some purists say), but the original arcade game had a fantastic quality joystick and big red buttons !, perfect for mashing away on.
todays phones/tablets have nothing like the dream controls of the original arcade machines, and even if they did, im sure if you were to hold an arcade cabinet in the palm of your hands you would not wish to be stabbing away on the fire button due to shaking the damn thing whilst you did so !
Developers have lives and bills to pay. Honestly alot of the emulators are made as a hobby because there isnt any real money for the amount of work that goes into an emulator. Making an emulator is one of the most difficult things to program on earth , seriously. If there was more incentive we would get better emulators. Also remember the device that the developer is using the emulator might run better than on your device.
hmmmmm
mattemat said:
you make some valid points, and i understand android is not the ideal platform for emulation, BUT, the fact that android does have some pretty good emulators, afba (android final burn alpha), mame4droid reloaded, being two of the best, shows what can be achieved,
but its a crying shame that running some classic old school shooters in these emulators is such an awkward and uncomfortable experience due to stabbing away on the cheap and nasty controls of modern tablets and phones, and not to mention the damage visited upon on said controls after a lengthy session of frantic button mashing, thousands of presses on a single button just to maintain a steady rate of ingame weapons fire or whatever.
im not asking for the moon on a stick, just simple autofire options, and those that dont need such a thing can easily choose not to use the autofire option if they choose not to, although why anyone would rather bang away on their expensive phone/tablet buttons thousands of times in a session of flying shark on mame, or whatever, rather than simply toggle autofire on, is beyond my comprehension, yes, the original arcade game did not have autofire (some purists say), but the original arcade game had a fantastic quality joystick and big red buttons !, perfect for mashing away on.
todays phones/tablets have nothing like the dream controls of the original arcade machines, and even if they did, im sure if you were to hold an arcade cabinet in the palm of your hands you would not wish to be stabbing away on the fire button due to shaking the damn thing whilst you did so !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be a little off here so bear with me.
Have you tried using an actual gamepad on the device? i'm sure you have seen gamepads with autofire buttons already on them.
I use Retroarch (in my opinion absolutely fantastic bit of software) and i know that a great many differing types of game pad can be used with it, the dev/s update them all the time. All you need is the app to connect the game pad and you are all good.
Take a look at the thread, i cant be sure but i think someone mentioned autofire in there somewhere:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2116468
It also gives a good guide to what you need to do to connect a gamepad.
Hope this helps,
Creamy
I find GBA.emu, MD.emu, Snes9x Ex+, N64oid/Mupen, nds4droid, FPSE and PPSSPP to be quite good actually
Granted I use a Sony Dual Shock 3 to control them
The object of emulation is to replicate the original experience
If the original hardware didn't have autofire why would an emulator have it
That wouldnt be true to the original game/hardware
i dont think connecting a pad of some sort to a 7 inch tablet is feasable ?, does such a thing even exist, and if it did i doubt a physical autofire switch would be on it.
ive never seen a decent clip on pad for 7 inch (or 10 inch tablets), i think one is maybe due on some kickstarter project, but thats pie in the sky right now.
also, could someone help me contact the author of afba (android final burn alpha), ive tried to pm him but my message will not go through.
afba is the best emu ive seen on android so far, but how i would love a simple autofire option in the input menu.
cheers
mattemat said:
i dont think connecting a pad of some sort to a 7 inch tablet is feasable ?, does such a thing even exist, and if it did i doubt a physical autofire switch would be on it.
ive never seen a decent clip on pad for 7 inch (or 10 inch tablets), i think one is maybe due on some kickstarter project, but thats pie in the sky right now.
also, could someone help me contact the author of afba (android final burn alpha), ive tried to pm him but my message will not go through.
afba is the best emu ive seen on android so far, but how i would love a simple autofire option in the input menu.
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course its feasable, i wouldnt have suggested it otherwise. At least try the suggestion and read the thread..........why so negative?
I run Retroarch (containing most of the popular emu's) on my Samsung galaxy Beam (the one with the 50" Projector onboard) and i use the six axis controller app to connect a ps3 pad to the phone. POW!! instant gaming on a huge screen.
Furthermore, I was in the local Tesco yesterday and saw a ps3 type wireless pad, it has autofire switches all over it and was little more than £15........Bargain.
So i think i have covered all of your needs there, you just have to see if it works for you.
As i mentioned before, you may get a little further if you read the thread i linked.
