Analogue Pocket Hate Story • Hacker News Board

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#11

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:48 PM UTC

izzydata wrote: post #2

I don't even understand the use-case for this device. Who saved all their cartridges, but not their Gameboy? You may as well get a cheaper and more versatile retro handheld. The idea that hardware emulation is somehow better than software emulation when the end results feel indistinguishable to the user seems like a pointless argument.

As a retro gaming enthusiast, I kinda agree. FPGA emulation is still emulation and can suffer from inaccuracy just as much as software emulation does while having a lot more limitations. It can provide lower latencies and better power efficiencies, so it isn't worthless, but its a set of tradeoffs that don't make a lot of sense to me especially when you're using original media instead. Not to mention that used GB/GBC/GBA/GG are all available for a lot less than the Analogue Pocket if you're looking for an authentic experience, and if you're not then software emulation provides a lot more flexibility.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#12

Post by emodendroket » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:50 PM UTC

izzydata wrote: post #2

I don't even understand the use-case for this device. Who saved all their cartridges, but not their Gameboy? You may as well get a cheaper and more versatile retro handheld. The idea that hardware emulation is somehow better than software emulation when the end results feel indistinguishable to the user seems like a pointless argument.

It becomes clear pretty quickly that the biggest boosters do not actually understand what's going on with the FPGA emulators and believe all kinds of false things about both it and software emulators. Of course they perceive it to be much better but it feels like an audiophile effect going on to me.

I will say that FPGA emulation is cool in some ways -- the power draw is less and you can achieve lower latency without some of the CPU-intensive methods that software emulators have pursued to do it. But most of the claims made about it do not stand up to scrutiny.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#13

Post by engineer_22 » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

The author could improve their communication skills. Specifically, without more details, it seems like their negotiation was weak. Good negotiation get's you an amount you're happy with. If you aren't happy then you shouldn't take the work, full stop. The story should have ended there.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#14

Post by willis936 » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

I'm interested in the Analogue Pocket (NDA lifted yesterday, preorders opener an hour ago, I put mine in), so I used the Agnolia HN search for stories related to this topic.

This story had 0 comments and was far off the front page. I read the article, found it interesting, and upvoted it. That seems to have bumped it to the front page to snowball.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#15

Post by prg318 » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

marcocampos wrote: post #6

csulmone wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people are buying it for the jailbreak that comes out a few weeks after launch which will allow custom cores as well as loading ROMs from the SD card...

In theory this would also work with a Everdrive?

Modern Vintage Gamer has confirmed that the Analogue Pocket works with both the GB everdrive and the GBA everdrive in his Analogue Pocket review [1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew91PeRy-ro

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#16

Post by klodolph » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:53 PM UTC

izzydata wrote: post #2

I don't even understand the use-case for this device. Who saved all their cartridges, but not their Gameboy? You may as well get a cheaper and more versatile retro handheld. The idea that hardware emulation is somehow better than software emulation when the end results feel indistinguishable to the user seems like a pointless argument.

The device supports several different systems, not just the various Game Boy iterations.

Compared to original hardware, the promise is that it will have a better screen, a sleep mode, let you play on TV, load ROMs from computer (if you're a developer), etc. Compared to software, the promise is the form factor.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#17

Post by emodendroket » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:53 PM UTC

engineer_22 wrote: post #13

The author could improve their communication skills. Specifically, without more details, it seems like their negotiation was weak. Good negotiation get's you an amount you're happy with. If you aren't happy then you shouldn't take the work, full stop. The story should have ended there.

"Quit your job and do months of work for us for $10k" is not actually a position that anybody in their right mind would bother negotiating with.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#18

Post by willis936 » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:54 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #10

It makes a certain kind of sense. The marketing for these products has always revolved around denigrating software emulators as total, inaccurate trash, which is completely unfair for a lot of reasons (byuu used to have a great blog post about it but I think it is gone). But of course, you've gotta convince people they "need" to spend hundreds of dollars on emulation when it's available for free otherwise. Turns out…

The Pocket is a unique product here. Analogue spent effort characterizing and reproducing the color and LCD response profile matrices of the target systems. Having 10x integer scaling allows for very detailed sub-pixel simulation. It's 2022 and we're getting sub-pixels in our sub-pixels.

Big whoop, right? My 500 W PC with a 40" OLED panel can do that with ease. Well this can do it in a handheld with 7+ hours of battery.

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#19

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:54 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #10

It makes a certain kind of sense. The marketing for these products has always revolved around denigrating software emulators as total, inaccurate trash, which is completely unfair for a lot of reasons (byuu used to have a great blog post about it but I think it is gone). But of course, you've gotta convince people they "need" to spend hundreds of dollars on emulation when it's available for free otherwise. Turns out…

[deleted]

Re: Analogue Pocket Hate Story

#20

Post by emodendroket » Tue, Dec 14, 2021, 4:54 PM UTC

CJefferson wrote: post #7

izzydata wrote: post #2

I don't even understand the use-case for this device. Who saved all their cartridges, but not their Gameboy? You may as well get a cheaper and more versatile retro handheld. The idea that hardware emulation is somehow better than software emulation when the end results feel indistinguishable to the user seems like a pointless argument.

This device will almost certainly run ROMs -- all their devices do. They do this strange dodge where an "unofficial" hack is released which is clearly made by the original team.

If not, the next item on the list for someone buying a device like this is probably a flash cart.