GP2X: No need for PSP homebrew
polycounter lvl 18
http://gp2x.co.uk/
Looking sweet and does everything many geeks use their PSP for (videos, MP3, emulation). Sure, it has no commercial game support lined up right now but doesn't look to me like a lack of games is a problem for the PSP, either.
The thing is completely open and ships with Linux preinstalled. Means no exploits that will stop working with the next firmware revision needed to get homebrew running. And it does what many wish the PSP could do, plug into a TV and put its picture on there.
It costs 125 GBP, I don't think that's much more than what you pay for a PSP.
Granted, you could probably do most of the same with a flashed DS but hey, it's still neat.
Looking sweet and does everything many geeks use their PSP for (videos, MP3, emulation). Sure, it has no commercial game support lined up right now but doesn't look to me like a lack of games is a problem for the PSP, either.
The thing is completely open and ships with Linux preinstalled. Means no exploits that will stop working with the next firmware revision needed to get homebrew running. And it does what many wish the PSP could do, plug into a TV and put its picture on there.
It costs 125 GBP, I don't think that's much more than what you pay for a PSP.
Granted, you could probably do most of the same with a flashed DS but hey, it's still neat.
Replies
It really is the best portable console in my oppinion, and I wouldn't worry about support for the homebrew and emulation:
As it is the successor to the GP32 (which has about any emulator available for it that is thinkable), all of the major developers already confirmed that they will also programm for the GP2X (and many of the Dreamcast homebrew programmers make also the switch).
Some of them even got a free devkit from the company already, and the first programms are expected to be available at launch.
(and maybe commercial games will also be available on the webportal, as seen with the GP32 already.)
@Ramucho: It is the same screen as it was used in the GP32 which is extremly nice and fast (no ghosting as with the PSP) and dead pixels are almost unheared of. It is also protected by extra hardened plastic cover (which is also replacable), so I wouldn't worry about scraches.
It also has the perfect size for emulation and movies (which arn't widescreen) as it is a real 4:3 ratio, which makes the actually screen-size when displaying a 4:3 input bigger than the PSP.
For movies its biggest feature is that you can just put any movie on the SD (up until now max of 4GB is available) and play it without the need to reencode it! And that is either on the screen at 320x240 or on the TV at full DVD quality.
So get one while they last, since the initial shipment is supposed to be limited, and the next big wave isn't expected until christmas.
There is for exampe a Sega Genesis/Megadrive emulator that runs fullspeed on nearly all games with perfect sound and is compatible to about 95-99% of all roms. In other words it is perfect
Snes on the other hand runs ok on the GP32 but it is a lot less perfect, but that console is expected to run perfectly on the GP2X since it was mostly a speed issue
Overall the emulators for the GP32 are really good, but there are of course limits, since the GP32 is quite slow, and lesser known or hard to emulate machines do have some flaws.
But I wouldn't really worry about that for the GP2X, atleast if you wait half a year before buying, since initial ports might be have a few more bugs.
P.S.: www.gp32x.com is a great resource for both the GP32 and the GP2X
Oh and it is made by a real 'underdog', so that's worth supporting, too
Concerning the SDK:
I don't think there will be game makers, unless someone programms one of course.
But developing for the GP2X is made quite easy by the use of SDL (which is officially supported) and Fenix will probably be ported to it also.
Edit: Check this site for a french forum: http://www.gp32france.com/
www.game-editor.com
The interface is crude but it's really powerful.
And yes that could probably work very well on the GP2X, it is just a question if it supports ARM CPUs.
What if your build-in battery is empty on the go? You could of course buy a replacement battery (but those are more expensive than two more rechargable AA), but with AA support you can just get a few AA at the next shop / tankstop etc, or even carry a buch of them with you since they are really cheap.
@Ramucho: Don't expect a really extensive documentation from the company, since they are quite small (and from Korea
But since most of the documentation for Linux coding should be compatible, and the community is really helpful, it shouldn't be much of a problem, right?
This is a really nice FAQ:
http://www.emuboards.com/invision/index.php?act=ST&f=62&t=24174&st=0
And this a picture of the black unit (only this one will be availabe at launch):
http://www.gpx2.com/pds_data_eng/gp2x_real.jpg
The lastest word was that it is used to make sure DRM protected MP3s are playable on the GP2x, and I guess it is also used to protect possible commercial games (or better not to scare away potential commercial developers).
But GameparkHoldings would be stupid to do anything else with it, and since one of the main supporters of the GP32 homebrew scene had a word in the design of the GP2x and always confirmed that it will be perfect for homebrew and emulators, I have some confidence.