Very good review. I didn't know about this powkiddy device. I'm looking forward to next year, I really hope Odroid comes out with a new handheld with a more powerful device (and better build quality would be very nice). Exciting times for handhelds. The past two years has been great
Hi Wagner! Another great video from you! I bought my Powkiddy X18S in the second batch, so it hasn't arrived here yet. Meanwhile, I'm watching the various videos about him. One question, do you intend to make videos about 3DS, WII, Gamecube and PS2 emulation? I've seen mentions that everyone is running, evidently not 100%, but with some games running perfectly. I consider the Powkiddy X18S the first console of the new generation, do you agree? I already gave a deserved like for the relevant content. Cordial greetings from Porto Alegre, southern Brazil!
Thank you for watching and your kind comments! I will be adding more to the guide, I was awaiting a new microSD card to arrive to check the performance for some additional systems/games. It has arrived and will continue testing further. Depending on the feedback received and when I collect enough new useful information and performance metrics I may have a follow-up video. I like to make sure that when I release a video, there is more than just game-play. While important, I prefer to supplement it with how to get it working well. The guide is where I often start to organize (potential) new content.
Thank you! Watching just 5 min of your video convinced me I didn’t make a mistake ordering an Odin Pro instead of this. If nothing else, the lack of L3/R3 makes it completely impractical for playing Stadia on it. Edit: just finished watching and cool to see Stadia working well on here, although without L3/R3 many games will be crippled.
The lack of L3/R3 is definitely a bummer and would have greatly improved the longevity of the device. I was impressed with how well Stadia plays on the unit though.
Great device. I‘m glad to see something else than the regular RK3326 devices, that really got stuck at average N64, SEGA Dreamcast and PSP emulation. Seems like this device finally broke that boundary. 32bit system emulation looks pretty smooth now 👍🏻 So Gamecube and PS2 is the next challenge ;) I just don‘t like this form factor/design too much. Great review with many extras, that‘s what i like so much about your videos Jon! :)
Same here my friend, glad to see a device that is not based on the RK3326 chipset! Gamecube is just ok for me, hopefully I'll find a way to squeeze some better performance out of it soon. Thank you for watching!
make sure the file is in the root of the microSD and named update.zip (not update(1).zip or anything else). Details here also mention that possibility: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Firmware_Update
Another option you may want to consider before purchasing is the Steam Deck: wagnerstechtalk.com/steamdeck . I don't ever say where you should spend your hard-earned money, but something worth looking into.
Nice to finally see a more powerful chipset in a handheld and we also have a few more coming to with the Odin and Steamdeck. Personally Im no fan of clamshells though and I still prefer a bigger screen. 7" screen is the sweet spot for me. However I may have to settle for the 5.99" screen of the Odin, very interested in that one. Probably the Lite version. Will pass on the Steamdeck.
Awesome! Any info. that you'd like to share on the guide or have me try out, just comment and let me know. I'd definitely like to see how we can improve Gamecube performance and what games run well.
Hey, thanks for your guides to this console. I am reading your guide while I am looking forward for the delivery of my PowkiddyX18S. Can you recommend any good controller for this console? The console itself doesn't look very handy and ergonomic. I would like to try a bluetooth-controller in the PlayStation-design (both joysticks on the lower/bottom side), with rechargeable battery and good quality.
I can't say that I've tested it on the PK X18s, but one controller I like is this one: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8JKVNT I bought it last August and it works well.
Thank you for the great review and set up guide 🙂 I will get one from the next batch . One tip for the gamecube performance , the Dolphin MMJ version tends to work a bit better than the standalone one at the playstore 🙂 Thanks again for the guide 🙂
Thank you for watching Phoenix, it was actually you that mentioned this device about 6 months ago and that you were interested in it. I'm happy you enjoyed the review/guide and thank you so much for the tip. I did download/install Dolphin MMJ but haven't yet got it working. If/when I do, I'll add it to the guide. For anyone reading this, If you enjoy amazing guitar solos, you'll love her channel. I subscribed over a year ago and she is AWESOME!
