Dude, you mentioned it's a 4:3 screen in your criticisms of the bezels around 4:30, but it's a 1:1 screen, not 4:3. That's one of its main marketing factors.
You are 100% correct, I noticed that I accidentally misspoke when it was unfortunately too late to correct it. However, it still doesn't address the major issue with this device. I'll pin your comment, though. Thanks for the correction!
I agree that charging problem is bad. I had something similar with my rp3+ when I accidently left it on and let the battery drain. With that said it seems you don't get what this device market is and where it excels. The 1:1 screen makes it almost perfect for game boy games and similar systems that lies close to the 1:1 aspect ratio. It's a way cheaper option to the analogue pocket, which is out of stock all the time anyways. I'm buying this more or less strictly for the game boy and pico 8. Very niched I agree.
@@StarscreamSWE Not only that, but using an 8:7 ratio on other emulated systems will give almost full 1:1 screen usage as well. Russ covers this in great detail in his guide.
Did you try opening up the device, disconnecting the battery from the board, wait a few mins, then reconnect the battery and see if that solves the battery issues?
I noticed from Retro game corps yellow unit review that they don't use the same battery manufacturer across units. What serial number you have on your battery?
Interesting...I picked one up a little while back and so far am loving it. I upgraded to the newest JELOS and a new micro SD before playing and have not had too many issues. A couple of lock-ups over many hours played but no trouble charging so far (*knock on wood). I am pretty fond of the device and find it's the one I reach for though I do have a couple other handhelds ( mod 3DS, Pocket 2+, RG351P, RG350M...etc). I play mostly GB, GBC, GBA, PICO-8 and Neo Geo - which work well on this device.
IMO it sounds like you don't understand the point of the 1:1 and how people prefer native AR's. Most people who buy this would never want to stretch the screen in RA like you're suggesting. Regardless of that, the battery issues are completely inexcusable.
Charging issue is not Powkiddie's problem or RGB30's problem. It's an issue with RK3566 chipset. It is present on all devices that have it (or at least those that have multiple usb ports). It's a good chipset for it's price to performance ratio, and I think at this price it's very reasonable to accept some minor quirks if they have simple workarounds, which they do.
I was hoping this would be a good alternative to the expensive RG Cube. I check out its successor, the RGB40 and it's got some critical build quality problems as well.
Thanks for your honesty. I was tempted by the RGB30 but have been put off by its battery issues and questionable build quality. I opted to go for a Miyoo Mini+. I have reservations about its size but for the price and its positive reputation, it is worth a go!
I would buy a retroid pocket 2s mainly because of the touch screen, but it's more than 130€ to get it where i live. The most similar hardware is the rgb30, too bad it doesnt have a touch screen and has this kind of battery issues. I dont know what to buy now, onestly i would love something not big and with a touch screen for NDS games.
@Techcravers that temperature is rather a natural way that battery behaves when it is charged. That back plate is where the battery is situated in this model so no wonder it is slightly warmer.
Can you recommend an alternate handheld emulation device with a 1:1 aspect ratio screen at least 720p (or any resolution that handles integer scaling of GB/GBC/GG well without large black borders while also handling vertical arcade games well, 480p is not great for this) that can handle at least up to PS1 well and isn't Android or Windows based? I'm currently using a Miyoo Mini+, Retroid Pocket 2S, RG405m, R35xx + and an Odin Pro, but am looking for something with these specs to add to my collection, primarily for GB/GBC/GG/Lynx, PICO 8 and vertical arcade games.
If those are your specific requirements, I would say RGB30 is the way to go. At least for now. Apart from serious issues with batteries and charging, it's a good machine and something I'd be happy to use more often. However, the more or less hazardous problems associated with it make me stay away.
Great video! I totally agree with your point that any simple device like a portable game player that needs a “tips and tricks guide” simply for charging has a serious problem. Just yesterday I went to play with my RGB30 and it was dead. Nothing I did would revive it. I thought I had somehow bricked it, and was resigned to throwing it in the trash, because I’m not going to throw good money after bad by paying to ship an $85 toy back to China in hopes that things would be put right. But then I saw your youtube video. I remembered Russ saying he would leave a guide to address the unit’s charging issues, but I had not thought I would ever find that necessary. But here I was, and guess what? Changing the charging cable from a type C to type C, to a type C to type A actually got it charging. WTF? What kind of prima donna device had ever made this kind of demand? None of the dozens (maybe hundreds) of devices I’ve ever owned. This thing is pathetic. And not even very comfortable to hold, because of the sharp-ish edges.
I tried to update my RGB30 last night, and now all I see is the jelos start up screen, and then it goes black...I have no clue what to do now...charging was a pain in the ass too
Assume you may have found your answer elsewhere, but in case not, this is a dumb known issue where the brightness setting resets to zero after the update. Hold Select and use the volume up button to turn the brightness back up.
