There are two 4k capable scalers announced for retro games:
There is also the OSSC Pro, but the details are sparse and we haven’t had too many updates about it.
PixelFX has lost any and all respect that I had for them and almost made me want to sell my PS1Digital modded system just to be rid of owning anything they’ve touched. Their announcement video for the Retro GEM took the piss on Digital Foundry by doing a cringe-inducing “parody” called “Digital Infidelity” and was wildly inappropriate. Couple that with the news that the GEM would have DRM on the extra features for an additional $80 once you bought the device and it left a very sour taste in my mouth.
Prior to their terrible announcement, I was determined on buying what ended up being GEM as I could get HDMI out right from a PS2 I bought specifically for that mod and now I won’t bother.
After their absolutely terrible “parody” reveal for the GEM coupled with the DRM crap there, I’ve lost all respect for PixelFX.
I’ll buy the Retrotink 4k instead, even if it costs more.
Probably the impetus for the mass exodus at my old job was the “We’ll Miss You” Zoom call we had for a beloved senior developer. The company had recently added a new manager role that hadnt existed before and things were fine. The new guy started micromanaging like crazy. The SD who was leaving basically went off during the call about how the company didn’t need NG’s role and how it was burning people out.
I stuck around for another year-ish, and NG managed to make a group of about 20 developers dwindle to 5-ish. Saw the writing on the wall after getting shafted, changed jobs and am now making double that salary along with far less stress.
If you’re going to be doing any amount of soldering, I’d highly suggest the Hakko FX888D. You want to use a good iron, otherwise you’ll get poor results and/or be more likely to hurt yourself. (Hitting one’s thumb with a hot soldering iron is not fun.)