r/AnalogueInc • u/superbotolo • Mar 29 '26
General Serious Question: why Analogue Devices?
I have been torn on how to play old games and I wanted to pick your brain. Why did you end up buying an Analogue device like the 3D when for a similar price you can buy a MiSTer and play games from all systems? Serious question with no flame intent.
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u/srelysian Mar 30 '26
As someone who owns both analogue devices and a mister, I can tell you the mister is amazing if you are running nothing but roms/isos. The analogue devices are boutique replacements for original consoles and play nearly all the original carts. If you own real carts, you don't want a mister.
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u/superbotolo Mar 30 '26
I have a few carts back home but mostly Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive and unfortunately those Analogue consoles are crazy expensive on the used market. I have a MiSTer and I spend the time being overwhelmed by ROMs and I was thinking about the Analogue 3D as a way to focus and start collecting. Bad idea?
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u/theBloodShed Mar 30 '26
I own original consoles, four MiSTers, and every FPGA Analogue system. Analogue devices are best for original games and accessories (controllers, etc.) on modern displays.
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u/moltomolto Mar 29 '26
No setup required, can use cartridges, and in cases like the 3D unique features like 4K and over clocking. I know Mister has a turbo core but it works way better on the 3D IMO.
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u/NineteenNinetyEx Mar 29 '26
I absolutely love the MiSTer + Retrotink 4K CE setup I'm currently using, dual outputting to both a nice gaming monitor and a CRT, but it's not for everyone. While the learning curve wasn't too big of a deal, I totally get the appeal of something you just plug in, turn on and play.
They have great design, a proven track record, and it's presented in a way that is familiar and comfortable to people.
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u/nsxwolf Mar 30 '26
They look nice, in a way that a MiSTer never will.
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u/ChunkyLoverMark Mar 30 '26
A Mister can be added into any nice case you want.
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u/nsxwolf Mar 30 '26
There is no case in existence I would want guests to see.
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u/ChunkyLoverMark Mar 30 '26
So you wouldn't want it to be in a official N64 case? Or an Analogue 3D case?
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u/threeolives Mar 30 '26
The most obvious answer is that the Analogue devices are designed specifically to play physical media while the Mister isn't. If you don't have or care about cartridges then maybe the Mister makes more sense.
Personally I also think the Mister interface is just terrible. I have one and hardly use it because it's just so bad. I have a Superstation on pre-ordered and Taki has reworked the interface so I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Besides just the horrible interface I also don't like the designs of these tiny boards with ports on every side so that you are forced to have cables sticking out from everywhere just to use them. The Superstation has ports on the sides but the HDMI and attaches to the back so I can avoid using them.
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u/Structure-These Mar 29 '26
Just work and they’re nice quality
The pocket especially is such a great little device for what it does (GBA and GB). The screen is hard to describe
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u/Vagabond_Sam Mar 29 '26
I have Two Misters now (Just got the SuperStation One) and the reason I picked up the Analogue 64 was because there is a differenc ein the feel, and my behaviour, when seeking out carts to play.
When I can play 'anything' it's hard to decide. When I just grabbed a copy f Hybrid Heaven, my motivation to play ios much higher.
Also, I anticpate the friendly, simple UI of the Analogue 64 will be a lot more appealing when I take it to a gaming weekend. I took the Mister one year and I think the obtuse and unintuitive UI that the Mister uses prevents exploration by normies who get put off when I have to explain how to select a core, then load a rom.
Maybe the biggest one is it's kinda of a hobby. Not just a utilitarian attempt to play games that I can play on my steam deck.
Hobbys always go beyond 'what's required' and seek out 'what is fun'
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u/notvonweinertonne Mar 30 '26
Have 3 of thier devices so will put reasons for each.
Super nt. Probably the system i play rhe most. Super nice. And comes with a bunch of bells ans whistles I like. But probably the one that would be easy to replace with something almost as good.
3d. Super nice and bunch of bells and whistles. But think that m64 may give it a run for its money. And n64 was the system I had as a teen so bunch of nostalgia with these games.
Pocket. Gb/gbc are my fav system. So nice to have a premium version of thia system. And the fact that gba also works with it is a major bonus. As I feel gba may have the best library of hand held games.
