Database Info

Emulators: no-fuss options for Nexus Player

I'll maintain this thread so long as there's interest. In order for an emulator to be listed here, it needs to meet the following criteria
-must be able to open the app with the OFFICIAL Nexus Player gamepad (NPGP)
-must be able to exit the app with the official NPGP
-Must be able to configure all in-app options, to include gamepad button assignments, with the NPGP.
-Must be installable from the Nexus Player (waivable if installable from Play Store on PC)
-Must have a leanback launcher shortcut
Basically, if the emulator requires root, ADB, third party peripherals (for use or configuration), sideloading, etc., it won't be on this list.
NES:
NES.emu ($3.99)
Open the Play Store on your Nexus Player, and scroll up to search. Type or speak "Nintendo" or "emulator" and this will be one of the options that comes up. Alternatively, you can purchased and push install from the web-based Play Store. Open installation and first run, you should go to the settings and configure the gamepad for in-game actions (specifically, to exit the app).
SNES:
Snes9x EX+ (FREE)
Same as above (same developer and menu system).
I'd advise using the SNES emu first (as it's free) to learn how his menu/control setup works, then move on to his other paid emulators. You can see his other emulators at this page here - https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Robert Broglia&hl=en
Alternatively, you can open the Play Store on the Nexus Player, scroll up to search, and type/speak "emulator." Pretty much all of those are his. As I purchase his other emulators I'll add them to the above list when confirmed. If others wants to try them and report back, I'll also update the list based on that. If you find other emulators that meet the above criteria, please share.

Won't they get removed from the store soon? Emulators are banned quickly on Google Play, aren't they?

Magnesus said:
Won't they get removed from the store soon? Emulators are banned quickly on Google Play, aren't they?
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Most emulators on Google Play have been there for years. Nesoid and the other emulators made by that developer were removed for a specific violation. Here's a good article on the subject.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...nded-are-emulators-soon-to-be-banned-content/
Also, I'm going to go out on limb here. It's normally bad form to distribute links of ROM distribution website (and I won't post it here unless a moderator explicitly tells me that it's ok). However, there's one website that is actually legal (and as such, don't expect to find the best games here). Basically, the ESA has set up a way of protecting the rights of gaming companies and their work, while also offering some ROMs to gamers. Read more on the ESA here:
http://www.theesa.com/ (NOTE: Not a ROM distribution site)
Due to this, one website is completely ESA compliant and has, at the request of Nintendo (and other parties) intentionally set up dead links that will usually be at or near the top of Google results. If you search for a specific ROM on a Nintendo platform, and you click on the link for this specific website, all you get is a link that says "This page has been removed due to copyrights." What few ROMs are available on this website are legally freely distributed. Have at it.

The only problem I have with console emulators has always been the controller lag. This has been true even on my gaming PCs. Playing Super Mario 3 for example, on my SNES (bought one just for this game - lol) it's smooth and does what I expect it to. On my PCs, ADT-1, etc., there's always a minor lag that's just enough to throw timing off.
Mame for the most part on the PC has worked very well for fighting games. Chankast with MvsC2 was damn smooth for me. I'd love to see Android get to this level of emulation.

