GameStick $17/$20 (in store/online) at Gamestop

Carlanga said:
If you turn off WIFI before starting the emulators they will improve in frame-rate considerably. WIFI and BT are on the same chip and the controller is BT ;)
NES.emu and Snes9x EX+ are the ones I have tested so far and are not super perfect, but good enough especially after turning wifi off. I tested other emulators for both and these were the best for the gamestick. Some games I played astyanax, ducktales, tmnt turtles in time, etc.

After playing for a few minutes with the controller in both emulators this is what I felt:

Buttons need to be press farther than standard presses, not too much difference, but noticeable in games that you need to constantly press a button.

Dpad is just ok

Joystick is just awful, huge dead zone IMO.

If they were going to call the thing gamestick, they should have paid a few more bucks for better controller hardware.



Wish there was a way to turn it off when the tv is off. I feel like it might consume too much power?
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It's only using 5 volts as that's all a usb port can supply, it's fine, I promise lol.

 
Carlanga said:
Wish there was a way to turn it off when the tv is off. I feel like it might consume too much power?
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[SIZE=14.4444446563721px]I have 2 sets of power switches next to my tv for everything connected to it, all I do is hit a switch to turn it on and off. Also if you have the dock that has a power button on it, so there's that.[/SIZE]

 
saathe said:
Got this up and running with no problems. Thanks OP! One question, my Netflix and Youtube playback is definitely not coming through at 1080P, using this on the same monitor I have hooked up to a desktop that shows 1080p content no problem. The images both static and streamed look to be less than 720p. Is this a settings issue, did I mess up the screen fitting? I made sure to toggle through all the display modes from 720p up and never could get a crisp picture on a video.

Also is there a way to move to a newer Android version? Or is that not as simple as downloading another img file.
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Yeah, something interesting happens in xbmc and the desktop. While xbmc reads that it's only outputting to 720p once the 1080p video starts playing it goes to 1080p (can check this by the menu button on most tv sets) I want to say the degrade in video quality you are referring to is simply due to high compressed video files. While something might be 1080p with enough compression it can look murky. Believe me, if newer versions of android supported this particular hardware set the rom would had been based off of them, would love to be on Lollipop but sadly, as of now, 4.1 Jellybean is the latest supported build.

 
harleypv said:
[SIZE=14.4444446563721px]I have 2 sets of power switches next to my tv for everything connected to it, all I do is hit a switch to turn it on and off. Also if you have the dock that has a power button on it, so there's that.[/SIZE]
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yeah I have the dock, but if I'm in my bed I don't want to stand up to turn off a device and don't want to spend extra money on a remote controlled power switch. I might continue to play around w different apps and see which one turns it off.

 
Carlanga said:
yeah I have the dock, but if I'm in my bed I don't want to stand up to turn off a device and don't want to spend extra money on a remote controlled power switch. I might continue to play around w different apps and see which one turns it off.
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There are only apps to reboot :/

 
Carlanga said:
yeah I have the dock, but if I'm in my bed I don't want to stand up to turn off a device and don't want to spend extra money on a remote controlled power switch. I might continue to play around w different apps and see which one turns it off.
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Ahh I see what you mean now. SPMC has an option to shut it off but doesn't seem to be working for me. I assume there is probably an app that can do it though.

EDIT:

zebular said:
There are only apps to reboot :/
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And that explains it. Damn.

 
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Work when I changed usb. When I go into settings and about device it shows "android version 4.1.2" and that is the one I downloaded from your updated link. I am just trying to make sbmc run smooth without it crashing
 
Dukelived said:
Work when I changed usb. When I go into settings and about device it shows "android version 4.1.2" and that is the one I downloaded from your updated link. I am just trying to make sbmc run smooth without it crashing
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Yes, that is the latest build that supports the GameStick's chipset. If 5.0.1 supported it I would most definitely be running it but that isn't the case.

What is crashing it? I have both SPMC and KODI 14 running perfectly fine streaming 1080p and playing 1080p mkv files.

 
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Can confirm John NES plays well on it.  I think a lot of the bad emulation people are referring to is from controller lag from the crap bluetooth receiver in the controller that comes with the system.  I've been using an Ouya controller with no problems.

