2024 Android Nvidia Shield Retro Console Mod from MarkyMarc

A fantastic build for the Nvidia Shield from MarkyMarc, this build has a bit of everything and then some ! MarkyMarc has taken 3 online packs, merged them, added to them and created this little visual stunner – all ready for your retro gaming requirements on that Shield box!

INSTRUCTIONS (AS EXPLAINED BY MARKYMARC!)

1. Unzip the Hyperspin folder in the root of a USB drive. (I unzipped it to my 4TB SSD then transferred it over to a 512gb flash drive.

2. Once complete, plug your USB into your NVIDIA Shield and make sure you uninstall the previous versions of Hyperspin and Retroarch that you have installed on your NVIDIA Shield.

3. Install the applications from the apk folder (I used X-Plore File Manager from the Play Store). There should be three (Dolphin, HyperSpin, and RetroArch)

4. Run Dolphin apk first and allow and accept then Retroarch and allow access to the disk.

5. Within Retroarch install all the cores and configure the controller (Nvidia Shield or any Bluetooth one)

-> go to RetroArch’s main menu, select an Online Updater, and then select an Update Core

I followed KellyTech’s Video on YouTube on what cores to get but at the time of his video and listed below are the cores.

6. Set BIOS folder-> can be in RetroArch by going to:

Settings->Directory->System/BIOS then select your usb drive and select the Hyperspin/Emulators/BIOS folder. Once in that folder, you should see USE THIS DIRECTORY, CLICK THAT.

7. After selecting the bios folder, you need to save the configuration file,

so go to the Main menu -> Configuration File -> Save Current Configuration

8. ENJOY!

Install required Retroarch Cores for each system including backups:

• Amstrad – CPC (CrocoDS)
• Amstrad – CPC/CX4000 (Caprice32)
• Arcade (MAME – Current, 2000, 2003 Midway, 2003, 2003-Plus, 2010)
• Atari – 2600 (Stella 2014)
• Atari – 2600 (Stella)
• Atari – 5200 (a5200)
• Atari – 5200 (Atari800)
• Atari – 7800 (ProSystem)
• Atari – Jaguar (Virtual Jaguar)
• Atari – Lynx (Beetle Lynx)
• Atari – Lynx (Handy)
• Bandai – WonderSwan/Color (Beetle Cygne)
• Coleco – ColecoVision (Gearcoleco)
• Commodore – C64 (Frodo)
• Commodore – C64 (VICE x64, fast)
• Commodore – C64 (VICE x64sc, accurate)
• Commodore – C64 SuperCPU (VICE xscpu64)
• Magnavox – Odyssey2 / Phillips Videopac+ (O2EM)
• Microsoft – MSX (fMSX)
• MSX/SVI/ColecoVision/SG-1000 (blueMSX)
• NEC – PC Engine / CD (Beetle PCE FAST)
• NEC – PC Engine / SuperGrafx / CD (Beetle PCE)
• NEC – PC Engine SuperGrafx (Beetle SuperGrafx)
• Nintendo – Game Boy / Color (Gambatte)
• Nintendo – Game Boy / Color (Gearboy)
• Nintendo – Game Boy / Color (Sameboy)
• Nintendo – Game Boy Advance (gpSP)
• Nintendo – Game Boy Advance (mGBA)
• Nintendo – Game Boy Advance (VBA Next)
• Nintendo – Game Boy Advance (VBA-M)
• Nintendo – GameCube / Wii (Dolphin)
• Nintendo – NES / Famicom (Mesen)
• Nintendo – NES / Famicom (Nestopia NE)
• Nintendo – NES / Famicom (QuickNES)
• Nintendo – Nintendo 64 (Mupen64Plus-Next GLES2)
• Nintendo – Nintendo 64 (Mupen64Plus-Next GLES3)
• Nintendo – Nintendo 64 (ParaLLEI N64)
• Nintendo – SNES / SFC (Snes9x – Current)
• Nintendo – SNES / SFC (Bsnes-mercury Balanced)
• Nintendo – Virtual Boy (beetle VB)
• Sega – Dreamcast/Naomi (Flycast)
• Sega – MS/GG/MD/CD (Genesis Plus GX)
• Sega – MS/GG/MD/CD/32X (PicoDrive)
• Sega – MS/GG/SG-1000 (Gearsystem)
• Sega – Saturn (YabaSanshiro)
• Sega – Saturn (Yabause)
• Sharp – X68000 (PX68k)
• Sinclair – ZX Spectrum (Fuse)
• SNK – Neo Geo CD (NeoCD)
• SNK – Neo Geo Pocket / Color (Beetle NeoPop)
• SNK – Neo Geo Pocket / Color (RACE)
• Sony – PlayStation (Beetle PSX HW)
• Sony – PlayStation (PCSX ReARMed)
• Sony – PlayStation (SwanStation)
• Sony – PlayStation Portable (PPSSPP)
• The 3DO Company – 3DO (Opera)

OTHER NOTES:

Setting up a button to exit directly out of Retroarch makes it more usable. I would recommend configuring your hotkeys in Retroarch in a similar fashion.

Enable Hotkeys : Right Joy Click

Menu : Left Joy Click

Exit : Back Button

Load State : L Bumper

Save State : R Bumper

The other hotkeys are very useful but not completely required:

Rewind : L Trigger

Fast Forward : R Trigger

Volume + : Dpad up

Volume – : Dpad down

Savestate + : Dpad right

Savestate – : Dpad left

Configure controllers in all previously mentioned emulators! Retroarch is the easiest to set up controllers, some require more than one layout such as the N64 for some of the FPS games which had strange control schemes.

For specific configuration of the Dolphin emulator, I would suggest setting the forced clock speed to 65% under general and turning on all the checkboxes. Under graphics options enable vulkan and at the bottom of the page under hacks turn everything on except immediate xfb. With these settings I can play Soul Calibur II at full speed. The only other game that needs adjustments from this is Simpsons Hit and Run which needs a slightly lower clock rate to run at a playable speed.

In situations where you want to add content, you need to manually make the addition of all relevant files into their folders:

XML entry in the database folder which will be assigning the filename.

Videos go in the video folder with corresponding filename.mp4.

Themes folder contains filename.zip theme file.

Wheel art in the Imagewheel folder with corresponding filename.png (logo).

Artwork3 and Artwork4 which are box art and cartridge art, also png.

Pay close attention to capitalization, punctuation and spelling in the filenames. Any difference from the referenced filename in your XML and it will not work.

Other devices running android may be compatible, in those cases you will be able to find HyperSpin on the app store and install it. If it does not show up, you are likely not using a compatible device. Try using the APK included as well.

This pack is meant for Hyperspin Android, but the ROM files can be used in rom browsers that scan folders such as DIG or Arc browser. Those solutions would import their own files for the most part and take up more space for their media.