Mi|enko said:
The only problem I have with console emulators has always been the controller lag. This has been true even on my gaming PCs. Playing Super Mario 3 for example, on my SNES (bought one just for this game - lol) it's smooth and does what I expect it to. On my PCs, ADT-1, etc., there's always a minor lag that's just enough to throw timing off.
Mame for the most part on the PC has worked very well for fighting games. Chankast with MvsC2 was damn smooth for me. I'd love to see Android get to this level of emulation.
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Click to collapse
There are two types of lag that you'll have to deal with here: system timing and input lag.
System timing - Each emulator developer takes their own approach to this. For the SNES, for example, SNES9X and ZSNES took two different approaches. ZSNES made the system timing more consistent, while SNES9X attempts to emulate the system timing of the SNES to a fault. As a result, playing a game on SNES9X will more closely mirror the actual SNES than ZSNES will. Basically, if you're playing a game that requires timing, you'll have to completely relearn your timing on ZSNES, whereas SNES9X will require less (if any) adjustment.
As for Sega 8/16-bit systems and the 32X, you should ONLY be using Kega Fusion on the desktop. This emulator is made by the same guy who has been hired by Sega numerous times to help them port their "Ages" collections to various platforms. He has inside knowledge of the hardware which is why his emulation is so spot on. There should be no noticeable difference in timing between an actual SMS/Genesis/SegaCD/32X and Kega Fusion. Unfortunately, the emulators available for Android aren't based on Fusion.
Input lag - All monitors/HDTVs have a degree of input lag. If you're gaming at 60fps, you want input lag to be <16.67ms, or 1 frame. This ensure that your button response is never more than 1 frame off. NOTE: This has NOTHING to do with pixel response time advertised by LCD manufacturers. Do NOT confuse these two specs. Here's a database of PC monitors and their associated input lag - http://www.displaylag.com/display-database/
HDTVs have an inherently high input lag due to all of the processing that they attempt to do. If you're going to game on these HDTVs, you want to disable as much as possible by using any built-in game mode that the HDTV has. For example, I use a Samsung L46A650. I bought this HDTV in 2008 because, at the time, it had the best input lag control. To date, no HDTV has bested it, so I'm keeping it until it dies. If I use HDMI input 2, set the source to 1080p (possible with Xbox 360, not with PS3), and set it at PC mode, it acts as a PC monitor. Input lag is <16.67 ms in this mode. For other inputs, enabling game mode has an input lag of 16.67ms to 33.33ms (1-2 frames). VGA (Dreamcast) is <16.67ms. If you dare use standard or movie mode, input lag is 3-4 frames. And if you have component hookups (like my PS2) and forget to enable game mode, it's a horrid 4-6 frames worth of delay. Here's an AVS thread on it - http://www.avsforum.com/forum/166-l...-results-your-lcd-display-here-reference.html
Bottom line is that you can greatly reduce the timing issues that you're having by ensuring that you're using the optimal emulator, and properly configuring your display.

^Thanks for all the detail man! I'm using a Samsung TV as well and had been using game mode for my ADT-1 input. Switching it from Game to PC, I saw a significant improvement in the input lag; however, I do see occasional screen hiccups (just a quick flash while navigating). The SNES games (Mario 3 in this case, for comparative purposes) plays almost flawless and as smooth as my SNES. Not perfect, but a helluva lot better than in game mode. It's comparable to my PC at this point, from the quick 10 minutes of testing I did.

Mi|enko said:
^Thanks for all the detail man! I'm using a Samsung TV as well and had been using game mode for my ADT-1 input. Switching it from Game to PC, I saw a significant improvement in the input lag; however, I do see occasional screen hiccups (just a quick flash while navigating). The SNES games (Mario 3 in this case, for comparative purposes) plays almost flawless and as smooth as my SNES. Not perfect, but a helluva lot better than in game mode. It's comparable to my PC at this point, from the quick 10 minutes of testing I did.
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Click to collapse
I'm glad that you found it useful. I want to clarify something from my prior post that I was misleading on.
There are essentially 3 classes of "modern" emulators for the SNES, and there are many that fall in around or between these classes. For this example, I'm going to refer to Higan (formerly BSNES), SNES9X, and ZSNES.
Emulation is tricky. The more accurate you attempt to be, the higher the system specs that you need. Due to this, Higan stands alone as the most accurate emulator. It won't do any graphics filters. It won't speed up games. If a game had a scene with horrendous slowdown on a physical SNES, it will have the same horrendous slowdown on this emulator in the same spot. If you want to perfectly emulate an SNES, don't care about modernizing the graphics, and have the specs to run it (quad-core 3ghz+ Intel Core series CPU), then go for Higan. Note: There's no equivalent for Android, nor could there be at this point.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is ZNES (and there are far worse emulators, but I'm picking on them). Like all emulators not named Higan, this program takes shortcuts to mimic functionality. More shortcuts means better speed and lower system requirements, but also more compatibility issues. Try playing Earthworm Jim 2 and you won't hear most of the sound effects.
SNES9X is a compromise. It is far more accurate than ZSNES and therefore has higher system requirements. It takes more of a 95/5 approach. It won't have the accuracy as Higan, but it also won't have the slowdown found in Starefox to the degree that a real SNES or Higan would. It also allows you to enhance the graphics with filters and such. It's also ported to damn near every platform (including the Android TV app mentioned in the OP). It won't be exactly like playing on an actual SNES, but it will be closer than most emulators while offering enhancements, and consistency across multiple platforms.

I have installed these emulators and these are superb.

