Note: Some people want to use a different front end, you of course can - here's my EmulationStation guide: ua-cam.com/video/CArdN9X4UQU/v-deo.html. This replaces the Daijisho section. If you do choose to use ES instead, you will need to setup your ROMs folder with their folders ahead of time or when you get the device. Not sure why some people are having trouble finding the AetherSX2 link, but here it is directly: github.com/Trixarian/NetherSX2-patch/releases/tag/0.0
Absolutely the best setup guide. Tried some of the others. This one highlights the caveats and is very hands on and shows just what you need to update with no issues and no fluff. Great video. Many thanks
@@chrismckenna6183it’s a pretty decent guide, even helped me figure out how to get netherSX2 patched, so I would say so. Plus it’s all android, so should work totally fine for both devices
So glad I saved this video! I just got my RP5, and I followed this comprehensive setup to the letter, and now I've got an amazing little retro handheld, and even have all the BIOS files and emu's in place to go all the way up to PS2 / Wii games! Thanks so much for not only showing how it works, but also showing and explaining what NOT to do as well (and explaining WHY when it won't work...I made mistakes, and you taught me why lol). 10/10!
I just received my Retroid Pocket 5 and spent time setting this up, smoothly. I am brand new to this world! It would help to have a "start here" page on your website, along with a summary table with console, emulator app, emulator name, bios name :) other than that, this tutorial is excellent, thank you so much! All the very best for 2025 :-)
just set up my RP5 with this video. thanks so much! I did run into a few issues, but i will try to solve them myself at another time. my main priority was Wind Waker HD and that is running beautifully. Thanks again!
Ive gone through a ton of guides and this one is the best! I really appreciate the amount of detail and going through how android works. This is my first android device. A lot of guides assume you know how to use the OS.
thank you for doing this!! im new to this community and heard about retroid and old school games. I absolutely cannot wait to get mine! bookmarking this for later!!
this was awesome, thank you. literally went step by step with you and worked great. Only "issue" was ps2, had to go to the website via my pc to find the apk, but other than that perfect. thank you!
Thanks for this great guide! One thing I would recommend is to keep your camera's focus fixed as the focus is going crazy, especially when watching on a big screen.
This was a great video, Joey. I'll admit to fast forwarding through the emulators I already knew how to setup; but, you better believe that I watched the Vita and WiiU sections with all the rapt attention of a degenerate gambler watching Sabres-Jets on a cold Wednesday night. You have a knack for making emulators go smoothly during the setup process. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to play on an SD845, but, part of the fun of this hobby is found in the tinkering and testing process.
Still watching, but I'd like to take a moment and suggest the Sameboy core for GB/GBC over Gambatte. It's the only one that lets you have near-accurate colors without completely killing the contrast. Gambatte is better than the others since they all oversaturate the image, but Gambatte is too dark IMO (the colors are "accurate", but the contrast is so low that everything has a bit of a hazy look to it). The Sameboy core addresses that by correcting the saturation curve of modern LCDs (so it's not oversaturated) while retaining a good contrast level, which makes everything look both vibrant and accurate (which really shines with a good OLED display). This is especially noticeable if you apply a CRT or pixel grid shader, which darkens the image even further.
Thanks for this fab video, followed it and got it all working first time. Being new to all of this, can you advise how to get GB and the likes GG and GBA for example to show the screen more closer to the original grains look. So more like original display. Also how can all formats be made to run full wide screen? Thanks
Joey just a quick question, if I setup the sd card on the device as portable storage will I be able to put my sd card into my computer to add the roms folder and my roms files on it ?
I have a question on m64. On some emulators I've seen an option for a c shift, a button you can hold down to turn the four face buttons into the c buttons. For example holding r2 could change abxy into C down right left up. Does m64 have this option?
Why did you use retroarch over drastic for DS? I've always thought Drastic was one of the best emulators so just making sure I didn't miss something here. Thanks!
Last update was earlier this year. Honestly, the development of it is really slow. The stuff that plays well, plays really well. For instance, i can play Mortal Kombat and FFX HD on my RP4 Pro with no performance mode. But Vita3k still needs alot of work. The UI is horrible for it, and the main dev seems to be working on other projects.
