GP2X

Last updated
GP2X
GP2X logo.svg
GP2X 01.JPG
Manufacturer GamePark Holdings
Type Handheld game console
Generation Seventh generation era
Lifespan
  • SK: November 10, 2005
Units soldOver 60,000
Media Secure Digital card
Operating system Linux
CPU Dual CPU:

200 MHz Host ARM920T

200 MHz ARM940T
Memory64MB
Predecessor GP32
Successor GP2X Wiz

The GP2X is a Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on November 10, 2005, in South Korea only.

Contents

The GP2X is designed for homebrew developers as well as commercial developers. It is commonly used to run emulators for game consoles such as Neo Geo, Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, NES, TurboGrafx-16, and MAME.

Overview

The GP2X was designed to play music and videos, view photos, and play games. It had an open architecture (Linux based), allowing anybody to develop and run software. Also, there was the possibility for additional features (such as support for new media formats) to be added in the future due to the upgradeable firmware.

A popular use of the GP2X was to run emulators, which allows one to use software from a video game of another system on the GP2X.

History

The newer model "F200" with touchscreen stylus GP2X-F200.jpg
The newer model "F200" with touchscreen stylus

Shortly after the release of the GP32 in 2001, its maker Game Park began to design their next handheld. A disagreement within the company about the general direction of this system prompted many of the staff [ citation needed ] to leave and create their own company, GamePark Holdings, to produce a 2D-based handheld system which they saw as the sequel to the GP32.

GamePark Holdings spoke to previous GP32 distributors and developers to determine the specifications for the new machine and how it should be promoted. Meetings were held in Seoul, Korea, where the final design of the new console was agreed upon.

The first name of this console was the GPX2. However, it couldn't be used as a final name due to a possible trademark violation with the name of a Japanese printer, the GPX. A contest for a new name was announced on August 3, 2005. Around 1500 names were submitted in total. The winner of the competition was Matt Bakse who chose the title GP2X. For this he was awarded a free GP2X console, although delivery of his prize was rather delayed.

The GP2X has seen several minor hardware updates, most notably the changes from the First Edition to Normal Edition and the Normal Edition to the MK2. Also, a new version called the "F200" was released earlier then expected [1] on October 30, 2007 [2] and features a touchscreen, among other changes.

By August 23, 2006 the GP2X was available to buy through an online distributor in the United States of America. [3]

As of October 16, 2006, the GP2X had sold 30,000 units. [4] On August 31, 2008, the CEO of Gamepark Holdings told German GP2X distributor Michael Mrozek (aka. EvilDragon [5] ) that 60,000 GP2X units had been sold. [6] The Korea Times reported in 2009 that over 60,000 GP2X units had been sold. [7]

On 26 August 2008, GamePark Holdings announced the successor to the GP2X, the "Wiz". [8]

As of September 1, 2008 a version of the GP2X is still being sold in Korea by Vocamaster that is geared toward Koreans who wish to learn English. [9] In fact, according to the official GP2X distributor for the UK, Craig Rothwell, most GP2X units sold to date have been sold through Vocamaster as English-learning tools. [10]

Hardware

A disassembled GP2X F-200 GP2X (4553846141).jpg
A disassembled GP2X F-200

Specifications

Source: [11]

The ARM940T was used by GPH's implementation of Linux to control video processing. Using the 940T core in Linux for other tasks apart from video processing is difficult but possible. Accessing the hardware directly makes it easier to use both CPUs.

The F-200 version of the GP2X hardware replaced the joystick with a directional pad and added a touchscreen.

Expandability

The GP2X had an expansion "EXT" port on the base of the unit into which a range of special cables (for USB host, TV-out etc.) or break out box could be plugged, [14] allowing four USB devices to be connected to and used with the GP2X directly. [15] The only thing limiting what can be used through this interface is the availability of drivers.

The connector used to expand the GP2X is hard to come by on its own but it is used with a few other devices. The Samsung e810/e730 and LG U8110/20/30/36/38 mobile telephone data cables, along with the official GP2X TV-Out adapter are suitable connectors.