[Q] nSHIELD (port) as mini Gaming PC

Hey guys, I had this idea I wanted to run by the community for feedback before I really started digging into it.
I attend PAX East every year and love being able to do Bring Your Own Computer for the LAN fest area. The big problem is my distance from Boston and the size of my PC Tower. Rather than focus on the biggest and beastest of Rigs, I wanted to try the other side of the formula.
The nSHIELD Portable is a decent little machine and seems to have less hardware issues than its newer nS Tablet does. What I want to eventually do is load Ubuntu onto it which would allow me to load Steam and then hook it up to the LAN network at PAX and play games with the other attendees. I currently have a Portable and am just looking for new ways to get more life out of it.
Does anyone have any experience in loading an OS onto the device or experience even in trying to do what Im describing? Any help is welcome
Thanks~

K41N2358 said:
Hey guys, I had this idea I wanted to run by the community for feedback before I really started digging into it.
I attend PAX East every year and love being able to do Bring Your Own Computer for the LAN fest area. The big problem is my distance from Boston and the size of my PC Tower. Rather than focus on the biggest and beastest of Rigs, I wanted to try the other side of the formula.
The nSHIELD Portable is a decent little machine and seems to have less hardware issues than its newer nS Tablet does. What I want to eventually do is load Ubuntu onto it which would allow me to load Steam and then hook it up to the LAN network at PAX and play games with the other attendees. I currently have a Portable and am just looking for new ways to get more life out of it.
Does anyone have any experience in loading an OS onto the device or experience even in trying to do what Im describing? Any help is welcome
Thanks~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't know specifically, but I know there are some apps that help install Linux into android because android is based on the Linux kernel and can run it, try going on YouTube and searching Linux on android, or android Linux

K41N2358 said:
Hey guys, I had this idea I wanted to run by the community for feedback before I really started digging into it.
I attend PAX East every year and love being able to do Bring Your Own Computer for the LAN fest area. The big problem is my distance from Boston and the size of my PC Tower. Rather than focus on the biggest and beastest of Rigs, I wanted to try the other side of the formula.
The nSHIELD Portable is a decent little machine and seems to have less hardware issues than its newer nS Tablet does. What I want to eventually do is load Ubuntu onto it which would allow me to load Steam and then hook it up to the LAN network at PAX and play games with the other attendees. I currently have a Portable and am just looking for new ways to get more life out of it.
Does anyone have any experience in loading an OS onto the device or experience even in trying to do what Im describing? Any help is welcome
Thanks~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couple of problems with this:
To run Ubuntu you'd need a framebuffer driver compatible with Linux. Some people get around this by running a VNC viewer locally and basically loading up an X11 environment in the background. Performance for gaming would never be there.
Steam is X86 only. The Shield Portable is ARM, which I highly doubt will get a port of Steam. Even if it did, there are no games on steam that currently support ARM. And even if you cross compiled....
You'd be unable to run most OpenGL (think Linux's directX) games due to poor feature support. OpenGL ES is a smaller subset of functionality from the full OpenGL (which games like Half Life and Counter Strike run on) and OpenGL ES is what the Shield supports. To ad insult to injury, the Shield Portable only supports OpenGL ES 2.0 not the newer 3.0, meaning even less flexibility and programmability (less possibility for titles to be ported).
Sorry to burst your bubble. With GameStream though, you could game stream over the internet assuming there was enough download bandwidth where you were. You'd be better off looking at a Haswell based ultrabook if you want thin and light basic gaming.

you can not run PC games natively on a Shield, no matter what operating system it has.
with emulators such as dosbox turbo you can emulate older PCs, not faster than a Pentium 1, so you can only run DOS games and if you have a lot of time on your hand install Windows 95/98 to play games such as Half Life 1.
So for PC games you're better off with a Windows tablet.
Intel Atom Baytrail based tablets are fast enough to play games such as Portal 2.

Distorted Graphics in Android Emulators

In every android emulator I use, for some reason when I use Direct X, I always have distorted graphics. My opengl is only 2.0 so I 'm usually forced to use Direct X mode. Here is an album of some examples: imgur(dot)com/a/bX1c2
Here's my dxdiag: goo(dot)gl/Y1phQY
Yes, I know that I use custom graphics drivers, but the graphic distortions still happen whether I use the original one or not.

gbeggo said:
In every android emulator I use, for some reason when I use Direct X, I always have distorted graphics. My opengl is only 2.0 so I 'm usually forced to use Direct X mode. Here is an album of some examples: imgur(dot)com/a/bX1c2
Here's my dxdiag: goo(dot)gl/Y1phQY
Yes, I know that I use custom graphics drivers, but the graphic distortions still happen whether I use the original one or not.
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Click to collapse
I can't explain you the exact technical reason but your graphic processor (released 2008) simply doesn't meet the requirements of actual emulators. I use Genymotion myself and the undemandig requirements are:
Intel HD Graphics 4000 (2012), Nvidia GeForce 500 Series (2011), ATI Radeon HD 6000 Series (2011);
I know that other emulators even need a more powerfull gpu to work correctly.
Emulators generally have a a poor performance comapred to native operating systems.
You could try using Androidx86 as native installation instead of emulator.