I have the exact file you reference for PS2 BIOS and it shows 4.0mb on my desktop, but 4.19mb when I put it on my RP5. Then Nethersx2 wont read it as a BIOS because it is "larger than 4mb". Help, please!
Thanks for the guide Joey! I followed it to the letter and am now enjoying my games. One little thing - has anybody noticed issues with analog sticks not being recognised in flycast? I've tried changing the 'analog to digital' setting on and off with no luck. All other buttons and dpad work. Eg I can play crazy taxi with dpad, but can't get turn in daytona as it needs analog stick. Have verified that correct axes are assigned in settings, and analog sticks work fine everywhere else. It's driving me crazy! Any ideas?
Hi great and perfect guide. I have just some questiona. I have an RP3+ purchased already configured by a guy. I noticed that some emulators are APK versions downloaded from who knows where and I wanted to update them to the latest versions, but I don't want to make a mess. Do you think that if I download the latest APK updates, it will only overwrite the version leaving the settings as they are, without having to reconfigure everything in the emulator? Then another question, do you happen to have a way to explain how to configure controllers for OpenBor? Especially for Master of the Universe for my son. I tried but it doesn't recognize some keys .... Thanks again for your support.
Hi! Thank you so much for this, super helpful. Question: I used this to set up my Odin 2 that just came in. I love this thing! Ran into a small problem tho and I’m wondering if anyone has found a solution. Some games (specifically DS games for me atm) need a mic. Is there a way to set this up on Odin?
I personally prefer ES-DE and I'm now a pro at it. I'd recommend picking one for all your systems. Daijisho was fine and I did try it. Just like the ease of ES-DE.
What allocation size do i use for a 1tb card? For me, it shows "512 Kilobytes" in the beginning. In your video, you formated your sd card with "128 Kilobytes", but you said, we should choose "standard allocation size". That's why I'm a little bit confused.
Hey Joey, If I was to do a factory reset of the device would it revert the RP5 to exactly how it was out of the box or would I end up with a bricked useless console by doing a factory reset? I want to go back and not install the emulators like you did in this video unless there's an easy way to just update them?
The hot key to close retroarch doesnt quit the program it just minimizes it. When I try to launch another game in Daijisho that uses retorarch it says it has to kill the process first.
Nice videos as always. I just have one question: Do you guys think upgrading to RP5 from RG556 is worth it? I bought RG556 for 130$ and it was a pretty good deal for me. My only complains being it's too bulky, the key mapping is broken and the performance is slightly below what I need. The RP5 just look so good but in my country it's 260$ so double the price of RG556. I can't decide tbh
Actually, double the price is a lot and I don't think the rp5 is worth 2 times the price. If the rg556 or a similar device would cost around $170-180, then I would say it's worth an upgrade.
Will the regular AetherSX2 app not work? The special one you mention and the patcher are required? Just curious if this plays more PS2 games that the standard.
Will i have any BIOS needed to copy when you are setting that up around 23:03? i do not have any in the SD card to copy over from the Retroarch BIOS. I have no games set up yet. or aim I supposed to see some to copy?
Thank-you so much for this! I have an R5P on pre-order and it’s not only my first Android device ever but my first high end handheld. I have successfully learned how to emulate as a newbie on Linux with a Mac on a R36S & Trimui Smart Pro. Quick question- will I be able to do the rom transfer on a Mac or will I need a special app? Is the transfer as easy with Android (drag them across)? I don’t suppose that you could do a video about how we could use both Linux & Android on the RP5? Also - do you the size limits for the size of the SD cards? Can I store roms on the 2nd SD card as well & potentially have 2 x 1TB SD card storage? I plan to buy some discounted SD cards during the Black Friday sales. Thank-you in advance! Ps You have finally taught me how to use HotKeys in this video too! Weeeeee!
Just putting this here. I formatted my SD card using my pc and added tons of games to it. When I popped it in my RP5, it did not like it and claimed it was corrupted and I ended up having to reformat it with the RP5. Huge bummer lost a lot of time transferring my ps2 games. Anyway just to be safe and not potentially waste an hour (depending on how many games you are transferring) maybe just wait and format it with the RP5.
some 3DS games doesnt run smoothly with this settings. I reduced to 3x native and it got better not perfect yet. in my specific case was fire emblem fates. the other 2 games I tested so far was 100% smooth
About the wrong button to exit: you show what not to do but I didn't catch what we should actually do and you didn't say what button you pushed either. Can you please let us know what the right buttons are?