 
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During spmc like movie selection the device will reboot. It goes to the source and I click and bam it turns off (I don't think I am rushing it because I let it load)
Kodi cannot access the source which is strange since spmc can.
 
Dukelived said:
During spmc like movie selection the device will reboot. It goes to the source and I click and bam it turns off (I don't think I am rushing it because I let it load)
Kodi cannot access the source which is strange since spmc can.
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Try ShowBox

 
zebular said:
Can confirm John NES plays well on it. I think a lot of the bad emulation people are referring to is from controller lag from the crap bluetooth receiver in the controller that comes with the system. I've been using an Ouya controller with no problems.
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I use a dualshock 3 and it was unplayable...
 
Anyway to make the welcome screen reappear after installing the ethernet mod? I installed it and got the message but the stick wasn't in the dock so I rebooted with the dock attached and now it won't appear. I could just wipe and start over but I'd like to avoid that if possible.

 
harleypv said:
Anyway to make the welcome screen reappear after installing the ethernet mod? I installed it and got the message but the stick wasn't in the dock so I rebooted with the dock attached and now it won't appear. I could just wipe and start over but I'd like to avoid that if possible.
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You shouldn't have to wipe, just do the update with the patch from the recovery menu again.

 
Made a video of Castlevania for PSP running through the PPSSPP emulator on the GameStick.  Damn smooth and didn't even enable frame skipping.
http://youtu.be/5RCAwIDutUo

 
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I am having trouble getting into recovery mode.  I pressed the reset button but it doesnt seems to work.

 
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Update

I decided to pair a PS3 controller and won't go back to the gamestick controller; it will become a decoration piece on top of the dock
Reasons:
1) it's even smaller to get my PS3 controller w me out and about. Just not flat
2) super minimal input lag on emulators w wifi off. It's so much better than w the official controller. So much.
3) acts as a game pad AND as a mouse (just remember to set action of mouse on off w r3 for example)
4) since it acts as both a mouse and a gamepad I can now do everything w one thing. No more mouse for me.

Now if only I could put to sleep or turn off the damn thing without physically having to stand then I could be super happy. Now it deserves the spot next to my appletv.
 
Carlanga said:
Update

I decided to pair a PS3 controller and won't go back to the gamestick controller; it will become a decoration piece on top of the dock
Reasons:
1) it's even smaller to get my PS3 controller w me out and about. Just not flat
2) super minimal input lag on emulators w wifi off. It's so much better than w the official controller. So much.
3) acts as a game pad AND as a mouse (just remember to set action of mouse on off w r3 for example)
4) since it acts as both a mouse and a gamepad I can now do everything w one thing. No more mouse for me.

Now if only I could put to sleep or turn off the damn thing without physically having to stand then I could be super happy. Now it deserves the spot next to my appletv.
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You really need to start playing with ppsspp. I've only tried CV so far but the psp has a good library of games, especially if you're a jrpg nut.

 
Just got mine working tonight, PvZ 2 works pretty good with the mouse so far. Will mess around with emulators, controllers, and video streaming tomorrow.
 
Got the sound issues taken care of now, but for some reason the wifi connection sucks when I'm a solid 10 feet from the router. I'm trying to watch a show on Netflix and it's mostly choppy and tough to watch. Also took me a solid 5 minutes to download a 7 MB Pandora app. Not sure what's going on.

 
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I am REALLY impressed PSP and DS emulators are working so well!!! I figured I would have to stick to my Ouya or Xbox for emulation, but now I'm having second thoughts.

I'm not using my dock (I like not hearing that fan!)....has anyone tried a USB hub plugged into the USB splitter cable? I'm going to check into that tonight I believe. Right now I have my remote control dongle plugged into the USB, and would like to have an external flash drive also....

 
I used a USB hub with the splitter, it works fine as long as the Gamestick is connected directly to AC power and not to the USB port of the TV or a computer. I had a wireless keyboard/mouse receiver, a 32gb flash drive, and a Dualshock 3 connected at the same time to an unpowered hub, so the stick would reset if I didn't have it connected to its own AC. Generally I think any powered hub should work, I just have one of the random unpowered Targus hubs that happened to work with the Ouya (and as a result, the gamestick.)