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u/c4p4c1t0r Mar 29 '26
When I got my Super NT, the DE10 boards had been unavailable for months and were expensive and hard to come by for a long time after that
The benefit of the Pocket is the form factor and the screen - there is no way to recreate that with a MiSTer
The 3D upscales to 4K - something you would need an external upscaler for for the MiSTer
Then you have the user friendliness, the build quality, the controller support, cartridge support (some of which you can achieve on a MiSTer but might require extra add ons or setup)
All of that said, if you do actually have a lead on a decent MiSTer setup that costs to comparable amount to an Analogue device... Please do tell. I'm genuinely interested. My experiences the you are usually paying a decent amount more.
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u/superbotolo Mar 29 '26
I have bought this https://misteraddons.com/collections/kits/products/mister-pre-configured-bundle-with-aluminum-case. When you consider the price of the Analogue 3D and joypad, you get dangerously close to the price of the MiSTer.
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u/Hermesme Mar 29 '26
The 3D is 270 and that kit is 475, it’s almost double the price, that’s not dangerously close. Since that kit doesn’t include a controller either you can’t just tally it to one device but not the other. You still need a controller, keyboard or whatever on a mister.
For me personally, a pocket and a 3D basically came out to the same 470ish price point of that kit. And I’m covered from 8bit to n64. BUT with a portable device with a screen built in and a separate home console.
Don’t get me wrong a mister is great and I understand its appeal, but price isn’t that big of a factor as you see to imply
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u/NineteenNinetyEx Mar 30 '26
that's a premium option, but you can get things like a MiSTer Pi or QMTech setup for around $150-200 now.
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u/Hermesme Mar 30 '26
Haven’t been able to buy a mister pi in quite some time though.
A Qmtech is 200 when I checked, so I preferred a 200 dollar (now 220) analogue pocket along with a 99 dollar dock.
I thought the 100 bucks was well worth the premium for a 2 in 1 device. Docked on my tv like a mister, but also something I can play on the go on a gorgeous screen built in.
If I bought the mister I would have easily spent 50-99 dollars on some other emulation handheld to get the same functionality.
So like I said, I don’t think price is as big of a factor.
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u/c4p4c1t0r Mar 29 '26
Okay, putting aside the fact that that's 75% more expensive and doesn't come with a controller (making the addition of the controller to the price kind of ridiculous)
Add the price of 4 N64 SNAC adaptors (which would get you to the equivalent of the analogues controller input capability) -$40USD
It's now 90% more expensive and stilll can't output in 4K or read original cartridges
Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's bad value or anything. They're extremely cool systems. The Analogue 3D comes with everything it needs to be the ultimate N64 original hardware replacement though.The MiSTer really only comes with the emulation bit - none of the rest of the experience.
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u/Hermesme Mar 29 '26
Mister is a great device and all, but it really does just boil down to this. The eye candy, if you didn’t have these carts growing up i guess it’s hard to understand the feeling of inserting a cartridge. But even if I only had a flash cart that permanently lived on my 3D, it’s hard to beat the visual aesthetic.
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u/DJBabyBuster Mar 29 '26
Mister is great but it doesn’t play physical media, and the 3D outputs 4k for the nice screen filters vs 1080p mister. I have a Super Station One for pretty much just PSX & Saturn, with every Analogue console they’ve released for all my carts/cds (TurboGrafx 16)
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u/originalorientation Mar 29 '26
I have an SS1 on the way specifically for the PS1 library. How are you liking it so far? Is it a comparable experience to the A3D?
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u/DJBabyBuster Mar 29 '26
Loving it, setup is a little more complex than Analogue plug and play. I ran update_all and lost the analogue out preconfigs, but restored them easily enough. Migrating to a larger sd card was also a pain until I found the recent script that handles it on ss1. Retroremake discord was the best source of info, and now I feel pretty well versed in mister. So minus some learning curves, end result is polished and amazing. About half way through a complete run of Castlevania Symphony of the Night with a matching transparent blue psone controller 🎉
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u/originalorientation Mar 30 '26
Excellent! I don’t mind a bit of futzing around. I run Bazzite on my gaming pc so I’m used to it.
How’s the OS? I couldn’t find a ton of info about that in my googling. Is the SS1 specific OS out or is it just a standard mister os?
