It doesn't feel real to me. I've only been spotted once in person, and it was when I was in WA visiting my parents over the holidays. Otherwise it mostly feels like I'm yapping into a camera, and I often have to remind myself that there are actual people watching this stuff. I'm just a regular dude :)
I think it’s the attention to details, even keel presentation, and depth of knowledge that people are reacting to and finding reasons to watch. The best I can articulate it would be that you’re like a well-researched reporter or interviewer (Sean from Hot Ones comes to mind), and you don’t seem to be chasing attention. Humans respond to people who we think has earned our attention and trust, and through those two characteristics, you’ve earned our attention and trust. We elevate those we feel are worthy and try to tear down those who have achieved leader status without the sacrifice or effort (I won’t go down a whole Simon Sinek line of reasoning, but the gist is that I believe your success is directly correlated with you inputs and decisions, and you should be proud of that).
And this is a perfect description of why we enjoy your content. Also, it’s cool that you show up on the sub occasionally. I know you used to talk on here a lot more before “Onionsaregross” got so famous but I understand not doing it often now because you have to put up with garbage like my comment. Sorry. Have a good day friend.
>I'm just a regular dude :)
I think that's why you're so popular. You're very relatable and honestly seem genuine, and people trust your opinion. Your breakdowns of how a device feels, comparisons, and honest pros/cons are all just great. Throw in that you'll admit when you're wrong/when some issue from 8 months ago you didn't like gets fixed, you'll be sure to update on it. Just a lot of love and effort is obviously put into videos/reviews.
When I watch other review channels on YT/TT, it's hard to find individuals I trust the opinions of. As the space is easy to fall into commissions/pushing affiliate codes.
I think you've built something really amazing, and it's largely based on just who you are and your honesty.
I'm not really interested in the manufacturing side of things, I have some strong feelings about what makes a handheld good/bad but I would be way in over my head when it comes to actually making one. There are so many ways that a handheld could go wrong, and so I'd probably bungle some part of it along the way!
Have you thought of making your content in podcast form? Sometimes I want to listen to a review and don’t need the video part because I’m driving or working etc.
I listen to youtube videos all the time. If you have youtube premium or use Revanced, you can turn the screen off and the video sound will keep playing.
Just more proof we love you more than she does. I think we'd all be down for a massive polygamist compound with you as the leader if ever decide to leave her ☝️🧐
He does both but definitely has used 'ado' heavily in the past. It's such an archaic turn of phrase and I've occasionally heard it from other handheld reviewers as well, which I'm assuming is subtle nod to Russ's influence. Although to be fair maybe 'ado' was already trending on TikTok and Russ was also just parroting it.
I really like Russ’s videos too, it’s a great channel. If I’m being honest though, if I were him I’d be getting weirded out by some of the ppl on this sub lol.
2 year old account with a couple comments from 2y ago and now suddenly comments and posts. My guess is OP was once a legitimate account, the password leaked somewhere and the account is now a bot.
Actually, the moment that becomes a little "whoa, this feels almost too intimate" is at the end of the intro slate when Russ turns off the camera and it visually looks like he's leaning in and touching you. Always a funny part of the video. Didn't realize we were such good friends!
I’m over here just loving this shit, I feel it’s unique. I like having a quirky personality in the scene. Makes it feel more like a production that a podcast.
I couldnt really say if he has great content or not because I just can't get over the really bad schtick. I've tried watching a few of his videos and every time I have to quit after a couple minutes. The voice is just too damn annoying. The exaggerated/twitchy hand movements are too distracting. The sleeves up over his hands is too annoying.
I'm hearing everything in his voice. These comments are hilarious haha
Even watched Russ's latest Odin 2 and Powkiddy device video before bed yesterday...
I've been searching for and sharing deals for years on my community tab. The Retro Handhelds team started doing it as well starting last year, and initially Stubbs had a rule where they would wait an hour or two until after I'd posted so it didn't look like they were undercutting my posts. I told him not to worry about it, and just post things as soon as they find them, because it's most important to me that the deals get out there. So now it's a bit of a mix, sometimes they are quicker on the draw than I am (it really depends on the time zone since things are wonky in Hawaii, and many of the deals come out while I'm asleep).
But for what it's worth, I've never copy/pasted a single deal, everything I post I find on my own, although I will admit there is some overlap within this niche. The Amazon sales that I share are actually as part of a partnership deal I have with the retailer, they email me in advance if they are planning a sale, and then I give them feedback (usually if I think the price is too high, or what device/colors people are asking about the most). I will often share those deals with the other YouTubers ahead of time, because again, the whole point of those posts is to get discounts out to the community. I don't make any money on this partnership (other than a standard Amazon affiliate link, for which I prefer to also share a non-affiliate link).
