Powkiddy V10 Setup Guide

Recommended Accessories

  • Samsung 128GB – for the slot for an SD card.
  • UGREEN SD Card Reader – Excellent choice for an SD card reader.
  • Wi-Fi Adapter – Wi-Fi is not built in; you'll need this plus the adaptor below to access it.
  • USB-C Adapter for Wi-Fi Adapter – necessary for the Wi-Fi adapter mentioned above.

What is ArkOS?

In this tutorial, we'll install ArkOS, a customized firmware for the Powkiddy V10. Although the gadget comes with it, we'll install a far better and more recent version.

Before we begin, you must always have a high-quality, branded SD card and reader. The device's stock SD card should be thrown away rather than used. In addition, these SD cards are low-quality and unbranded, which makes them more likely to malfunction. The ROMS have numerous problems and are of poor quality. One major issue that irritates Pokemon lovers is the inability to store progress. I'll also teach you how to locate ROMs in the most subtle way possible. Although any name-brand 128GB SD card will work, the Samsung Evo 128GB is the best choice for a high-quality SD card and reader. I also strongly recommend the UGREEN SD card reader, which I have used for years. An SD card reader is required to connect to your computer.

A suitable, branded SD card reader is also required. These choices are all directly above.

ROMs & BIOS Library

Your BIOS library and ROM are the final things you need. You can download a ROM pack called the Tiny Best Set if all you want is an extensive list of games, which you can then choose which ones to play. A comprehensive, carefully selected list of BIOS files and ROMs is included with this bundle. For convenience, you should download the following filenames on a 128GB card: tiny-best-set-go-games.zip + tiny-best-set-go-expansion-64-games.zip + tiny-best-set-go-expansion-128-games.zip. Use a tool called JDownloader or the torrent option if your downloads take too long.

After extracting all those zip files to one location, you should have several BIOS and ROM folders. If you desire more than what is offered in this package, you will be responsible for finding other venues on your own using Google, Reddit, or other resources.

All right, your ROMS and BIOS files, along with your SD card and SD card reader, are ready to use. Let's go on.

Software Needed

The two pieces of software that we require are Rufus and 7-Zip. Visit the Rufus website, where you can download the portable Rufus tool. This will assist us in formatting our SD card as FAT32, mainly if it is more significant than 32GB. To prevent problems, use Rufus instead. Download the exe that corresponds to your Windows version—likely the 64-bit version—from the 7-Zip website.

We will also obtain the OGA 1.1/RGB10/RGB10s/RGB20 image from the ArkOS wiki. Yes, we have a V10, but we can readily use an image that isn't specifically made for our device. Get it via the Mega link or GDrive. After downloading it, extract the zip file using 7-Zip. Remember to extract it; we need the picture file within.

Imaging with Rufus

Use the SD card reader to connect your SD card to the computer.

Please verify that the device indicated in Rufus is the SD card you connected; it should be the same size as the disk. Click Select on the right, then pick the image file by navigating to the folder you extracted from the ArkOS package. Click Start and leave everything else as it is. If any popups appear, click "yes."

It will take some time, so go check on some loved ones.

From now on, when you place the image on the SD card, you can see Windows popups stating that the card is not formatted, that there are partition issues, or something similar. Ignore all that; if you format the card after all this, you will have to start over. Windows doesn't know how to manage a FAT32 card.

After Rufus is finished, you can use the taskbar to safely eject the card. Then, you should insert it into the device while it is turned off. Next, turn the gadget on. Don't do anything and let it do its thing; it will reboot twice.

You will know you are ready when you see the EmulationStation menu. Press the start button, select Quit, and shut down the system.

We must now upload our BIOS and ROMS files.

Adding ROMs & BIOS

Reconnect your SD card to the computer. Navigate to the EASYROMS partition, which should be visible in the file explorer. If not, assign a letter to that partition by opening disk management. At this point, these are the platform folders where you can store your BIOS and ROMS. You should now take your BIOS and ROMS files from the Tiny Best Set collection that we previously obtained and place them in the appropriate location. The folder names don't match many, so move the ROM files from the Tiny Best Set folders to the appropriate spot on the EASYROMS partition. The emulator page on the ArkOS wiki will tell you which platform is which, along with the proper file types and BIOS required for each platform if you need help figuring it out.