@@ShakingSpiritAI yes, I read this same thing on Reddit, and that was what the problem was, thank you. Love the screen on this, tho..but I think I'm going to get something even better.. I'm gonna shop around for a budget handheld pc..
The reviewer says he doesn't understand why the RGB30 is so popular and then proceeds to list off all its notable features. I don't think they understand the intended use case and audience for this device.
He says he doesn't understand why this device is so popular due to having such a consistent problem with the battery, and I agree with him. Those charging problems are not acceptable.
I completely agree with you on charging problems and people should be aware of said problem. But I decided I am willing to deal with the problem and ordered one for myself. The screen looks just so good.
Power management has been problem with these kind of handheld. Which, is actually pretty dangerous, if you ask me. Not just that these devices wouldn't turn off when over heating. On the changing front, they also wouldn't turn off when the CPU goes super hot. My wife forgot to turn off my device and put it under pillow, and when I find it, ot is like burning hot. So hot that, the screen is going crazy.....
If your wife is in the habit of turning on lithium battery powered items and stuffing them under extremely flammable material, make sure both your insurance and your wills are up to date.
Wow. I got one and had this charging/not turning on issue too. I thought i just got a faulty unit or something. Guess I'll have to tunker with charging. What a weird issue... Thanks for the video!
i’ve seen a lot of reviews on this device. and many MANY say that the battery is not good. the screen is nice but without a good battery it’s kind of pointless
The battery problem is real. Mine get uncomfortably warm while charging on a normal 5V 2.0amp charger. Would definitely not let it plugged in overnight. A week later now it only charge to a maximum of 41%. Would not get pass 41% no matter what. Tried different cables & chargers.
3V charger is the max You can use. Try old phone block with usb C provided in the box. Old HTC power brick worked for me. It goes pass 60% now and charges fast.
I received my RGB30 two weeks ago and since then I haven't touched my other handhelds, I charge it via my pc and havent really had any of the charging problems you mentioned. I did have some problems with the d-pad with certain games but I will try to fix that with some of the solutions you can find on YT. I mostly play PS1/Dreamcast/SegaCD and the Mame/NeoGeo arcades on it and I simply love it for that. I do agree on the device getting quite warm but we are headed for winter so that might be a plus. 🤣
I haven't hooked it up to a tv yet but it does have a HDMI out. It has bluetooth so you can connect a gamepad to it and yes you can also add scanlines and other filters to the games. @@retrogamer8085
I've been using MinUI on mine and have had no charging issues, no overheating and the battery lasts forever. It's pretty much completely replaced my Analogue pocket.
I have one and the charging is insane... I charged it with a sharkgeek charger with usb-a to usb-c. It got really hot... and smelled like burning electronics... I then took it off the charger and it will no longer light the led when charging and will no longer turn on... I plugged it in to my sharkgeek battery and it said it was putting 17 watts into the device... waaaay too high for a device like this. Pow kiddy really needs to upgrade their charging solution cus this is wonky and it seems really easy to permanently damage your device. If you get one be sure to get a powerbrick that will only deliver like 2 amps of current. Or charge it from your pc's usb port. This all wouldn't be an issue if they supported power delivery standards.
@@jonathonearl482 That's a big problem. I would stop using them immediately, get the battery discarded safely instantly and report it to Powkiddy. Not only should they refund you both, but retract all the devices if this is the cause. Swollen batteries can blow up and kill a child or damage / obliterate peoples hands. Incredibly dangerous. Edit: It looks like this is correlated to usage of higher watt than they recommend.
I agree I'd rather take an cheap anbernic device. I also don't like analog sticks on hanhelds that's can't emulate systems that had analog sticks. What's the purpose?
I have seen other reviewers mention that the charge issue is related to the percentage that is displayed on the screen. It’s not the correct percentage so it will appear to go from 60% to 0% iirc, Techdweeb mentions a fix in his review of the device that requires opening it and making a small adjustment. Not ideal, but might help things
Hi, thanks for commenting and for the fix tips. I'm aware of it but it won't change my recommendations as it's not something you should have to do. But it's good there's a fix at least :)
Considering the issues with the charging on the RGB30, how about going for a second hand PS Vita and loading retroarch on it? I haven't tried any of those retro handheld devices yet (and to be honest, the yellow version of RGB30 looks really nice so i was tempted to get one at first), but I guess a PS Vita would perform better with retro gaming,? or maybe not?
part of your problem with battery is that you're putting it into sleep mode by just pressing the power button briefly. this is a screen-off mode by default that drains the battery. you should set sleep mode to deep sleep in RA. Frankly, the other 4-5 videos i watched on the rgb30 were far more informative. the only thing worth seeing here was the mention of charging issues, better covered by rgc. there are tons of reasons to buy this device for certain people, as it is different from pretty much every other handheld out now.
