REVIEW: TrimUI Smart Pro is a powerful and nostalgic handheld console 575x64

Today's review is different: usually, when a company sends a product to the showmetech, we have about 15 days to do all the tests and form an opinion about the device. But, for the TrimUI Smart Pro, you will follow a six-month usage analysis.  15732s

We'll go over everything: daily use, battery, screen and operating system usage. You've already read the final opinion in the title, but it's also worth mentioning that, like every electronic device, it also has its negative points. Check out what we think of the model. 

Design 493g4d

There is no way not to talk about the TrimUI Smart Pro Not to mention that it really resembles the PS Vita and the famous PSP. As a big fan of technology, I've always used emulators of old consoles on my smartphone, but it's worth ing that the physical buttons aren't included with the smartphone. I bought the gray version, but it was also released in white and black.

And here we have the first positive point: the portable retro console has great buttons that allow you to use it for hours without any discomfort. In addition to four directional buttons, the L1, L2, R1 and R2 buttons are here. The d-pads work well, but the analog controls are better.

And here's the biggest negative point: after playing for a few hours, the analog sticks start to get uncomfortable. Since it's an entry-level product, the company didn't invest much in this part of the console and you'll feel a slight discomfort in your thumbs. It's not something that will be a big problem, but I believe that, in a second generation, the finger could be more interesting.

The model also has two sound outputs which, honestly, are not the loudest. I also need to mention that I rarely like to play with the original sound and the subtitles help me avoid hearing the characters' voices, since the songs of my favorite artists are my preference.

But this varies from person to person. Either way, they are there for you. However, if you want, you can connect a wired headset to the USB-C port, via the 3,5mm input or use the Bluetooth antenna to connect your wireless headset. All good.

Buttons for Start, Select and to open the emulator Menu are also available. These are shortcuts that give that feeling of using an older portable console without the need to invest a lot and buy different devices to play classic titles.

The big point here is that the TrimUI Smart Pro It's a handheld console that's actually... portable. It officially weighs 250 grams, but it feels much less in everyday use. I bought a simple carrying case that I put on it when I leave the house, but it can easily be slipped into a pants pocket or backpack without any problems.

Speaking of day-to-day use, I like to play a little before going to sleep, so having a lightweight device that doesn't have cables or any other mobility issues is a huge plus.

Fabric 5p3y6b

The model has a 4,95″ IPS LCD screen with FHD resolution (720×1080) and a 16:9 aspect ratio, very similar to what we saw on the Game Boy Advance and, of course, the PSP itself. Some people might be wondering why you need a device with a smaller screen if smartphones are more powerful and have better images. The answer: here, we don’t have notifications that can take your focus away.

It's important to that not all games will run in full screen, but you can adjust this through RetroArch's settings. For example, I'm a big fan of Super Mario 64 and I was able to play the famous title in full screen, from start to finish, without any image problems. Pure nostalgia.

I also went further and ventured into PSP games: Crash of the Titans e Crash: Mind Over Mutant They ran very well, with impressive quality and without crashes. For these games, the famous PPSSPP comes into play, allowing you to configure and play the titles without any problems. Like any entry-level device, there are graphic limitations, but even at 2x, it was possible to have a lot of fun. On top of that, due to the GPU's graphic limitations, there are bugs.

There's no point in playing games above FHD resolution: firstly, the screen doesn't even have the capacity to display images in 2K resolution or higher. Still, FHD resolution is ideal for models like this, focused on offering a simpler experience.

Performance 1t5h3m

To be able to run all the features, the one who can handle it is the Allwinner A133P (A133 Plus) which reaches an overclock of 1,88 GHz. The graphics processing work is done by Imagination PowerVR GE8300 GPU which reaches a speed of 660MHz. To be honest, I was impressed with the performance power for a model under R$400.

At no point did I have any problems with crashes that made me lose all my progress in games. It also didn't get too hot, even after hours of gaming. There is a key that puts the U and GPU at maximum performance that can be activated with a simple slide. It's easy and simple to use, giving even more performance. Check it out here:

There are two hot air vents on the top that prevent heat from being sent directly to the player's hands. So, combined with the design that fits in the hand, hours of fun are guaranteed.