Hi Joey, i followed your exact steps, only when i click the file, it starts installing, then instantly it ask me if i want to update it. Ive then tried 2 things First i said yes update and it then states "something went wrong app not installed: Second i selected cancel and it then states "app not installed" 🙄. Has anyone encountered the same issue ? Ps im using anbernic rg556 with a labeled sd card
Note: Some people want to use a different front end, you of course can - here's my EmulationStation guide: ua-cam.com/video/CArdN9X4UQU/v-deo.html. This replaces the Daijisho section.
If you do choose to use ES instead, you will need to setup your ROMs folder with their folders ahead of time or when you get the device.
Not sure why some people are having trouble finding the AetherSX2 link, but here it is directly: github.com/Trixarian/NetherSX2-patch/releases/tag/0.0
Bookmarked for later use! The RP5 will be the first Android device I've ever owned.
Same Boat!
Me too sammy
Same here!
For me second
My first ever retro handheld too. After ordering I’m worried I won’t be able to set it up properly, hopefully this video keeps me right
36:36 Thank you so much for being the only video to explicitly mention this about the analogue triggers. Could not figure this out for the life of me
Absolutely the best setup guide. Tried some of the others. This one highlights the caveats and is very hands on and shows just what you need to update with no issues and no fluff. Great video. Many thanks
u sir just gained another subscriber, so underrated video i was worried how to setup my rp5 from scratch thank u so much
Perfect timing. My Odin 2 Mini arrives next week.
Is this setup good for Odin 2 mini? I am seriously thinking of getting that I'm also trying to find out how it is hooked up to a TV via dock
@@chrismckenna6183it’s a pretty decent guide, even helped me figure out how to get netherSX2 patched, so I would say so. Plus it’s all android, so should work totally fine for both devices
*Many* thanks for your setup guide, received my 16-bit RP5 a few days ago and it feels like a complete package now. 😄
So glad I saved this video! I just got my RP5, and I followed this comprehensive setup to the letter, and now I've got an amazing little retro handheld, and even have all the BIOS files and emu's in place to go all the way up to PS2 / Wii games! Thanks so much for not only showing how it works, but also showing and explaining what NOT to do as well (and explaining WHY when it won't work...I made mistakes, and you taught me why lol). 10/10!
I just received my Retroid Pocket 5 and spent time setting this up, smoothly. I am brand new to this world! It would help to have a "start here" page on your website, along with a summary table with console, emulator app, emulator name, bios name :) other than that, this tutorial is excellent, thank you so much! All the very best for 2025 :-)
I dont have a RP5, i just like watching Joey's channel.
just set up my RP5 with this video. thanks so much! I did run into a few issues, but i will try to solve them myself at another time. my main priority was Wind Waker HD and that is running beautifully. Thanks again!
Youre the best Joey. Hope you make guides for all of the major releases, these are so incredibly helpful
This really helped out a lot. It was very easy to follow and got me up and running quickly. Thanks, Joey!
Ive gone through a ton of guides and this one is the best! I really appreciate the amount of detail and going through how android works. This is my first android device. A lot of guides assume you know how to use the OS.
Can't wait for me Retroid Pocket 5 to arrive!
Same 😂 took a few days to look at different companies and models but kept coming back to this. Bit the bullet and order it.
Even the Lucky Charms leprechaun is getting an RP5. Thing is popular!
Hands down best videos for set up, the RG556 one was great and this is even better. All questions answered. Thank you
The best guide out there. Thanks Joey
Thanks for puting this guide out Joey, really great job. Was able to follow it easily and set everything up. Now to play some games
Following the setup, this is really helpful! And the RP5 screen is gorgeous!
thank you for doing this!! im new to this community and heard about retroid and old school games. I absolutely cannot wait to get mine! bookmarking this for later!!
woah an hour of joey ASMR
This is by far the easiest and best way to do this thanks man i thought I was stuck!!
Thanks for making this! I just ordered mine and I’m excited!