I just ordered an RGB30 just a few days ago in the other reviews they never mentioned this type of problem, I hope it is a relatively isolated problem and that I don't have that same problem
I dont think you understand the 30 and what it is meant for, its not for everyone or everything and that is ok. It works great for me and fits my niche of GB, GBC and arcade vertical games.
I got one. The screen doesn't turn on, and the battery doesn't hold a charge. The little led comes on when plugged in, and immediately turns off after being unplugged. I've done everything. It doesn't even make a good paper weight. Complete garbage.
You talked me out of it. Just when I was ready to pull the trigger just for that sweet 1:1 screen niche, your video made me question if I really wanted to gamble with Powkiddy QC
So the only complaint is really charging? I've heard that this issue really isn't an issue if you use the cord they provide. These can be finicky about the type of charging block you use. Generally though this seems to be a very uncommon problem
"Jel-O-S or JelOS, but Russ from game corpse not corps." He may seem monotone and boring, (with a mail order bride wife) but he's definitely not a corpse.
PS2 needs a lot more punch than the RK3566 in this is capable of. Probably the retroid pocket 4 pro or the odin 2 if you want a good experience. You're not gonna get decent PS2 on super budget hand-helds like these.
Regardless of the flaws if you like vertical shmups there's basically noting else on the market that won't be awful for those kinds of games until the unlikely event someone makes a portable with a vertical 4:3 screen. Which is a good idea, it'd be cheap because it only needs to run mame, but still almost certainly not going to happen.
I have had my RGB30 for 2 weeks now, and it is my favourite retro hand held so far. It came with the 256g + 16 g for OS. I backed all up then downloaded latest JELos, installed on fresh card (32g) set up a fresh 128g card for roms, no point in the N64 for example. after telling device to use 2 cards I was done. Added what I needed rom wise. No going into retroarch, just use the options button and set up each emulator there for preferences, GB, GBc, SmS, MD,Nes, Snes are perfect the hand helds look and sound amazing when you tinker. I have had no charging nor over heating problems. My only problem is the d-pad that can be "fixed" by modding the pads inside with some tape, a minor problem. After setting up an playing with it you get to know your way round it and fix what you need to. No retro hand held is perfect out of the box and time is needed to figure it out. The screen has to bee seen to be believed for GB it is 1:1 for a reason...Oh and vertical shooters look better than any other hand held and you do not need to rotate the console either. I have Lynx, Vectrex and wonderswan also on and they are to die for amazing. Get it, love it play it. 9/10
I plugged the RGB30 to the USB port on my Bluetooth speaker. It melted the USB cable. Both the RGB and the speaker we're too hot to touch. I used an oven mitt to place the RGB30 in the refrigerator to cool off. The RGB30 is part of a family of products meant to capture the segment of the population that wants to emulate on the cheap. My advice: we're already playing retro games on the cheap by not paying for the ROMs. Don't cheap out on the hardware. At best I could've ruined a very nice Bluetooth speaker.
Russ from retro game corps has over thirty comments on his rgb30 videos from people who bought the system saying they are having battery isses and he hasnt mentioned it in a single one of his rgb30 videos. He really needs to come out and say something given he just made another video about the system yesterday. Is access journalism the reason he isnt saying anything and letting uninformed people like me bust out a benjamin for a hot steamy turd?
100% I've been struggling to charge it since beginning no matter what charger I use. Now it won't even turn on any more. Worked OK for about 2 days. Seller wouldn't accept the return. £70 thrown away thanks to all UA-cam reviews.
Not all devices can charge while on. Not pk's fault - you didn't read the manual. The battery got low, I turned it off, plugged it in and tada!! It's plastic is lame compared to anbernic and there's no independent GPU only integrated so no VRAM adjustment. Those are the 2 issues where PK cheaped out.
Dude, a battery board for 5v that does charging and continuously supplies power RETAILS for like $5. Wholesale you're talking less than $1 in parts. Yes, it is PK's fault it doesn't charge while on, that's ridiculous. They (and any other company) has overcome much bigger issues in developing it than that.
@@MrSlowestD16 Not everyone requires pocket-ability on the go - so technically the fast charging is a YOU problem...or a fast charger problem, if you want to compare fast charging with other innovations that sucked at first like rechargeable batteries and wireless peripherals. Just sayin' if it's not advertised - you're all wasting your breath. Complain about the lack of independent GPU not allowing for custom VRAM sure...but your complaints...aren't even on the box. You're welcome.
