Ryan McDonough

Founder, Sometime Artist

CFO and co-founder @Accompany, acquired by @Cisco. Turnaround CFO @Ning, sold to Glam Media. Former seed VC. McKinsey trained. @Wharton School and @Haas School of Business.

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TINKERING

Going Big with Android Retro Gaming: From Retroid Pocket 5 to a 15.6” Tablet

After countless hours setting up my Retroid Pocket 5, I cloned it to a 15.6” Meswao tablet to create a drop-and-play nostalgia box. Powered by EmulationStation-DE, custom Mario-themed UI, and a mix of Atari VCS + 8BitDo controllers, it’s the perfect social retro machine.
Android Retro Gaming

Going Big with Android Retro Gaming: From Retroid Pocket 5 to a 15.6” Tablet The Retroid Pocket 5 has been my go-to handheld for on-the-go nostalgia. It’s perfect for sneaking in a few minutes of Super Mario Bros. 3 in the car or sipping morning coffee while exploring old favorites. But while the RP5 delivers a great solo experience, it doesn’t lend itself to a social one.

So, I decided to go big. Armed with a 15.6” Meswao Android 14 tablet, EmulationStation-DE, and my favorite retro controllers, I built a portable retro hub that I can drop on the kitchen island and instantly dive into with friends—no Raspberry Pi cases, no extra batteries, no cables snaking across the room. Just plug in, boot up, and play.

Setup & Tech

Cloning my Retroid SD card over to the tablet was the first step. I’m a bit of a completist, so my library includes not just ROMs, but also manuals, gameplay videos, and box art. Copying those massive files takes patience, but the payoff is worth it: a complete, self-contained retro library.

Core Tools

 

The touch interface on the tablet makes hopping between apps painless, and ES-DE has become the perfect launch hub for everything from Atari 2600 to original PlayStation.

Aesthetic & Customization

A bigger screen deserved a bigger aesthetic push. I designed a Super Mario Bros. 3-inspired wallpaper, paired with 8-bit styled icons via Smart Launcher and Retro Mode Neon. Unlike iOS, Android makes custom icon swaps effortless, which opened up new avenue for creative freedom.

Highlights:

  • Streaming apps arranged above Mario’s hand like coins he’s about to punch.
  • A transparent weather widget for utility when idle.
  • Home screen buttons laid out for intuitive “muscle memory” navigation.

 

Compared to my previous Nostalgia Box builds (which leaned on Phill’s Doodles Retrorama art), this setup is darker, sleeker, and designed to highlight video previews and scrolling logos.

Controllers & Gameplay

The controller choices reflect my roots.

  • Atari VCS joysticks: strictly for 2600 nostalgia. These finally pair seamlessly with Android, unlike my RetroPie/iPad struggles. Since the 2600 was my first system, muscle memory demanded I play those games authentically.
  • 8BitDo SN30 Pro (gray): my all-purpose controller. The NES-style D-pad feels right at home, the analog sticks are great for arcade shooters, and shoulder buttons handle more modern consoles with ease.

 

Growing up, I amassed a huge 2600 library thanks to hand-me-down cartridges from friends who upgraded to the NES. Eventually, I was able to buy my own Nintendo after winning a contest at my orthodontist office where I matching the staff to all their baby pictures & won $100. From there, it was a matter of convincing my mom to drive me to the mall to buy the NES and my first game (Mighty Bomb Jack).

 

Atari Wireless Classic Joystick
8BitDo SN30 pro
8BitDo Arcade Stick
Meswao B3 15.6 Inch Android 14 Tablet

The Experience

Playing on a 15.6” Android tablet is wild. It’s actually bigger than the TV I used back when my brother and I would marathon Metroid or Super Mario Bros. 3, leaving the system paused for days while chasing our self-declared “world records.”

 

Now, those same classics explode across a screen larger than I ever imagined as a kid. It’s as close as I’ve come to bottling pure nostalgia.

Broader Thoughts on Android vs. Pi

For years, RetroPie was my go-to platform. But as Raspberry Pi hardware improved, the lack of a native 64-bit build started slowing down some of my experiments. Seeing EmulationStation land on Android was a game-changer.

 

Pros:

  • Flexible form factors (phones, tablets, handhelds).
  • Seamless pairing with modern controllers.
  • Access to modern Android games alongside emulation.

 

Cons:

  • Setup still requires patience, plus a willingness to dive into guides (shoutout to Russ at RetroGameCorps).
  • Out-of-the-box Linux builds remain simpler for plug-and-play users.

 

For me, the trade-off is worth it. Android + ES-DE has unlocked a new wave of creative retro builds.

In Closing

This setup isn’t just a bigger Retroid Pocket 5. It’s a new kind of portable nostalgia box—one that merges my retro past with modern Android convenience. Whether I’m reliving Mighty Bomb Jack or scrolling through game logos with friends, it’s the perfect blend of tinkering and play.