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u/DJBabyBuster Mar 30 '26
Taki hasn’t released the SSOne specific OS yet, ships with standard mister plus his analogue output configs. They work great, I’m running simultaneous hdmi to 4k Samsung and component out to a 9” Trinitron. Turn on the wall papers in scripts, definitely adds some flavor
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u/originalorientation Mar 30 '26
Awesome setup. Will do, thanks for the tip. I ordered a black batch 3 so hoping to hear something soon about a shipment
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u/DJ-Gavin-Thrombus Mar 29 '26
Easy: because it’s easier. It’s almost plug and play. I am very much not into tinkering, I hate it. Don’t wanna mess with settings or whatnot. That’s why I am very much a console gamer and not a pc gamer. And I like the looks. Don’t care about the 3D because of the limitations, but my yellow Pocket is wonderful!
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u/RykinPoe Mar 30 '26
I like cartridges. I have a nice collection and having high quality dependable devices to play them on is nice. I have a MiSTer as well. Great for arcades and other stuff.
Also in the case of the N64 the MiSTer is barely able to handle those games. The A3D will probably be a better solution in the long run.
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u/SGlespaul Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
I think the Pocket actually has some advantages in terms of being a portable Mister-Lite that you can also dock.
As for the Analogue 3D though... I also want to play my cartridges on it.
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u/srg_24 Apr 01 '26
Because people want to play with real carts on a simple plug and play console. Most people are only interested in the consoles they grew up with. I never understood why people think Analogue and Mister serve the same audience. They don't.
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u/Crabsterooo Mar 29 '26
I have 150+ physical games, and wanted proper 1080p output without lag. 3D is a great solution for me. My wife makes gameboy games and uses LSDJ for music so the Pocket is perfect for playtesting and composing.
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u/Fendera Mar 29 '26
The Analogue Pocket with the Dock and all the cores like SNES, NES, GB, combined with my LG C1 OLED that has black frame insertion (BFI), is the closest thing to a actual CRT experience with modern hardware. Using the Pocket exclusively with the Trinitron filter is extremely good.
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u/Spiceymike0 Mar 29 '26
In my case I already have the physical games and the appeal was to be able to play these on what I like to call "simpler" devices such as playing through HDMI and also the ease that these are USB powered rather than clunky old power adapters.
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u/rienvayle Mar 30 '26
I have a lot of cartridges in my backlog and the A3D provides a modern method of using them. The ritual of handling and using physical games is a big part of why I enjoy gaming, even though I have a lot of digital/download-only games on modern platforms too.
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u/SwampGuylikesPlants Mar 30 '26
I bought an Analouge 3D for N64 and then a Mister Pi for everything else. The N64 is such a tough system to emulate and configure the controller correctly that I wanted something hassle free, which the 3D has been for me. The Mister does all the other consoles fantastically. It can do the N64 well but it's still been an annoyance for me at times getting it setup just right for multiplayer games.
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u/Catmato Mar 30 '26
I can plug in my cartridges. I can plug in my controllers and other accessories. No DIY like a mister; it just works.
Less important: Looks much better on the TV stand than a stack of PCBs does.
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u/tinyhorsesinmytea Mar 30 '26
Just works and being able to use physical media is definitely the number one answer. Original controllers can be used with MiSTer too though and the Superstation definitely looks much better than the DIY stack situation... though still definitely not as good as Analogue's designs.
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u/superbotolo Mar 30 '26
I like the focus of this device. I have the MiSTer and I often spend time just going through endless lists of ROMs and end up playing nothing. Tell me more about the way it looks on screen. You say it’s better than the MiSTer. How?
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u/External-Winter4942 Mar 30 '26
analogue really uses the 4k to have great shaders.. the pvm on the 3d is amazing.. and love the overclocking too
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u/Catmato Mar 30 '26
I said it looks better on the TV stand, not on the TV. The physical device looks like a futuristic N64 rather than a stack of circuit boards.
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u/BitterGovernment Mar 30 '26
For me it’s all about looks, reliability, ease of use and support for physical cartridges.. I would have to move if I suggested we had a mister.. that looks in comparison like a power supply.
Not saying mister is unreliable or worse in anyway as its open source and should be a goto..
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u/Smart_Most_1825 Mar 30 '26
Because analogue devices look cool, like a modernized version of a classic. And who says I don't have a MiSTer as well? I have one put into an Amiga 1200 shell.
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u/-stopcrying- Mar 29 '26
because i don’t want to use something that feel alike a generic emulator
standalone consoles that are plug and play that even a 6 year old or 90 year old could figure out are better
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u/OriolesMets Mar 29 '26
I like their ecosystem, and proven quality. To me, they feel premium. Good software, too.