Ah yes haha I've been following this handheld since i saw the news about its production haha The idea of playing gamecube on the go is amazing for me because it was my first console, even if still needs some tweaks along the way haha Thank you very much for the support, be sure i appreciate it 🙂 Much success to your channel my friend 🙂
Thank you! I assume you've booted into Android, should be able to just use the touch screen. If you want to try the most recent firmware, it can be found here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Firmware_Update
I had the original X18 and I was never able to get it working in any useful way. Eventually I tried installing a clean rom and the stupid thing bricked on me. I was tempted to try this but honestly, if I'm paying that much, it should not take that much effort to make it useable. I'm gonna stick with my RGB10 Max for now until something more powerful in that form factor with linux based OS comes out. As usual though, your guide is excellent for it.
Hi Wayne, thank you for your kind comments regarding the guide and I agree Powkiddy should have done a better job with the pre-installed applications knowing that it's Retro Gamers that are going to be buying this device. I'm fine with them not installing games, but at least create a good solid image with RetroArch, Dig, Dolphin, PPSSPP, etc. pre-installed/configured for customers such that all they have to do is drop in their own roms. It wouldn't have been hard to do. I did buy the X18 as well, I never got around to reviewing it. I thought about using it in this video, but just didn't seem right since I neglected it in the first place lol. I may re-visit it in the future though.
@@WagnersTechTalk Exactly my thought too. I have all the roms I need so I'm fine without them being included but to not include the emulation software is horrible oversight . Especially considering the Play store has to be sideloaded even to start. Ah well, there will be many others coming .
Please see the video and guide here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/ Only one mentioned that I didn't test is Saturn. psx fine, n64/PSP mostly fine with some slowdown on occasion (depends on the game).
Is the performance pretty good? I downloaded it but it couldn't access the SD card. Must be the download location I used. I'll have to look into it further, thank you.
@@WagnersTechTalk I had the same problem! Unfortunately the mmjr build does not grant access to the SD card as it's a modded old version. Having said that I have popped all my 8,16,32,64, psp and Dreamcast games on my SD card to make space. Just wanted to say your guides and support for the community is top notch! Watching your video urged me to take the plunge with the x18s and despite the wonky dpad it's a pretty enjoyable device. Thankyou 🙏🏻
@@NoPunk1982 Gotcha and thank you for your kind comments regarding the guides and support! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the device, now let me see if I can get MMJ going yet again lol Have a great day!
Hi should I get the 64-bit version of retroarch I think it's called retroarch plus? Also when I load it on my x18s, it's in a large blocky font it doesn't have that blue background and the nice resolution that yours has any ideas would be greatly appreciated thank you!!
I just installed RetroArch myself, some instructions for the blue background are all here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#RetroArch_Setup Hope it helps you out!
The matrix contrast is too high on my device. Dark games are hard to see. I installed the Screen Adjuster application, and lowered the contrast by 50 points, it became noticeably better (for example, Carmageddon for android). Bright games (in the style of Nintendo), you can not touch the contrast.(I apologize for the google translate)
@@WagnersTechTalk I tried buying new HDMI cables. Nothing really worked. Is there anywhere inside Android or any app where I could command the audio output?
There have been a few times when I download an app. and I don't see the app. immediately either. I assume you downloaded it from the Play Store already (you can find it again on google play, if it shows "Open" you will be able to launch it). However, there have been a few times where apps. I download don't show up immediately. This may be an issue with the launcher. First, hold the power button down and then when prompted, select restart. When it boots back up, do you see Redream now? If not, try downloading another app. (any android app., you can delete it later) then see if Redream shows up. Please let me know if one of the two things fixed it for you.
Hi thank you so much for all the help!!! I looked at the settings for when the emulator hangs and mine still isn't working when I try to run name games I try to select the right name version with different options and nothing everything hangs is there a way I could find out what to link each games to what cores I try to run final burn alpha games and they still hang as well any guidance with the appreciated thank you!
Hi John, very welcome! I did try out MAME and it worked fine here. Within RetroArch, select Manual Scan, set the Content directory and Default Core (I used MAME 2003-Plus) and checkbox to Scan Inside Archives. Then at the bottom, Start Scan. I think all of that is correct, after it was done scanning I could then launch the games in RetroArch. To run it in DIG, just make sure to go into Manage Systems and set the core there as well. Keep in mind, the core you use will be dependent on your romset/roms. Hope this helps!
When I insert the SD card into my computer it says I need to format the disk before I can use it. I think maybe it is corrupted? Can I safely format the SD card without issues? And if so what should I use? FAT/exFAT etc. thank you
It's saying that because Windows can't recognize the format of the disk. Don't reformat it. If it's the card that came with the device, it's likely an EXT partition(s). What issue are you trying to solve? If it's to add games, you can use a tool like DiskGenius to copy files to it.