Look I understand - fast charging get's you back in the game...but...you're supposed to record a song, do the litterbox and sniff a lady in between charges...and well...sometimes charging time just doesn't matter. Sounds like you wanted a computer.
Oddly enough talking about things that matter like the lack of vram not being able to push wipeout xl. Oh sure you can overclock RA and then deal with twitchy controls or just deal with the default iron lung settings that speed up and slow down speed up and slow down activating parkinson's disease. That's the cutoff for the device...YES sure you can play FF7&9 PS1 BUT it will lag on summons. Sooooo the only real complaint about the device is that it advertises GB-PS1 but really it's only half-ish the ps1 catalog, segacd/snes/gba and below...with a tiny bit of dosbox. It handled virtually everything up to ps1 minus racers, shooters. Talk about what it can and can't do - don't dream up crap that was never there to begin with. This industry is a pain in the neck and this one kinda rocked...especially scaled up on TG16 which NO ONE EVER MENTIONS because they're in an obligatory rut and want to keep receiving free crap despite obvious continuity issues like this youtuber who dreamt up a devices abilities. Get a 2gb, 4 gb, or 8gb device sure...but this is probably the best 1gb device there is despite the vram discrepancy. Fast charging is not a discrepancy BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE BOX. To quote Linkara, "Because poor literacy is kewl," only in this case it's in reference to illiteracy. Integrated NOT independent GPU...that's a box discrepancy or oversight on my part. Welcome to youtube.
This thing has an awesome form factor for compact DS emulation, but no touchscreen. That's the major issue, but would push it out of the delicious sub $100 price point. As is it is great for SNES, Genesis, GBA, and PS (tbf every emulation solution is at this point). The fidelity is really something special, though, particularly at this price range. Vertical arcade games and Pico 8 are just amazing on this thing are basically unparalled, and the many DS games that don't require touch are a treat because of the ability to show both screen simultaneously. That said, if we could get premium features under $200, I'd like stacked shoulder buttons, hall effect sticks, a more precise d-pad (it's good for capcom fighting games but not so much for precision platformers), a touchscreen (if it could be OLED,.that'd be amazing), and the processing power to play PS2 and 3DS. No way all those features are available at $200, however one can dream.
Dude, you mentioned it's a 4:3 screen in your criticisms of the bezels around 4:30, but it's a 1:1 screen, not 4:3. That's one of its main marketing factors.
You are 100% correct, I noticed that I accidentally misspoke when it was unfortunately too late to correct it. However, it still doesn't address the major issue with this device. I'll pin your comment, though. Thanks for the correction!
I agree that charging problem is bad. I had something similar with my rp3+ when I accidently left it on and let the battery drain.
With that said it seems you don't get what this device market is and where it excels. The 1:1 screen makes it almost perfect for game boy games and similar systems that lies close to the 1:1 aspect ratio. It's a way cheaper option to the analogue pocket, which is out of stock all the time anyways.
I'm buying this more or less strictly for the game boy and pico 8. Very niched I agree.
@@StarscreamSWE Not only that, but using an 8:7 ratio on other emulated systems will give almost full 1:1 screen usage as well. Russ covers this in great detail in his guide.
Yeah!!
7:30 you say there are better options; forgot to mention their names =D
Any device that doesn't have a faulty battery from factory.
@@31leocearaBattery isn't faulty, the software is. But it's FOSS and you can update it. Do that then disconnect-reconnect fix and you're good.
Rg cube
Did you try opening up the device, disconnecting the battery from the board, wait a few mins, then reconnect the battery and see if that solves the battery issues?
I noticed from Retro game corps yellow unit review that they don't use the same battery manufacturer across units. What serial number you have on your battery?
Interesting...I picked one up a little while back and so far am loving it. I upgraded to the newest JELOS and a new micro SD before playing and have not had too many issues. A couple of lock-ups over many hours played but no trouble charging so far (*knock on wood). I am pretty fond of the device and find it's the one I reach for though I do have a couple other handhelds ( mod 3DS, Pocket 2+, RG351P, RG350M...etc). I play mostly GB, GBC, GBA, PICO-8 and Neo Geo - which work well on this device.
Thanks for sharing! I'm glad it works great for you! :)
IMO it sounds like you don't understand the point of the 1:1 and how people prefer native AR's. Most people who buy this would never want to stretch the screen in RA like you're suggesting. Regardless of that, the battery issues are completely inexcusable.
Charging issue is not Powkiddie's problem or RGB30's problem. It's an issue with RK3566 chipset. It is present on all devices that have it (or at least those that have multiple usb ports). It's a good chipset for it's price to performance ratio, and I think at this price it's very reasonable to accept some minor quirks if they have simple workarounds, which they do.
I was hoping this would be a good alternative to the expensive RG Cube. I check out its successor, the RGB40 and it's got some critical build quality problems as well.