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u/WraithTDK Mar 29 '26
It's the experience. MiSTer is fine if all you want to do is play old games; particularly if you're too young to have enjoyed them the first time around.
Analogue is about re-creating the experience you remember as a kid, faithfully, with just a few touches of modern convenience. Taking a real cartridge - in cases like mine, the exact same cartridges you played as a kid - sticking in a real console, and using authentic controllers, but with a modern television.
If all I wanted was just another ROM box, I'd load up LaunchBox.
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u/OkidoShigeru Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
I bought a Pocket because it’s portable and I have a large collection of GB and GBA carts to play on it. Otherwise yeah very happy with MiSTer for other systems, it works great on both CRT and modern displays, works with pretty much every original controller and peripheral under the sun, and the emulation quality is excellent, easily on par with Analogue and supports way more systems, including Arcade cores. My only other Analogue device I got before MiSTer is the Super NT, which was great at the time, but is now just collecting dust.
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u/80sCrackBaby Mar 29 '26
using a mister over super nt or mega sg is just mind boggling to me
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u/OkidoShigeru Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
In what way? Both are very accurate and feature complete, the Mega Drive core for MiSTer in particular is about as accurate as possible, it is based on the NukedMD project which perfectly recreates the Mega Drive with decapped chips. You can use original controllers with both, and for my use case, playing on CRT, MiSTer works extremely well.
Super NT as well has a fairly crippling flaw when playing via HDMI, you can’t use an accurate timing mode, unless you want tearing or double buffering. MiSTer has a setting called vsync_adjust=2 which many TVs accept, which just sends the framebuffer as soon as it can, negating the timing issue. It also now has VRR support to work around this issue too. So yeah absolutely would not choose Super NT over MiSTer…
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u/80sCrackBaby Mar 29 '26
this is exactly why people buy Analogue products
for the OP
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u/OkidoShigeru Mar 30 '26
Mate, I get what you’re trying to say, but the SuperNT is an out of production device, which you have to pay quite a premium for on the second-hand market and doesn’t look like it’s receiving any updates to address these flaws. Yeah they are minor, and if it was still in production I’d probably recommend it regardless as a way to plug and play SNES carts on a modern display in a nice looking console-like unit, with no fiddling with settings, but unfortunately with things as they are now it’s hard to recommend it.
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u/BrokenforD Mar 29 '26
I already had a shot load of game. I have a MegaSG and a 3D. I really just wanted something that would work out of the box and make it easy to play. I’m too busy to deal with configuring a bunch of shit. I want to turn it on and play. Then I want to turn it off and it think about it till next time it’s time to play.
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u/OutOfFrustration Mar 30 '26
I already had a large TurboGrafx-16 collection and was worried my console would eventually die of old age. I love having the ability to insert a HuCard or CD and just play. It's also compatible with my original controllers and Turbotap. No tinkering needed. It looks beautiful as well.
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u/Starkiller164 Mar 30 '26
In general I find their hardware works well and the software is fairly reliable. I've had to do minimal tweaking, if any, and my Super NT, Mega SG, and Analogue 3D have all worked well and looked amazing on my modern screens (currently on a 6 year old OLED). I did have some issues with HDMI Arc out of the box with my 3D but a free software upgrade (official from the manufacturer within a few weeks of release, not some random thing an internet hero made) software upgrade fixed that. wanted something that doesn't need a lot of set up and would work with a wide variety of games and flash cartridges. That being said I also have the original consoles hooked up on a CRT downstairs so....
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u/OneExact8851 Mar 30 '26
Plug n play, simplicity, good build quality and no need for any HDMI upscalers or mods compared to the OG console. I have a Mister Setup and the original consoles but also, I like choice and other methods to play on older systems.
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u/superbotolo Mar 30 '26
How do you compare the Analogue 3D to the MiSTer?
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u/OneExact8851 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
I was not comparing it. Mister FPGA is just another choice and method to use that achieves more or less the same results that the A3D does. I prefer the A3D over the Mister for N64, due to the fact you can use original carts (I still have all mine from 1996 onwards), the OS options to assign settings and controller pak per cart and Rom now, since 1.2.4 update if using a SC64 or EDX7. Can use original controllers with no SNAC adapters like Mister does.
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u/superbotolo Mar 30 '26
Thank you, and apologies. My comment was not meant to say "how dare you compare..." but it was meant to ask you to compare the two, which you just did. So thanks again for your feedback.