@@eadists I just checked, you're right you have to register for that feature (sorry, didn't realize that). My copy is registered, but I tested it on another machine and it won't let you copy the files unless you do. If you decide it's worth it to register, here's a coupon they gave me a few years ago that will save 30% off DG30-YUTE-STPR for DiskGenius Professional Edition. Another option is Paragon software Linux File Systems for Windows that is $19 but has a trial that should allow it to work: www.paragon-software.com/us/home/linuxfs-windows . There is a command-line tool, wsl, but it won't work with USB devices. If I recall correctly, on the X18s the drive should allow copying files to it directly, unless things have changed. What OS are you running on it? It was Android I think unless you've installed something different. I have a guide on the x18s here that should help also: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/
@@WagnersTechTalk thank you very much for your help this far. I’ve still not had any luck adding games to the SD card. it’s on android 11. I haven’t changed anything on it, just downloaded some emulators that’s all. I was initially following your guide but got stuck at the part about copying games to the SD card as it says the microSD card you used in the guide was factory formatted as exFAT and you were able to connect to your computer, which is when I came here to ask for help. It seems the sd card i have is split into two android 6.0 arm ext partitions that my computer can’t interact with. I haven’t had any luck with free disk genius or the paragon software. When I plug the powkiddy directly into my computer via usb it charges but does not connect to the computer. Furthermore, I don’t know if this is normal or not, but on the emulator itself the SD card shows up under storage in settings, but not in the “files” app. I’m just trying to add games to the SD card but am at a loss at how to get it to work. I did get the powkiddy second hand from someone who also couldn’t figure out how to add games but I don’t think they did anything much to the powkiddy themselves. Any further advice is really really appreciate. Might give up on it soon
Thank you for your kind reply. I've not noticed any intermittent connectivity issues here. However, one thing that I've done that may differ from your network is to assign a different SSID for my 5.Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands on my router. This was initially due to issues with other devices I would test sometime ago. However, going direct to the 5Ghz SSID works well here with no issues. I named the 5Ghz band 'lucas' and the 2.4Ghz 'lucas24'. You may try that and see if it has something to do with negotiating the 5Ghz connection.
First time I updated was the 10/15 firmware update. Powkiddy released another update sometime today (10/25) so re-flashed the device with this new version. I saw the "Hi There" screen as it was documented and in the video. Sure, you can try it again. Just make sure the update.zip is in the root of the microSD and follow these steps: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Firmware_Update Keep in mind, when you do it will wipe out anything you've previously setup. Darn good thing I documented everything before I re-flashed (made it much easier).
I didn't either until I got your message to see if something changed. I've had no issues with todays version (so far), I updated the guide that it would totally wipe out anything you had previously setup. This was the first update since the 10/15 update I was previously using so good that you mentioned it to me. Glad I can help, you helped me too 👍😎
No games were pre-installed with my unit. Not sure if that's changed or not since my review, but I would suspect it's still the same. Honestly, I don't play this device much anymore and my current favorite is the Steam Deck (using EmuDeck). No games are pre-installed on the Steam Deck either but it's a much more powerful machine and with SteamOS you can play PC games as well as emulation (even run Windows 10/11 very well). You can find out more about it here (if interested): wagnerstechtalk.com/sd-emudeck/
You’re right. The d-pad is not the best. When you said it, I was like it can’t be that bad. So I picked mine up and looked at it. And my reaction was, this isn’t bad, but it’s not the best. Just as you said
When I looked closely at this video, it was pretty clear why it was sticking for me at first. When I press the button to the left, I can barely see where right-side was broken off from the mold and wasn't cleanly trimmed. That pretty much explains why it was sticking during my initial game-play but got better the more I used it.
I was surprised about the level of build quality of the device. It’s not as good as I was hoping. I’ll Setup my device with your guide and hopefully I’ll get used to it :)
Can you please comment on how Fortnite plays on this device? I have this unit's predecesor, the X18, and it's dialed in pretty good with emulation and a few android games. If the X18S can play Fortnite (It meets minimum specs), I may be tempted to upgrade. You'd probably have to install it from a 3rd party store like APKPure or something though. Thanks!
@@morristhecat You're saying someone got Fortnite running on the X18s? Any link you can share? He may have been streaming it from a PC. The app. refused to install for me.