Thanks for your honesty. I was tempted by the RGB30 but have been put off by its battery issues and questionable build quality. I opted to go for a Miyoo Mini+. I have reservations about its size but for the price and its positive reputation, it is worth a go!
I would buy a retroid pocket 2s mainly because of the touch screen, but it's more than 130€ to get it where i live. The most similar hardware is the rgb30, too bad it doesnt have a touch screen and has this kind of battery issues. I dont know what to buy now, onestly i would love something not big and with a touch screen for NDS games.
@Techcravers that temperature is rather a natural way that battery behaves when it is charged. That back plate is where the battery is situated in this model so no wonder it is slightly warmer.
Zero issues charging for me,. it just works. Have not noticed any excess heat either, but will check.
Perhaps you got a faulty unit?
Everything can't be perfect!
Unfortunately no.
Can you recommend an alternate handheld emulation device with a 1:1 aspect ratio screen at least 720p (or any resolution that handles integer scaling of GB/GBC/GG well without large black borders while also handling vertical arcade games well, 480p is not great for this) that can handle at least up to PS1 well and isn't Android or Windows based? I'm currently using a Miyoo Mini+, Retroid Pocket 2S, RG405m, R35xx + and an Odin Pro, but am looking for something with these specs to add to my collection, primarily for GB/GBC/GG/Lynx, PICO 8 and vertical arcade games.
If those are your specific requirements, I would say RGB30 is the way to go. At least for now. Apart from serious issues with batteries and charging, it's a good machine and something I'd be happy to use more often. However, the more or less hazardous problems associated with it make me stay away.
Great video! I totally agree with your point that any simple device like a portable game player that needs a “tips and tricks guide” simply for charging has a serious problem. Just yesterday I went to play with my RGB30 and it was dead. Nothing I did would revive it. I thought I had somehow bricked it, and was resigned to throwing it in the trash, because I’m not going to throw good money after bad by paying to ship an $85 toy back to China in hopes that things would be put right. But then I saw your youtube video. I remembered Russ saying he would leave a guide to address the unit’s charging issues, but I had not thought I would ever find that necessary. But here I was, and guess what? Changing the charging cable from a type C to type C, to a type C to type A actually got it charging. WTF? What kind of prima donna device had ever made this kind of demand? None of the dozens (maybe hundreds) of devices I’ve ever owned. This thing is pathetic. And not even very comfortable to hold, because of the sharp-ish edges.
So the battery and the sound issue will solved if i update the latest jelos?
Can’t update if it refuses to come on…it did once…..rechecked today maybe 9 weeks later and while the power light come on - the screen won’t 🙄
@@turnthepaigebrooklyn2951the brightness can default to 0 when updated. Trying raising brightness with select and + volume button
I tried to update my RGB30 last night, and now all I see is the jelos start up screen, and then it goes black...I have no clue what to do now...charging was a pain in the ass too
Assume you may have found your answer elsewhere, but in case not, this is a dumb known issue where the brightness setting resets to zero after the update. Hold Select and use the volume up button to turn the brightness back up.
@@ShakingSpiritAI yes, I read this same thing on Reddit, and that was what the problem was, thank you. Love the screen on this, tho..but I think I'm going to get something even better.. I'm gonna shop around for a budget handheld pc..
I didnt buy it. This awsome thing was gitfed to me😊
I don't think it should have anog sticks. It can't even run any systems that had an alaog stick controller.
You can play some N64 on the RK3566, which uses the stick. Like Super Mario 64 probably plays OK.
"...but never before have I needed a guide...to charge it..." 😂
I got one that was DOA... Black screen green light
helpful thanks
Anyone experience no sound on jelos
I just read somewhere to do factory reset and it solved it. I have battery issue.. So i always turn it off when i put it down.
All I’m saying is, I adore mine.
I'm glad you do :)
Im buying it , you don't know what you are saying
Corps is pronounced as 'kors', not corpse
Actually it’s “core” and not kors. But I like to say corpse :)
The reviewer says he doesn't understand why the RGB30 is so popular and then proceeds to list off all its notable features. I don't think they understand the intended use case and audience for this device.
I'm loving mine, such a great deal for the price! Krazy Ken was the one who's sold it to me while trying to convince me it was a bad deal. 😂
He says he doesn't understand why this device is so popular due to having such a consistent problem with the battery, and I agree with him. Those charging problems are not acceptable.
@@31leoceara Pretty acceptable to me, sure it's annoying but very minor in the big picture of things.
@@31leoceara with amazons return policy, wouldn’t that be a somewhat safe bet? If you run into that type of unit just return it and get another.
I completely agree with you on charging problems and people should be aware of said problem. But I decided I am willing to deal with the problem and ordered one for myself. The screen looks just so good.
