I’m in Australia this week for a family vacation, but I couldn’t let that stand in the way of hitting 25 consecutive issues of the newsletter! A quick Google search tells me that 25th anniversaries are supposed to be celebrated with silver, but I think it’s best celebrated with another newsletter instead.
Lenovo's new Legion Tab 5 is cutting-edge in many ways: it's got a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, an upgraded 3K screen, bigger battery, and better cooling. Let's talk about everything it can do, and its fascinating accessory system.
8BitDo released a new color option for their Ultimate 2 Wireless controller series, so let's check it out (and also show off their neat Steam Input integration).
Note: last week I shared a survey asking if subscribers would be interested in reminder emails about device launches like the new RP Nova, to give you all the pertinent device info and release timing before pre-orders went live. The results of the survey are below.
So based on your input, I will likely send out dedicated emails when a particularly exciting handheld launch happens outside of my regular weekend newsletters, probably no more than a few times a year. The whole point of RGC is to help you make the most informed buying decisions, so hopefully you’ll pardon the occasional weekday intrusion.
Other Russ Sightings:
Expedition: Handheld - Right before jumping on a plane, Adam and I recored entry 19 of the podcast! We discussed the latest AYANEO Pocket Micro 2 debacle (which I detailed in my previous newsletter), and did a deep dive talking about the new Lenovo Legion Tab 5. I won’t be able to join him for the next episode, so I’m curious to see who he brings on as the guest.
📰 Power-Up(dates)
A developer known as Mr Rubik has released a GameCube-themed launcher for Android, following earlier launchers styled after the Wii U, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation 2. This one replicates the console's cube-shaped menu animation and lets users build a local game library with automatically detected cover art. Games can be launched directly into the Dolphin emulator from within the interface, and the app includes retro sound effects to match the console's original UI. The GameCube Launcher is available for free on Mr Rubik's website and the Google Play Store.
Godot (the engine powering games like Brotato and Cassette Beasts) has updated its contribution policy to require that all code submitted to the open-source engine be human-authored, following months of frustration over a flood of AI-generated pull requests. The engine's GitHub repository has accumulated over 5,000 unresolved pull requests, a backlog the team says was worsened by low-effort AI submissions. The new policy formalizes Godot's existing ban on vibe coding, though AI use for minor tasks like autocomplete or find-and-replace remains permitted with disclosure.
Sony has announced two major changes to its PlayStation ecosystem:
Physical disc production for new PlayStation game releases will end starting January 2028, with the company citing a shift in consumer preference toward digital media. This all but guarantees that the PS6 will be digital only, too. According to a recent Sony financial report, physical software sales made up just 3% of PlayStation's annual revenue, with that figure continuing to decline. This assessment is pretty disingenuous since it also includes digital-only titles (like indies and free-to-play games), and doesn’t account for the massive used game resale market that will be demolished by this new move. Other reports have shown that when a physical copy is available for a PlayStation title, the current physical/digital sales split is closer to 40/60. It appears that heavy consumer backlash won’t really move the needle, as it’s also been reported that staff responsible for physical media manufacture are already being shifted to other positions within the company.
Separately, Sony is shutting down the PlayStation Store for the PS3 and PS Vita, something they threatened to do a couple years ago before changing their mind after consumer outcry. This one also looks like it’s going to stick, and all remaining regions will lose the ability to buy new digital games on both platforms in July 2027. Previously purchased titles will remain available for redownload for the foreseeable future, though how this will affect apps like PKGJ remains to be seen.
Wes Fenlon and Matt Sayer of Read Only Memohave launched Warp Point, a directory and webring built for independent gaming blogs, essayists, and newsletter writers. The site is designed around RSS and revives the Web 1.0-era concept of directory browsing, with no algorithms, AI summaries, or paid promotional placements. Members can link to each other through a webring feature reminiscent of early-2000s fansite affiliate lists. Submissions are open to anyone through Warp Point's Submit page, with each site manually reviewed to confirm it features human-written content. Check it out here.
Playmaji has updated its Polymega Remix App, adding Steam Deck compatibility through Proton, with a dedicated Steam App still planned for the future. The Remix App works with the Polymega Remix, an optical drive accessory that lets users legally digitize their physical game collections, ripping CD-based games directly and, with optional Element Modules, dumping cartridges from systems like the NES, SNES, Genesis, and TurboGrafx-16. Several features remain unfinished, including offline mode, N64 emulation, Atari Jaguar emulation, and 4K output, which the company says it aims to address within the Summer 2026 launch window.
Hey did you know these Mega Man games are hard as heck? I only had one friend growing up who could actually beat Mega Man 2 on the NES, and he demanded perfect silence from us while we all huddled around the TV and watched him play, lest our exuberance mess him up. To this day, I just can’t fathom how he was able to pull it off so easily, and I think I’m even more impressed now than back in the day. While flying from Honolulu to Sydney earlier this week, I resolved to try it myself on the Anbernic RG Rotate, and I made it through the first couple bosses before hitting an inevitable skill wall. I finished up the rest of the game using an invincibility Game Genie cheat, but it certainly didn’t capture the full magic of watching the real deal during the 1980s. Regardless, it’s still a great game, and a reminder that maybe I’m just not great at some video games.
