Android Tablet Question

[marlowe221]

Here's what I would like to do:

Get an Android Tablet with USB connectivity, a USB adapter for my original SNES/Genesis/Whatever controller, download emulators and roms and go to town.

Possible or not?

Could I do it with my Logitech USB PC gamepad?

Thanks!

[isiolia]

It's possible, Honeycomb includes support for USB input like that on tablets, and Ice Cream Sandwich includes it for phones. Supposedly, nearly all USB controllers will work.

Alternatively, there are Bluetooth gamepads available for the purpose, along with methods of using PS3 and Wii input devices as they're also Bluetooth.

That said, I wouldn't just roll with the assumption that anything/everything will work. If you've got a particular device in mind, I'd Google it and see if there are success stories/etc.

Do keep in mind that a lot of the el cheapo Android tablets on the market are running 2.x, not Honeycomb (3.0), and won't support doing this.

[cloudrat7]

Here's what I would like to do:

Get an Android Tablet with USB connectivity, a USB adapter for my original SNES/Genesis/Whatever controller, download emulators and roms and go to town.

Possible or not?

Could I do it with my Logitech USB PC gamepad?

Thanks!

you should get this, it has best of both worlds

http://www.willgoo.com/jxd-s7100b-retro ... p-230.html

i should be receiving mine in a few days.

[pakopako]

It's possible, Honeycomb includes support for USB input like that on tablets, and Ice Cream Sandwich includes it for phones. ... Google (your controller) and see if there are success stories/etc.

Do keep in mind that a lot of the el cheapo Android tablets on the market are running 2.x, not Honeycomb (3.0), and won't support doing this.

Isn't it possible to upgrade said bargain-bin slates/tablets to Honeybomb/ICS?

I would still say the Bluetooth gamepads are the easiest option. I think the Wii-mote even has a USB adapter option for its nunchuck port.

[isiolia]

Isn't it possible to upgrade said bargain-bin slates/tablets to Honeybomb/ICS?

Many of them are also well behind the curve in terms of hardware, however, and may not even be suited to run the version of the OS they come with, much less more recent versions. It's also not like upgrading Windows or something, as you typically need to find a ROM built for the particular device.

More recent devices can be found with ICS on them, though some still lack stuff like the official App store.

Again, big thing would be to do more specific research on it before spending money.

[MrPopo]

Does it need to be an Android tablet? If you're just looking for form factor and being able to use as an emulation device then you'd probably be better off getting an x86 tablet (running the Intel Atom or another x86-based processor) and putting Windows on it. Win8 is coming later this year to use as your nice touch interface for tablet-style apps and having it be a Windows/x86 machine means you get to inherit all the nice USB controller utilities and emulators that have been developed for the PC.

[pakopako]

Does it need to be an Android tablet? If you're just looking for form factor and being able to use as an emulation device then you'd probably be better off getting an x86 tablet... having it be a Windows/x86 machine means you get to inherit all the nice USB controller utilities and emulators that have been developed for the PC.

But modern x86 tablets are more expensive and have a much shorter battery life.

Or you can pay $200 to get an old HP tablet PC (not convertible-tablet PC, but just the plain keyboard-less touchscreen) -- you'll have to deal with the aged processor (likely an early dual-core or late single-core), but those things make for very convenient portable PC units. Put a Solid-state drive (another $100) and hunt for new battery then load Linux and you can get 4~6 hours. (I personally still use my Toshiba M200 this way.)

[Lokkenjawnz]

Figured I'd chime in on this thread, especially in light of the recent Google I/O announcements, particularly the Nexus 7! It's a totally stock 7" Android tablet, running the just announced/released Jelly Bean! It's supposed to be completely awesome, and of course it supports USB inputs via a USB OTG cable, and it also includes HDMI output so you can output it to a big screen TV. And it's only $200!

So this, plus some USB gamepad adapters (or bluetooth as others have mentioned) would make a pretty sweet little emulation machine. Good luck!

[Hazerd]

SmartPhones and Tablets of any OS are a horrible investment imo, im not mad rich so id rather spend my money else where on something that wont be "slightly" upgraded in 6 months, i refer you to every Apple product in the last 10 years!

[CRTGAMER]

I prefer a regular Laptop with a real keyboard, but there are some who like the tablet. Maybe research ALL the capabilities and what you expect before committing to anything that does not have Windows standard. It may or may not be the best Operating System, but it does have the highest percentage of software including emulators.