Super Console Retro Games Stick HDMI X3

Unlike its dual-core cortex A7 little brother, and X2, the Super Console X3 Elevates Retro Gaming in a small footprint to a new level.

The Super Console X3 stands out from the crowd compared to previous gaming sticks. Powered by the next-generation s905X3 processor, this compact HDMI game stick delivers an impressive retro gaming experience that puts other HDMI sticks to shame.

The X3 is a plug-and-play retro gaming console that comes fully loaded and ready to go. Simply connect it to any screen or projector via HDMI, and you’re instantly set up with two wireless PlayStation 5-style controllers that promise an immersive gaming experience.

Authenticity is key with the X3 upgrades we’ve applied. The console offers a true 4:3 ratio display, ensuring retro games look exactly as originally intended – without any image stretching. Each pixel is rendered with clear precision, maintaining the original visual integrity. To enhance the nostalgic feel, the remaining 16:9 screen utilises beautifully designed console-specific bezels that capture the retro gaming essence be it Amiga, Atari, Arcade, or any other retro game console. Did we mention 2x upscaling has been applied, with 3x and widescreen hack on PlayStation.

While no slouch, we’ve chosen this as our standard-level super console platform as it’s surprisingly good for its price point.

Modern technology meets classic gaming with innovative features like game progress saving. Now you can pause and resume your gaming sessions exactly where you left off, a convenience unimaginable in the original retro era.

The X3 isn’t limited to a few games. With an impressive 2GB of RAM and a powerful CPU, this gaming stick can emulate an extensive range of arcade games and multiple console platforms. Its enhanced processing capabilities now rival larger Android TV boxes, offering unprecedented versatility with over 30k titles all in a compact form factor.

If you’re looking to enjoy the old arcade classics with a simple plug & play mini game console for your TV, then the X3 stick is a great starting point.

Amazingly, such a little device can do so much and even outshine the standard Super Console X and other entry-level Android TV boxes in the Retro Gaming space.

The HDMI stick is powered via USB and while you can use your TV – we recommend at least a 5V 1A phone-style charger to ensure optimal performance.

The dual 2.4G Wireless PlayStation 5-style gamepads are a decent step up from the standard PS1 copies you see on cheap gaming consoles. These controllers are quite a surprise feeling and play nicely. They run off 2 x AA batteries and connect to the HDMI stick via a single USB dongle. For the price point, they do a good job, however, if you’re seeking something better, you can replace them with other gamepads or fight sticks be it wired or wireless. With the help of a USB hub, you can connect up to 4 game controllers from wired to wireless. Do keep in mind depending on controllers you may need either a powered hub or 5v 1A+ USB charger to power your HDMI gaming stick.

We’ve tried;

• The Xbox-style wired Gamepads
• 3-in-1 Ipega PG-9156 wireless controllers
• USB Ultimate Home Arcade Fightstick

The Super Console X3 runs on EmuElec 4.3, so we now have more features and a software soft shutdown option, so that the system can turned off safely. With EmuElec 4.3 you can;

• Save and Load game progress
• Add and map supported gamepads/ fight sticks
• Map buttons per console or game to your liking
• Categorise, Add, and Delete games
• Adjust per-game settings from display to playability
• and so much more

The console is shipped in KIOSK mode, which hides settings to avoid potential damage and corruption.

While you won’t achieve perfection with more demanding games on consoles like PSP, the SCX3 handles consoles like Dreamcast, Naomi,  N64, and Atomiswave quite well, delivering a lot for its size and price point. It’s super portable, and should you not be able to fit the stick into the desired HDMI port, it comes with a handy short HDMI extension cable so you can take your Retro Gaming experience almost anywhere.

Super Console X3 Game Stick is capable of emulating 40+consoles, it comes pre-configured and ready to emulate consoles including C64, Arcade, Atari, Capcom, Dreamcast, Famicom, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Megadrive, MSX, N64, NES, Neo Geo, SNES, Sega32, Wonderswan Color and more.

Metal Slug – SCX2 gameplay

The SCX3 comes with 30k+ titles however with emulation you can expect some non-English titles within the mix and not all will play to perfection. We’ve tested titles like Mario Kart 64, Tank, F-Zero, and Atomiswave and they play well.  Overall at this price point, we’re super impressed with this little powerhouse retro gaming HDMI stick which is currently the most powerful available.

For those who like to tinker, you can access the folders by using a Wi-Fi dongle and connecting to your local network to add/remove games with ease. Keep in mind if adding new games, if you want the preview picture, you’ll need to add the game art or activate the skraper to amend the gameslist.xml for that given console, otherwise, it will still work but with no preview image.

The SCX3 uses EmuElec and RetroArch which means if any particular game buttons are not mapped properly or mapped at all, you can go into its settings and change them to the right order. For example, on PSP Ridge Racer the turbo button wasn’t mapped so we went in and remapped the L & R shoulder buttons on the gamepad and the problem was fixed. For the occasional game that needs remapping – this isn’t possible with our Pandora box-based consoles.

While several online retailers including Lanorys claim the base model Game Stick has a super fast dual-core cortex A7, the SCX3 listed here with its s905X3 chip is considerably faster than the low-end 32-bit ARM Cortex A7 processor.

The stick pushes out 720P+ and is capable of 4K output. Do keep in mind while emulation on this can be set to 1080P it uses 720P in order to run smoother which is the norm for most retro consoles including more powerful Pandora boxes. So claims aside, unless you’re using high-end hardware or a PC don’t expect anything higher.

When comparing Retro Gaming consoles, be sure to check the processor speed and features, not the game count. 

SCX3 quick overview

What’s in the box

1 x SC X3 Game Stick
2 x 2.4G Wireless gamepad controllers
1 x 2.4G USB dongle
1 x HDMI extension cable
1 x USB type A to micro USB power cable
1 x User Guide

The boring stuff

– Listing is for items shown in “What’s in the box” only. Any other items like TV, screen, etc are for demonstration purposes
– Due to the light and screen differences, the colour of the item may be slightly different from the pictures.
– Please allow up to 1cm size difference due to manual measurement.
– Buttons and controller finish may vary depending on the model and colour.