Best of luck,
Creamy
Yeah, full-featured emulator would be good (like SNES)
creamy said:
Of course its feasable, i wouldnt have suggested it otherwise. At least try the suggestion and read the thread..........why so negative?
I run Retroarch (containing most of the popular emu's) on my Samsung galaxy Beam (the one with the 50" Projector onboard) and i use the six axis controller app to connect a ps3 pad to the phone. POW!! instant gaming on a huge screen.
Furthermore, I was in the local Tesco yesterday and saw a ps3 type wireless pad, it has autofire switches all over it and was little more than £15........Bargain.
So i think i have covered all of your needs there, you just have to see if it works for you.
As i mentioned before, you may get a little further if you read the thread i linked.
Best of luck,
Creamy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive had a look at that thread, but what i would be after is a way to physically attach ps3 pad to the tablet.
ive had a look at the 'gameclip', but it only supports certain phones, and one of the few 7 inch tablets it supports is the nexus 7, but that device is getting slagged off big time in current reviews (hardware problems after a years use)
and anyway, for comfort a tablet needs dpad on left and face buttons on right (like the jxd gamepad), and sticking a ps3 pad under a tablet is not ergonomically comfortable for long periods (the tablet overhangs the pad and its weight is not evenly distributed for comfort in the hands)
anyway, i should not need hotch potch solutions like that, the jxd has decent controls built in, but i can not enjoy them cos every single amiga/arcade/psx/cps/neo geo emu on android insists on making the player furiously stab away like a loon cos of lack of auto/turbo fire options.
I just use my psp 1000 for emulators since I hate playing oldschool games with a touch screen it just takes the fun out of oldschool games but with the psp you have actual buttons which makes it more fun to play Sega Gen games like street fighter or Atari 2600 games but I know some people Actually like touch screen for emulators I was just pointing that out
Sent from my psp 1000 and kindle fire hd
mattemat said:
ive had a look at that thread, but what i would be after is a way to physically attach ps3 pad to the tablet.
ive had a look at the 'gameclip', but it only supports certain phones, and one of the few 7 inch tablets it supports is the nexus 7, but that device is getting slagged off big time in current reviews (hardware problems after a years use)
and anyway, for comfort a tablet needs dpad on left and face buttons on right (like the jxd gamepad), and sticking a ps3 pad under a tablet is not ergonomically comfortable for long periods (the tablet overhangs the pad and its weight is not evenly distributed for comfort in the hands)
anyway, i should not need hotch potch solutions like that, the jxd has decent controls built in, but i can not enjoy them cos every single amiga/arcade/psx/cps/neo geo emu on android insists on making the player furiously stab away like a loon cos of lack of auto/turbo fire options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you are at the mercy of the developers then pal, i doubt you are the only one who would like this feature so you could just ask the teams that make the Emu's.
I would reitterate however, as previously mentioned.....its is exactly that....a feature, and one that appears to hold low priority (otherwise it would already be there) It is also worth noting that autofire was always considered 'cheating' when these consoles were initially around, so this may be another reason that the feature isnt there.....i do however get your point about the devices getting bashed during emulation.
I also dont understand why you have to physically hold the tab instead of using it as a screen, but hey your preference is your own.
One final tip, your are coming across as frustrated and a touch miffed. I can understand that you are looking for help and that you have posted in a fair few places without response, however if someone who can help reads one of your posts (and it does read as if you consider them incompetent for not including this feature) They may be a little less willing to help you or funish you with the feature you require.
Again Best of Luck,
Creamy
creamy said:
Looks like you are at the mercy of the developers then pal, i doubt you are the only one who would like this feature so you could just ask the teams that make the Emu's.
I would reitterate however, as previously mentioned.....its is exactly that....a feature, and one that appears to hold low priority (otherwise it would already be there) It is also worth noting that autofire was always considered 'cheating' when these consoles were initially around, so this may be another reason that the feature isnt there.....i do however get your point about the devices getting bashed during emulation.
I also dont understand why you have to physically hold the tab instead of using it as a screen, but hey your preference is your own.
One final tip, your are coming across as frustrated and a touch miffed. I can understand that you are looking for help and that you have posted in a fair few places without response, however if someone who can help reads one of your posts (and it does read as if you consider them incompetent for not including this feature) They may be a little less willing to help you or funish you with the feature you require.
Again Best of Luck,
Creamy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
point taken !
but i really do not like stabbing away on the fire button on handheld devices, its noisy, bad for the hardware, uncomfortable, not ergonomic, and ultimately pointless, and the small screens shake whilst doing so.