Nice video and I am still waiting for my unit to arrive as first seller said after I paid was...oh sorry I didn't mention it is a pre-sale item and he never did get it...so money returned and now at least form the powkiddy official store I have one on the way finally and cannot wait to try it out and looks very interesting and like with some of the buttons...well hopefully it works okay and firmware is the newest installed already with playstore I was told....and I cannot wait to try it on my 120 inch ALR screen with a 4k projector...but I know it will not do 4k...but should be awesome...and nice guides also. 😊👍
Thank you RM! It's currently my favorite Retro Gaming device. Hope you get yours soon, drop me a note and let me know what you think of it when it arrives. Happy to add any new info. to the guide page if you have any good tips you'd like to see added. Had someone ask me earlier this week if Fornite will play on it, there is a way to get it installed (a little tricky, not from the play store). I'm not into that particular game, but good to know that it's capable of running it decently. I'll likely add that to the guide for those that want to install it. 😎
@@WagnersTechTalk you bet once I get it I will let you know how it works for me and hopefully it does not blow up...hehe...it shouldn't and all should be good. 👌
I'm torn on this device, on one hand I love that this device is opening the door for more powerful retro devices, but on the other hand, for as much as this device was hyped, I expected better A LOT Better. Personally I am not a fan of Powkiddy's custom software on Android.
You and me both Darius, not a fan of what Powkiddy put on this machine. They should have made an effort towards at least setting up the emulators, optimize them, etc. Basically set it up so all you have to do is drop in the games you want to play. While it is the most powerful handheld I own, it does require a bit of effort. Shouldn't have been this way, they know who customers of this product will be and they had amble time to do it right.
![Powkiddy X18s - Это просто ФАНТАСТИКА! [Консоль с Aliexpress]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9T7KpDQAack/mqdefault.jpg)
Awesome video and will help a lot of people,thanks.
Much appreciated Mr V!
Very good review. I didn't know about this powkiddy device. I'm looking forward to next year, I really hope Odroid comes out with a new handheld with a more powerful device (and better build quality would be very nice). Exciting times for handhelds. The past two years has been great
Thank you Retro Man! It has been a great past two years, excited to see what the future holds for Retro Gaming devices.
Hi Wagner! Another great video from you! I bought my Powkiddy X18S in the second batch, so it hasn't arrived here yet. Meanwhile, I'm watching the various videos about him. One question, do you intend to make videos about 3DS, WII, Gamecube and PS2 emulation? I've seen mentions that everyone is running, evidently not 100%, but with some games running perfectly. I consider the Powkiddy X18S the first console of the new generation, do you agree?
I already gave a deserved like for the relevant content. Cordial greetings from Porto Alegre, southern Brazil!
Thank you for watching and your kind comments! I will be adding more to the guide, I was awaiting a new microSD card to arrive to check the performance for some additional systems/games. It has arrived and will continue testing further. Depending on the feedback received and when I collect enough new useful information and performance metrics I may have a follow-up video. I like to make sure that when I release a video, there is more than just game-play. While important, I prefer to supplement it with how to get it working well. The guide is where I often start to organize (potential) new content.
Dear Wagner, Thank you for replying to my messages. I will be waiting for the new videos.
Thank you! Watching just 5 min of your video convinced me I didn’t make a mistake ordering an Odin Pro instead of this. If nothing else, the lack of L3/R3 makes it completely impractical for playing Stadia on it.
Edit: just finished watching and cool to see Stadia working well on here, although without L3/R3 many games will be crippled.
The lack of L3/R3 is definitely a bummer and would have greatly improved the longevity of the device. I was impressed with how well Stadia plays on the unit though.
Great device. I‘m glad to see something else than the regular RK3326 devices, that really got stuck at average N64, SEGA Dreamcast and PSP emulation.
Seems like this device finally broke that boundary. 32bit system emulation looks pretty smooth now 👍🏻
So Gamecube and PS2 is the next challenge ;)
I just don‘t like this form factor/design too much.
Great review with many extras, that‘s what i like so much about your videos Jon! :)
Same here my friend, glad to see a device that is not based on the RK3326 chipset! Gamecube is just ok for me, hopefully I'll find a way to squeeze some better performance out of it soon. Thank you for watching!
6:04 I got the SD update option but as soon as I choose it, it says “please select valid update package file” after closing
Someone help
make sure the file is in the root of the microSD and named update.zip (not update(1).zip or anything else). Details here also mention that possibility: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Firmware_Update
I want to buy this console!!! Really hype for this !!!
