Pocket billiards? Mobile retro gaming for a penny!

1 - Einführung und Unboxing 2 - Verbaute Technik und Datenblatt 3 - Betriebssystem, Handling und Fazit

After my last article “Back tot he /root(s) – Retro gaming for beginners and enthusiasts” I thought about how I can indulge my passion when I’m on the road. After some research, I found what I was looking for: The company Hardkernel, which I already recommended in the previous article with the Odroid N2+, also provides portable devices called “Odroid Go Advanced” and “Odroid Go Super”. The latter is the earliest iteration of portable gaming consoles, which house a Rockchip and should thus call up similar performance as the Raspberry Pi models. I have owned this device for a good three months now, enough time to try it out and today I would like to tell you my impressions in this article.

Unlike its predecessor, the Odroid Go Super does not come to you either as a fully assembled device or kit, but already completely built. Of course, there are no price differences. You can only choose between two case colors for a purchase price of 105€: transparent (my choice) and mouse gray. An unobtrusive cardboard box, which almost seems minimalistic, houses the valuable interior: The Odroid Go Super, which is delivered in a snug-fitting foam frame. This should rule out delivery damage, and a short USB-C charging cable is included on top.

After the haptic inspection, you notice quite quickly: The build quality is in no way inferior to competing products, such as a portable gaming console from a former Japanese playing card manufacturer. Nothing scratches, grinds or cracks, which can unfortunately be observed in many devices with plastic casings. The device’s dimensions of 204 mm x 86 mm x 25 mm are designed to be as large as necessary, as small as possible, and the weight of 280 g doesn’t let the player’s hand weaken unnecessarily quickly either.

Meanwhile, the (in my case) transparent backside allows an interesting view on the PCB and its layout. The integrated speaker and the 4000mAh battery are also clearly visible. Ventilation slots, which provide fresh air for the CPU, were also not forgotten for more intensive gaming sessions. The upper side even provides a full-fledged USB-A slot for possible peripherals, such as a WLAN stick, because connectivity like Bluetooth or WLAN are not integrated in this device. On the bottom of the device, we find a micro-SD slot for data input.