What is one supposed to do when you're away from home but want to enjoy some retro games? Well, you could do what I did, and create the most absurd and ridiculous personal home theater thanks to a few Prime Day deals.
It's definitely not the most lightweight or portable solution, but the fact that it was even possible is still blowing my mind.
Everything you'll need
- Xbox Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max Bundle:
$124.98$78.90 at Amazon - Viture Mobile Dock:
$129$89 at Amazon - XREAL Air 2 AR Glasses:
$399$339 at Amazon - Baseus Blade Power Bank:
$129.99$64.99 at Amazon - AuviPal 2-in-1 Micro USB to USB Adapter:
$9.99$5 at Amazon - SanDisk Ultra USB Flash Drive (64GB):
$14.99$8.31 at Amazon
The idea for this contraption was born out of seeing the new Xbox Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Bundle. Just last month, Amazon and Microsoft announced a new partnership that brings Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to the best Fire TV Sticks. To celebrate Prime Day 2024, Amazon dropped a surprise bundle, including everything to get you started.
Using a Fire TV Stick for retro gaming is nothing new, as I originally set everything up during last year's Black Friday sales. However, Nick recently sent me the Viture Mobile Dock to check out, which offers a pretty impressive way to use AR glasses with different devices.
Since I also have the Xreal Air 2 glasses, I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use these AR glasses. And that's when it struck me — Can I plug the Fire TV Stick 4K Max into the Viture Mobile Dock? The answer is a resounding yes, but it's not as cut-and-dry as I had hoped.
Because of Amazon's refusal to switch to USB-C for the Fire TV Stick, you still have to rely on microUSB. Another problem that I mentioned in my Black Friday piece is that the only way to provide power and add storage to the streaming device is by using a microUSB OTG splitter.
A frustration, for sure, but it's really not the end of the world. My bigger issue is that if Amazon had used USB-C this whole setup could be slimmed down quite a bit. You might even have a better time using something like the Chromecast with Google TV, but there's no such Xbox bundle to speak of.
In order to provide power to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, while connected to the Viture Mobile Dock, I had to get creative. That's where the Baseus Blade Power Bank comes into the picture. I've had this one for quite some time, as it's great for tossing it in my bag when space is limited.
Not only that, but the Blade provides more than enough power as it's rated for up to 100W charging speeds. Not to mention that with its 20,000mAh capacity, it lasts for days before needing to be charged back up again.
So with all of the rigamarole out of the way, it was time to actually see if this cursed setup worked. About 30 seconds after turning everything on, the Fire TV home screen appeared on my glasses.
I promptly made sure my Xbox controller was paired to the Fire TV Stick, then fired up RetroArch. After making sure that the controls were mapped properly, I jumped between different games, before getting sucked into some more Zelda.
Again, this isn't the most portable setup imaginable, but with a little bit of fine-tuning, it's definitely more practical than you might think. Well, at least for those who have a penchant for tinkering, no matter how ridiculous the idea might be.