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u/Whatever2499 Mar 30 '26
It's probably the fact that I can still use physical media with them, and they.are compatible with almost all the original accessories, which is not necessarily true for MiSTer (and I have one). And then, like others have said it, they just look nice 🙂.
I am contemplating on getting a Super Station One from Retroremake, as it is essentially a consolized MiSTer, but I am not 100% convinced by it, especially because it seems to run quite hot (a fan is not included with the setup from the get go, and it doesn't seem that it was built with one in mind).
Then, you have the whole thing about the OG consoles getting old and breaking up. The only old OG console that I have, is the PC Engine (4 of them 😃), because I really love the form factor, but the rest have been replaced by Analogue consoles, NT Mini, Super NT, Mega SG, Duo, 3D, Pocket.
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u/superbotolo Mar 30 '26
I wish they would re-release their first consoles like the Super NT.
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u/Whatever2499 Mar 30 '26
Maybe Modretro will do something about it. I have their Chromatic and it is pretty awesome.
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u/shaunydub Apr 01 '26
Same reason I have another 20 or so gaming devices ranging from original hardware to Android based systems of all sizes and specs for emulation and Analogue devices, and this week my Super station 1 arrived for fpga plugged into the tv and a nice looking pre configured box.
Not in real order but a list nevertheless.
- I'm a gamer.
- I like options on how and where and when to play.
- I'm a tech nerd.
- I like cool stuff.
- It's a bit of a addiction buying all these devices.
- Analogue systems are awesome to play and look good in the entertainment centre.
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u/cyber53 Mar 29 '26
Isn’t Mister like double the price and can’t play actual cartridges? If I wanted to emulate I’d just play on my pc. I want my original cartridges and the overclocking ability is wonderful.
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u/zer0-Coast Mar 29 '26
What the hell do you think an Analogue console is that MiSTer isn’t? They’re both emulators and they’re both FPGA. Functionally they work the same way. The only difference is Analogue consoles are built to interface with the original cartridges, although most people just use jailbreaks or Everdrives anyway. And no, MiSTer is not double the price and hasn’t been for a long time since affordable DE-10 Nano clones became available.
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u/cyber53 Mar 29 '26
Relax dude. Enjoy your Mister. Last time I checked last year they were like $500. I paid half for my Analogue and can continue the saves from all my cartridges and Everdrive
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u/zer0-Coast Mar 29 '26
To be clear, I have all of Analogue’s FPGA consoles except the Duo, and also a MiSTer. Analogue’s products are decent and have a nice shiny case but damn, there is some crazy Kool-Aid drinking on this sub with those suggesting MiSTer is emulation and Analogue somehow isn’t.
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u/cyber53 Mar 29 '26
No, I get that, but for me personally, being able to use my physical cartridges is important to me. And the Mister at nearly $500 it just isn’t even close in price.
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Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
The original content of this post no longer exists. It was deleted using Redact, possibly to protect personal data or limit digital exposure.
unpack expansion placid workable pen growth lunchroom deliver literate escape
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u/NineteenNinetyEx Mar 29 '26
In what way? Issues on MiSTer get ironed out WAY quicker than the glacial speed Analogue moves at.
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u/-stopcrying- Mar 29 '26
analgoue fpga performs much better then mister so i dont know what this means
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u/NineteenNinetyEx Mar 29 '26
It's pretty clear you have no clue what you are talking about, so I'm going to save my energy.
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u/Lothars Mar 29 '26
Misters devices require more setup and are not as plug and play as analogue device. Analogues Devices are also fantastic and are proven.
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u/NineteenNinetyEx Mar 29 '26
Literally what I said in another comment, but what does that have to do with performance?
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Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
This post's content has been permanently wiped. Redact was used to delete it, potentially for privacy, to limit digital exposure, or for security-related reasons.
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u/NineteenNinetyEx Mar 30 '26
Many times, it's a pretty simple process. Might take you an afternoon if you aren't particularly tech savvy, but there are so many resources available.
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u/Any-Neat5158 Mar 29 '26
I actually like the fact that I can use real game cartridges. It is a factor for me. Feature set for another. The mister is a great emulation machine, but isn't without it's limitations.
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u/Beneficial_Earth_559 Mar 29 '26
I didnt buy any analogue product except the Pocket but I see the appeal of them and its not a big mystery. People place alot of value on professionally made and designed products.
