In episode 31 Barry and Phil give their initial impressions on Valve’s recently announced Steam Deck handheld PC, and what this could mean for the future of gaming on the go. Plus, did we actually manage to get a pre-order?

Mentioned in Episode 31

• Valve Steam Deck

The post Episode 31: Valve Steam Deck Initial Impressions appeared first on Retro Ages.

Episode 32 is packed full of news as we take a look at a couple of mech games coming soon, Valve release more details about the Steam Deck and could Netflix be getting into gaming? Plus we discuss new classic PlayStation controllers that are on the way from Retro Fighters.

Mentioned in Episode 32

• Super Robot Wars 30
• Gundam Evolution
• Steam Deck
• Netflix getting into gaming
• Retro Fighters PlayStation and PS2 controllers (Kickstarter Page)
• 3DS and WiiU eShop stops accepted credit card payments in Japan

The post Episode 32: Gundam, Netflix and Steam Deck Updates appeared first on Retro Ages.

Episode 33: Konami decided to rebrand Pro Evolution Soccer as eFootball, as the series goes free-to-play, meanwhile EA is getting criticism regarding their latest entry into the FIFA series. Three new titles are also heading to both the Nintendo Online service and Piepacker, and we talk about the lawsuit filed against Blizzard-Activision regarding sexual harassment and discrimination within the company.

Mentioned in Episode 33

• Piepacker
  • Flea
  • Doodle World
  • Kubo 3
• Pro Evolution Soccer/eFootball
• FIFA 22
• Battlefield 2042
• Dead Space
• Steam Deck

The post Episode 33: Activision-Blizzard Lawsuit, Football and Dead Space Remake appeared first on Retro Ages.

In this episode 48 we talk about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hints at starring in an upcoming movie based on a video game series, what series do we think it could be?  We also take a look at the latest trailer for the upcoming live-action Halo TV series.

This week also sees the launch of the latest Pokémon title with Pokémon Legends Arceus, where it reached the number 1 spot in the UK multi-platform charts.

Then finally, we talk about the bomb-shell Sony has just dropped – They’re acquiring Bungie, the original Halo creators, for an eye-watering $3.6 billion.

Mentioned in Episode 48

• Pokémon Legends Arceus
• Valve Steam Deck
• Destiny 2

The post Episode 48: Steam Deck Gets a Release Date and Sony Buys Bungie! appeared first on Retro Ages.

In episode 52 we welcome back Anthony as we talk about two new collections packed full of retro goodness.  First up we have the Cowabunga collection, consisting of 13 classic Arcade and console Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games.  This collection includes the arcade classic, the excellent SNES Turtles in Time and the Mega Drive masterpiece Hyperstone Heist.

The second collection is yet another Wonder Boy collection – The Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection.  In this expanded collection you will get six Wonder Boy adventures, as well as a total of 21 variations across the selection.  Played the Mega Drive version of Monster World, but always wanted to know how the Master System version compared?  Here you can play both!

We also discuss Nintendo taking down Steam Deck videos, as well as the importance of preserving video game and emulation.  PiePacker announces 10 SNK titles coming to the online streaming service, and Nintendo delay Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp indefinitely.

Mentioned in Episode 52

The post Episode 52: New Turtles and Wonder Boy Collection Announced and Advance Wars Reboot is Delayed Again appeared first on Retro Ages.

In episode 59 Barry rants about the missed opportunity that was Sonic Origins. Anthony laments the shutting down of online services for 15 classic Ubisoft titles. Then finally we take a look at last week’s Nintendo Direct Mini showcasing many of the upcoming third party titles heading to the Switch.

We get a better look at the upcoming Sonic Frontiers thanks to the Nintendo Direct.

Mentioned In Episode 59

The post Episode 59: Sonic Origins Rant, More Steam Decks and Nintendo Direct Mini appeared first on Retro Ages.

Welcome to episode 75, our picks for the prefect festive gift for the retro gamer in your life.  In this episode we pick a selection of games, accessories and hardware just in time for the big day.

Please be aware that links to products may include affiliate links (denoted with a *) and purchasing from these links will not cost you anymore but may earn commission for the podcast.  Any commission earned will only be used to pay for podcast related expenses.

Games:

• Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration (UK | US)*
• Pokémon Scarlet (UK | US)*
• Pokémon Violet (UK | US)*
• Sonic Frontiers (UK | US)*

Peripherals:

• Xbox Wireless Controllers (UK | US)*
• PlayStation 5 DualSense Controller (UK | US)*
• 8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter 2 (UK | US)*
• 8Bitdo SN30 Pro Xbox Cloud Controller (UK | US)*
• Retro-Bit Mega Drive/Genesis Controllers (UK | US)*

Hardware:

• Retroid Pocket 3+ (Worldwide)
• Valve Steam Deck (Worldwide)
• The A500 Mini (UK | US)*
• Evercade EXP (UK | US)*
• Xbox Series S (UK | US)*

Mentioned in Episode 75

The post Episode 75: Festive Retro Gaming Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Retro Ages.

In episode 91 we celebrate a whole year of of Valve’s Steam Deck. Can you believe it’s already been an entire year since the affordable PC handheld first launched? Us neither.

Original Xbox fans get some love as prolific retro controller manufacturer Retro Fighters announce their latest peripheral. The Retro Fighters Hunter is a modern wireless controller with all the modern features you’d expect. If you’re interested in pre-ordering a couple, you can do from the Retro Fighters website for only $44.99.

Finally we have a duo of Nintendo news as we take a look at a potential fix for the Wii U’s 160-0101 error, plus we reminisce about the Wii U and 3DS eShop ahead of it’s closure.

