MiSTer Pi review: Elevating emulation

Taki Udon created a cheaper alternative to other MiSTer FPGA consoles. Does the lower cost come with too many drawbacks?

It is generally agreed amongst retro gaming fans who are seriously into emulation that FPGA is the absolute best method of emulating games.

FPGA, or Field Programmable Gate Array allows for accurate replication of the circuitry in retro hardware, guaranteeing the most accurate recreation of the hardware experience. As long as you have the correct firmware ‘cores’ of course.

The main drawback of FPGA devices is that they tend to be extremely expensive. In the case of products from Analogue, frequently out-of-stock.

YouTuber Taki Udon is offering a solution to this with the reasonably priced FPGA MiSTer console, which he has titled – somewhat confusingly – the MiSTER Pi.

Key specs

• Mainboard: Altera Cyclone V FPGA (custom)
• RAM: 128GB SDRAM
• Connectivity: HDMI and VGA, Optical Audio port
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 5 / Bluetooth 4.2 USB Adapter
• Features: 24-Bit ADV7125 Video DAC, Hi-Fi Analog Audio DAC, SNAC Port (blue USB port), ADC input, Mini TOSLINK digital audio, Reset, OSD, and User buttons, Active cooling fan
• Price: $160 (Mega Pack)

Pros	Cons
Inexpensive for an FPGA	Needs to be assembled
Accurate emulation	Software setup can be fiddly.

Design

A great deal of attention has been paid to the small details right off the bat. The boxes containing the various components parts of the MiSTER Pi have been crafted to resemble the packaging of the classic console the SEGA Master System. Customers in Europe and Brazil are likely to particularly appreciate this.

Dexerto

Once everything is unboxed, you have five small boards, plus assorted standoffs and screws. The sight of all these ‘raw’ electronics could be intimidating for many. But thankfully, Taki Udon has a helpful video guide on his channel that provides full building instructions.

Still, it would be nice if the box contained written instructions, or at least a link or QR code to point you in the right direction.

Taki Udon’s instructions are fairly easy to follow. Despite looking complex, the board layout isn’t that difficult to build in practice. All you really need is a screwdriver and some patience (and your own SD Card with a minimum of 20GB capacity).

We received the Mega Pack version for review, but even this with its ‘triple-stack’ layout is surprisingly easy to get to grips with.

This suggests that a great deal of attention has been paid to the design to create a comfortable user experience.

The top fan is not made by a brand I recognize but does the job well enough and has the advantage of being extremely quiet when in operation.

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The entire build took only about ten minutes and should be just as simple to follow even for those with little knowledge of electronics.

Installing the software is a little more involved, but the video instructions are still fairly easy to follow.

Features

There are a lot of ports on this thing. There is a huge host of USB-A ports for controllers, as well as a keyboard and mouse. There is also a HDMI to connect to modern displays, and a VGA connector to connect to vintage displays for a more authentic experience. There is a USB-C port, but this is to provide power.

Dexerto

The Mega Pack version comes with a Wi-Fi dongle. This makes the process of updating the software and adding new games considerably easier. No need to drape a cumbersome Ethernet cable across the room, or have to keep switching your SD card between PC and MiSTER.

In terms of software, the MiSTER Pi relies on the work of the wider MiST open-source community project. A huge number of add-ons, mods, cores, and different software versions are available for those who care to spend enough time digging.

For those who just want to follow Taki Udon’s setup recommendations, there are some cool features in the ‘default’ software. One of those is the favorites menu. People who have used emulator setups such as EmulationStation will know that you end up with a huge library, and it can take a while to scroll to the game you want. The favorites menu option means you can put your preferred games in a central location for easy access.

Controller recognition was great. It picked up the Nacon Evol-X Xbox controller right away. The Nyxi Warrior needed a bit more setting up, but the RetroBit Saturn controller was likewise easily recognized.

Gaming performance

The SEGA Saturn was a notoriously complicated console. This has created headaches for those trying to build emulators. To this day, no software emulator for Saturn is perfect, which makes the Saturn core of the MiSTER Pi a great first test.

To give it a real workout, I loaded up Panzer Dragoon Saga. I figured this epic RPG would give the MiSTER Pi a chance to spread its wings but I was impressed straight away. The load times were short, and it looked great, even on my 1440p monitor, especially after I enabled the ‘Clean HDMI’ option.

I then went a bit more old school and ran some Streets of Rage. I was trying to spot any skipped frames or input lag. Retro games on modern monitors often suffer from this, but with the MiSTER Pi, it was pretty much imperceptible.

My final test was Xenogears on the original PlayStation. My usual emulation setup involving a Raspberry Pi often struggles with this, particularly when loading the elaborate cut scenes. The MiSTER Pi experienced no such troubles. It was as smooth as silk.

Should you buy it?

The Taki Udon FPGA MiSTer is not as easy to use as something like the Evercade Vs-R, or the Analogue Pocket. What it lacks in user-friendliness, it makes up for in versatility and accuracy.

If you want a retro gaming experience that is as close as possible to the original hardware without breaking the bank, then the MiSTER Pi is the device for you.

As long as you are happy to put the needed effort in for build and setup.

Verdict – 5/5

This is a device for enthusiasts. For that segment of the market, it is pretty much perfect. The packaging and design show astonishing attention to detail. The price point is vastly cheaper than any other FPGA option, and once it is all setup, performance is a dream.

The only real downside is that the build and setup take some time and patience, but the video instructions make even this easier than you might think.