Mainline Linux Support Is Being Worked On For A $100~200 ARM Handheld Gaming Console

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Mainline Linux Support Is Being Worked On For A $100~200 ARM Handheld Gaming Console

If the likes of the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally are out of your budget or you just prefer enjoying more classic, less demanding games, there are Linux kernel patches being floated to allow mainline support for a sub-$200 ARM-powered handheld gaming console...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/ARM-Linux-Powkiddy-X55-Console

[Danny3]

ARM?
No thanks!
There are already ARM phones and tablets.

[macromorgan]

Slow news day? Just kidding.

In addition to the X55, the entire Anbernic RGxx3 series (RG503, RG353P, RG353PS, RG353V, RG353VS, and RG353M) are also supported with mainline too. And I also just finished teh port for the RG Nano as well. RG-ARC and RG35XX+ are next on my list...

[Setif]

There are already ARM phones and tablets.

I don't understand this logic!

[NateHubbard]

There are already ARM phones and tablets.

And this isn't either one.

[Danny3]

I don't understand this logic!

The logic is that I want to play my many Steam, Epic, Itch and other non-gaming platform games that are 100% x86, either made for Linux of for Windows.
I'm not much interested into crappy 2D games (Candy crush and the like) or even 3D ones with way worse graphics than those made for computers.
If I really want to do that, like while I'm traveling, a ARM phone or tablet is enough.
There is no point to buy yet another ARM device!

[dragon321]

The logic is that I want to play my many Steam, Epic, Itch and other non-gaming platform games that are 100% x86, either made for Linux of for Windows.

One word: Box86/64. Also many emulators supports ARM architecture. You don't need to limit yourself to mobile games on ARM device.

Topic: That device is pretty interesting, I believe this GPU is supported by PanVK (Panfrost Vulkan driver for Mali GPUs) so with box86/64 and Vulkan it could be interesting device for emulation and even lighter x86 games. It could because that amount of RAM is too low for anything serious.

[evil_core]

One word: Box86/64. Also many emulators supports ARM architecture. You don't need to limit yourself to mobile games on ARM device.

Topic: That device is pretty interesting, I believe this GPU is supported by PanVK (Panfrost Vulkan driver for Mali GPUs) so with box86/64 and Vulkan it could be interesting device for emulation and even lighter x86 games. It could because that amount of RAM is too low for anything serious.

Not the best reply.
For those wanting x86/x86_64 games SteamDeck is powerful and after OLED, used LCD units are really cheap.

ARM machines are way less powerful, but much more compact, lightweight with better battery life designed to play "retro games", so NES/SNES/GameGear, GameBoys, etc.
SteamDeck is really heavy/bulky, and I carry Analogue Pocket around because of that(kids want to swap their SteamDecks for APs too, and daughter refused to carry SD to school, because weight/dimensions)

[user1]

I never understood why some in the Linux community are so hyped about ARM architecture. Apart from the higher efficiency compared to x86, it's crappier in pretty much everything else - worse backwards compatibility and most importantly, no real standardization like in x86 space, so as a result, you can't just install an OS on random ARM hardware and expect things to just work. Each device requires specific adaptations, which is partly the reason why the ARM space is dominated by walled gardens.

And please don't tell me emulation is the answer for backwards compatibility. Unless it's Apple's Rosetta 2, I bet it will take at least 2 decades until it'll be possible to run today's demanding AAA games at near native speed.

[ms178]

Wouldn't such a device be a perfect target to prepare the software ecosystem for desktop gaming? I get that It is a low-margin product, but the point is to get the ecosystem running and you need lots of devices in people's hands for developers to care for such a platform. Maybe a console as direct Xbox/PS5 competitior with PC-like features would be next.