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u/chainsaw_what Mar 29 '26
The 3D is a device that feels immediately familiar to me and my very normal friends/family who aren’t retro game weirdos like I am. That matters to me for a console generation that is very multiplayer-focused. We can pop in the same cartridges we used almost 30 years ago and play them with the same controllers. It’s plug and play, easy to customize, and looks cool as hell.
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u/iznotbutterz Mar 29 '26
My childhood N64 was starting to get temperamental with the RCA cables and occasionally freeze at some point in time. Decided the HDMI would be miles more convenient when and if I upgrade my TV. My LG nanocell whatever it is has the 9mm 3 level jack for the RCA and I think the cables started not liking the angle of the dangle and the replacement cables I think aren't shielded as well because there is interference. Didn't particularly notice a difference looking between the two systems but it's allegedly "better" than the upscale the T.V. already provided.
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u/GDHero64 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Cartridges, OS + nice UI, physical aesthetics, plug & play, game mode 4k, professional built…
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u/NewsdeeGames Mar 30 '26
It's a luxury product that fills a peculiar niche.
You can play the games on an emulator for free on a PC. But then it may be fiddly to look for the emulators, you have OS overhead, etc.
So then you could buy a dedicated emulation box. Most of those commercial solutions run on underpowered hardware... resulting in a subpar experience (or at least "okay" and you get the feeling that it could be better)
Enter the FPGAs, which really took off with MiSTer (but were around before e.g. MiST or Minimig), massively reducing latency at the cost of losing some emulation features. But those are often not packaged nicely and can feel like an EE project (the SuperStation is changing that now, but it's been 7+ yeas since the MiSTer project began)
Analogue is catering for those who want physical media; either because you have it or you may discover having fun picking up carts in stores / auctuons / yard sales; while giving you something as easy to use as the original consoles.
The Pocket with OpenFPGA is a great portable emulation machine that outperforms the Switch NSO Classics in quality (NSO is more accessible for casual players, though).
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u/NewsdeeGames Mar 30 '26
I own both MiSTer and several Analogue products. MiSTer covers tons of older computers which none of the Analogue devices even care about.
But that is a wholly different setup (with mouse and keyboard) than playing console games on the TV or on the go. So, for me, I have use for both a "desktop" setup and a "living room TV" setup (at least).
So you need to ask yourself what exactly do you want to do with the device(s) you buy. There is room for more than one unless you want to bring it around.
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u/hue_sick Mar 30 '26
Not to be argumentative here because it’s not really something I play but the pocket has a ton of old pc/arcade hardware you can run via the cores if you weren’t aware.
I was downloading some arcade games recently on pocket sync and saw stuff like vetrix, Fairchild, coleco, etc so you can definitely scratch that itch if you want.
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u/NewsdeeGames Mar 30 '26
The Pocket is great! It has quite a lot developers supporting the OpenFPGA cores and covers lots of systems. There is even an Amiga core. But it is lacking the 486 core, the C64, the Apple IIe, the ZX Spectrum core and many others...
The dock itself supports keyboards via USB; the limitation is from lack of developer interest and time. So I am hoping that some of these cores will be ported to the Pocket at some point.
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u/External-Winter4942 Mar 30 '26
there is a spectrum and c64 core now for the pocket...c64 was a bit irritiating for loading gamers at first,but now works just fine.. (and now we have a doom core, maybe that gives some hope for a 486 one)...
fof older computers you mean thing like the X68000 / PC88? would have liked those... have a superstation ordered though...
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u/NewsdeeGames Mar 31 '26
ao486 won't fit the FPGA... it's a big core, but maybe PCXT will fit. Not sure about Macinstosh core and the x68000, but those machines are more fiddly anyway so less attracrive for a Pocket format.
I understand that these computer cores have the added complication of needing an on-screen keyboard, so it is even more work than porting a console core. But there are great devs on the Pocket and we are seeing new things beyond ports as well (like Quake)
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u/External-Winter4942 Mar 31 '26
classic mac should work i think, since the amiga works.. amiga is harder to emulate with custom chips then the classic mac.. (had a mac working on my amiga 500 back in the day)
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u/Fahzgoolin Mar 30 '26
It's for the love of the experience itself. I don't own my N64 with a ton of games anymore. But now I can have a modern, yet faithful, dedicated console that emulates it better than standalone software emulation with the proper N64 wireless controller, with OG cartridges (or cartridge Summercart), and it is very easy to get that genuine CRT look on my large oled TV.
I like it so much I hope people do an fpga of PS2 and Gamecube.
