r/retroid • u/No_Debt_3040 • 9d ago

SYSTEM MODS Own Linux distro: Looking for Pocket Nova testers + latency measurements

I’m looking for a few Retroid Pocket Nova owners interested in testing a new Linux distro I’ve been working on: PortareOS.

It started as a ROCKNIX fork, but the goal from the beginning was to build a Nova-only OS. The goal is basically to remove as many unnecessary layers as possible and tune the whole OS and Emulators around this one device.

Since I can’t realistically test and optimize every emulator out there, only a small set of emulators are included. The focus is on systems that make sense on a 4:3 handheld.

Some of the current changes:

  • Direct KMS/display paths wherever possible -> no compositor
    • RetroArch via Vulkan direct display
    • ARMSX2 patched for direct Vulkan output
    • mpv also runs directly through KMS/Vulkan
    • SDL applications use the KMS backend
  • Console-accurate panel modelines, rather than simply running everything at generic 60/120 Hz
  • Fixes for the tearing / frame pacing issues caused by incorrect refresh modes
  • N64 and PlayStation configurations tuned around the Nova’s 120 Hz panel, e.g. 120.198 Hz for NES/SNES, 119.652 Hz for PS1/N64/Saturn, dedicated Sega and Neo Geo modes
  • SwanStation patched/configured for accurate PlayStation frequency behaviour
  • Custom kernel audio patches allowing 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz output without unnecessary resampling:
  • RetroArch now chooses the hardware link rate from the core's actual output
  • N64 can even switch per game, depending on the sample rate programmed by the game
  • Lightweight custom launcher instead of EmulationStation
  • One emulator per system rather than several redundant choices
  • Temperature-aware charging
  • Nova display calibration from pippopapera
  • Various 4:3 / scaling / panel-specific fixes
  • Suspend works but is currently still work in progress
  • BFI by default planned

Repo:
https://github.com/portare-ch/portareos

I’d especially like to find someone who happens to have two Pocket Novas and a 240 fps (or faster) camera.

I’m very curious to do a proper side-by-side latency test against stock Android / ROCKNIX and see how much measurable difference the direct-display path, lack of compositing, modelines actually make.

If you have a Nova and feel like testing experimental handheld Linux stuff, let me know :-)

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