Dragonbox Pyra - Page 2

Dunny · 08 May 2016, 11:56

It's a niche device, and as such is priced pretty low. A smartphone can't do what this can do, the way that it does it. Simple.

You can carry a phone around with you - but you'll need a bluetooth keyboard and game controller as well, so pocketability is gone. You can run linux on your phone, but choosing your favorite distro is not likely.

Whereas the Pyra can do all of that - and has an upgradeable CPU daughterboard should you want to go x86 in the future. Over a terabyte of storage possible. 4G modem built-in (in the higher tier). 4GB of RAM, which is insane for an ARM/Linux machine.

And don't forget that this is the Pandora community behind it. Ports of previously x86-only games such as Starcraft and Diablo 1/2 have been reverse engineered for ARM. UAE4ALL/UAE4ARM have their homes there. Every emulator, game, productivity tool you can think of has been ported and it's still going.

It's a complete Linux PC in your pocket. You just can't get that anywhere else.

(though the GPD WIN is also on the way, which might tempt those of you that prefer Windows 10 in a handheld form).

It's worth the asking price, if you're part of the target niche. If all you want are emulators then you're not really in the market for something this powerful.

Shadowfire · 10 May 2016, 01:53

I've purchased 5 or 6 handhelds over the past 5 years that came out of Shenzhen.
None were worth the money spent.
Quality was most definitely an afterthought on all of those units, from D-pads that were flimsily attached to the PCB and without strain relief, to shitty charging systems that needed the unit to be on in order to charge the battery, to craptastic third party app stores.
The only two handheld devices I purchased that were worth the money, were the NVidia Shield portable, and the OpenPandora.
I was drooling as I initially looked at the GPD WIN page, but unfortunately, coming out of Shenzhen, I will take a pass on it for 6 months after its release and see how well the hardware fares. At least they can't murder the software side of it, since its running Win10 with an Intel processor.
Edit: And yes, I'll probably end up getting a pyra if my Pandora dies.

Anubis · 10 May 2016, 13:18

IMHO too expensive, and in price range of mid-priced laptop/netbooks.

PS Vita here costs ~200 USD, I got nice HP touchscreen laptop for my kid for 250 USD... this is far more expensive...

And for emulation, I rather try to built Super Pi Boy or GameBoy Zero...

https://superpiboy.files.wordpress.c...716_011-11.jpg
http://images.nintendolife.com/news/...0/original.jpg

Dunny · 10 May 2016, 20:43

Yeah, it's expensive. But you're looking at it as purely a games machine when you're comparing it to the PS Vita (it can do a lot more than a Vita) or the PiBoy et al. Laptop/netbooks aren't pocketable.

So yeah, if you want a laptop, get a laptop. If you want games, get one of the other ARM devices out there. If you want a full linux PC in your pocket, then there's really only one choice.

Anubis · 10 May 2016, 21:22

Not sure what do you mean by 'only one choice'?!

I hate not having choice...

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...4msimqsq5i.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...56ra1c2jpg.jpg

http://www.fhshh.com/upload/e/b7/eb75d2c66639d4da.jpg

The only thing that maters to me is support for emulators, and thanks to price, I doubt that Dragonbox Pyra will have even fraction of any of those wide projects...

I might be wrong... time will tell...

CodyJarrett · 10 May 2016, 22:02

Assuming that the Pyra follows its predecessor the Pandora, then you will be limited to emulating systems like the Amiga, Atari ST, coin-op, DOS, PlayStation, PSP, BBC Micro, Spectrum, C64, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, GBA, MSX, CPC, Atari 2600/800/7800, SAM Coupé, PC-98, Neo Geo, Neo Geo Pocket, Lynx, Virtual Boy, Master System, MegaDrive, N64, NES, SNES, DS, PC Engine, Saturn, Dreamcast, X68000, 3DO, Jaguar, Macintosh, Apple II, Intellivision, Colecovision, Odyssey2, Altair 8800, Vectrex, HP-48, TI99 and TRS-80.

The Pyra is more powerful than the Pandora so it might be able to emulate newer systems too.

Some of the more notable Open Source type games on the Pandora include Doom 1&2, Quake 1-3, Serious Sam 1&2, Duke Nukem 3D, Heretic, Marathon, Shadow Warrior, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, FreeCiv, Heroes of the Might and Magic II, OpenTTD, Diablo 1&2, FreeSpace 1&2, Homeworld, Ultima 7, Descent 1&2, X-COM: UFO Defense & Terror From the Deep, GemRB (Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale), ScummVM, Battle for Wesnoth, Jedi Outcast & Academy, Call to Power 2, Albion and Arx Fatalis.