[HOW To]TURN YOUR PHONE INTO A GAMING MACHINE

Your Android phone isn't just for widgets, talking, Google Now and photos. It can also be one of the world's best gaming platforms, if you're willing to spend a little time on it.
Once the domain of tinkerers and super-nerds, Android devices have exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, spurred on by the emergence of superphones like the Samsung Galaxy S 4, HTC One and Google's own Nexus 4.
Despite this increase, there remains the perception that - at least in terms of gaming - Android phones are somehow a step behind the iPhone. That things like piracy, a lack of apps and convoluted system specs are hindering the development of games on the platform.
I'm here to tell you this is bull****. Chances are that if you own an Android phone, and picked it up within the last 18 months, you've got in your pocket a silent killer in terms of portable gaming.
Below you'll find four steps you can follow to turn that humble little smartphone into something a little more gamey.
1. USE GOOGLE PLAY
Well, duh. But if you're a new user, or someone contemplating making the switch, this is important.
Android users have a bad reputation for pirating software, including games, and in many ways that's a fair assumption. Pirating games for the platform is way too easy.
Don't be that guy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll even find some hot exclusives. Kairosoft's entire catalogue of addictive-as-hell management games is on the Play Store, for example, while only a handful have ever made it to the App Store.
Seriously, there are enough quality games on there already that we could end the guide right here and you'd be set. Luckily, we're not ending the guide here.
Those remaining developers who either delay bringing their games to Android, or don't do it at all, usually cite piracy as one of the big concerns. The more people actually pay for apps and games on Android, the more of these developers will be encouraged to bring their wares to the platform. So do it.
2. GO RETRO
Let's say you want to play something more substantial than most mobile titles can offer. Or a classic game from your childhood that, for better or worse, isn't available on the Play Store. The great thing about Android phones is that you can still play these games, and it's a lot easier - and more legal - than you might think.
Two of the most popular means of running old PC games on modern systems - DOSBox (for old DOS games) and ScummVM (for old adventure games) - both have versions available for Android devices.
Before we go any further, then, you're going to need install these three applications:
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ScummVM for Android
DOSBox Turbo for Android
DOSBox Manager
.
What DOSBox Manager does is let you create a quicklaunch screen for the games, so instead of having to enter command prompts every time you want to play a game (which is normally how DOSBox works), you just tap some box art, same as a regular app/game.
If you need help using DOSBox Turbo and/or getting your games running, the best place to start is the app's site, which has helpful (and easy to understand) walkthroughs and guides.
ScummVM is an easier proposition, but if you have trouble setting it up, the official guide gives you a great walkthrough on getting set up.
A word of caution, though: be careful which games you bring over. Your phone has limited inputs, most likely just a touchscreen, so trying to play a fast-paced RTS or shooter might not be the best idea. Slower, mouse-driven genres like adventure and turn-based strategy are a good place to start.
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Unless, that is, you want to...
3. GET A CONTROLLER (OR USE A MOUSE)
It sounds crazy, I know. Buying an external controller for your phone defeats the entire point of playing games on a portable device. But the fact of the matter is, as phones become more powerful, phone games become more powerful, and it's a tragedy that people try to play something like Real Racing using touchscreen or tilt controls. Stick a pad on there and some of these newer games will feel like a console game, instead of just looking like one.
There's also the benefit it brings to the retro games you'll be playing. Use a gamepad and suddenly all those amazing old shooters are playable. Connect a bluetooth mouse to your phone and anything you can't play with a pad, you can probably play with it.
Doing this is pretty simple; provided they don't need drivers, Android natively supports bluetooth peripherals, including keyboards, mice and control pads. It'll even display a mouse cursor if it detects one. Just find your phone's bluetooth settings and pair it up.
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To save you buying a gamepad, there's an app that lets you connect a PS3 pad to an Android device (though note: your phone needs to be rooted for this to work). Alternatively, you can sync a Wii Remote, since it also connects via Bluetooth (and can be configured with this app).
Again, this might sound crazy since you can do this a lot more easily on a regular computer, but consider this: old PC games weren't designed to run on giant 23" desktop monitors. You either stretch their visuals until they look like garbage, or run them in a window.
Phone screens, though, are at the cutting edge. Relatively tiny yet packing amazing colours and now sometimes even 1080p resolution, they breathe new life into your old games. Trust me, fire up something like Colonization or X-Com on a contemporary phone and it'll look better than ever.