Another option you may want to consider before purchasing is the Steam Deck: wagnerstechtalk.com/steamdeck . I don't ever say where you should spend your hard-earned money, but something worth looking into.
Nice to finally see a more powerful chipset in a handheld and we also have a few more coming to with the Odin and Steamdeck.
Personally Im no fan of clamshells though and I still prefer a bigger screen.
7" screen is the sweet spot for me.
However I may have to settle for the 5.99" screen of the Odin, very interested in that one.
Probably the Lite version.
Will pass on the Steamdeck.
Agree, it's time to finally move beyond the RK3326 chipset. Reservation for the Steamdeck here. The Odin looks interesting as well.
I've been enjoying playing Gotcha Force, Wario World, and Pikman on my device I'm testing to see which Gamecube games work.
Awesome! Any info. that you'd like to share on the guide or have me try out, just comment and let me know. I'd definitely like to see how we can improve Gamecube performance and what games run well.
@@WagnersTechTalk I'll let you know if I find anything.
Sonic Riders and NHL stutter a little , but I can play GC Tom Clancy and ResidentEvil really well on this system 🏆
Hey, thanks for your guides to this console. I am reading your guide while I am looking forward for the delivery of my PowkiddyX18S.
Can you recommend any good controller for this console? The console itself doesn't look very handy and ergonomic. I would like to try a bluetooth-controller in the PlayStation-design (both joysticks on the lower/bottom side), with rechargeable battery and good quality.
I can't say that I've tested it on the PK X18s, but one controller I like is this one: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8JKVNT I bought it last August and it works well.
Thank you for the great review and set up guide 🙂 I will get one from the next batch . One tip for the gamecube performance , the Dolphin MMJ version tends to work a bit better than the standalone one at the playstore 🙂 Thanks again for the guide 🙂
Thank you for watching Phoenix, it was actually you that mentioned this device about 6 months ago and that you were interested in it. I'm happy you enjoyed the review/guide and thank you so much for the tip. I did download/install Dolphin MMJ but haven't yet got it working. If/when I do, I'll add it to the guide. For anyone reading this, If you enjoy amazing guitar solos, you'll love her channel. I subscribed over a year ago and she is AWESOME!
Ah yes haha I've been following this handheld since i saw the news about its production haha The idea of playing gamecube on the go is amazing for me because it was my first console, even if still needs some tweaks along the way haha
Thank you very much for the support, be sure i appreciate it 🙂
Much success to your channel my friend 🙂
I saw people able to run wii and PS2 games quite well as well! wonder what emulators they were using...?
great vide. my powkidding 18s shows "Please insert SD card". do you know how to turn it back to main screen with settings?
Thank you! I assume you've booted into Android, should be able to just use the touch screen. If you want to try the most recent firmware, it can be found here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Firmware_Update
I had the original X18 and I was never able to get it working in any useful way. Eventually I tried installing a clean rom and the stupid thing bricked on me. I was tempted to try this but honestly, if I'm paying that much, it should not take that much effort to make it useable. I'm gonna stick with my RGB10 Max for now until something more powerful in that form factor with linux based OS comes out. As usual though, your guide is excellent for it.
Hi Wayne, thank you for your kind comments regarding the guide and I agree Powkiddy should have done a better job with the pre-installed applications knowing that it's Retro Gamers that are going to be buying this device. I'm fine with them not installing games, but at least create a good solid image with RetroArch, Dig, Dolphin, PPSSPP, etc. pre-installed/configured for customers such that all they have to do is drop in their own roms. It wouldn't have been hard to do. I did buy the X18 as well, I never got around to reviewing it. I thought about using it in this video, but just didn't seem right since I neglected it in the first place lol. I may re-visit it in the future though.
@@WagnersTechTalk Exactly my thought too. I have all the roms I need so I'm fine without them being included but to not include the emulation software is horrible oversight . Especially considering the Play store has to be sideloaded even to start. Ah well, there will be many others coming .
Please answer how psx, saturn, n64 and psp games works via retroarch?
Please see the video and guide here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/ Only one mentioned that I didn't test is Saturn. psx fine, n64/PSP mostly fine with some slowdown on occasion (depends on the game).
I have been using the mmjr build for dolphin to increase performance.
Is the performance pretty good? I downloaded it but it couldn't access the SD card. Must be the download location I used. I'll have to look into it further, thank you.