This connector isn't proprietary; the specifications of this connector are fully open, encouraging home cable construction.

TV output

The GP2X also supported TV-out with a special cable that plugs into the EXT port. This allows videos that are normally scaled down to fit the GP2X's screen to be played at native resolution on a TV. It also lets software be displayed on the higher resolution TV rather than the screen. Not all software supports this natively, but 3rd party software exists that enables TV-out functionality in all applications. This is done by launching a background process.

Power

The GP2X requires 2 AA-sized batteries if not running from an external power supply. Due to the high current drain, standard alkaline batteries will not function for very long in the GP2X; NiMH or lithium batteries are recommended.

Battery life varies depending on the type of activity being performed and can last anywhere from 10 minutes (using alkaline batteries) to over 6 hours (using high-capacity NiMH batteries). When listening to music, power can be conserved by turning off the backlight and display.

The GP2X has a socket for an external power supply. It must be rated 3.3V DC at 1A with a standard center-grounded (negative center) connector. The power supply should be regulated, as voltage spikes can permanently damage the unit.

Storage

The GP2X's primary storage device is the Secure Digital card, which can be placed into a socket at the top of the unit. Older firmware only supported SD cards up to 4 GB in capacity. SD cards must be formatted as either FAT16, FAT32 (32 is more reliable), or ext2. The GP2X also has 64 MB of internal flash memory storage, of which 32MB can be used for user data.

From firmware release version 4.0 the GP2X F200 is capable of addressing the new SDHC standard and thus now works with SDHC cards up to 64GB in size.

Overclocking

The two ARM processors in the GP2X can be overclocked beyond their rated speed in software. The maximum speed one can reach through overclocking varies from system to system, with about 1 in 50 reaching over 300 MHz and others barely reaching 240 MHz (many systems can be overclocked beyond 240 MHz with no problems. The highest they are advertised to overclock to is 266 MHz.)

Multimedia support

Video

Audio

Software

Because the tools required for development on the GP2X are freely available, there is a wealth of software available for the GP2X, much of which is free. Types of software available includes emulators, games, PDA applications and multimedia players.

Built-in software

The GP2X has several pieces of software built directly into the firmware. There is a version of MPlayer which is used to play music and video, an image viewer, an e-book reader (which can display the contents of standard text documents on-screen) and a utility to adjust the LCD update frequency to eliminate any flickering.

Other applications available (though not accessible directly through the menu) were a Samba server, for transferring files to the machine using the default Windows network file sharing protocol; an HTTP server, for providing web pages; an FTP server, a different way of transferring files; and telnet access allowing for direct command line access from outside the machine. These servers operate over the included USB networking functionality, allowing one to connect the GP2X to a wider network through a PC. The new GP2X-F200 supports none of these network programs.

Version 3.0.0 of the firmware comes with 5 games pre-installed in the NAND memory. The games are Payback (demo), Noiz2sa, Flobopuyo, SuperTux , and Vektar (freeware version). This firmware is currently shipped with new GP2Xs.

Emulators

There are many emulators available for the GP2X which allow you to run software from other systems on the GP2X. Many emulators will run most software perfectly and at the intended speed, but some others may have various issues (often to do with speed or sound). Popular emulators include GnGeo which emulates the Neo Geo; GNUboy2x, Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulators; MAME, an emulator of various arcade machines; DrMD, which emulates the Master System, Game Gear and Mega Drive/Genesis; SquidgeSNES and PocketSNES, which emulate Super NES games; and Picodrive, which emulates Mega Drive and Sega CD games; psx4all which emulates PlayStation games. Stella, an emulator for the Atari 2600 has also been ported to the GP2X

Games

Since the GP2X has a much smaller following than other handheld consoles, such as the Sony PSP or the Nintendo DS, there are very few commercial games available for it. Vektar, Payback , Quartz², retrovirus RTS, Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles and Blazar have been released as commercial games for the GP2X, and the games Odonata and Elsewhere were released in October 2006 for Korean distribution only. [18]

However, there are many ports of games from other platforms, mostly Linux, to the GP2X. Popular ports include SuperTux and Frozen Bubble as well as the Duke Nukem 3D , Quake , and Doom engines (which can run the original games if the user owns a copy with the correct data files). There are also hundreds of original freeware games such as Tilematch and Beat2X, made by GP2X programmers in their spare time.