4. GET A BIGGER BATTERY (OR BATTERY PACK)
The one major downside to the crop of modern Android smartphones is that, almost to the last, they've got terrible battery life. Most can barely last a single day, even with infrequent use. If you're planning on playing a game at home, that's not a problem, but let's be honest, how often will you be playing a phone game at home?
Running 3D graphics - or even just leaving a big bright screen on for long stretches - will kill your battery. So if you're serious about gaming on your Android phone, you should think about getting a bigger battery (if your phone supports removable batteries) or an external battery case/charging pack (if it doesn't).
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5. SIGN UP TO ONLIVE
It's easy to forget about the company these days after all the problems it went through last year, but streaming service OnLive is still around, and it works on Android devices. Your mileage may vary depending on your device - it's more suited to tablets than phones - but if you've got a gamepad solution for your phone, and your connection is fast enough to pull it off, you can play all kinds of games that would normally never be available on the platform..
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SOURCE
*Lifehacker
Great guide. Bought a NES controller and female USB to microUSB a few weeks ago. Waiting for them to be shipped! Will tell you how it works when I have them in use.
i have my OTG cable but sad to say i don't have ps3 or wii.. hehehehe..
thanks for a great info!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
I've got a moga pocket controller its great and more and more games are getting supported. My GS4 clips right into the phone holder and im off.
Specially the onlive thing, gotta love it.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Awesome guide! I can vouch for DosBox Turbo. I have about 50+ games installed and regularly play Warcraft II networked multi-player with my buddies on their Android devices.
anyone actually get scummvm to work? i couldn't get it to recognise any games no matter what i tried.
Gloris said:
anyone actually get scummvm to work? i couldn't get it to recognise any games no matter what i tried.
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Working perfectly for me.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
What folder structure and file type did you use? I tried zip files I tried unzipping them. Tried putting them in various folders but I can't get it to recognise any games.
We are doing just that with our new product Ingeo.
We want to turn any Android phone into a TV game console.
It is an HDMI dock and a wireless controller.
Check it out here
Any difference using it?
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app
gampad
I 've a Razer Onza
But when i connect to my s4 it does not work
Can you show me how to connect that controller to my S4
Thanks so much
duythanh90 said:
I 've a Razer Onza
But when i connect to my s4 it does not work
Can you show me how to connect that controller to my S4
Thanks so much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using OTG cable. It's that simple
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"

Experience with gamepads?

While riding bart (public transportation), I was thinking of getting a handheld gaming system to keep my entertained on my hour long ride. However, I figured why not use the phone? It's a octa-car and can play most (if not all) 3D action games and such. So I did some research and I have two choices:
1. Put together a gaming kit with a PS3 Dualshock 3 controller, OTG Cable & USB, a phone clip
2. Get the Moga Pro Power gamepad.
The only major concern I have with the Moga, is the fact that it's primarily only a bluetooth controller. I'm not sure if I'm the only one here, but the bluetooth sucks on this phone. I love the V10, but bluetooth functionality is so unreliable. I get choppy music playback on all my stereo kits, and I know it works with Samsung and Apple devices - so it's the phone.
Rant aside, I was thinking of going with option 1, because I have the ability to use both bluetooth or wired connection for the controller to work with the phone. Though I like the all-in-one Moga controller, everything is already put together with some software to help it along the way. I am rooted, so I'm not scared to do my own research to make stuff work with my phone in terms of setting up the initial connection, but I just want to pick an item that will stick and offer a lag free experience.
I was thinking of just buying everything and return what doesn't work, but I don't like doing that.
Thanks
I have a Moga (the basic and cheaper one) and it just work with few games and the app for my controll is the same for the expensive one, beside that, my controll works great with EMULATORS like Mame, SNES, etc... If I was you I would probably prefer the ps controll with otg...
Desde V10 (LG-H901)
I have pro power and had it linked I never had any real issue with it. It worked great! I have it to the wife so she can use it now I am using steel series great controller but no clip a very big downfall so I don't play much games on my phone anymore
ilostchild said:
I have pro power and had it linked I never had any real issue with it. It worked great! I have it to the wife so she can use it now I am using steel series great controller but no clip a very big downfall so I don't play much games on my phone anymore
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestions, I went with the Moga Power A, because I like the feel of the XBox like form controller. So far the performance is excellent! I actually do not have any issues with it, and I've been playing native and emulator games with no struggles.
Thanks again for your responses.

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