This guide was a life saver, thank you! So clear and easy to follow. Legend!
this was awesome, thank you. literally went step by step with you and worked great. Only "issue" was ps2, had to go to the website via my pc to find the apk, but other than that perfect. thank you!
Thanks for this great guide! One thing I would recommend is to keep your camera's focus fixed as the focus is going crazy, especially when watching on a big screen.
I just got mine. It’s even better in person
Excellent setup guide, thank you so much 🙏🏻
This is a great guide for my rg406V and rp5 on the way. Thx Joey!
This was a great video, Joey. I'll admit to fast forwarding through the emulators I already knew how to setup; but, you better believe that I watched the Vita and WiiU sections with all the rapt attention of a degenerate gambler watching Sabres-Jets on a cold Wednesday night. You have a knack for making emulators go smoothly during the setup process. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to play on an SD845, but, part of the fun of this hobby is found in the tinkering and testing process.
Amazing level of detail. This is awesome.
Great guide thanks :) Looking forward to getting my 16bit RP5 when it ships
This was the exact video I needed. Thanks Joey
Will use this now on my RP Mini and when my Pocket Evo and Odin Portal arrive. Thank you!
This man is a Legend!
Still watching, but I'd like to take a moment and suggest the Sameboy core for GB/GBC over Gambatte. It's the only one that lets you have near-accurate colors without completely killing the contrast. Gambatte is better than the others since they all oversaturate the image, but Gambatte is too dark IMO (the colors are "accurate", but the contrast is so low that everything has a bit of a hazy look to it).
The Sameboy core addresses that by correcting the saturation curve of modern LCDs (so it's not oversaturated) while retaining a good contrast level, which makes everything look both vibrant and accurate (which really shines with a good OLED display). This is especially noticeable if you apply a CRT or pixel grid shader, which darkens the image even further.
Thanks for doing this...not sure yet about a lot of how I'm going to set mine up yet.
Thanks, bookmarking for when my odin 2 mini arrives!
Merci Beaucoup, This tutorial is just perfect, easy to follow and very helpful.
Solid AF Guide
Ty for this great video it helped me a lot with getting everything to work
Awesome Joey! Thank you very much!!
Thank you buddy I’m just waiting on my card
Everybody drop a sub if you haven’t, mans is on it. Always.
Thanks for this fab video, followed it and got it all working first time. Being new to all of this, can you advise how to get GB and the likes GG and GBA for example to show the screen more closer to the original grains look. So more like original display. Also how can all formats be made to run full wide screen? Thanks
Awesome tutorial, very easy to follow. My only regret is I have but one subscribe to give. Thanks again.
Hey Joey, is this guide good for the 406V? Just asking for a friend... Jokes of course, but holy crap, good timing. Was just setting up the 406V!
Good starter guide 👍
Awesome Video Thanks!
Joey just a quick question, if I setup the sd card on the device as portable storage will I be able to put my sd card into my computer to add the roms folder and my roms files on it ?
Yep.
I have a question on m64. On some emulators I've seen an option for a c shift, a button you can hold down to turn the four face buttons into the c buttons. For example holding r2 could change abxy into C down right left up. Does m64 have this option?
Why did you use retroarch over drastic for DS? I've always thought Drastic was one of the best emulators so just making sure I didn't miss something here. Thanks!
How Vita3k is going? Some months ago I tried Street fighter X Tekken and the game ran well but it was so glitchy on the menus it was uncomfortable
Last update was earlier this year. Honestly, the development of it is really slow. The stuff that plays well, plays really well. For instance, i can play Mortal Kombat and FFX HD on my RP4 Pro with no performance mode. But Vita3k still needs alot of work. The UI is horrible for it, and the main dev seems to be working on other projects.
@z0h33y I hope SFxT gets better soon to play it on my RG505
I have the exact file you reference for PS2 BIOS and it shows 4.0mb on my desktop, but 4.19mb when I put it on my RP5. Then Nethersx2 wont read it as a BIOS because it is "larger than 4mb". Help, please!
I highly recommend dark theme, because it saves battery on an oled device.
Could I theoretically just plug in my RP4 Pro memory card with all my stuff on it?