Multimedia players

There are several unofficial multimedia players available for the GP2X, intended to support more formats than the built-in music and video players can handle. One such program is a port of FFPlay that allows you to play several RealMedia and Windows Media formats. Since the release of the MPlayer source code, several unofficial builds have been released for various purposes. One of these adds support for playing music in the AAC format.

Music Creation Tools

The GP2X natively runs the free homebrew application Little Game Park Tracker, a music tracker program which was created by chip musician M-.-n specifically for the GP2X. Little Game Park Tracker, also known as LGPT or Little Piggy Tracker, allows for sample-based music production with a myriad of sample tweaking abilities. LGPT borrows the interface of the popular Game Boy music tracker Little Sound DJ. It has since been ported to the PSP, Dingoo, Windows, OS X, and other platforms.

PDA Applications

Two popular PDA desktop environments have been ported to the GP2X: Qtopia and GPE. Both contain a range of programs such as a web browser, word processor, etc. and can be controlled with either the GP2X controls or a USB mouse and keyboard connected through a USB cable attached to the EXT port.

Open source development

SDKs (software development kits) are freely and easily available for the GP2X allowing anybody with the required skills to write an application or game. Most SDKs are based around a gcc cross-compiler toolchain and SDL. SDL is available for many systems, allowing for cross-compatibility of code with other platforms such as Microsoft Windows and GNU/Linux.

A port of the Allegro [19] game programming library is also available for the GP2X, as are ports of the Fenix and BennuGD game toolkits.

Other libraries under development include Minimal Library SDK, which allows for direct hardware access inside the GP2X Linux environment, and sdk2x a set of libraries and a program which allows you to leave Linux completely for total control of all the hardware with no operating system to interfere.

Currently in development is gpu940, a soft 3D renderer that can do many rendering types, including true perspective texture mapping/lighting. It utilizes the ARM940T CPU of the GP2X, and allows for the GP2X to run basic OpenGL functions. In January 2007, the renderer's OpenGL functions allowed for the 3D roleplaying game Egoboo to be ported to the GP2X at a playable speed, and a month later updated with increased speed and added lighting effects.

GP2X executables

GP2X executable files have one of two 3 letters file extensions. For games, the .gpe extension is used. These are listed in the Games section of the menu. Utilities have the extension .gpu, and appear in the Utilities section of the menu; in firmware 3.0.0 they appear along with the games.

DRM controversy

There was debate before launch [20] over the implied inclusion of DRM in the GP2X. However, since release, the GP2X platform was shown to be clear of any form of DRM.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handheld game console</span> Portable self-contained video game console

A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the console, screen, speakers, and controls in one unit, allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GP32</span> Handheld game console

The GP32 is a handheld game console developed by the South Korean company Game Park. It was released on November 23, 2001, in South Korea and distributed in some parts of Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tapwave Zodiac</span> Handheld game console

The Tapwave Zodiac is a mobile entertainment console. Tapwave announced the system in May 2003 and began shipping in October of that same year. The Zodiac was designed to be a high-performance mobile entertainment system centered on video games, music, photos, and video for 18- to 34-year-old gamers and technology enthusiasts. By running an enhanced version of the Palm Operating System (5.2T), Zodiac also provided access to Palm's personal information management software and many other applications from the Palm developer community. The company was based in Mountain View, California.

Game Park was a South Korean company that was founded in 1996 and went bankrupt in March 2007. It is responsible for creating the GP32 and the never-released XGP. GamePark Holdings was founded by former employees of Game Park in 2005.

iPodLinux Linux distribution

iPodLinux is a µClinux-based Linux distribution designed specifically to run on Apple Inc.'s iPod. When the iPodLinux kernel is booted it takes the place of Apple's iPod operating system and automatically loads Podzilla, an alternative GUI and launcher for a number of additional included programs such as a video player, an image viewer, a command line shell, games, emulators for video game consoles, programming demos, and other experimental or occasionally unfinished software.