System and interface 507155

The processor uses Linux as a base to run its functions. The model has some applications such as RetroArch, PPSSPP and Libretro cores that run well, but here we have a more general problem with this operating system, which is the lack of . Don't get me wrong: Linux has a large community of developers, but it still can't be compared to options like Android and Windows.

Still, the operating system has Portmaster installed, which has a large community of active developers. It is an interesting application for running older games such as Super Mario 64 (which, this year alone, I finished three times) and even the classics The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time e Majora's Mask. Older games run well here because they don't require a lot of performance power to play them.

Those who want to take a risk can opt to change the operating system to the CrossMix OS interface, which brings a new look. But the factory operating system runs very well and does not require the insertion of a memory card to work. It is true that you need a microSD card (up to 256 GB) to update the device's OS and also store the ROMs, but it turns on as soon as we take it out of the box.

I also liked that there is a calibration system in the controller that eliminates that drift problem, where characters start to perform actions not commanded by the s. And it takes less than five minutes to do this. See the calibration screen:

Speaking of the gaming experience, you won't always be able to run games in full screen mode, but there are settings in RetroArch that allow this to be done. For example, I was able to play Super Mario 64 without any problems. But you'll need to configure this on your system.

I was also able to run Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) in full screen, but the configuration here was easier: when pressing the triangle button in the list of games that run on Mega Drive, just select the last option. And you will be able to play without any problems.

And it's worth mentioning the good interface once again: the games are organized according to the files you have on your memory card. There's no need to search for each game, just organize the files in the correct folders and click on the console icon.

ed consoles 5r1s1q

O Android can already run older games with great excellence, but I would like to highlight the wide range of consoles that you can emulate, requiring only the of the game files (also called ROMs). Check out the full list:

• Arcade
• Atari 2600
• Atari 7800
• Atari Lynx
• Capcom System 1 (S1)
• Capcom System 2 (S2)
• Capcom System 3 (S3)
• Dreamcast
• Easyrpg
• Final Burn Neo (FBNEO)
• Famicom (NES)
• Game Boy
• Game Boy Color
• Gameboy Advance
• Game & Watch
• Mame
• Mame2003+
• Mame2010
• Sega Game Gear
• Sega Master System
• Sega Mega Drive (Genesis)
• Nintendo 64
• Nintendo DS
• Neo Geo
• Neo geo pocket
• Openbor
• Pc Engine (Turbografx-16)
• Polygame Master (Pgm)
• pico 8
• PlayStation (PS1)
• Playstation Portable (PSP)
• Sega Saturn
• Super Famicom (SNES)
• wonderswan

Mega Drive, Nintendo 64, SNES (Super Nintendo) and PS1 were the ones I played the most in these six months of testing. I tried to play Nintendo DS games, but the lack of a touch screen made the experience a bit bad. What I recommend here is that you don't try to reinvent the wheel and stick to consoles with games made only for one screen.

Initial setting 6927k

To be able to play older titles, there are a few steps you need to take. You'll need a computer with a microSD card reader (or a separate reader) and internet access to the files. Check out the screenshots below.

Step 01: First, install the Rufus application through the official website, to be able to format the memory card on the official website and install it on your computer.

Step 02: open the app and plug in your microSD card. If the memory card is ready to be read, it will be automatically detected by Rufus. But right at the top of the window, select the correct option to perform the formatting. Here:

Step 03: in the tab Boot selection, select the option Unbootable.

Then, just wait for the process to be completed. It won't take more than a minute for this to be done by Rufus. Now, let's put the files on the SD card.

o 04: Na Trimui's official Github page, the file to the memory card, also with the emulator folders. Just click on tg5040_smartpro_SD_base_package_20240413.7z and wait for the to finish.

Step 05: you will also need to the operating system update file, at another GitHub page. Just click on sd_recovery_tg5040_smart_pro_v1.0.4_20240413.zip and wait for the to complete.

Step 06: it will be necessary to unzip the ed files to send them to the memory card that we formatted. Just click on the files with the right mouse button and click on Extract everything.

Then select the folder where the unzipped files will be sent. We recommend that you do not change this and just click To extract. Do this with the two files ed from Trimui's GitHub.