I noticed in the file transfer part you didnt show where we would put the files if we just have the handheld connected vs using the sd card directly.
No difference.
@JoeysRetroHandhelds thank you i realized this and now i have my games from my anbernic device to my new rp5. 🥳
Thank you!
Thanks for the guide Joey! I followed it to the letter and am now enjoying my games. One little thing - has anybody noticed issues with analog sticks not being recognised in flycast? I've tried changing the 'analog to digital' setting on and off with no luck. All other buttons and dpad work. Eg I can play crazy taxi with dpad, but can't get turn in daytona as it needs analog stick. Have verified that correct axes are assigned in settings, and analog sticks work fine everywhere else. It's driving me crazy! Any ideas?
Not having that problem no - open a dreamcast game, open the retroarch menu, controls, make sure your sticks are mapped.
@ that was it, I'm an idiot. Thanks dude!
Hi great and perfect guide. I have just some questiona.
I have an RP3+ purchased already configured by a guy. I noticed that some emulators are APK versions downloaded from who knows where and I wanted to update them to the latest versions, but I don't want to make a mess.
Do you think that if I download the latest APK updates, it will only overwrite the version leaving the settings as they are, without having to reconfigure everything in the emulator?
Then another question, do you happen to have a way to explain how to configure controllers for OpenBor? Especially for Master of the Universe for my son. I tried but it doesn't recognize some keys ....
Thanks again for your support.
Can this be set up using a MacBook? Or can it be fully setup using the RP5 itself? As in, downloading roms to selected folders right on the device?
Hi! Thank you so much for this, super helpful. Question: I used this to set up my Odin 2 that just came in. I love this thing! Ran into a small problem tho and I’m wondering if anyone has found a solution. Some games (specifically DS games for me atm) need a mic. Is there a way to set this up on Odin?
Why did you recommend Daijisho over ES-DE or Beacon Launcher? Is it simply because Daijisho is free? Or is there a reason why you prefer Daijisho?
I personally prefer ES-DE and I'm now a pro at it. I'd recommend picking one for all your systems. Daijisho was fine and I did try it. Just like the ease of ES-DE.
Cause Daijisho is good and straightforward
What allocation size do i use for a 1tb card? For me, it shows "512 Kilobytes" in the beginning. In your video, you formated your sd card with "128 Kilobytes", but you said, we should choose "standard allocation size". That's why I'm a little bit confused.
When I connect a switch controller I get a mouse cursor and can't use how to adjust?
Do u think im ok ordering from Ali express for uk delivery? excellent video so helpful subbed
Joey can u do a video tutorial on how to install & run winalator on the RP5? I’d love to replay Halo 1 & 2 on this device!!!
Any chance of there being a showcase of Vita games on Retroid Pocket 5?
Hey Joey,
If I was to do a factory reset of the device would it revert the RP5 to exactly how it was out of the box or would I end up with a bricked useless console by doing a factory reset?
I want to go back and not install the emulators like you did in this video unless there's an easy way to just update them?
Yep it will.
@JoeysRetroHandhelds appreciate the quick reply and mad respect to your videos and time you put in.
The hot key to close retroarch doesnt quit the program it just minimizes it. When I try to launch another game in Daijisho that uses retorarch it says it has to kill the process first.
No, it exits it, you just skipped the process setting in the daijisho section of the video.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds Yep I rushed it and didnt select the option about warning in Daijisho. Thanks for this guide it was really helpful.
Nice videos as always. I just have one question: Do you guys think upgrading to RP5 from RG556 is worth it? I bought RG556 for 130$ and it was a pretty good deal for me. My only complains being it's too bulky, the key mapping is broken and the performance is slightly below what I need. The RP5 just look so good but in my country it's 260$ so double the price of RG556. I can't decide tbh
Actually, double the price is a lot and I don't think the rp5 is worth 2 times the price. If the rg556 or a similar device would cost around $170-180, then I would say it's worth an upgrade.
Will the regular AetherSX2 app not work? The special one you mention and the patcher are required? Just curious if this plays more PS2 games that the standard.
Can I set up an SD card on a tablet instead of a computer?
Will i have any BIOS needed to copy when you are setting that up around 23:03? i do not have any in the SD card to copy over from the Retroarch BIOS. I have no games set up yet. or aim I supposed to see some to copy?