Mentioned in Episode 91

• Steam Deck Turns 1
• Retro Fighters Hunter Xbox Controller
• Nintendo Wii U and 3DS Store Closing

The post Episode 91: Happy Birthday Steam Deck, and So Long Wii U eShop appeared first on Retro Ages.

Microsoft has recently released a beta version of their Microsoft Edge browser for the Steam Deck. As well as for instructions on how to add a shortcut to your Steam Library. Doing so allows you to access the streaming service as if it were a native title on your Deck.

Before you begin

In this guide, we will show you how to get set up and get playing. To get started you will need:

• Your Valve Steam Deck with an internet connection
• A Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate subscription (Amazon Affiliate)
• 5-10 Minutes
• Optional: Xbox Cloud Streaming artwork (Microsoft Link)
• Optional: A keyboard and mouse

Getting started

Now that you have everything ready, let’s go.

1. Switch your Steam Deck into desktop mode by holding the power button for 5 seconds and selecting ‘Switch to Desktop‘.
   
2. From the desktop select the ‘Discover‘ icon from the taskbar at the bottom of the screen – this appears as a blue shopping bag.
   If the icon is not in your taskbar you can press the Steam Deck icon at the bottom of the screen to open the application launcher and search for ‘Discover‘.
   
3. Within the Discover application, search for ‘Edge‘ to find the ‘Microsoft Edge Browser‘ and select ‘Install‘. Once Edge has finished installing you can close the Discover app.
   
4. Next, you should either transfer the Xbox Cloud Streaming artwork files to your Steam Deck or directly visit https://aka.ms/EdgeXboxDeckArt to download the files.
   To easily find these files later, we recommend saving these files to your desktop.
   
5. With Microsoft Edge open, right-click on the icon in the taskbar and select ‘Add to Steam‘. A new window will now appear, scroll down to find ‘Microsoft Edge (beta)‘ to tick the box next to it, and press the ‘Add Selected Programs‘ button.
   
6. Using the application launcher, search for ‘Konsole‘ and launch the application.
   
7. You will now be presented with a terminal window, we need to give Microsoft Edge some additional access to use your Steam Deck’s controller. Type the following command and press ‘Enter‘:
   flatpak --user override --filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge
   
8. Once completed, type the word exit to close the Konsole and then launch Steam from the desktop.
   
9. We’re almost there, time to tweak some settings to improve performance and add our artwork. Start by navigating to the Library tab and right-clicking on ‘Microsoft Edge (beta)‘ and select ‘Properties‘. From here we want to change the following:
   • Edit the shortcut’s name to ‘Microsoft Cloud Gaming (beta)‘
   • Next to the shortcut’s name is its icon. Change this to the ‘Xbox_Cloud_Gaming_Icon.jpg‘ file downloaded earlier. If this was saved to your desktop you can navigate to it using the following path:
     /home/deck/Desktop/EdgeXboxCloudGamingArt/Xbox Cloud Gaming/
     If your file does not appear, you may need to change the file type to ‘All Files‘.
   • Scroll to the ‘Launch Options‘ and add the following to the end of the string after the @@u @@
--window-size=1024,640 --force-device-scale-factor=1.25 --device-scale-factor=1.25 --kiosk "https://www.xbox.com/play"
     
10. Now that this is completed, close this window and locate ‘Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta)‘ in your Library. Right-click the icon and select ‘Manage‘ then ‘Controller Layout‘.
    
11. Within the Controller Configurator window, select ‘Browse Configs‘ and under ‘Templates‘ select ‘Gamepad with Mouse Trackpad’. Select ‘Apply Configuration‘. You have now configured your controls for use with Microsoft Cloud Streaming.
    
12. Finally, select ‘Xbox Cloud Gaming‘ from your and right-click the space just above where it says Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta and select ‘Set Custom Logo‘. Navigate back to your downloaded artwork and select ‘Xbox_Cloud_Gaming_Banner.jpg‘ – again you may need to change the file type to ‘All Files‘.

And that’s it. You’re all done. Restart your Steam Deck, launch your new ‘Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta)’ title and sign in to get playing. If you’ve found this guide helpful why not leave us a thumbs up and comment below.

The post How To Add Xbox Cloud Streaming On Steam Deck appeared first on Retro Ages.

Like many others, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of pre-orders for Valve’s Steam Deck. Now, almost two hours later I’ve finally managed to pre-order my device. But to get to this point there were a variety of website crashes, glitches and even some tears.

Initially many, myself included, were unable to actually add the console to their basket. This wasn’t helped by an unresponsive website and what appeared to be broken buttons. Eventually, I was able to get one added to my basket. However, this was only a taste of the horrors that awaited me. Those who made it to their baskets were now hit with a myriad of errors. This would range from payment methods timing out, accounts being too new and even an alert stating users had made too many purchases over the last few hours.

While Valve should be praised for their attempts to stop scalpers snapping up all the pre-orders. They have introduced a number of conditions on placing a Steam Deck pre-order. Including insisting on users to have an account created before June, as well as a limit to one pre-order per account. Regardless, it’s obvious they weren’t ready for the massive surge in traffic to their site.

I have finally managed to get my pre-order, through sheer will and tenacity. Unfortunately, in that time the estimated date on availability has slipped from December 2021 to Q1 2022.

Although for those who are happy to wait, pre-orders appear to be working more reliably at the moment.

What are your thoughts on the Valve Steam Deck? Do you think it could be the start of a low-cost portable PC gaming boom, or is it destined to fade into obscurity just like its Steam Box cousins? We’d love to hear in the comments.

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