The Hardkernel ODROID-Go Advance is an inexpensive portable gaming device with a 3.5 inch display, an quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 processor, and Ubuntu Linux software. Designed for emulating classic game consoles, Hardkernel introduced the device late last year and began shipping it earlier this year.

Now the company is preparing to launch a new batch, and it includes a number of hardware updates.

According to a post in the ODROID forum, the new model should begin shipping on May 25th, and it’ll include the following updates:

  • 802.11n WiFi (the previous model didn’t include WiFi out of the box)
  • USB Type-C port (for power only, not data)
  • L2 and R2 shoulder buttons (the previous model only had L1 and LR)
  • Two color options: “Clear White” and “Aura Black”

Both of those colors will be made with transparent resins, allowing you to view status LEDs through the case. But the new black model is more opaque than the see-through Clear White model that had been the only option up until now.

Hardkernel is also planning to update the operating system with a new OS image based on Ubuntu 20.04 by mid-May, but that software should also be compatible with the original ODROID-Go Advance, so it’s not a feature that will be unique to the new hardware.

The updated version of its handheld game console is called the ODROID-Go Advance Black Edition, or OGA-BE. It’ll sell for $59, which is $4 more than the original model.

Other key ODROID-Go Advance features will remain unchanged, so the new model will still have a Rockchip RK3326 processor, a 480 x 320 pixel LCD display, 1GB of RAM, 16MB of SPI flash storage and a micorSD card reader, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

The handheld game console measures 6.1″ x 2.8″ x 0,8″ and weighs six ounces.

via CNX-Software

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9 replies on “The new ODROID-Go Advance adds WiFi and more buttons (Linux handheld game console)”

  1. It would be really cool if you guys could read your sources, the USB C port can NOT be used for data

  2. Nice but price are with odroid or no?
    this is complete game device = 55$?

    I need ssh+terminal+gcc+ruby+rust+tex
    and 24h per one charging

    1. The price includes the actual board. It is a complete kit(assembly required) for the price. Nothing extra is needed, as is the case with the G Pi case for Pi Zero.

  3. Cool handheld. What games can this play? I’m not asking about emulation of commercial gaming consoles since I’d rather not illegally download games (at least I haven’t heard of legal downloads).

    1. Same question. I see this is running Ubuntu under the hood but I doubt I can just install Linux compatible Steam games and expect this little device to be powerful enough to run anything on there.

      Interested in seeing what games this is capable of running that can be legally obtained. Too bad my quick search resulted in only people playing games on emulators that I doubt they actually owned…

    2. Who said anything about illegal activity? All of my roms spontaneously appeared on my SSD after being exposed to a geomagnetic anomaly.

      There’s not much to do on this thing if you’re not interested in console emulation. There’s a few ported games like Doom, Quake 3, etc. You can play them with game files from legally owned games. There’s also a ScummVM port, which lets you play any of your old DOS point and click adventure games.

    3. There are some open or free games that it can probably play (the original free Cave Story can be run via an open engine in many of the multi-emulator environments), but you are correct in that this is mainly an emulation handheld. If you have an issue with running emulated games/ROMs, this is not for you.

    4. Since you’re thinking it, here’s what it can emulate:

      (most graphical to least)
      PSP, DreamCast, PS1, NDS, N64, MS DOS box, GBA, Super NES, Mega Sega, NES, Atari, and Arcade Games.

      I suspect that an Android 9 Pie port will come on it sooner or later. So you can also add some Android Games to that list; though there’s no touchscreen, no gyro, no right joystick, and also no TV-out. If they added these, it would’ve been worth it for $99.

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