@@WagnersTechTalk I had the same problem! Unfortunately the mmjr build does not grant access to the SD card as it's a modded old version. Having said that I have popped all my 8,16,32,64, psp and Dreamcast games on my SD card to make space. Just wanted to say your guides and support for the community is top notch! Watching your video urged me to take the plunge with the x18s and despite the wonky dpad it's a pretty enjoyable device. Thankyou 🙏🏻
@@WagnersTechTalk I get around a 25% performance boost. I hope that helps.
@@NoPunk1982 Gotcha and thank you for your kind comments regarding the guides and support! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the device, now let me see if I can get MMJ going yet again lol Have a great day!
How to let the emulator including PSPPP read the games stored at SD card? So frustrated it didn't work after I install the latest Android
You can find some information here that will help in locating the game path: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Path_Setup
Hi should I get the 64-bit version of retroarch I think it's called retroarch plus? Also when I load it on my x18s, it's in a large blocky font it doesn't have that blue background and the nice resolution that yours has any ideas would be greatly appreciated thank you!!
I just installed RetroArch myself, some instructions for the blue background are all here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#RetroArch_Setup Hope it helps you out!
Any idea how to change the notification edge color? Mine is pink and drives me nuts. I tried looking for the option in settings and cannot find it.
I don't , but perhaps something here may be helpful to you: www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/comments/s9d68d/dose_anyone_have_this_issue_with_the_powkiddy/
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you for your time, kind Sir!
The matrix contrast is too high on my device. Dark games are hard to see. I installed the Screen Adjuster application, and lowered the contrast by 50 points, it became noticeably better (for example, Carmageddon for android). Bright games (in the style of Nintendo), you can not touch the contrast.(I apologize for the google translate)
Thank you for the tip! Glad it's working better for you, I understand what you're saying (translation was good).
When I connect my Powkiddy X18S to the TV via HDMI, I get no audio on TV. Instead, the audio keeps playing in the Powkiddy itself. Any tips?
Try a different (quality) HDMI cable. I had an issue with the first HDMI cable I tried also.
@@WagnersTechTalk I tried buying new HDMI cables. Nothing really worked. Is there anywhere inside Android or any app where I could command the audio output?
Hello, the guide ok wagnerstechtalk tell "Got to the MyApps icon (bottom), launch redream." But I have not the icon! How can I add it?
The problem is only with redream. the other icons is showing
There have been a few times when I download an app. and I don't see the app. immediately either. I assume you downloaded it from the Play Store already (you can find it again on google play, if it shows "Open" you will be able to launch it). However, there have been a few times where apps. I download don't show up immediately. This may be an issue with the launcher. First, hold the power button down and then when prompted, select restart. When it boots back up, do you see Redream now? If not, try downloading another app. (any android app., you can delete it later) then see if Redream shows up. Please let me know if one of the two things fixed it for you.
Hi thank you so much for all the help!!! I looked at the settings for when the emulator hangs and mine still isn't working when I try to run name games I try to select the right name version with different options and nothing everything hangs is there a way I could find out what to link each games to what cores I try to run final burn alpha games and they still hang as well any guidance with the appreciated thank you!
Hi John, very welcome! I did try out MAME and it worked fine here. Within RetroArch, select Manual Scan, set the Content directory and Default Core (I used MAME 2003-Plus) and checkbox to Scan Inside Archives. Then at the bottom, Start Scan. I think all of that is correct, after it was done scanning I could then launch the games in RetroArch. To run it in DIG, just make sure to go into Manage Systems and set the core there as well. Keep in mind, the core you use will be dependent on your romset/roms. Hope this helps!
When I insert the SD card into my computer it says I need to format the disk before I can use it. I think maybe it is corrupted? Can I safely format the SD card without issues? And if so what should I use? FAT/exFAT etc. thank you
It's saying that because Windows can't recognize the format of the disk. Don't reformat it. If it's the card that came with the device, it's likely an EXT partition(s). What issue are you trying to solve? If it's to add games, you can use a tool like DiskGenius to copy files to it.
DiskGenius isn’t allowing me to make a new folder or copy files to the SD card unfortunately, unless I’m missing something. The options are greyed out
@@eadists You should have an option for the "Pro" version for the trial period. You'll need that enabled to be able to drag-drop files to the card.