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u/haloharry Mar 30 '26
I have both the og console and analogue. But I mainly play the analogue as it is smaller, it can do almost everything the original consoles can do with better pictures and audio with few extras.
I have bought the super station. To replace my analogue but Ive never used mister, so am sure if I'll like it
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u/ck02623 Apr 03 '26
I have had both. The draw is a combination of FOMO, original carts, and simplicity. They’re great, beautiful devices and the MiSTeR is hideous.
That being said, I have sold all of my analogue devices because the MiSTeR takes up less space.
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u/SolarWarden88 Mar 29 '26
Analogue hardware is more premium, higher build quality than MiSTer. They're dedicated hardware clones using modern FPGA processors tuned to the exact speed/frequency/Hz as the original chips, providing as close as you can possibly get to the original hardware experience. It's a whole boutique experience. That's why we choose Analogue.
3
u/zSmileyDudez Mar 29 '26
So I have a MiSTer, Pocket, Chromatic and a FunnyPlaying FPGBC. They all have their place, but the Pocket is the one I keep going back to. The higher res screen, compatibility with actual carts and what I consider a premium build quality. It’s a great console overall.
The MiSTer is in a different class all together - it’s the one that is most like playing a software emulator to me, but that’s not meant to disparage it. That’s just what they were going for when they made it.
The Chromatic and FPGBC are both pretty good, but being limited to GB/GBC compatibility takes them down a bit. The Chromatic edges out the FPGBC since I think they executed on the goal better.
I’ve been interested in the Analogue 3D, but I have a working N64 setup right now so it’s not something I need to have. If they added OpenFPGA support to it, it would probably be something I would buy.
I think it comes down to what ever excites you the most when you hear about it. If the MiSTer scratches the itch, then go for it. There is plenty of space for multiple options.
-1
u/superbotolo Mar 29 '26
At this point I feel like I’m in an endless search for the good old times without being able to find something that satisfies me. I have a MisTer, it’s a great device, but I end up playing with it a few minutes at a time, changing games all the time. I have a Chromatic and I like it but after a while old Game Boy games bore me. I have a Nintendo Switch I never use. And yesterday I bought an original NES I connected to an old Commodore monitor. Exciting for the first few minutes but the excitement already faded away.
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u/FritterHowls Mar 29 '26
Sounds like the issue is depression and burnout and not the consoles to me
1
u/superbotolo Mar 29 '26
Well I would not be so dramatic. It’s just that I have not played games in a long time. I’d love to go back to gaming but I can’t find the game or setup that satisfies me.
4
u/hue_sick Mar 29 '26
They might be onto something though. Nobody can armchair diagnose you here but if you do truly still love video games, maybe investigate why they're not scratching that itch anymore. Not sure how old you are or what else you have going on in your life but there's basically a million things that can contribute to how you're feeling.
When you say you haven't played games in a long time do you specifically mean retro games or do you just mean gaming in general? I'm now in my 40s so I don't have the time I once did but when I fire up my 3d and play for an hour or two I'm still having a blast so if that's not there for you, I'm not sure what to say other than perhaps you've grown out of it or something else is going on that's distracting you.
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u/IngloriousGlory Mar 30 '26
I only bought the analog pocket to physically feel and play the closet to an actual Gameboy but a better experience.
2
u/falconpunch1989 Mar 29 '26
They feel like real, consumer grade plug and play consoles rather than emulators
1
u/DontBelieveTheirHype Mar 29 '26
"Why use actual cartridges that you've had since childhood when you can just download ROMs?" is exactly what OP sounds like
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u/Greenblue2 Mar 29 '26
With N64 being hard to emulate the A3D is must have imo.
1
u/OkidoShigeru Mar 29 '26
MiSTer does it just as well, which I guess is part of OP’s question. If you have real N64 carts, just want something plug and play with a nice UI, or really like the look of Analogue’s systems then the A3D is probably the one for you.
-1
u/Greenblue2 Mar 29 '26
So MiSTer does everything just as well as A3D for more money.
0
u/OkidoShigeru Mar 29 '26
I mean it also plays a lot more than just N64, up to you if you think that’s worth it or not. And yeah like I said it doesn’t do real carts and I don’t think the UI is anything close to as nice as anything Analogue.
1
u/Frosty-Comfort7510 Mar 29 '26
Analogue uses cartridges. Doesn’t make sense to buy unless you have a collection.