After transferring all that, safely detach your card and replace it with the device turned off.

All your games should be installed and operational when you turn the device on.

Hotkeys

Let's start with hotkeys. The Plus button and the dpad move the screen's brightness up and down. The Plus button and the left and right pads change the volume. We use the Minus button for in-game hotkeys, so let's take care of those first.

Button Mapping

When you select RetroArch from the main menu, two instances of RetroArch will appear. The steps are the same, and we must log in on both. After opening one, go to Settings, Input, and Hotkeys, and then choose Fast Forward Toggle to make it R2. Let's also use the Y button to store slot shifting, screenshots, and various hotkeys, like Reset. Let's set Show FPS to Y as well. Since Minus is our hotkey button, we must press it with specific hotkeys to activate these features. Minus+Start is used to end a game. To avoid pressing Minus+Start twice to end a game, back out one menu and disable Confirm Quit. Let's go back out and start saving now. If you want ArkOS to save your state automatically when you quit, you must set AutoSave State.

Similarly, when you load a game, the save state is not loaded automatically; if you like that, you can enable it. I desire both. To return to the main RetroArch menu, back out twice. Then select Configuration and Save Current Configuration. After quitting RetroArch, follow these identical procedures for the other version of RetroArch.

Change GBA Core (faster speed)

You may encounter games that don't function well with the default mGBA core because you most likely purchased it for the GBA. Here's how to make it different: Switch the core to gPSP, switch Auto to RetroArch, and press Start on the home screen, Emulator Settings, and Nintendo—GBA. That's it!

Themes

Select Start from ArkOS's main menu to switch your theme, then UI Settings. A selection of themes will appear. The ArkOS wiki has information on how to add more.

Postmaster

We also have something called PortMaster for people who prefer playing different games. If you're interested in games you can port over, check out my tutorial here. It's more involved and would take up a lot of space in this post.

Adding Wi-Fi

It would help if you first had this Wi-Fi adapter.

This USB-C adapter is then required.

Connect them both before connecting them to the OTG port on top of the device (the one on the right if you're looking at it directly).

In ArkOS, select the Plus symbol at the bottom using the trigger after going to Options, Wi-Fi. Then, select your password after choosing your Wi-Fi network.

To exit, use your triggers and press the X button.

Update ArkOS (Wi-Fi Needed)

 Navigate to Options and turn on Remote Services. A blinking cursor will appear for a minute, followed by text stating that remote services are being enabled. Once this is finished, you will be sent back to the Options panel. Go to Update after that. A warning about not halting the script will appear; click "Okay," and then you must type "Okay." After that, let it update and put it down

Artwork (Wi-Fi Needed)

At the home screen, press Start. Proceed to Scraper. You should now create an account on ScreenScraper's website, return it here and fill out the data. The remaining choices are up to me; I'll turn off ratings and videos as I don't need or want them. Use Box 2D as the Image Source to create real box art. When you're prepared, click Scrape Now. You can choose which systems to scrape or complete the process. When you're ready, click "Start," and I'll take care of the rest.

Retro Achievements (Wi-Fi Needed)

You can skip this to avoid utilizing the Wi-Fi adaptor because it is necessary. We'll need your login and password, so if you still need one, go to the RetroAchievements website and create one. When you select RetroArch from the device's main menu, two RetroArch instances will appear. The steps are the same, and we must log in on both. Launch one, select Settings, Achievements, Enable Achievements, and then fill in each field with your username and password. Next, return to the RetroArch main menu, select Configuration, and then select Save Current Configuration. Next, end RetroArch. For the other RetroArch version, follow these procedures once more.

Now, start playing games and enjoy yourself. That's all you need to accomplish for everyday use, which was the guide's primary focus. Once you're up and going, everything is at your discretion.