Adrian Browne · 10 May 2016, 22:13

Yes, I would prefer if it retailed for 600 euros, vat included for the top spec model but hundreds of thousands of units would have to be made to drive the manufacturing costs down. That said the pyra is crammed full of features to bursting point.

I won't be buying anything else hardware wise for a long time after this, not a new phone or anything.

Dunny · 11 May 2016, 01:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anubis

Not sure what do you mean by 'only one choice'?!

I hate not having choice...

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...4msimqsq5i.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...56ra1c2jpg.jpg

http://www.fhshh.com/upload/e/b7/eb75d2c66639d4da.jpg

The only thing that maters to me is support for emulators, and thanks to price, I doubt that Dragonbox Pyra will have even fraction of any of those wide projects...

I might be wrong... time will tell...

Well, if those are perfect for you, then go get one

If the Pyra is too expensive for what you're going to use it for then you're not a member of the target audience, really. And yes, there are lots of alternatives out there with keyboards and gaming controls in a pocketable form - so there's no need for a Pyra

D.

stainy · 11 May 2016, 13:51

Here`s the press kit if you are interested.
Videos, pics etc.

http://cloud.openpandora.org/index.p...0Q0TXV8gh5NLAC

Anubis · 11 May 2016, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodyJarrett

Assuming that the Pyra follows its predecessor the Pandora, then you will be limited to emulating systems like the Amiga, Atari ST, coin-op, DOS, PlayStation, PSP, BBC Micro, Spectrum, C64, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, GBA, MSX, CPC, Atari 2600/800/7800, SAM Coupé, PC-98, Neo Geo, Neo Geo Pocket, Lynx, Virtual Boy, Master System, MegaDrive, N64, NES, SNES, DS, PC Engine, Saturn, Dreamcast, X68000, 3DO, Jaguar, Macintosh, Apple II, Intellivision, Colecovision, Odyssey2, Altair 8800, Vectrex, HP-48, TI99 and TRS-80.

The Pyra is more powerful than the Pandora so it might be able to emulate newer systems too.

Some of the more notable Open Source type games on the Pandora include Doom 1&2, Quake 1-3, Serious Sam 1&2, Duke Nukem 3D, Heretic, Marathon, Shadow Warrior, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, FreeCiv, Heroes of the Might and Magic II, OpenTTD, Diablo 1&2, FreeSpace 1&2, Homeworld, Ultima 7, Descent 1&2, X-COM: UFO Defense & Terror From the Deep, GemRB (Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale), ScummVM, Battle for Wesnoth, Jedi Outcast & Academy, Call to Power 2, Albion and Arx Fatalis.

Touché, my friend.

Question - are all of those emulators well developed and still in development, as its case with RPi for example?

Dunny · 11 May 2016, 18:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anubis

Touché, my friend.

Question - are all of those emulators well developed and still in development, as its case with RPi for example?

Yes, many of the ports are actively updated as new libraries are developed or bugs discovered - the repo gets new updates daily.

stainy · 13 August 2016, 22:11

Latest post. With pics of the backlight and four prototypes that are going to be at GamesCon

https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/thr.../#post-1389343

10 May 2016, 22:02	#26
CodyJarrett Global Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: UK Age: 46 Posts: 6,160	Assuming that the Pyra follows its predecessor the Pandora, then you will be limited to emulating systems like the Amiga, Atari ST, coin-op, DOS, PlayStation, PSP, BBC Micro, Spectrum, C64, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, GBA, MSX, CPC, Atari 2600/800/7800, SAM Coupé, PC-98, Neo Geo, Neo Geo Pocket, Lynx, Virtual Boy, Master System, MegaDrive, N64, NES, SNES, DS, PC Engine, Saturn, Dreamcast, X68000, 3DO, Jaguar, Macintosh, Apple II, Intellivision, Colecovision, Odyssey2, Altair 8800, Vectrex, HP-48, TI99 and TRS-80. The Pyra is more powerful than the Pandora so it might be able to emulate newer systems too. Some of the more notable Open Source type games on the Pandora include Doom 1&2, Quake 1-3, Serious Sam 1&2, Duke Nukem 3D, Heretic, Marathon, Shadow Warrior, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, FreeCiv, Heroes of the Might and Magic II, OpenTTD, Diablo 1&2, FreeSpace 1&2, Homeworld, Ultima 7, Descent 1&2, X-COM: UFO Defense & Terror From the Deep, GemRB (Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale), ScummVM, Battle for Wesnoth, Jedi Outcast & Academy, Call to Power 2, Albion and Arx Fatalis. Last edited by CodyJarrett; 10 May 2016 at 22:10.