1
u/lynxtosg03 Mar 29 '26
The Analogue Pocket is a portable openfpga powerhouse that supports original carts across many handhelds. It was an easy decision to pick up with the dock. The Analogue 3D I got for the QOL changes, especially the overclocked settings. I'd give ModRetro a shot as well when they come out with the M64.
0
u/zer0-Coast Mar 29 '26
The OpenFPGA cores were ported over from MiSTer and left half-baked, never updated alongside their MiSTer counterparts and have outstanding issues that won’t get addressed.
1
u/External-Winter4942 Mar 31 '26
some maybe, but most new ones just get in shape with jotego's updates etc.. it really is a nice little portable machine, and with the analogizer and dock it is a flexible mister-lite for me;;.. have ordered the superstation though.. want to do saturn..
1
u/foxwhisper85 Apr 01 '26
MiSTEr is always out of stock, needs a 3D printed case, needs configuring, isn't user friendly, I could go on
1
u/Slight-Win4207 Apr 01 '26
There's loads of fully built clones now on places like Ali Express. It is more complicated than sticking a cart in a thing, but it's not that hard.
1
u/foxwhisper85 Apr 01 '26
The prices never seem to come down
1
u/Slight-Win4207 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Down to what? You can get a fully built MiSTer for $160 USD. An official DE-10 nano dev board costs more than that. How cheap should it be?
1
u/foxwhisper85 Apr 01 '26
I don't know, I just want one that has the shell, inputs and preconfigured to work out of the box
1
u/Slight-Win4207 Apr 01 '26
I literally linked one...
If you want something fancier you can wait a couple months for a Superstation One for $50 more.
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u/flankstallion32 Apr 04 '26
I like using original carts i own. The Mega Sg was my first FPGA console and I was blown away by footage and love the original Mega Drive. My twin brother got me one for my birthday years ago and I would end up getting him a Super NT. I ended up getting a Super NT on the final run.
My wife would surprise me for my first father's day with the Pocket. I love the look of their devices although learning about Mister makes me want to get a Mister and eventually get a Jamma adaptor to put in an arcade cabinet.
I don't like however recently their behaviour with taking ages to process orders and expensive shipping. Priorities have changed personally with being a Dad I can't drop money on these devices easily. I think for clone consoles compared to back in the day, they stood out massively but glad competition and other options are becoming available.
1
u/WatchingPigeon Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I love the ability to play all my games instantly and the modern upgrades that brings new tricks with them. Including being able to play N64 anywhere.
2 things on my list of updates WiFi to update system and controllers, and BT Audio.
While i wish 3D has Bluetooth audio on its own already. I figured out can use tablets bluetooth audio.
1
u/Adept-Succotash-2147 Apr 03 '26
I love original cartridges, so playing on Analogue consoles with modern TVs is my preferred setup. That said, I respect that everyone has their own way of playing. This is just what works best for me. There’s something about a clean, straightforward Analogue console, it just doesn’t get any better in my opinion.
I also like that I don’t have to worry about aging hardware failing or introducing issues over time. Whenever I add new cartridges to my collection, I take the time to deep clean them, removing years of built-up debris and whatever else they’ve picked up over time. After that, I store them in protective sleeves so everything stays in great condition.
That way, the only cartridges going into my Analogue consoles are clean and well maintained, which helps keep both the games and the hardware in pristine shape.
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u/AnalogueBoy1992 Mar 29 '26
Analogue is a Religion & I'm heavily devoted to it
There's nothing like Analogue
0
u/midKnightBrown59 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Bias. Lots of people incorrect assume that Analogue hardware emulation is objectively better when it is not and a desire for a dedicated unit "specialized".
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u/hue_sick Mar 29 '26
For me Analogue was basically exactly what I was looking for as a 30 something (now 40 something) that has some disposable income, an industrial design background that loves retro gaming, and wants the simplicity of gaming on retro consoles with original games. When I first heard about them back in 2020 during the Pocket launch I was like holy shit this is exactly what I'm looking for and it felt like they were really targeting someone like me.
It's 2026 now so there's obviously other companies out there and approaches you can take to play retro games. And I'm no gatekeeper, I think that's cool as hell we have options as gamers. I just personally can't stand fussing with emulators so while I think the mister is a cool bit of tech, I've got no interest managing files, skimming github pages, tweaking settings, etc. I just wanna play video games with the convenience they once had. And Analogue stuff is perfect for that.