Step 07: now, click on the folder with the files and copy the files: in the folder with a size of 381 MB, copy only the image file for the memory card, with a size of 360 MB. This one selected below:

Now in the folder with a size of 1,17 GB, copy all the folders to the memory card. Here they are:

Step 08: Once this is complete, simply insert the memory card, already configured, into the retro console. The files will be read automatically after the device is turned on, so just wait for the update process to finish.

And that's it, now you just need to game files from specialized websites to start playing. When ing the files, to place each game in the folder of its original console. For example: Game Boy Advance (GBA) games should be placed in the GBA folder. And so on.

Connectivity 4l5267

The device is equipped with a Bluetooth 5.0 antenna that allows connection to wireless headphones, something interesting to test if you want high immersion. Another point is the Wi-Fi 4 antenna, which allows online gaming, but there are errors here. I would say that TrimUI Smart Pro was not designed for this, so don't expect much.

It also has two USB-C ports: one for video transmission, which can be connected to a PC or smart TV, and another for recharging the battery, which we will talk about in the next paragraph.

It's worth ing that, as it's an entry-level device, it delivers what it promises as a retro console. On top of that, everything it delivers is a bonus that you won't always use. I didn't even feel the need for it to have Wi-Fi and ended up leaving it disabled to save more battery.

Battery and charging 676o3i

And here's another big surprise: the battery lasts a long time. With a capacity of 5.000 mAh, charging is done via the USB-C port located on the bottom. I'm in a Sonic fan phase, so I've been playing Mega Drive titles for hours: to be more precise, for 5 hours straight, without having to stop before that.

It is interesting to note that when the level is below 10%, the LEDs around the controllers start to flash red, indicating that it is time to connect the console to the power outlet.

Still, one thing that bothered me a little is that the charging port for the device is in the part where we hold it, because it is kind of impossible to play while it is charging. With my 67W charger that came in the box with the realme 12 pro plus, charging time was 3 hours.

The company doesn't ship a power brick in the box, but there is a USB-C cable. I highly recommend that you leave this aside and use cables and chargers to recharge your phone, tablet or laptop as the charging time will be shorter (due to the higher power).

I consider the five-hour duration to be quite favorable and it managed to keep me entertained for the entire trip. Wherever I went with the retro console, I was asked how it worked and what the experience was like.

Price and availability 3j3on

O TrimUI Smart Pro can be purchased in two ways: via AliExpress, for an average price of R$550 (without taxes), or via the manufacturer's official website, which offers free shipping to São Paulo. As we were writing this text, the prices were:

• R$936,82 on AliExpress (version with 64 GB memory card and taxes included)
• R$779,90 on the Brazilian TrimUI website (the version without memory card)

As I said at the beginning of this review, I purchased the device six months ago, before the Blouse Tax came into effect. Therefore, the final price was R$330 because it was not taxed.

Conclusion a5r1x

This was my first experience in the retro console category and I don't regret making the purchase. Like any electronic product, it does have its negative points: its joysticks could be more comfortable and the sound from the speakers could be a little louder.

Another point is that you will need to understand a bit about memory card configuration to use the model, but it is not rocket science. After a while, you will find yourself updating your library monthly with the most diverse titles you want to play on the device.

O TrimUI Smart Pro It is a great gateway for those who want to start venturing into the retro console market. And, when you feel the need to play console titles that are not available on this model, you can invest in a more expensive device.

Its price is its biggest Achilles heel and it was cheaper before the Blouse Tax was implemented. But, even so, it delivers a very complete experience. Showmetech's purchase recommendation is here.

Technical specifications 6f5o58

Córdoba	TrimUI Smart Pro
Fabric	4,9 inches Resolution: 1280×720 (FHD) IPS LCD
Weight	500 grams
Operational system	Opendinglinux
Battery	5.000 mAh Charging via USB-C
Material	Plastic
Memory card	Up to 256 GB
Console type	Handheld
Language	Chinese, English, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Mandarin
Video streaming	Via USB-C
Audio output	Yes, two
Price	R$936,82 on AliExpress (the version with 64GB memory card) R$ 779,90 on the official TrimUI website (the version without memory card)

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reviewed by Tiago Rodrigues in 21 / 12 / 2024