Thanks for sharing! I'm glad that I'm not the only one feeling like this :) And I totally agree on the beautiful screen!
How is it so far? do you like it?
So, have you had charging problems, too? If yes, did you solve them?
@@31leoceara I completely erased JelOS included in sd card and installed new one. That seems to fix it. Also unplug and plug the battery.
@@scaredylamb I'm loving it 😁
Power management has been problem with these kind of handheld. Which, is actually pretty dangerous, if you ask me. Not just that these devices wouldn't turn off when over heating. On the changing front, they also wouldn't turn off when the CPU goes super hot. My wife forgot to turn off my device and put it under pillow, and when I find it, ot is like burning hot. So hot that, the screen is going crazy.....
If your wife is in the habit of turning on lithium battery powered items and stuffing them under extremely flammable material, make sure both your insurance and your wills are up to date.
Make sure to change the wife at the same time
I just had a battery issue here (not charging). I updated Jelos on whatever remaining battery I had and now it works. It may be coincidental though.
I bought a new name brand SD card for the OS and doubled the game SD card. Now my save states are way more stable.
Wow. I got one and had this charging/not turning on issue too. I thought i just got a faulty unit or something. Guess I'll have to tunker with charging. What a weird issue... Thanks for the video!
Thanks for sharing!
What serial numbers do you have on your battery?
Thanks a lot for the video. I have the exact same problem and I was going crazy over the charging issues. Nice to see it’s not only me…
What serial number you have on your battery?
i’ve seen a lot of reviews on this device. and many MANY say that the battery is not good. the screen is nice but without a good battery it’s kind of pointless
The battery problem is real. Mine get uncomfortably warm while charging on a normal 5V 2.0amp charger. Would definitely not let it plugged in overnight. A week later now it only charge to a maximum of 41%. Would not get pass 41% no matter what. Tried different cables & chargers.
Thanks for sharing!
@@Techcravers is the problem exist in RK2023 as well considering they both use same SoC?
3V charger is the max You can use. Try old phone block with usb C provided in the box. Old HTC power brick worked for me. It goes pass 60% now and charges fast.
Never had any issue and love mine 🤷🏻♂️
Sux that you had such a negative experience. I’ve had mine for a few weeks with zero issues. It’s a fun little unit with some unique strengths.
I received my RGB30 two weeks ago and since then I haven't touched my other handhelds, I charge it via my pc and havent really had any of the charging problems you mentioned. I did have some problems with the d-pad with certain games but I will try to fix that with some of the solutions you can find on YT.
I mostly play PS1/Dreamcast/SegaCD and the Mame/NeoGeo arcades on it and I simply love it for that. I do agree on the device getting quite warm but we are headed for winter so that might be a plus. 🤣
Awesome, thanks for sharing! :)
I haven't hooked it up to a tv yet but it does have a HDMI out. It has bluetooth so you can connect a gamepad to it and yes you can also add scanlines and other filters to the games. @@retrogamer8085
I've been using MinUI on mine and have had no charging issues, no overheating and the battery lasts forever. It's pretty much completely replaced my Analogue pocket.
I have one and the charging is insane... I charged it with a sharkgeek charger with usb-a to usb-c. It got really hot... and smelled like burning electronics... I then took it off the charger and it will no longer light the led when charging and will no longer turn on... I plugged it in to my sharkgeek battery and it said it was putting 17 watts into the device... waaaay too high for a device like this. Pow kiddy really needs to upgrade their charging solution cus this is wonky and it seems really easy to permanently damage your device. If you get one be sure to get a powerbrick that will only deliver like 2 amps of current. Or charge it from your pc's usb port. This all wouldn't be an issue if they supported power delivery standards.
Terrible! Thanks for sharing!
I was having issues with the games not having any sound. I had all games loaded up and they played but no sound was going through.
Mine has an issue with the battery, it has swollen and is pushing the clamshell open!
Same with mine! The battery swelling problem is the real issue. Cheap lithium batteries.
@@jonathonearl482 That's a big problem. I would stop using them immediately, get the battery discarded safely instantly and report it to Powkiddy. Not only should they refund you both, but retract all the devices if this is the cause. Swollen batteries can blow up and kill a child or damage / obliterate peoples hands. Incredibly dangerous. Edit: It looks like this is correlated to usage of higher watt than they recommend.
I agree I'd rather take an cheap anbernic device. I also don't like analog sticks on hanhelds that's can't emulate systems that had analog sticks. What's the purpose?
