Not so long ago, I came across the PSDevWiki when I was after a little information on the PSP

After spending way too much time diving deep on there, I realized I haven't seen this resource brought up much along my gaming travels, and thought that should change! I reached out to to 'Derf' who along with one other member, maintains the information and resource, and asked if he might be open to me interviewing him about how this kind of site operates, the information it preserves, and how important it is to keep this kind of information accessible to the public.

If you're at all interested in the history of Sony's console software, or about hearing what is behind the site, then by all means check my interview with Derf out. I was not expecting it to be as interesting as it was (which sounds click-baity, but considering we have zero ads, that doesn't really hold true!)

I hope you enjoy this one, for something a bit different. Link as always is here!

https://gardinerbryant.com/documenting-the-unknown-inside-the-playstation-dev-wiki/

Just a little retrospective I wrote.

It is super interesting to me that there was a time when you could have a giant twist like this: a hugely successful prior game setting the stage for Solid Snake being a main character, then the 'rug pull' of making the following sequel feature someone else.

As I've read elsewhere in some comments, this kind of twist couldn't really work today, with the immediacy of social media covering every facet of everything.

From the typical action star Snake to the over-confident Raiden, the shift was a big one for Metal Gear Solid 2.

But good lord was that leap in graphics a giant one for just a few short years!

I just wrote up a little look back at how/why it was done, and since I've got a terrible cold/sore throat, it was an effort. If you've got some nostalgia for MGS2, you might enjoy this one. And my question to you here, is were you there for this? Playing the intro on the tanker as Snake, settling in to what you thought would be a Snake-filled game, then finding out Raiden was the focus? Was it a shock?

Anyway, as ever:

https://gardinerbryant.com/you-were-supposed-to-feel-lost-metal-gear-solid-2-and-the-shock-of-playing-as-raiden/

I thought I'd do something ~~low effort~~ fun this time around with an article, but I've got a fair amount of trepidation sharing it. When it comes to something like this (what I recommend you play/watch if you're specifically waiting for Forza Horizon 6 set in Japan), I think I might have some people sad that I didn't recommend a few other titles.

In the end this is just a mix of games I love, like Need For Speed Underground 2, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix, F&F Tokyo Drift and so on.

I'm so excited for Horizon 6. I get the impression it'll be like the previous few: I go into it hyped and then after a month I realize it has the same format as all the others. But the idea of drifting without a care is keeping me happy for the release.

SO, if you wanna see my recommendations for what to check out before FH6 comes out, check my article out:

https://gardinerbryant.com/what-to-play-and-watch-while-waiting-for-forza-horizon-6/

Recently, Retroid asked if I’d be interested in reviewing their latest handheld, the Pocket 6.

This one is particularly interesting because, due to what I’ve been calling the “RAM apocalypse,” prices have increased and the 12GB version of the device has been discontinued. On top of that, Retroid also had to scrap an entire handheld (the Pocket G2 pictured below), which came in my favorite color, turquoise, and has now disappeared as well :(

These are just some of the many victims in the retro handheld scene lately. Prices are rising across the board, and specs are likely to trend downward in the near future.

Keeping all of that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to take a different approach in the beginning of my review: speaking to developers from various projects to get their perspective on how viable 8GB is now and in the long term. I spoke with devs from GameNative, GameHub, Eden, Retroid, and more. Asking how they thought 8GB would be with running PC games on the RP6.

(I mean, just look at how beautifully it upscales PSP games!! This screenshot from Daxter just amazed me)

The rest of the article is my full review of the RP6, and it really is impressive. If you’re focused on emulating platforms like Switch, along with lighter (older) and indie PC games, as well as upscaled PS2, Wii U and so on, then 8GB will be more than sufficient. The only real bottleneck, unsurprisingly, is that RAM when it comes to newer PC emulation.

If you're interested, you can read my review of it here:

https://gardinerbryant.com/hands-on-with-the-retroid-pocket-6-the-8gb-sweet-spot/

...and naturally if you have any questions on it at all, feel free to ask!

Anbernic sent over their latest handheld, the RG Vita Pro. And yes, it’s clearly inspired (or “inspired”) by Sony’s beloved, if not massively successful, PS Vita.