Homebrew, when applied to video games, refers to software produced by hobbyists for proprietary video game consoles which are not intended to be user-programmable. The official documentation is often only available to licensed developers, and these systems may use storage formats that make distribution difficult, such as ROM cartridges or encrypted CD-ROMs. Many consoles have hardware restrictions to prevent unauthorized development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XGP</span> Unreleased handheld game console

The XGP was a concept portable video game system created by the Korean company GamePark as the follow-up to its GP32 handheld. Initially announced in 2005, the XGP was finally announced in March 2006 along with the release of the similar XGP Mini and the XGP Kids. The company went bankrupt before releasing any of the models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 3 system software</span> System software for the PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 system software, is the updatable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 3. The base operating system used by Sony for the PlayStation 3 is a fork of both FreeBSD and NetBSD known internally as CellOS or GameOS. It uses XrossMediaBar as its graphical shell.

The PlayStation Portable system software is the official firmware for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It uses the XrossMediaBar (XMB) as its user interface, similar to the PlayStation 3 console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandora (computer)</span> Handheld game console

The Pandora is an operating system, handheld game console and mobile personal computer originally released in 2010. It is designed to take advantage of existing free and open-source software and to be a target for homebrew development. It includes several features that no handheld game consoles have previously had, making it a cross between a handheld game console and a subnotebook. It is developed and produced by OpenPandora, which is made up of former distributors and community members of the GP32 and GP2X handhelds. Until 2013, multiple batches of slightly updated Pandora variants were produced. In 2014 the development of a redesigned and upgraded successor, called DragonBox Pyra, was started.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game backup device</span> Device for backing up ROM information from a video game cartridge

A game backup device, informally called a copier, is a device for backing up ROM data from a video game cartridge to a computer file called a ROM image and playing them back on the official hardware. Recently flash cartridges, especially on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS platforms, only support the latter function; they cannot be used for backing up ROM data. Game backup devices also make it possible to develop homebrew software on video game systems. Game backup devices differ from modchips in that modchips are used in conjunction with systems that use generally available media such as CDs and DVDs, whereas game backup devices are used with systems that use cartridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GP2X Wiz</span> Handheld game console by GamePark Holdings

The GP2X Wiz is a handheld game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings running a Linux kernel-based embedded operating system. It was released on May 12, 2009, and was also the first console from both Game Park and Game Park Holdings to be also released outside South Korea. It is the successor to the GP2X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingoo</span> Handheld game console

The Dingoo is a handheld gaming console that supports music and video playback and open game development. The system features an on-board radio and recording program. It was sold to consumers in three colors: white, black, and pink. It was released in February 2009 and had sold over 1 million units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caanoo</span> Handheld game console

The GP2X Caanoo, more commonly known as Caanoo, stylized CAANOO, is an open source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by the South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on August 16, 2010 in South Korea and were also sold throughout Europe. It is the successor to the GP2X Wiz, and was showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010. The device's launch price was about US$150, which didn't reach any retail stores in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Gadget</span>

The Game Gadget is an open source gaming handheld that supports music and video playback, open game development, and some e-reader features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retrode</span>

The Retrode is a USB adapter for legacy video games that enabled the use of game cartridges and controllers with emulators. Technically, the Retrode could be considered a ROM dumper in that it could create a copy of the cartridge content. Unlike most such devices, the Retrode could be operated without drivers or special software under the most popular operating systems. It further allowed the emulator to directly access the game data through the file system, eliminating the need to create a ROM image as a separate step. By default, the Retrode was equipped with cartridge slots and controller ports for the SNES and Sega Genesis game consoles; support for cartridges and controllers for other systems could be added via so-called plug-in adapters that users can buy online or make themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung YP-R0</span> Digital audio player

