Author Topic: Game Kiddy GKD350H Handheld Game Console Release (Read 21431 times)

indask8 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 25, 2020, 06:31:26 pm »

One weird thing about the GKD350H is that it comes (or at least mine did) with freedoom (oda_freedoom.opk) preinstalled...

Except it doesn't work, it seem to load but crashes...

Is there a way to make it work ?

Nothing urgent, I can play it on my RG350 if I want, I just wonder why it's included if it crashes.

I'm on firmware build date Dec 1 2019
GK350H-20191211-v026
Firmware on github seem to be older... from november.

gameblabla · « **Reply #21 on:** January 25, 2020, 08:41:37 pm »

Quote from: chubbypika on January 24, 2020, 07:48:24 am

Been having some issues with performance in ReGBA, but also less noticeably in PocketSNES and Fceux on this handheld. Basically, even though the FPS counter is a constant 59/59 and it has fluid motion on screen, it will transition back and forth between 60fps and what appears to be 30fps. The slowdown is most apparent in ReGBA and maybe 30% of the time in PocketSNES, especially when first starting a game.

I've tried various settings in the emulator, boosting the CPU to Level 5, and putting the ROM on the internal SD. Does this performance seem normal?

Seems like the two emulators are using double buffering instead and that could cause it to drop from 60 fps to 30 fps if there's a small performance drop. Or maybe the GKD350H has an improper implementation of Triple buffering in the kernel ? It does seem like it.
My VBA Next port by comparison does not use double/triple buffering.

Quote

Thanks for letting me know about VBA Next -- I didn't realize that was for GBA. The performance is definitely better than ReGBA, but, the dreaded slowdown still occurs, but much less frequently. The built-in homebrew games and PSX emulation work perfectly, so I can't quite understand why the 2D emulation performance is problematic.

It is probably not related to CPU performance but more to do with the video refresh.
As for VBA Next slowing down in some games, it's mostly noticeable in NES classic but as you can video in my 350H video, it does not slow down in Sonic Advance 2 and Steel Empire. I would suggest to overclock it for heavy games. (the performance level thing set to the max)

chubbypika · « **Reply #22 on:** January 26, 2020, 10:39:32 am »

Quote from: gameblabla on January 25, 2020, 08:41:37 pm

Quote
Thanks for letting me know about VBA Next -- I didn't realize that was for GBA. The performance is definitely better than ReGBA, but, the dreaded slowdown still occurs, but much less frequently. The built-in homebrew games and PSX emulation work perfectly, so I can't quite understand why the 2D emulation performance is problematic.
It is probably not related to CPU performance but more to do with the video refresh.
As for VBA Next slowing down in some games, it's mostly noticeable in NES classic but as you can video in my 350H video, it does not slow down in Sonic Advance 2 and Steel Empire. I would suggest to overclock it for heavy games. (the performance level thing set to the max)

For my testing I am using Super Mario Advance 4 since it's a slower side scroller which makes it easy to detect any slowdown. Sonic Advance 2 also exhibits the slowdown but because of the speed it's harder to detect. I do think I notice it in your video about 1/4 of the way through your Sonic clip. I'd suggest trying Super Mario Advance 4 and see if you notice the slowdown after playing a level or two. I didn't notice any slowdown in Steel Empire.

I also tried setting the CPU Level to 7 and played both GBA emulators, but neither appeared to improve (with regards to this issue).

And, thanks for taking the time to help!

brandonditto · « **Reply #23 on:** January 30, 2020, 06:34:46 pm »

I just received the device (grey). So far I love it! Feels great in my hands. It's my favorite since the CAANOO. Nothing has really satisfied since then for me. CAANOO had it's issues, but it still looked phenomenal and felt great to play. GKD350H has an incredible screen. Extremely bright at max setting. Very colorful. Great viewing angles. It's true 320x240. People say the LDK's are 320x240, but that is definitely not the native resolution of the display. the GKD350H also has a great d-pad in it's operation and placement. So for the best d-pad I've tried on one of these Chinese handhelds.

I've noticed issues with the GKD350H though that are disappointing. As someone else stated already; I was confused when the GBA and SNES emulators appear to slow down to 30 fps even though the FPS within the emulators are still at max. I hope this issue gets fixed. I'll have to try gameblabla's OPKs. I also notice when navigating through OpenDingux, it will momentarily freeze for maybe 2 - 3 seconds. My button presses are still queued up and each press executes quickly when it unfreezes.