@@eadists I just checked, you're right you have to register for that feature (sorry, didn't realize that). My copy is registered, but I tested it on another machine and it won't let you copy the files unless you do. If you decide it's worth it to register, here's a coupon they gave me a few years ago that will save 30% off DG30-YUTE-STPR for DiskGenius Professional Edition. Another option is Paragon software Linux File Systems for Windows that is $19 but has a trial that should allow it to work: www.paragon-software.com/us/home/linuxfs-windows . There is a command-line tool, wsl, but it won't work with USB devices.
If I recall correctly, on the X18s the drive should allow copying files to it directly, unless things have changed. What OS are you running on it? It was Android I think unless you've installed something different. I have a guide on the x18s here that should help also: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/
@@WagnersTechTalk thank you very much for your help this far. I’ve still not had any luck adding games to the SD card. it’s on android 11. I haven’t changed anything on it, just downloaded some emulators that’s all. I was initially following your guide but got stuck at the part about copying games to the SD card as it says the microSD card you used in the guide was factory formatted as exFAT and you were able to connect to your computer, which is when I came here to ask for help. It seems the sd card i have is split into two android 6.0 arm ext partitions that my computer can’t interact with. I haven’t had any luck with free disk genius or the paragon software. When I plug the powkiddy directly into my computer via usb it charges but does not connect to the computer. Furthermore, I don’t know if this is normal or not, but on the emulator itself the SD card shows up under storage in settings, but not in the “files” app. I’m just trying to add games to the SD card but am at a loss at how to get it to work. I did get the powkiddy second hand from someone who also couldn’t figure out how to add games but I don’t think they did anything much to the powkiddy themselves. Any further advice is really really appreciate. Might give up on it soon
Will the folders pop up once we update the firmware?
My apology, which folders are you concerned about?
Wow this is very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
I’m getting a failed error when doin the update and it saids it’s on the latest firmware
how do i get the x18s to read roms from the sd card?
It's shown in this video and in more detail on the X18s guide here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Emulators
I am having problems with Internet instability, any tips?
Amazing vídeo by the way❤!
Thank you for your kind reply. I've not noticed any intermittent connectivity issues here. However, one thing that I've done that may differ from your network is to assign a different SSID for my 5.Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands on my router. This was initially due to issues with other devices I would test sometime ago. However, going direct to the 5Ghz SSID works well here with no issues. I named the 5Ghz band 'lucas' and the 2.4Ghz 'lucas24'. You may try that and see if it has something to do with negotiating the 5Ghz connection.
Can this run anything ps2 related?
I plan to have more details on PS2 performance on the guide page soon. Please check towards the end of this week, perhaps sooner.
How and where to download emulator games for sd card
I can't assist with where to find games (more on why here: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Copy_Games and here wagnerstechtalk.com/emulegal/ )
Could something like this be used for MS flight Sim?
There are a number of flight simulators available on Android, though I don't see MS Flight Sim.
For that you would need something like a Steam Deck, Aya Neo, Gpid Win 3 or GPD Win Max. Cheapest being the Steam Deck when it finally arrives.
Just picked it up för 30 euro, totaly worth it for that money. No replacement for a steam deck or odyn, but got to start somewere...
I still can't figure out why mine didn't bring up the blue "Hi there" screen after erasing
I did update to the recent firmware (10/25) during lunch and still saw the "Hi there" screen. Not sure why you don't see the same.
@@WagnersTechTalk hadn't you already done it? Do you have a second unit or can I try again somehow?
First time I updated was the 10/15 firmware update. Powkiddy released another update sometime today (10/25) so re-flashed the device with this new version. I saw the "Hi There" screen as it was documented and in the video. Sure, you can try it again. Just make sure the update.zip is in the root of the microSD and follow these steps: wagnerstechtalk.com/x18s/#Firmware_Update Keep in mind, when you do it will wipe out anything you've previously setup. Darn good thing I documented everything before I re-flashed (made it much easier).
@@WagnersTechTalk oh I didn't know there was another today! I'll try again 😀 (you are super helpful btw thank you)
I didn't either until I got your message to see if something changed. I've had no issues with todays version (so far), I updated the guide that it would totally wipe out anything you had previously setup. This was the first update since the 10/15 update I was previously using so good that you mentioned it to me. Glad I can help, you helped me too 👍😎
does it have preinstalllled games
No games were pre-installed with my unit. Not sure if that's changed or not since my review, but I would suspect it's still the same. Honestly, I don't play this device much anymore and my current favorite is the Steam Deck (using EmuDeck). No games are pre-installed on the Steam Deck either but it's a much more powerful machine and with SteamOS you can play PC games as well as emulation (even run Windows 10/11 very well). You can find out more about it here (if interested): wagnerstechtalk.com/sd-emudeck/
You’re right. The d-pad is not the best.