The Samsung YP-R0 is a portable media player made by Samsung, leaked on August 10, 2009 and first released end of October 2009 in Russia. It was developed along with the YP-R1 with which it shares several specifications . The R0 is available in three different Flash memory capacities: 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB. It comes in three different colors: black, silver and pink. Storage is expandable via a microSDHC slot with capacity up to 32 GB, and unofficially to 64GB or more via FAT32 formatted SDXC cards. It features an aluminum case, a 2.6 inch TFT LCD display with a resolution of 240 by 320 pixels, RDS FM tuner, tactile buttons and microUSB connector. Several EQ and sound effects are available through Samsung's DNSe 3.0 sound engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GCW Zero</span> Linux-based handheld video game console

The GCW Zero is a Linux-based open-source handheld video game console created by a start up, Game Consoles Worldwide. The GCW Zero was funded by a successful crowdfunding campaign on kickstarter.com on 29 January 2013 with US$238,499 collected, originally aiming for $130,000. The project was created by Justin Barwick. The device was eventually released that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GPD Win</span> 2016 Chinese handheld computer running Windows

GPD Win is a Windows-based palmtop computer equipped with a keyboard and video game controls. It is an x86-based device that runs Windows 10. It is capable of running any x86 Windows-based application that can run within the confines of the computer's hardware. First announced in October 2015, it was crowdfunded via Indiegogo and two other crowdfunding sites in Japan and China. The GPD Win was released in October 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GPD Win 2</span> Handheld Windows 10 gaming computer

The GPD Win 2 is a Windows-based palmtop computer that is the successor to the GPD Win. It is manufactured by Chinese company GamePad Digital, and crowdfunded just as its predecessor was. Announced in first-quarter 2017, the crowdfunding campaign officially kicked off on January 15, 2018, and quickly surpassed its goal. It was released in May 2018.

References

  1. Block, Gerry (19 September 2007). "GP2X F-200 Handheld Launches". IGN. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  2. Martin, Joe. Gamepark GP2X F200 released at last. Bit-tech. October 30, 2007. Accessed on: Sept. 15, 2008.
  3. Hudson, Travis (August 23, 2006). "Gamepark GP2X Available in U.S." Gizmodo. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  4. "Q&A: GP2X chief Craig Rothwell – News at GameSpot". Game Spot. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  5. Schmalenstroer, M. In die Box geschaut - Der neue Handheld Pandora im Hands-On. Planet DS. August 20, 2008. Accessed on: September 5, 2008. (in German) (English translation Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine )
  6. Mrozek, Michael. Post on GP32x.com forum Archived 2012-02-14 at the Wayback Machine . August 31, 2008. Accessed on: September 5, 2008.
  7. Tong-hyung, Kim (24 March 2009). "Korea Goes All-out to Copy Nintendo". The Korea Times. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  8. Slashdot article about the "Wiz"
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2008-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Rothwell, Craig. Post on GP32X.com forums Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine . September 1, 2008. Accessed on: September 5, 2008.
  11. "OpenHandhelds gp2x File Archive - Browse - Home".
  12. Block, Gerry (14 June 2006). "What's In the Box: GamePark GP2X". IGN. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  13. "PSP Got Nuthin' On GP2X (Except Games)". Gizmodo. October 28, 2005. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  14. Blass, E. (June 30, 2006). "Gamepark Holdings releases GP2X breakout board". Engadget. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  15. Rojas, P. (April 23, 2007). "GP2X Commercial Interface Board Cradle goes on sale". Engadget. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  16. Chen, Jason (October 29, 2007). "Gamepark GP2X F-200 DivX/Xvid-Playing Handheld With Emulator Now Available". Gizmodo. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  17. Chen, Jason (August 24, 2007). "GP2X F-200 Portable Game System has DivX, XviD, and Emulator Support". Gizmodo. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  18. "GP2X Software – Commercial". Gamepark Newbie. Archived from the original on 2007-01-25. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  19. "GP2X Allegro". George Foot. Retrieved 2006-05-23.
  20. Linux-based handheld has DRM?! - Boing Boing Archived 2005-09-25 at the Wayback Machine