As far as lag in the emulators that was mentioned earlier, I think some of it has to do with the emulator itself and what kind of controller you are using. For example, I was using a Dual Shock 3 connected by USB cable on the Gamestick, and Neo.emu worked great with Metal Slug (you would die A LOT if you had lag.) I popped in MD.Emu and played Sonic 1 and the lag was immediately noticeable. Last night I was playing around with my Ouya using the stock Ouya controller and got the same thing, Neo.emu worked fine and MD.emu had lag. I seem to recall MD.emu working just fine with a USB Saturn pad, but I haven't tried it in ages.

 
Zebular, you're a saint! Thanks for this amazing thread. Now if I could only figure out how to use the keyboard or mouse to somehow communicate OK on the screen before a mame rom!? Lolz.

Regardless of the emulator issues, the device is simply unmatched as far as bang for your cheapassgamer buck... genesis alone makes it worth the price of admission!

Thanks again!
 
Hey OP, thanks for all your work and info. What a fun, cheap toy to mess around with. As someone who has installed XBMC and emulators on anything and everything I could for years, I can tell this thing isn't without its quirks. But now that I've got everything set up and running, it's fast, easy, and super-convenient. It may not dethrone my docked PSP Go as my go-to emulation machine, but jumping right from Netflix into a quick round of Street Fighter II before bed? Definitely worth $17 :)

If I knew about this before Christmas, it'd be a mad dash around the city, scooping up as many as I could to give as gifts!
 
I agree - Zelbular you truly are the man with this  :applause:

On another site, I tried my hardest to convince people this is a great device once you do some work with it...and it really didn't catch on. I'm glad to see it get a decent following here. I was a serious Ouya fan for a while, but it also cost me $100+....

I'm really enjoying this Gamestick.

 
dave auto said:
Hey OP, thanks for all your work and info. What a fun, cheap toy to mess around with. As someone who has installed XBMC and emulators on anything and everything I could for years, I can tell this thing isn't without its quirks. But now that I've got everything set up and running, it's fast, easy, and super-convenient. It may not dethrone my docked PSP Go as my go-to emulation machine, but jumping right from Netflix into a quick round of Street Fighter II before bed? Definitely worth $17 :)

If I knew about this before Christmas, it'd be a mad dash around the city, scooping up as many as I could to give as gifts!
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What controller are you using again?

As a matter of fact, anyone that is using this for Emulators, what controllers are you finding work the best?

Ouya?

PS3?

Gamestick Controller?

Some other? Wired or Wireless?

I have a USB Pseudo-Playstation controller I might give a try...

 
Picked up the additional controller package at GameStop for 9 Bucks. Now i have a cheap bluetooth controller that I've paired to my Amazon FireTV Stick, and can use it in mouse emulation to control those apps that need touch. Its slow mousing around, but it works. Here is how to switch to mouse mode on the GameStick Controller.

Stolen from another post...


Hold down the 'Back' button until the 4 LEDs on the front start flashing then, while still holding 'Back' start pressing the 'Start' button until only the 3rd LED is lit. Then the right analog stick becomes the mouse and the left trigger becomes the mouse click. You can click and drag as well to help arrange things on the main desktop and such.

Then you do the same process to make the 1st LED become highlighted for normal usage.
 
BigBizzee said:
What controller are you using again?

As a matter of fact, anyone that is using this for Emulators, what controllers are you finding work the best?

Ouya?

PS3?

Gamestick Controller?

Some other? Wired or Wireless?

I have a USB Pseudo-Playstation controller I might give a try...
Click to expand...
I haven't messed around with different controllers on the Gamestick other than PS3, but on the Ouya it would take damn near anything with a USB plug, and I imagine the Game Stick will be the same way. I've found the following to work well:

USB Saturn pad (original Sega one, some generics don't work right)

RetroUSB SNES to USB adapter (awesome for NES/SNES)

Neo Geo X arcade stick (good for Neo, obviously, and any 4 button or less Mame games)

PS3 controller (with a wire, apparently you need a paid app for wireless)

I'd really love to use a PS4 controller, and I tried it with the Game Stick, but it didn't recognize the d pad at all. The buttons and analogs all worked fine, but without a dpad it's kinda useless.