Android TV Box or Rasberry Pi

I am looking for feedback on weather an android tv box or Rasberry Pi would better suit my needs. I will be using it mainly as an htpc. I'll be running transmission bittorent client constantly but generally more seeding then leeching. I will also be running kodi on the box as well as doing some retro gaming with emulators.
I already have a Transpeed X3 Air android tv box and it gets the job done OK for torrents and kodi but often seems to lag when gaming. The specs are an amlogic X3 with 4 gb ram and 128gb storage built in. Best I can tell the rasberry pi 4 performs generally on part with the X3 so I'm wondering if a pi 4 would trully be benifical? I believe I'd rather run Linux(Manjaro KDE on arm preferably) then android in this particular case and still meet all my needs and possibly increase performance through simplicity?
Thoughts?

Android-based OS for Lenovo ThinkPad 10 2nd gen (Win tab)

Hi,
I'm looking for lightweight and intuitive OS for my old Win tablet, so kids still can use it for YT, Spotify and simple games.
I spent some time on testing different android-based systems (Bliss, Prime, Android x86, Phoenix) but unfortunately they do not work completely well - issues with touchscreen, WiFi, BT, sound. Android x86 was best only with sound issues (connectivity was OK).
Please advise which android or linux based system (version/build) with gapps support can work out of the box with this tablet: Lenovo ThinkPad 10 (2nd gen) - 20E30037PB.
If none then which one will be the easiest to configure with those mobile components?
CPU: Intel Atom z3795 (4 cores, 1.59 GHz - 2.39GHz)
GPU: Intel HD 405 (I think)
RAM: 4GB
WLAN: ac/a/b/g/n
Touch screen: 1920x1200 LED IPS
Ports: USB 3.0, HDMI, SSD
Others: fingerprint sensor and front/back camera (I don't care about those - can be not working)

If tablet runs Windows 10 and/or Windows 11 you can benefit from Microsoft's
Windows-Subsystem für Android​So, upgrade Windows OS, if possible.

Generally yes, but not for requirements I've got from kids: android games + YT for kids, Spotify for kids (those aps are only available for Android) + it's much faster on linux. Also I think W11 will consume more resources out of the box and I have to tweak it a lot to adjust UI and disable all services what are not needed for those basic tasks. I've tried android emulator on W10, but it's too slow.

defik665 said:
Generally yes, but not for requirements I've got from kids: android games + YT for kids, Spotify for kids (those aps are only available for Android) + it's much faster on linux. Also I think W11 will consume more resources out of the box and I have to tweak it a lot to adjust UI and disable all services what are not needed for those basic tasks. I've tried android emulator on W10, but it's too slow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you should look into ChromeOS Flex, since it is based on Linux and can run android apps just fine

OK, I've tested tablet with W11 and actually is much faster than on tweaked W10! Also I was able to install WSFA from terminal but could not start it, since I have only 4GB RAM (8GB is min).
Not sure if still have energy to try ChromeOS - tried different Linux based OS and there was a problem with drivers. I really like W11 on tablet, so maybe will keep it this way and try again Bluestacks on tweaked 11.

defik665 said:
OK, I've tested tablet with W11 and actually is much faster than on tweaked W10! Also I was able to install WSFA from terminal but could not start it, since I have only 4GB RAM (8GB is min).
Not sure if still have energy to try ChromeOS - tried different Linux based OS and there was a problem with drivers. I really like W11 on tablet, so maybe will keep it this way and try again Bluestacks on tweaked 11.
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ChromeOS Flex is really not that hard, look into it. It's built for weak laptops and with touchscreen in mind, and with support of android apps

defik665 said:
I really like W11 on tablet, so maybe will keep it this way and try again Bluestacks on tweaked 11.
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Don't waste your time with this.
These are Bluestacks 5 system requitrements ( excerpt )
OS: Windows 11 Pro 22H2
Processor: Intel or AMD Multi-Core Processor with Single Thread benchmark score > 1000
Graphics: Intel/Nvidia/ATI, Onboard or Discrete GPU with benchmark score >= 750
To find the benchmark score of your processor (CPU) and graphics card (GPU), read this article.
Virtualization must be enabled on your PC/Laptop: https://support.bluestacks.com/hc/de/articles/4409279876621
RAM: 8GB or higher
Storage: SSD (or Fusion/Hybrid Drives)
Internet: Broadband connection to access games, accounts and related content.