You skipped earlier parts of the video.
Thank-you so much for this! I have an R5P on pre-order and it’s not only my first Android device ever but my first high end handheld.
I have successfully learned how to emulate as a newbie on Linux with a Mac on a R36S & Trimui Smart Pro.
Quick question- will I be able to do the rom transfer on a Mac or will I need a special app? Is the transfer as easy with Android (drag them across)?
I don’t suppose that you could do a video about how we could use both Linux & Android on the RP5?
Also - do you the size limits for the size of the SD cards? Can I store roms on the 2nd SD card as well & potentially have 2 x 1TB SD card storage?
I plan to buy some discounted SD cards during the Black Friday sales.
Thank-you in advance!
Ps You have finally taught me how to use HotKeys in this video too! Weeeeee!
Thanks a lot !!!
Great guide, thank you. But still fighting to get RP5 or RG556. My main system that wants to play is PS2.
The 556 does not make sense for PS2 then.
15:10 why would I download the stand alone emulators and not just run everything through retroarch?
Thank you
Just putting this here. I formatted my SD card using my pc and added tons of games to it. When I popped it in my RP5, it did not like it and claimed it was corrupted and I ended up having to reformat it with the RP5. Huge bummer lost a lot of time transferring my ps2 games. Anyway just to be safe and not potentially waste an hour (depending on how many games you are transferring) maybe just wait and format it with the RP5.
hahah i thought it might have just been me. i feel you
.... with this guide work also on my S24 Ultra Android CellPhone ....
I have a question. When I set the hotkeys, why is "mouse 1" assigned as well as the button I set?
Where does the Nethersx2 save game data go to? The SD card or the actual device?
Thanks!
joeysretrohandhelds.com/guides/where-to-find-save-files-for-every-emulator-and-custom-firmware/#AetherSX2NetherSX2_%E2%80%93_Android
Having a hard time deciding which emulation profile to use on m64 plus, which do you find works best on the mini/5?
How do you turn off the bar on right handside again? I know you mentioned it, but cant find where you did.
Swipe down, floating icon.
Do you prefer Daijisho over ES? Any pros and cons for both?
some 3DS games doesnt run smoothly with this settings. I reduced to 3x native and it got better not perfect yet.
in my specific case was fire emblem fates. the other 2 games I tested so far was 100% smooth
Fantastic guide. Thank you so much!
Does anybody have any tips for audio stuttering on Dolphin / GC emulation?
About the wrong button to exit: you show what not to do but I didn't catch what we should actually do and you didn't say what button you pushed either. Can you please let us know what the right buttons are?
Small top right button to the left of X button
Hi Joey, i followed your exact steps, only when i click the file, it starts installing, then instantly it ask me if i want to update it.
Ive then tried 2 things
First i said yes update and it then states "something went wrong app not installed:
Second i selected cancel and it then states "app not installed" 🙄.
Has anyone encountered the same issue ?
Ps im using anbernic rg556 with a labeled sd card
you probably have some kind of plugin installed not fully deleted, you can check the all-app section to see if it's there
I can't figure out how to get rumble working on NetherSX2 but it worked fine for me on Retroid Pocket 4 do you know why that is?
what do you use for mame?
I'm not seeing the apk file or Nethersx2 under the assets section. I don't want to mess anything up so I'm not sure which to choose now.
It's still there.
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds I'll give it another look! I'm on an RG406V, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place
@@JoeysRetroHandhelds Found it. Had to do some searching. I appreciate the content, man!
How can ypu dp a set up guide if you havent got the new retroid launcher ?
Did you try ROCKNIX for PS3 emulation?
Whats the best way to transfer my emulator data or just the save files? I cant transfer duckstation or AetherSX2 saves on my PC :S
ua-cam.com/video/EZhlyGXCSF0/v-deo.html
@JoeysRetroHandhelds thanks Joey. You da man!
Brother my Retriod Pocket 5 Pattern locked and i forgot the pattern how to unlock. Please help me
Hey Joey! Is there a way to have Android games show up in Daijisho?
im trying to download retroarch on the official page like in the video but it just shows a 404 error, what should I do ?
Yes need help
Nice video