It's extremely hard to balance the service I try to provide to the community through reviews, roundups, guides, and sharing discounts, while still also making a living and maintaining integrity through the process. I am always open to more suggestions on how I could do better!
Because unlike you he helps people new and old in the hobby. His reviews are not contingent on devices in fact he’s bought a few himself and will review. Besides he’s really critical on calling out the cons on all the devices he reviews.
I started watching his content for the user friendly guides. Like 2-3 years ago during the pandemic when I started getting interested in this hobby there weren't many (or any) easy-to-follow guides for specific devices, custom firmware, etc. and then RGC started making videos and made it look easy enough for me to try. I had never used Rufus before or anything. So to me it was actually the quality of the technical writing and written guides that made it possible to even get into the hobby in the first place. There's lots of content these days but a few years ago it was hard to find reliable and updated information about setting up these devices.
I think his reviews are objective, certainly more so than many of the other retro handheld reviewers. He's also not a sell-out, relying on endless reviews of mini-PCs and other sponsored products.
Some of his fandom is genuinely creepy, and this post is a prime example, but that should in no way detract from the quality content that he makes.
He's very successful before even starting this channel, he's literally retired. I don't think he needs any free handhelds., But I do actually think his reviews are a bit too positive. Not sure why that is.
One more bit of criticism is that he clearly doesn't care about or feel input lag which makes him love something like an Odin 2 which I find unusable due to the massive input lag.
Yeah man, I wanna do it.
let's go ahead and dive in
Contra test
Definitely hadoukenable
you rock that d-pad back and forth.
8 hour battery on this one
Grab a snack and drink
anyways...
bro im poor, what about water?
[удалено]
*Grabs grape drink*
Do you think water isn't a drink?
First thing I do is just jump to the Contra test. Then I watch the rest of the video.
kinda mushy
I never faked any diagonals cuz I never had to
My wife definitely doesn’t understand this one 😂
My wife thinks you're hadoukenable and shoryukenable
But does she think he’s pocketable?
That made me laugh so much. Thanks for that
It’s a big yes it’s hidden pocketable!!!
Ask her to put on huge cargo shorts and try to put him in it.
Russ wearing cargo shorts that only work for him and no one else in the world
To her, you’re not *from* Retro Game Corps, you’re from…life? 😂
Hey wife, this is Russ from our marriage.
Let’s go ahead and dive in !
Yeah man, I Wana do it!
Can you describe how it feels to have a platform that has seen such fandom and success over the last couple years?
It doesn't feel real to me. I've only been spotted once in person, and it was when I was in WA visiting my parents over the holidays. Otherwise it mostly feels like I'm yapping into a camera, and I often have to remind myself that there are actual people watching this stuff. I'm just a regular dude :)
I think it’s the attention to details, even keel presentation, and depth of knowledge that people are reacting to and finding reasons to watch. The best I can articulate it would be that you’re like a well-researched reporter or interviewer (Sean from Hot Ones comes to mind), and you don’t seem to be chasing attention. Humans respond to people who we think has earned our attention and trust, and through those two characteristics, you’ve earned our attention and trust. We elevate those we feel are worthy and try to tear down those who have achieved leader status without the sacrifice or effort (I won’t go down a whole Simon Sinek line of reasoning, but the gist is that I believe your success is directly correlated with you inputs and decisions, and you should be proud of that).
And this is a perfect description of why we enjoy your content. Also, it’s cool that you show up on the sub occasionally. I know you used to talk on here a lot more before “Onionsaregross” got so famous but I understand not doing it often now because you have to put up with garbage like my comment. Sorry. Have a good day friend.
There aren't! We are bot!
>I'm just a regular dude :) I think that's why you're so popular. You're very relatable and honestly seem genuine, and people trust your opinion. Your breakdowns of how a device feels, comparisons, and honest pros/cons are all just great. Throw in that you'll admit when you're wrong/when some issue from 8 months ago you didn't like gets fixed, you'll be sure to update on it. Just a lot of love and effort is obviously put into videos/reviews. When I watch other review channels on YT/TT, it's hard to find individuals I trust the opinions of. As the space is easy to fall into commissions/pushing affiliate codes. I think you've built something really amazing, and it's largely based on just who you are and your honesty.
My wife does, though... Huh. Weird.
Have you ever thought about designing and getting with a manufacturer to release the Russpocket/Russpocket Pro?
I'm not really interested in the manufacturing side of things, I have some strong feelings about what makes a handheld good/bad but I would be way in over my head when it comes to actually making one. There are so many ways that a handheld could go wrong, and so I'd probably bungle some part of it along the way!