I have seen other reviewers mention that the charge issue is related to the percentage that is displayed on the screen. It’s not the correct percentage so it will appear to go from 60% to 0%
iirc, Techdweeb mentions a fix in his review of the device that requires opening it and making a small adjustment. Not ideal, but might help things
Hi, thanks for commenting and for the fix tips. I'm aware of it but it won't change my recommendations as it's not something you should have to do. But it's good there's a fix at least :)
Considering the issues with the charging on the RGB30, how about going for a second hand PS Vita and loading retroarch on it? I haven't tried any of those retro handheld devices yet (and to be honest, the yellow version of RGB30 looks really nice so i was tempted to get one at first), but I guess a PS Vita would perform better with retro gaming,? or maybe not?
part of your problem with battery is that you're putting it into sleep mode by just pressing the power button briefly. this is a screen-off mode by default that drains the battery. you should set sleep mode to deep sleep in RA.
Frankly, the other 4-5 videos i watched on the rgb30 were far more informative. the only thing worth seeing here was the mention of charging issues, better covered by rgc. there are tons of reasons to buy this device for certain people, as it is different from pretty much every other handheld out now.
I just ordered an RGB30 just a few days ago in the other reviews they never mentioned this type of problem, I hope it is a relatively isolated problem and that I don't have that same problem
Are you happy with it? I just ordered one
I've had so many issues with it not wanting to turn on or charge
Yeah it's a bummer :/ Thanks for sharing!
I personally think the volume buttons are great as they are. It’s counterintuitive at first but it’s grown on me.
I dont think you understand the 30 and what it is meant for, its not for everyone or everything and that is ok. It works great for me and fits my niche of GB, GBC and arcade vertical games.
It doesn't look like he really understands it, BUT, the battery issues transcend console usage. That shit shouldn't happen on any handheld.
Just a heads up I just updated jelOS the day after Christmas. Now no sound in games. Challenge accepted, bout to get a new hobby.
Sad to hear that!
@@Techcravers na, I had a Buddy that unbricked PSP's back in the day. Not a complete novice to the homebrew emulators, it's just been 15+ years now.
I got one. The screen doesn't turn on, and the battery doesn't hold a charge. The little led comes on when plugged in, and immediately turns off after being unplugged. I've done everything. It doesn't even make a good paper weight. Complete garbage.
Sorry to hear that :/
too late, bought it and is best hand held so far
I’m happy you like your device :)
@@Techcravers glad I didn't follow your advice
@@jinz0 Hopefully others will :)
@@jinz0 does the console works??? is It good? iv been told its an amazing console but idk this video...
@@joelgrebinsilvestri yes this video is trash, it's amazing console
You talked me out of it. Just when I was ready to pull the trigger just for that sweet 1:1 screen niche, your video made me question if I really wanted to gamble with Powkiddy QC
Not bursting into flames > 1:1 Screen ratio
Too late 😅
Garbage
Junk
So the only complaint is really charging? I've heard that this issue really isn't an issue if you use the cord they provide. These can be finicky about the type of charging block you use. Generally though this seems to be a very uncommon problem
"Jel-O-S or JelOS, but Russ from game corpse not corps." He may seem monotone and boring, (with a mail order bride wife) but he's definitely not a corpse.
Good to know. I was considering to buy
Tks for share 👍
Finally an honest review. I have the same issues with charging the battery.
Updating Jelos was the WORST advice 😢Messed mine up from new
What do you guys suggest if I look for the same kind of screen but want to play the PS2 ? Thanks !
PS2 needs a lot more punch than the RK3566 in this is capable of. Probably the retroid pocket 4 pro or the odin 2 if you want a good experience. You're not gonna get decent PS2 on super budget hand-helds like these.
.... Mine Arrives On 1.27.2024 ....
Hopefully you’ll have a better experience!
Ok thank you I am not crazy.
Regardless of the flaws if you like vertical shmups there's basically noting else on the market that won't be awful for those kinds of games until the unlikely event someone makes a portable with a vertical 4:3 screen. Which is a good idea, it'd be cheap because it only needs to run mame, but still almost certainly not going to happen.
Just a note, my rg353m plays vertical arcade with the device held vertically and is think it's great!
bait
I have had my RGB30 for 2 weeks now, and it is my favourite retro hand held so far. It came with the 256g + 16 g for OS. I backed all up then downloaded latest JELos, installed on fresh card (32g) set up a fresh 128g card for roms, no point in the N64 for example.
after telling device to use 2 cards I was done. Added what I needed rom wise. No going into retroarch, just use the options button and set up each emulator there for preferences, GB, GBc, SmS, MD,Nes, Snes are perfect the hand helds look and sound amazing when you tinker. I have had no charging nor over heating problems. My only problem is the d-pad that can be "fixed" by modding the pads inside with some tape, a minor problem.
After setting up an playing with it you get to know your way round it and fix what you need to. No retro hand held is perfect out of the box and time is needed to figure it out.
