[Riley Ash]

So I’m thinking about picking up a Qinux BittOne but I’m wondering about the game selection. Is it just a bunch of preloaded games or can you easily add your own ROMs? I keep seeing different answers and I’d rather know before I spend the money.

[Nina K.]

Adding ROMs is pretty straightforward on these kinds of devices. Most of them just want you to drop files into the right folder on the SD card, so it’s more of a drag and drop situation than anything complicated.

The preloaded stuff is decent for a quick pick up and play session, but I would not base the purchase on that alone. As long as you are comfortable finding your own game files, you will be fine.

[Jackson_H]

I’d probably just buy it and see. Worst case you spend some time figuring out the file structure, but that’s part of the fun for me. If you’re not into tinkering at all, maybe it’s not the right pick.

[Jake Holloway]

Everyone keeps saying the same thing about folders and file structure, so that part is probably fine. My concern would be whether the emulators actually run the ROMs decently or if half of them are just there to look good on the spec sheet. I’d want to know what people are actually playing on it, not just that files can be added.

[Tom W98]

I’m more interested in whether the thing actually holds up over time. These cheap handhelds tend to work fine for a month and then the battery or one of the joysticks gives out. Game list is irrelevant if the hardware dies on you.

[Jordan Writes]

I ended up grabbing one mostly for the preloaded stuff and I honestly haven’t bothered adding my own ROMs yet. The selection it came with covers what I wanted to play, so I’ve just been working through those. Not saying it’s the biggest library ever, but it’s been enough for me so far.

[Chris Miller]

I think it really depends on what you mean by “easily.” The file structure thing is true, but the built-in game list is actually pretty solid for the price. I would just check what emulators it actually runs before buying, since some of these devices are pickier about certain systems than others.

[Taylor R.]

You’re overthinking the “add your own ROMs” part honestly. These things are basically a gamble on build quality and whether the emulators work properly on the included games. I wouldn’t count on expanding it much. If the preloaded list doesn’t do it for you, skip it.

[Jamie Kell]

If you’re already comfortable messing with files on a computer, adding ROMs is pretty straightforward. I’d say the preloaded list is decent enough to keep you busy for a while, but the real fun is dumping your own stuff on there. Just make sure the file types match what the emulators expect and you’re good to go.

[Old Dave]

Adding ROMs is just drag and drop once you plug it into a computer. The folders are laid out pretty obvious. The real question is whether the emulation quality is good enough for what you want to play, because that varies a lot between systems.

[Greg T.]

It does come with a lot of games right out of the box, so you won’t be stuck staring at an empty screen while you figure things out. The folders for adding your own stuff are pretty easy to spot once you hook it up to a PC. I wouldn’t call it a dealbreaker either way, but the preloaded list is big enough that you can take your time before messing with anything.

[Sarah]

I’d say the file setup is pretty easy to figure out if you’ve ever poked around a flash drive before. What got me was that some of the systems I wanted to play needed different file types than what I expected, so I had to do a bit of digging to get certain games working. The stuff that comes loaded is fine for killing time, though.

[Mike in NYC]

I got one a few weeks back and honestly the preloaded stuff is enough to keep most people busy for a while. I haven’t even bothered hooking it up to my computer yet, just been playing the built-in games on the train. If you’re the type who wants specific titles though, you’d probably want to check the file setup before you commit.

[Jenna Lee]

I think it really depends on how much you actually want to tinker with it. I got mine mainly because I wanted something I could just switch on during a lunch break or on the bus without carrying a bunch of stuff around. The preloaded games are a mixed bag if I’m being honest, but there’s enough variety that I never felt the need to mess with the files right away.

When I finally did hook it up to my laptop to see what the storage looked like, it was pretty much what I expected from one of these handhelds. The folders are right there and the names are obvious enough that you can figure out where things go without a manual. I added a few old favorites I already had and they showed up fine. I wouldn’t say it’s a complicated process at all, more like organizing files on a flash drive.

What surprised me is how much time I’ve actually spent with the stuff that came on it. I thought I’d immediately want to swap everything out, but some of the arcade and fighting games have been keeping me busy more than I expected. If you’re the type who has a specific list of games you really want, then sure, you’ll probably want to add your own. But if you just want something to pick up and play, the built-in selection probably covers a lot of what you’d want anyway.

The one thing I’d say is just check how comfortable you are with basic file stuff. If you’ve ever moved music onto an old MP3 player or organized photos from a camera, you’ll be fine. If you’ve never done anything like that, it might feel a bit odd at first, but it’s not rocket science.

[Riley Ash]

Good to know, thanks for the input everyone. That gives me enough to go on.

[Author]

Posts