Miscellaneous

Turning your old phone into a modern gaming device

Breaking the myth!

Every phone has a certain specification and that means it has an upper limit. It can’t function properly after a certain time frame; this includes the device not able to smoothly run newer games and reduction in camera quality. All these things result in users upgrading their devices with the latest available in the market. While this is expected and fine, our need for upgrades can also contribute to the growing issue of electronic waste. It can be possible to drag some new life out of an older device, to keep older machines as surprisingly versatile gaming systems. In this article, we will discuss the prospects of turning your old phone into a modern gaming device.

The power of old devices

Though playing newer games on an older device might not be possible, there are many other options out there if you know where to look. One such example is web-based games like Fluffy Favourites. Based on HTML rather than direct apps, these modern experiences scale well even to older phones. Complete with bonuses like deposit matches, slot games along these lines are great fits for otherwise defunct mobiles.

Go a step further, older phones can also find homes as gaming emulation devices. Taking this route, mobiles can be used to access libraries of thousands of older titles, many of which are available for free. The only possible complexity here is set up, but this step is easier than you might think.

Preparing an older device for gaming

Just like with a computer, the first step to turning a phone into a gaming device is to clean it of all older data. Before attempting this step, be sure to go over a phone’s contents closely, to avoid accidentally deleting numbers or photos you wish to keep. Once this step is done, we can move onto the factory reset.

Mobile Games revenue in 2021 old phone into a modern gaming device

A factory reset is simply removing everything off a machine and taking it back to how the device started off on the shelf. This will remove an enormous number of additions that can slow a phone over the years, giving it speed that would otherwise have been lost. Guides like this one from the website RT can help with Android devices, but other methods for other phones are only a Google search away.

Getting started with Emulation

Following this step, you’re going to want to install a program called RetroArch, which essentially acts as a simple app from which a wide range of emulators can be installed and managed. The appropriate links can be found on the official RetroArch page. This process is mostly self-explanatory, though again Google can be your friend if you run into any unexpected concerns.

From this point, you can move on to installing games, called ROMs, or alternatively, find a wireless controller to attach to your mobile. Be sure to go wireless here through Bluetooth, as a corded controller can quickly drain batteries. As for the ROMs themselves, these can be found on many major ROM sites. Remember to ensure that you already own a copy of the games you download, or that the games are abandonware, to ensure the process is legal.

This might seem too simple to be true but, well, it is. All that it takes to open an old phone up to thousands of new experiences is a little work, and maybe an investment in a new battery if the old one starts to fade. From here, players could have all they need to cover their gaming desires, no matter how much or little time they have free. Just don’t blame us if you start to favor your old phone over your new one.

What are your thoughts on turning your old phone into a modern gaming device.? Let us know in the comments below.

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