I'm impressed by CPS3 emulation with the "fixed" FBA opk. Setting to CPU to level 7 it can run at full speed. For me, I love IGS PGM arcade games too. It seems the "fixed" FBA opk actually runs those games a little worse. The built-in FBA runs Demon Front at near full speed, which is still pretty awesome. Unfortunately, another PGM game, Spectral Vs. Generation, is around 30-50 fps in both FBAs.

chubbypika · « **Reply #24 on:** February 06, 2020, 04:17:15 pm »

I've tested a few different scenarios to get a better idea of what is happening with the ReGBA emulator. In short, never open ReGBA's menu (Select + Start). Doing so will almost certainly introduce intermittent slowdown unrelated to FPS. This happens for me consistently.

brandonditto · « **Reply #25 on:** February 13, 2020, 10:54:41 pm »

Thanks for the tip! I noticed sometimes ReGBA ran better, but didn't know why.

chubbypika · « **Reply #26 on:** February 14, 2020, 09:41:47 am »

The 'Normatt' BIOS in ReGBA was causing the performance issue after opening the menu. If you use the official BIOS the performance hit is gone.

1876 · « **Reply #27 on:** February 16, 2020, 11:35:45 am »

Thank you, gameblabla for the review. It is a very informative and helpful read. Hopefully, I'll receive my own unit soon.

Quote from: gameblabla on January 05, 2020, 01:10:23 am

However, the RG-350 has better analog sticks than the GKD350. My analog stick on mine was spinning around itself out of the box...

How severe problem was this, I mean, was it easy to fix the spinning/drifting issue without taking the device apart?

Also, a huge thank you for all the programmes/apps you're making for our beloved handhelds and your helpfulness in general, it is much appreciated.

1876 · « **Reply #28 on:** February 19, 2020, 03:51:06 pm »

Just received mine. No problems with the analogue stick here.

1876 · « **Reply #29 on:** February 23, 2020, 08:00:57 am »

The battery seems to be draining even when powered off as if the device is in some kind of sleep state instead of actually being completely turned off. I turn it off by using the "Power off" option in the menu. Is there any way the device can be turned off completely?

1876 · « **Reply #30 on:** February 24, 2020, 10:14:57 am »

OK an update if anyone's having the same issue.

I turned the device off by pressing the power button on top of the device, holding it down until the green led light turned off. Now the battery's still 100% after being turned off for over 12 hours. Seems the device was in some kind of sleep mode until I used the physical power button though and now both power off options seem to work just fine.

xiongxioi · « **Reply #31 on:** February 25, 2020, 03:29:13 pm »

Thank you Gameblabla, Ive installed all your emulators and most of them seem to work great without needing much fiddling. The only one that?s giving me a bit of issue is picodrive. Nothing too major, it?s just a black mouse cursor is showing up at the top left corner. It?s a bit distracting. Can you maybe find some time to fix it, I?ll totally appreciate it! Btw, dynamite headdy on it is totally awesome!

Btw, I?ve found from some Chinese users that the nes emulators can be set in a way to make them run smoothly! I think I should share it here. It goes like this: main settings: frame throttle on. Sound settings: sound rate 24000. I hope it can help.

Thank you again, and I really appreciate your efforts.

renejr902 · « **Reply #32 on:** March 06, 2020, 07:46:11 am »

Hi guys! i ordered the rg350 2 weeks ago. i had a gcw0 in the past. and i have several handhelds too...
i have 3 Questions about the GDK-350H, thanks a lot!

1. Is the 60-30fps slowdown still a problem ? i mostly play nes fceux, snes, picodrive and gambatte?

2. I never tried any handheld with only a mono output headphone ! How Nes, snes, picodrive emulators feels in Mono with headphones ? Does it sound or feel strange , bad , ok ??

3. If you tried both.., do you prefer the gdk 350h or Rg350 ? and for which reasons ?

Thanks so much, have a nice day !

renejr902 · « **Reply #33 on:** March 11, 2020, 02:02:30 pm »

Is the 60-30fps slowdown still a problem ? i mostly play nes fceux, snes, picodrive and gambatte?

Thanks for answer

gameblabla · « **Reply #34 on:** March 11, 2020, 03:45:53 pm »

I know you sent me a DM about it but i feel like people should see it in public.

Btw, i also updated Picodrive. It should remove the cursor on the left top corner of the screen completely.
Let me know if it fixed your issues.

Quote

Is the 60-30fps slowdown still a problem ? i mostly play nes fceux, snes, picodrive and gambatte?

Personally, it's not an option that i can see with my own emulator builds.
I believe this is mostly a frame pacing issue rather than the emulators locking themselves to 30 fps.