The screen has to bee seen to be believed for GB it is 1:1 for a reason...Oh and vertical shooters look better than any other hand held and you do not need to rotate the console either. I have Lynx, Vectrex and wonderswan also on and they are to die for amazing.
Get it, love it play it. 9/10
Well too late. I've bought it. What am I going to do now?
Enjoy it if it works :)
Mine already dead just a few days later
Sorry to hear :/
Bro I have one it’s so good
Nice :)
❤
I plugged the RGB30 to the USB port on my Bluetooth speaker. It melted the USB cable. Both the RGB and the speaker we're too hot to touch. I used an oven mitt to place the RGB30 in the refrigerator to cool off. The RGB30 is part of a family of products meant to capture the segment of the population that wants to emulate on the cheap. My advice: we're already playing retro games on the cheap by not paying for the ROMs. Don't cheap out on the hardware. At best I could've ruined a very nice Bluetooth speaker.
Russ from retro game corps has over thirty comments on his rgb30 videos from people who bought the system saying they are having battery isses and he hasnt mentioned it in a single one of his rgb30 videos. He really needs to come out and say something given he just made another video about the system yesterday. Is access journalism the reason he isnt saying anything and letting uninformed people like me bust out a benjamin for a hot steamy turd?
Russ isn't trustworthy, I think. His good production quality is misleading. Joey is better
100% I've been struggling to charge it since beginning no matter what charger I use. Now it won't even turn on any more. Worked OK for about 2 days. Seller wouldn't accept the return. £70 thrown away thanks to all UA-cam reviews.
You def have gaming skills!
Not all devices can charge while on. Not pk's fault - you didn't read the manual. The battery got low, I turned it off, plugged it in and tada!! It's plastic is lame compared to anbernic and there's no independent GPU only integrated so no VRAM adjustment. Those are the 2 issues where PK cheaped out.
Dude, a battery board for 5v that does charging and continuously supplies power RETAILS for like $5. Wholesale you're talking less than $1 in parts. Yes, it is PK's fault it doesn't charge while on, that's ridiculous. They (and any other company) has overcome much bigger issues in developing it than that.
@@MrSlowestD16 Not everyone requires pocket-ability on the go - so technically the fast charging is a YOU problem...or a fast charger problem, if you want to compare fast charging with other innovations that sucked at first like rechargeable batteries and wireless peripherals. Just sayin' if it's not advertised - you're all wasting your breath. Complain about the lack of independent GPU not allowing for custom VRAM sure...but your complaints...aren't even on the box. You're welcome.
Look I understand - fast charging get's you back in the game...but...you're supposed to record a song, do the litterbox and sniff a lady in between charges...and well...sometimes charging time just doesn't matter. Sounds like you wanted a computer.
Oddly enough talking about things that matter like the lack of vram not being able to push wipeout xl. Oh sure you can overclock RA and then deal with twitchy controls or just deal with the default iron lung settings that speed up and slow down speed up and slow down activating parkinson's disease. That's the cutoff for the device...YES sure you can play FF7&9 PS1 BUT it will lag on summons. Sooooo the only real complaint about the device is that it advertises GB-PS1 but really it's only half-ish the ps1 catalog, segacd/snes/gba and below...with a tiny bit of dosbox. It handled virtually everything up to ps1 minus racers, shooters. Talk about what it can and can't do - don't dream up crap that was never there to begin with. This industry is a pain in the neck and this one kinda rocked...especially scaled up on TG16 which NO ONE EVER MENTIONS because they're in an obligatory rut and want to keep receiving free crap despite obvious continuity issues like this youtuber who dreamt up a devices abilities. Get a 2gb, 4 gb, or 8gb device sure...but this is probably the best 1gb device there is despite the vram discrepancy. Fast charging is not a discrepancy BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE BOX. To quote Linkara, "Because poor literacy is kewl," only in this case it's in reference to illiteracy. Integrated NOT independent GPU...that's a box discrepancy or oversight on my part. Welcome to youtube.
Highlight deez
This thing has an awesome form factor for compact DS emulation, but no touchscreen. That's the major issue, but would push it out of the delicious sub $100 price point. As is it is great for SNES, Genesis, GBA, and PS (tbf every emulation solution is at this point). The fidelity is really something special, though, particularly at this price range. Vertical arcade games and Pico 8 are just amazing on this thing are basically unparalled, and the many DS games that don't require touch are a treat because of the ability to show both screen simultaneously. That said, if we could get premium features under $200, I'd like stacked shoulder buttons, hall effect sticks, a more precise d-pad (it's good for capcom fighting games but not so much for precision platformers), a touchscreen (if it could be OLED,.that'd be amazing), and the processing power to play PS2 and 3DS. No way all those features are available at $200, however one can dream.