The hardware definitely takes cues from the original design, but it’s important to address the obvious caveat upfront: this will not emulate the full PS Vita library. That isn’t a fault of the device itself, no hardware can. The limitation lies with the emulator, which is still far from a finished state. Right now, nothing is capable of running the entire Vita library reliably.

Over the past few weeks of testing, I’ve seen plenty of criticism online (especially across places like Reddit and Discord) accusing the device of being misleading or even falsely advertised. Personally, I think that’s missing the bigger picture. Expectations around Vita emulation are often unrealistic, and this handheld is simply working within the same limitations as everything else on the market.

The other major talking point is the price. At $149.99 USD, it’s sparked a fair bit of backlash. What’s interesting, though, is that this isn’t an isolated case, it just reflects a broader shift happening across the industry. Prices are rising, and many comparisons are still being made against pre–RAM crisis devices and prices, which isn’t really a fair benchmark anymore. At least, this is what I think and feel.

From my own chats with the reps and teams behind the retro handheld manufacturers, this trend is only going one way. Prices are going up, and in most cases, specs are being scaled back to compensate. It’s the reality the entire space is dealing with right now, and the RG Vita Pro feels like one of the first devices to really reflect this crappiness.

Anyway, on to the device. I love how it is dual boot (Android and Linux), on a new chip to the scene. I love how it plays and upscales PSP games, they upscale cleanly and look SO good on there.

Some Vita games play beautifully, Gravity Rush has been my obsession lately. I never played it before now and I just love how it performs. They created such a nice atmosphere in that game!

PS2/Game Cube and Switch are a stretch. Some games run okay, some won't run well, and some won't play at all.

If you're curious about my review, I also interviewed some developers. Gamma who makes GammaOS, acmeplus who is behind KNULLI. This is a very detailed and long review, so if you do have interest, you can follow my usual link:

https://gardinerbryant.com/hands-on-with-the-anbernic-rg-vita-pro-a-unique-dual-boot-handheld-finding-its-place/

So when the news circulated recently that the Lutris developer was using Claude to help write the code (and the angry posts/articles appeared) I figured I'd reach out to Mathieu to hear his side of things.

I chatted to him a little, asking for his side of the story. He goes into some depth on how he uses it as part of his work-flow, the transparency in open-source projects in general, licensing and ownership of code that A.I. writes, safety and so on. Plenty of answers from Lutris, if you're curious on the topic. As ever, you can find the link here:

https://gardinerbryant.com/mathieu-comandon-explains-his-use-of-ai-in-lutris-development/

So when the news circulated recently that the Lutris developer was using Claude to help write the code (and the angry posts/articles appeared) I figured I'd reach out to Mathieu to hear the other side of things.

I chatted to him a little, asking for his side of the story. He goes into some depth on how he uses it as part of his work-flow, the transparency in open-source projects in general, licensing and ownership of code that A.I. writes, safety and so on. Plenty of answers from Lutris, if you're curious on the topic. As ever, you can find the link here:

https://gardinerbryant.com/mathieu-comandon-explains-his-use-of-ai-in-lutris-development/

So today's article I wrote is just me plodding along wondering out loud why the Sony PSP has become so popular again all of a sudden.

I mean, clearly "so popular" is an exaggeration in the grand scheme of things, these are no-doubt extremely small numbers compared to other handhelds available. Scrolling social media really has shown a lot of them on feeds for me in 2026.

If you're interested in why I think they're showing up more lately, then read on with my article. I go through a reason in each 'section', but If you've got your own ideas, I'd love to hear them below here. Oh and if you're thinking:

"hey there's no in-depth investigative journalism here, it just looks like they wanted an excuse to write about the PSP!!!"

...you'd be right. I've been obsessed with them lately. This is my 4th PSP article in a very short time. I do so love them!

Anyway, if you want to see some old PSP TV ads, some nostalgia, and want to chat about PSPs (plz do), then here's the link:

https://gardinerbryant.com/psp-in-2026/

I spent a few days chatting to the RetroDECK team (who are well and truly friends by now!), with the idea that it might be a good chance to focus on their real passion: retro gaming. Too often RetroDECK (which is all about emulation/retro gaming for the Steam Deck/Linux) just gets bottled up and mentioned as being less than it is.