The Ouya controller did some funny things in some emulators, and the layout wasn't great for most 16 bit systems so I don't like using it. It will work in a pinch though, I was playing TMNT with it last night because I was too lazy to hook up another controller. I like the Ouya controller just fine for android specific games, the analogs and buttons are decent I just don't like the dpad too much.

 
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ParadoxSeven said:
Picked up the additional controller package at GameStop for 9 Bucks. Now i have a cheap bluetooth controller that I've paired to my Amazon FireTV Stick, and can use it in mouse emulation to control those apps that need touch. Its slow mousing around, but it works. Here is how to switch to mouse mode on the GameStick Controller.

Stolen from another post...


Hold down the 'Back' button until the 4 LEDs on the front start flashing then, while still holding 'Back' start pressing the 'Start' button until only the 3rd LED is lit. Then the right analog stick becomes the mouse and the left trigger becomes the mouse click. You can click and drag as well to help arrange things on the main desktop and such.
Then you do the same process to make the 1st LED become highlighted for normal usage.
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Awesome thanks. Good to know if I decide to take this thing on a trip.
 
Growing up as a SNES kid I never thought I'd say this, but I really love Genesis.

Caught up on American Dad last night.  Wow, that season sucked.

 
What is everyone's experience with SNES emulation? I'm having a pretty good experience with NeoGeo, but SNES (using SNES9X) is incredibly laggy. Definitely not the controller either, as the whole game chugs (sound, visuals).

I've also not been able to get RetroArch going. The initial setup seems fine, then when I run anything a new ingame menu pops up, and I have no control. It recognizes my controller, but says that every button has no input set (even though I set it up in the emulator top menu).

Thanks!

 
Stri26 said:
What is everyone's experience with SNES emulation? I'm having a pretty good experience with NeoGeo, but SNES (using SNES9X) is incredibly laggy. Definitely not the controller either, as the whole game chugs (sound, visuals).

I've also not been able to get RetroArch going. The initial setup seems fine, then when I run anything a new ingame menu pops up, and I have no control. It recognizes my controller, but says that every button has no input set (even though I set it up in the emulator top menu).

Thanks!
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I have the same problems. SNES9X is laggy and I can't click anything on the second 8 bit looking Retroarch menu.
 
sgand said:
I have the same problems. SNES9X is laggy and I can't click anything on the second 8 bit looking Retroarch menu.
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Actually I'm about to upload a video (I really need a tripod), try out Super Retro 16. I just got done playing the first 3 levels of Contra 3 Alien Wars with zero lag. The only option I changed was "enable hardware acceleration" in the video settings. I will say that the sound is definitely off from a real SNES but I believe that just comes with the territory of emulation. There is a "turbo" slider bar option but as far as I can tell it doesn't really do anything, I'm guessing that is just an app priority manager.

 
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Alright so this is actually REALLY interesting.  So I was always very confused why so many people were complaining about the SNES emulation, well, I was using my Ouya gamepad the entire time and was having zero slow downs.  Well, I then tried the crap GameStick controller and yes, it actually causes emulation slowdown, as in you actually get worse fps using it!  So I suppose I would have to recommend everyone to use a wired controller or pair a ps3 controller.

 
zebular said:
Alright so this is actually REALLY interesting. So I was always very confused why so many people were complaining about the SNES emulation, well, I was using my Ouya gamepad the entire time and was having zero slow downs. Well, I then tried the crap GameStick controller and yes, it actually causes emulation slowdown, as in you actually get worse fps using it! So I suppose I would have to recommend everyone to use a wired controller or pair a ps3 controller.
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Good to know. Just got my wireless router setup with a better firmware (had a vulnerable stock firmware, no good to me) , so hoping to set up the gamestick tonight (plus to make sure it isn't one of the many broke units).

 
Pookymeister said:
Went to go pickup my in-store order, and they had sold it to someone else. SMH.
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that is gs code, for I'm keeping it. If this is the first day of the hold you could go tomorrow and see if the manager is there and ask for your order. The employee is waiting for your hold to expire to get the stick IMO.

 
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