Quote

2. I never tried any handheld with only a mono output headphone ! How Nes, snes, picodrive emulators feels in Mono with headphones ? Does it sound or feel strange , bad , ok ??

It sounds fine but there is not stereo separation. If you are used to the sound of cheap headphones chances are you will be perfectly fine with the sound quality. (it's still 48000khz/44100khz, though mono)

Quote

3. If you tried both.., do you prefer the gdk 350h or Rg350 ? and for which reasons ?

Despite the speed increase, i would mostly recommend the RG-350 for most uses.
I can only recommend the GKD350H for GBA & SNES games.

GKD350H

Weight : It's lighter than the RG-350
Performance : Very good, can run GBA & SNES games smoothly.
Audio quality : this only has mono sound sadly. It still sounds ok though.
Screen quality : Pretty good ! I think i like it over the RG-350.
Build quality : Okay as long as you don't remove the battery from the console. (it is fragile even though its removable...)
Analog stick : It sucks honestly. The RG-350 is much better here.
DPAD & buttons : Feels okay to me but i think the RG-350 is better here as well.
Shoulder buttons : Pretty small and somewhat awkard to use.
Software support : Lacking. It is incompatible with a great number of GCW0 OPKs, requiring specific ports.
GPU : It lacks a 3D GPU and the kernel also does not support IPU. This further limits options to emulators and simple games.

RG-350

Weight : It's heavier than the GKD350H. This may be a big deal to some people.
Performance : Much better than the RS-97/Bittboy but worse than the GKD350H.
Audio quality : Sounds great ! The audio quality should satisfy most people.
Screen quality : At full brightness, it looks good. It looks washed out at low brightness though..
Build quality : Very good although battery is not removable...
Analog stick : Some people hate how tall they are but they are of good quality ! The best analog sticks from Chinese handleds.
DPAD & buttons : Very good feeling. I don't have issues like stuck buttons on other handleds.
Shoulder buttons : I wish L2/R2 were bigger but they did the best they could given the form factor.
Software support : Decent although not perfect. Most devs have this device
GPU : Has a horrible 3D GPU with terrible drivers but it does support GLES and has working IPU support.

xiongxioi · « **Reply #35 on:** March 12, 2020, 02:01:40 am »

Thank you so much, Gameblabla. The new version has solved not just the cursor issue, but game bugs are gone too! There was a slight bug with 32x blackthrone in the last version, that pressing the B button repeatedly would call up the pause screen.

Now, the little console is better than ever thanks to you!

renejr902 · « **Reply #36 on:** March 12, 2020, 08:54:51 am »

thanks a lot for answer !! its really appreciated!
i think i wont accept this fps frame pacing between 30fps and 60fps in others emulators, i will not buy the 350h. anyway i already bought the rg350 and pocketgo 2 , i still wait for them, shipping is very long with the coronavirus, even that i paid for tracking number and epacket. Thanks again, have a nice day

Note: if you have more free time you can always compare them to pocketgo 2. Thanks a lot !!!

gameblabla · « **Reply #37 on:** April 09, 2020, 01:42:50 pm »

Just would like to add btw that some people got their GKD350H and i'm still getting reports of the games/emulators not running at "60 FPS".
I assure you, internally everything is running smoothly (except for NES classic games when you don't overclock), however the kernel is doing a really poor job hence the results with the jittery display and the refresh rate..

Btw, i did update Picodrive to the latest commits by irixxx so you'll benefit from the latest improvements. (for now)

monkey c · « **Reply #38 on:** May 09, 2020, 10:44:59 am »

mine would be laggy at times when I got it, and after a few weeks the select+arrow volume adjust stopped working (or barely worked) during games. volume wouldn't change.

imaged a high grade micro sd with gkd software from https://jutleys.wixsite.com/retrogamers97-90/forum/questions-answers/how-to-add-games and replaced internal micro sd.

runs noticeably smoother and volume glitch went away.

DKClectic · « **Reply #39 on:** June 04, 2020, 04:02:48 am »

Since this thread is all things GKD350H I'm putting this out there. Looking for some trouble shooting help with:

- Setting up MAME roms proper paths for the Game Kiddy GKD350H. I have my roms on my SD card and when I try to run them in with XMAME, FBA and mame4all emulators and still no luck.

- Adding game data for games like Hexen, EDuke, DevilutionX, Bermuda Syndrome, OpenLara ECWolf. Is it possible with DinguxCmdr since you can't FTP in?

- Related to FBA emulator how to set up CPS3 games like Street Fighter 3 and JoJo's Bizzarre adventure roms path properly.

Many thanks!