Sure you get the typical emulation projects in there: PS2, PS3, Wii U, SNES and so on, but it really has so much more to offer to users. From odd little projects and engines to things like MUDs, pinball and more.

This was a nice chat with the team, it shows them all sharing what they're so passionate about. Retro gaming in all its forms.

From my friend Lazorne in the interview:

What I hope to do is simply provide people with an easy way to experience those memories again, provided they still have access to their old games. For one person retro might mean the PlayStation 3, while for others it could be systems like the TRS-80 or the BBC Micro.Both viewpoints are valid and that is how we approach the components included in RetroDECK as well.

You can find my article and the whole interview here:

https://gardinerbryant.com/retrodeck-is-more-than-emulation-an-interview-with-the-devs/

I spent a few days chatting to the RetroDECK team (who are well and truly friends by now!), with the idea that it might be a good chance to focus on their real passion: retro gaming. Too often RetroDECK (which is all about emulation/retro gaming for the Steam Deck/Linux) just gets bottled up and mentioned as being less than it is.

Sure you get the typical emulation projects in there: PS2, PS3, Wii U, SNES and so on, but it really has so much more to offer to users. From odd little projects and engines to things like MUDs, pinball and more.

This was a nice chat with the team, it shows them all sharing what they're so passionate about. Retro gaming in all its forms.

From my friend Lazorne in the interview:

What I hope to do is simply provide people with an easy way to experience those memories again, provided they still have access to their old games. For one person retro might mean the PlayStation 3, while for others it could be systems like the TRS-80 or the BBC Micro.Both viewpoints are valid and that is how we approach the components included in RetroDECK as well.

You can find my article and the whole interview here:

https://gardinerbryant.com/retrodeck-is-more-than-emulation-an-interview-with-the-devs/

In 2005, a bug in World of Warcraft turned Azeroth into a virtual pandemic, and gave scientists a rare glimpse into human behavior during an outbreak.

So recently I started a page in a notebook where I jotted down article ideas. Older games with interesting stories to them. Just as a part of a series of retrospectives I've been writing. So far I have done:

• Seaman
• GoldenEye 007
• Star Fox 2
• EarthBound
• Dune II
• Uniracers

...and now, obviously, World of Warcraft. This one is a bit more brief than the others, but the story is fascinating to me. An unexpected bug caused so much drama, and it ended up being studied. It came back to focus when Covid hit, it was covered by regular 'big' news services, the whole thing is such an odd story to me.

Anyway, I had a great time writing this up, maybe you were ther when it happened? I'd love to hear a comment if so!

https://gardinerbryant.com/the-digital-plague-when-world-of-warcraft-accidentally-simulated-a-pandemic/

Does anyone remember iiSU?

Last year, out of nowhere, a new front-end for managing and playing emulated games appeared online. It came with a beautiful trailer and some huge promises: a console-like interface, social features, and a design that clearly took inspiration from Nintendo’s UI style (mixed with a bit of Sony’s XMB). It was called iiSU, for retro handhelds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AD8R8co1YA

Unfortunately, things quickly fell apart. Allegations about the lead developer began to surface, including inappropriate behavior toward community members, harassment in private messages, and other conduct that raised serious concerns within the scene.

In the aftermath, Usagi (said dev) stepped away from the project completely, leaving iiSU effectively abandoned for a short time. Since then, a lot has changed. A new team (led by a new developer who was already involved in the project) stepped in and has already released a number of updates and their own vision.

I invited two members of the iiSU team to join me for an interview to talk about the project’s history, what actually went into building it, and where it’s heading next. I deliberately skipped the drama (plenty of articles covered that at the time) and instead focused on the future of iiSU.

If you want to read my article on their efforts, you can find it here:

https://gardinerbryant.com/the-vision-behind-iisu-an-interview-with-iisu-developers/

If you want to listen to it though, Gardiner has just started a Podcast on our articles, and this one's the first. So if you would prefer to listen to a story about what they've been up to and how they've done it, you can find that here:

https://podcast.subscribeto.me/@thebryantreview/episodes/the-vision-behind-iisu-an-interview-with-iisu-developers