When you said it, I was like it can’t be that bad. So I picked mine up and looked at it. And my reaction was, this isn’t bad, but it’s not the best. Just as you said
When I looked closely at this video, it was pretty clear why it was sticking for me at first. When I press the button to the left, I can barely see where right-side was broken off from the mold and wasn't cleanly trimmed. That pretty much explains why it was sticking during my initial game-play but got better the more I used it.
I was surprised about the level of build quality of the device. It’s not as good as I was hoping. I’ll Setup my device with your guide and hopefully I’ll get used to it :)
Agreed, the D-pad is not great however I personally won't be emulating anything below PSP/N64.
@@Pridetoons only reason I bought it was for portable GameCube games. If I wanted to play anything lower then the gba, I wouldn’t spend more than $50
@@buster5661 The RG351P and RGB10 are perfect GBA devices. However they cost 100 (RG351) and 80 (RGB10) respectively.
Does is support dualshock vibration?
It does have vibration but it kinda sucks
@@buster5661 too bad best vibration motor are on rg350 and rg351 has only one motor and that also sucks
@@stan599 the worst part is that they vibrate when they turn on and is super LOUD
ALSO, it vibrates nonstop when it is low on battery
I hope that New firmware Will fix it... On gameforce chi vibration is verry good has two motors
Late to respond here, I've not opened the device to see if there are two motors but it does\can vibrate.
It looks way better than the regular Powkiddy 18 that works with the Android 7 yet 😑
Tekken tag on mame? Thanks
Can you please comment on how Fortnite plays on this device? I have this unit's predecesor, the X18, and it's dialed in pretty good with emulation and a few android games. If the X18S can play Fortnite (It meets minimum specs), I may be tempted to upgrade. You'd probably have to install it from a 3rd party store like APKPure or something though. Thanks!
I did give it an effort, unfortunately Fortnite wouldn't install.
@@WagnersTechTalk Darn. Thank you for trying. I appreciate it!
Very welcome, if I ever find a work-around I'll comment here.
Somehow this guy got it going, but unfortunately I can't understand what he's saying.... Good video though.
@@morristhecat You're saying someone got Fortnite running on the X18s? Any link you can share? He may have been streaming it from a PC. The app. refused to install for me.
Nice video and I am still waiting for my unit to arrive as first seller said after I paid was...oh sorry I didn't mention it is a pre-sale item and he never did get it...so money returned and now at least form the powkiddy official store I have one on the way finally and cannot wait to try it out and looks very interesting and like with some of the buttons...well hopefully it works okay and firmware is the newest installed already with playstore I was told....and I cannot wait to try it on my 120 inch ALR screen with a 4k projector...but I know it will not do 4k...but should be awesome...and nice guides also. 😊👍
Thank you RM! It's currently my favorite Retro Gaming device. Hope you get yours soon, drop me a note and let me know what you think of it when it arrives. Happy to add any new info. to the guide page if you have any good tips you'd like to see added. Had someone ask me earlier this week if Fornite will play on it, there is a way to get it installed (a little tricky, not from the play store). I'm not into that particular game, but good to know that it's capable of running it decently. I'll likely add that to the guide for those that want to install it. 😎
@@WagnersTechTalk you bet once I get it I will let you know how it works for me and hopefully it does not blow up...hehe...it shouldn't and all should be good. 👌
I don't think I've seen an uglier device.
It could use some improvements in the looks category, but impressed so far otherwise.
172.99 no thanks, i guess we should wait for better hand held or odin.
I'm torn on this device, on one hand I love that this device is opening the door for more powerful retro devices, but on the other hand, for as much as this device was hyped, I expected better A LOT Better. Personally I am not a fan of Powkiddy's custom software on Android.
You and me both Darius, not a fan of what Powkiddy put on this machine. They should have made an effort towards at least setting up the emulators, optimize them, etc. Basically set it up so all you have to do is drop in the games you want to play. While it is the most powerful handheld I own, it does require a bit of effort. Shouldn't have been this way, they know who customers of this product will be and they had amble time to do it right.