11 May 2016, 13:51	#29
stainy Zone Friend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Concord, NC, USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,712	Press kit Here`s the press kit if you are interested. Videos, pics etc. http://cloud.openpandora.org/index.p...0Q0TXV8gh5NLAC

13 August 2016, 22:11	#32
stainy Zone Friend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Concord, NC, USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,712	New post Latest post. With pics of the backlight and four prototypes that are going to be at GamesCon https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/thr.../#post-1389343

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08 May 2016, 11:56	#21
Dunny Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom Posts: 2,009	It's a niche device, and as such is priced pretty low. A smartphone can't do what this can do, the way that it does it. Simple. You can carry a phone around with you - but you'll need a bluetooth keyboard and game controller as well, so pocketability is gone. You can run linux on your phone, but choosing your favorite distro is not likely. Whereas the Pyra can do all of that - and has an upgradeable CPU daughterboard should you want to go x86 in the future. Over a terabyte of storage possible. 4G modem built-in (in the higher tier). 4GB of RAM, which is insane for an ARM/Linux machine. And don't forget that this is the Pandora community behind it. Ports of previously x86-only games such as Starcraft and Diablo 1/2 have been reverse engineered for ARM. UAE4ALL/UAE4ARM have their homes there. Every emulator, game, productivity tool you can think of has been ported and it's still going. It's a complete Linux PC in your pocket. You just can't get that anywhere else. (though the GPD WIN is also on the way, which might tempt those of you that prefer Windows 10 in a handheld form). It's worth the asking price, if you're part of the target niche. If all you want are emulators then you're not really in the market for something this powerful.

10 May 2016, 01:53	#22
Shadowfire Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Connecticut USA Posts: 617	I've purchased 5 or 6 handhelds over the past 5 years that came out of Shenzhen. None were worth the money spent. Quality was most definitely an afterthought on all of those units, from D-pads that were flimsily attached to the PCB and without strain relief, to shitty charging systems that needed the unit to be on in order to charge the battery, to craptastic third party app stores. The only two handheld devices I purchased that were worth the money, were the NVidia Shield portable, and the OpenPandora. I was drooling as I initially looked at the GPD WIN page, but unfortunately, coming out of Shenzhen, I will take a pass on it for 6 months after its release and see how well the hardware fares. At least they can't murder the software side of it, since its running Win10 with an Intel processor. Edit: And yes, I'll probably end up getting a pyra if my Pandora dies.

10 May 2016, 13:18	#23
Anubis Retro Gamer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Underworld Age: 51 Posts: 4,061	IMHO too expensive, and in price range of mid-priced laptop/netbooks. PS Vita here costs ~200 USD, I got nice HP touchscreen laptop for my kid for 250 USD... this is far more expensive... And for emulation, I rather try to built Super Pi Boy or GameBoy Zero... https://superpiboy.files.wordpress.c...716_011-11.jpg http://images.nintendolife.com/news/...0/original.jpg

10 May 2016, 20:43	#24
Dunny Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom Posts: 2,009	Yeah, it's expensive. But you're looking at it as purely a games machine when you're comparing it to the PS Vita (it can do a lot more than a Vita) or the PiBoy et al. Laptop/netbooks aren't pocketable. So yeah, if you want a laptop, get a laptop. If you want games, get one of the other ARM devices out there. If you want a full linux PC in your pocket, then there's really only one choice.

10 May 2016, 21:22	#25
Anubis Retro Gamer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Underworld Age: 51 Posts: 4,061	Not sure what do you mean by 'only one choice'?! I hate not having choice... http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...4msimqsq5i.jpg http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...56ra1c2jpg.jpg http://www.fhshh.com/upload/e/b7/eb75d2c66639d4da.jpg The only thing that maters to me is support for emulators, and thanks to price, I doubt that Dragonbox Pyra will have even fraction of any of those wide projects... I might be wrong... time will tell...

10 May 2016, 22:13	#27
Adrian Browne Jackie Chan Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ireland Age: 46 Posts: 986	Yes, I would prefer if it retailed for 600 euros, vat included for the top spec model but hundreds of thousands of units would have to be made to drive the manufacturing costs down. That said the pyra is crammed full of features to bursting point. I won't be buying anything else hardware wise for a long time after this, not a new phone or anything.

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