Android arcade
With Android Arcade, the senior editor of Android Central Android Myrick takes a deep weekly dive in retro games, emulation, pocket computers and everything else.
I am an absolute miller for new equipment, especially if it is associated with something other new and shiny, like a recently launched processor. This same passion has exceeded the limits of phones, tablets and chromebooks and in the world of dedicated game pocket computers. They present themselves in all forms and sizes, with different levels of emulation power and form factors.
While I wrote why I prefer to use laptops for gaming on my phone, recent events have, AHEM, affected the market. Even Linux pocket computers who were once cheap see price increases that do not justify a recommendation. In that spirit, I thought it would be the ideal time to revisit emulation and games on your phone.
Obviously, you will want a controller
If we are going to do everything, you will need one more part before transforming your phone into a mobile game station. The time we had to only Count on console controllers because there are so many different phone controllers, just turn your head.
With so many options, it can be difficult to make a decision on what to take, so you will want to understand the features and the options you want. If you don’t care about bulk or have a device with a larger screen, Gamesir G8 Plus is my first recommendation. It relies on Bluetooth, but can be extended to adapt to the 14.6 -inch S10 Ultra Galaxy tab, without too much hassle.
Do you need something more compact? Discover the Asus Rog Tessen, who is the one I keep in my bag whenever I am going to be far from home for more than one day or two. It connects via USB-C, offers a Pashrough load and has programmable rear palette buttons.
More recently, I turned in love with the spine, but more specifically, the Xbox Edition. It’s not as ergonomic as others, but it just looks great, and I like the way buttons feel. That being said, I am really impatient to discover the new Pro-Drokbone One Pro, which has been announced recently and has some unique tips in its round.
And if you have a budget or if you just don’t want to spend a lot of money on a phone controller? There are also a lot of options there, starting by simply getting a phone clip for your Dualsense or Xbox controller. Until recently, the only options we had were to register on the controller at one end and the phones to the other. However, we start to see more magnetic supportsWhich is excellent.
But if you like the idea of having a dedicated controller for your phone, then something like the appropriate budget Gameir x5 Lite will be in your alley. It is at only $ 35, connects via USB-C and is designed to operate with devices like the iPad Mini, with its 8.3-inch display.
Do not sleep on the Play Store, in particular, play Pass
I was quite critical about the Play Store with regard to the way it works as a central place to discover and download new applications on Android. However, I do not share the same feeling with regard to games, even if the best graphics overflow “Gacha” games. Fortunately, I very rarely look at the best graphics, and all thanks to Google Play Pass.
It is useful that there is a tab dedicated to the bottom of the application, which allows me to avoid the wasteland of regular reading stores. This does not mean that each game available via Play Pass is a banger. But I would say that if Google separated it from my Google One plan, I would add another monthly subscription to my bills.
Seriously, Play Pass includes Stardew Valley, Dead Cell, Terraria and Thimbleweed Park, to name just a few. If I had to buy only these four games, it would cost me almost $ 30. Which is just what it costs to register for Play Pass for an entire year. In addition, if you have Verizon, there is a chance that you can get six months for free, and you didn’t even know.
Play PC, Xbox and PS5 games on your phone
Before arriving at my favorite game, what happens if you are a console or PC player and want to be able to play anywhere? There are actually a lot of options, starting with obvious as Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Plus Premium and Amazon Luna. Although dedicated first part applications are available for these services, you may want to take Xbplay Or chiaki-ng For a tour, as I saw that they offer much better experiences.
From there, we now have GeForce and Boosterwhich bind to several platforms and make your games accessible on the cloud. GeForce is now another of these subscriptions that you will have to tear me away, because I am registered as long as I remember. It was the best cloud game service that I ever used, and quickly filled the vacuum on the left when Stadia was removed.
Although I do not intend to abandon my GeForce Now subscription, there is another solution which has slowly become one of my favorites. Apollo And Artemic are forks built by the community for Moonlight And Sun. Basically, think about it like GeForce now, but with all your games. Instead of relying on Nvidia servers, who have various constraints, Apollo and Artemis have no limitation, as You can install everything and manage everything.
Get the right emulators
Now for the fun part – emulation. Even the best budgetary phones are more able than you think. For example, the Snapdragon 865, which is now over five years old, is still able to emulate Switch and PS3 games on Android. It is probably more aberrant than a rule, but it always proves my point.
Regarding emulators who make everything possible, there are some different routes to take. The first is to download a separate emulator for each console you want to play. However, it can be boring and heavy by a good day, so it is not really something that I would recommend.
Instead, I have compiled a list of the various emulators that I would recommend, starting with Retroach. This unique application can manage up to PS2 and includes a lot of additional features such as integrated shader support and the possibility of accumulating your Retro -Achievement. Another great aspect of Retroarch is that it can work on practically something other than a literal potato, but even then, you could find luck.
You will also notice that I have listed some options for different consoles. Much of this can simply be attributed to certain emulators that work better with certain processors and devices than others. It’s really about doing a little test series to see what doesn’t work while having alternatives if you need them.
Transform your phone into a console
It’s great that you have downloaded all your games, streaming applications and emulators. But even if you throw everything in a single file, it does not really give you this real gaming experience. This is where the launchers come into play, which I turn between three different.
Es-de is the Android version of the Popular Emulattation launcher available on X86 devices. It includes the management of more than 150 different systems and facilitates the scratch of your games to show the illustrations and download different themes according to your style.
Consol launcher is a newcomer to my arsenal, but I have been using it for about six months. While ES-de may seem a little more polite, console Launcher feels better suited to Android, designed for the platform from zero. There are a lot of features, including a dedicated “Samsung Dex” mode, which avoids the potential problems encountered by the limits of Samsung on the launchers.
Although this is not the final list, the last that I mainly used is Daijisho. He has most, if not all, the same features as the other two, but simply offers a different design. Like ES-de or console launcher, there are a variety of themes that you can download and apply if you want to change things.
Do not underestimate what your phone can do
As I said before, you don’t do it need A dedicated game game just to play games on the go. The phone in your pocket is more than capable of playing thousands and thousands of games. And that includes those who want to plunge their toes into the world of emulation, provided you understand the potential limitations.
Nevertheless, I hope that this allowed you to give a certain meaning to the way you can configure a phone or tablet to become the mobile play beast that it is capable of being. It will certainly take a little time to install everything, but this hard work will be paid when you can simply turn on your phone and start playing.