On the same flight, I knocked out a couple hours of Dusklight, which is the Android decomp port of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I played it on my Odin 3, at a glorious 120fps with full camera control; the experience was a weird mix of 1) nostalgia (I haven’t fully played through the game since it first released on the Wii as a launch title in 2006), 2) marveling at the updated graphics and controls of the new decomp project, and 3) being kinda disappointed by how poorly the story and introductory gameplay has aged. I’ll keep plugging away, especially since this feels like the ultimate way to play Twilight Princess right now on Android, but I am also hoping that the game will gel a bit better with me the further I progress in it.
I have only passively followed Death Cab For Cutie over the years, mostly because I have found their recent music to be somewhat stale. This is a common thing with just about every rock band, where their later output plays it safe; I’m a firm believer that tension, pressure, and risk are usually essential elements of creating good art, and it’s hard for bands to keep that status going once they are living a life of (deserved) comfort. Examples of bands that have actually reinvented themselves or continued to put out compelling post-fame music are scarce, but I would certainly throw in bands like Radiohead and The Beatles, and for some reason Arctic Monkeys’ stellar transition to AM radio pop/lounge music comes to mind.
Death Cab For Cutie were at one point one of my favorite bands. It was awesome to see them explode from a quirky home state college band to national recognition by the early 2000s, and everything up through 2003’s Transatlanticism still gets heavy rotation in my stereo. Some of their later albums definitely have some unique gems, but by the time guitarist/co-writer Chris Walla left the band in 2015, I checked out too. Nonetheless, out of a sense of devotion I fired up their recently-released I Built You A Tower, and it’s actually pretty good — there are some genuinely interesting moments, and it sounds like a cohesive full-band project. Turns out the album was written while the band was touring for the 20th anniversaries of their previous (stellar) albums, so I’m thinking some of the prior mojo rubbed off on this new record too. Either way, if you’re looking for a decent rock album that feels like a bit of a return to form (though still hampered by some predictable song structures), this new album is a worthy listen. If you’re not hooked by the second track, you have my full permission to listen to an older album instead!
💰 Bargain Bin
AliExpress is having another "Choice Day" sale to celebrate 4th of July. The sale runs now through July 7th, and below are coupon codes that you can apply at checkout. For the US-based codes, if one of the codes don't work on checkout, try the alternative codes (some are limited use).
Global codes:
AFJCD6: $2 off orders $15+
AFJCD4: $4 off orders $30+
AFJCD9: $9 off orders $65+
AFJCD15: $15 off orders $120+
AFJCD25: $25 off orders $209+
AFJCD40: $40 off orders $329+
AFJCD55: $55 off orders $449+
US codes:
RGC2 or USAFF2 or FJUS02: $2 off orders $18+
RGC5 or USAFF5 or FJOS05: $5 off orders $39+
RGC10 or USAFF10 or FJUS10: $10 off orders $69+
RGC20 or USAFF20 or FJUS20: $20 off orders $139+
RGC23 or USAFF23 or FJUS23: $23 off orders $169+
RGC35 or USAFF35 or FJUS35: $35 off orders $249+
RGC55 or USAFF55 or FJUS55: $55 off orders $379+
RGC70 or USAFF70 or FJUS70: $70 off orders $499+
Here is a list of deals that I found, organized by cheapest to most expensive. Some of these prices are higher than last year, while others are a pretty good deal. The best deals include BATTLEXP G350 ($35), Miyoo Mini Flip ($55), RG35XXSP ($57), RG35XXH ($59), RG Rotate ($85), RG DS ($92), and the RG476H ($144). Price listings below are based on the US coupon codes, the prices and discounts may vary by region.
Meanwhile on Amazon, Logitech’s line of pricey driving game accessories are seeing a rare discount.
XREAL has been pumping out new models of AR (augmented reality) glasses at least once a year, and I have had a hard time keeping up with all of them. At one point I did cover their latest pair, and they were great, but looking back through my archives that was nearly three years ago! So who knows what these glasses are like nowadays, but I still do use my Air 2s periodically to watch movies or play games in bed. I expect to be covering them again soon since their latest gaming-focused pair comes bundled with the upcoming Xbox Ally X20 handheld, so today’s throwback video is a pretty fitting primer.
🎬 Behind The Scenes
Ugh, I dropped my camera the other day and it fell right on my ROG Xbox Ally X. At first I thought it was fine, it bounced right off with only a small surface scratch on the shell, and the camera was unscathed. But then I turned on the Xbox Ally to run some software updates, and yep, the screen is toast. Thankfully this model was an early engineering sample and I also have a retail unit at the studio, but I also liked having two models so I could easily compare Linux vs Windows performance on the fly. First world problems for sure, but it’s always a bummer when hardware gets busted. I’ll probably salvage this as a docked-only device since the video output still works just fine.
That’s it for this week, see you next weekend! Russ
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Great newsletter! I really love to read about what you're playing and what you're listening to. I'm a big Death Cab for Cutie fan, but I agree that I like the older stuff mostly as well. The other issue is that their music makes me think of a past relationship that I don't really want to think about. Are there albums you can't listen to because they bring up memories you are avoiding?
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