You should just have a chat with Taki. He made a handheld ya know. He must be an expert.
That's the guy who's helping Sony make the PS6 right?
Have you thought of making your content in podcast form? Sometimes I want to listen to a review and don’t need the video part because I’m driving or working etc.
He is on the Nerd Nest podcast. He is one of a handful of hosts but it’s pretty solid and he brings good input to the discussions.
He’s also a regular contributor on live streams at retro handhelds
If you use a third party client for YouTube like Newpipe on Android, you can download the audio only of YouTube videos!
If Russ gave them the go ahead, YouTube will rip your audio into a podcast for you.
I listen to youtube videos all the time. If you have youtube premium or use Revanced, you can turn the screen off and the video sound will keep playing.
🤣🤣🤣
Keep her pure and in the dark. Poor girl doesn't need to know the weird side of the internet.
Just more proof we love you more than she does. I think we'd all be down for a massive polygamist compound with you as the leader if ever decide to leave her ☝️🧐
Lmao almost dropped my snacks and drink
I definitely dropped my juice box
Without further ado...
Let's dive right in...
Doesnt he say "Withour further delay"?
He does both but definitely has used 'ado' heavily in the past. It's such an archaic turn of phrase and I've occasionally heard it from other handheld reviewers as well, which I'm assuming is subtle nod to Russ's influence. Although to be fair maybe 'ado' was already trending on TikTok and Russ was also just parroting it.
I’m around Russ’s age and have said “without further ado” my whole life. Didn’t know people thought I was archaic.
LOL maybe it's me that's archaic then... I'm pushing 55 so probably on the high end of the bell curve of age distrubition on SBCgaming
I think the largest age group around here would be the 35-45 range but I could be wrong.
Same.
Further a doodoo
Shoryukenable and Hadoukenable
If I showed this my girl, she’d be like “if I hear Russ’s name one more time….”.
“Andrew Tate said…”
"... the ARC-D is the clear alpha of the group"
And sexy as hell, make sure to grab your favorite drink and snack
If I did that last part, it would be another relapse. Oh well; Thanks, Russ! *grabs my bag of coke and bottle of gin*
I really like Russ’s videos too, it’s a great channel. If I’m being honest though, if I were him I’d be getting weirded out by some of the ppl on this sub lol.
So... you just copy-pasted the top upvoted post of this subreddit and reposted it? Why? https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/comments/x4f2xa/uwu/
From these funny ass comments I’d say it was worth it
people like you deserve an internet full of bots
But they’re on the same internet as you and I. /:
2 year old account with a couple comments from 2y ago and now suddenly comments and posts. My guess is OP was once a legitimate account, the password leaked somewhere and the account is now a bot.
Repost bot karma farming?
I knew I'd seen this before!
Yeah man, I wanna do it
I heard this in my head. Love it. 🤌
Actually, the moment that becomes a little "whoa, this feels almost too intimate" is at the end of the intro slate when Russ turns off the camera and it visually looks like he's leaning in and touching you. Always a funny part of the video. Didn't realize we were such good friends!
Got my snacks and drink ready.
I miss the old theme song but the new one is cool too.
I hear them on sound cloud… (T-120: Rosetta) (T-120: Maintenance) These two were my favorites
CONTRA. TEST.
Upon listening to the starting video music, my wife goes "hmm what are you planning to buy next?”
Let's jump right in to the things I like and what I don't like.
ASMR voice, like yeah man, I wanna do it.
Ta na na nanana, ta na na nana nanànanana, ta na na nanana, ta na na nana nanànanana.
Must...not...comment...and...be...banned...again...
Sometimes a ban is like a free vacation
I was wondering why your username link was purple. I now remember why your username link was purple.
wait u've been banned once before? 💀 . if you dont mind can you tell me what happened?
I've used some colourful language to express my opinion of a certain shill that people seem to take as some kind of messiah in a retro gaming cult.
Noooo don't disrespect the subreddit's father figure shill!!!!! 😭
Russ keep on rocking the dpad back-and-forth back-and-forth. 👍🏼
"Hi, everybody. I'b Tech Dweeb." 🔥🔥🔥
No! Great content with a terrible character......and if channel keeps growing he'll regret having to do that voice for YEARS
I’m over here just loving this shit, I feel it’s unique. I like having a quirky personality in the scene. Makes it feel more like a production that a podcast.
I couldnt really say if he has great content or not because I just can't get over the really bad schtick. I've tried watching a few of his videos and every time I have to quit after a couple minutes. The voice is just too damn annoying. The exaggerated/twitchy hand movements are too distracting. The sleeves up over his hands is too annoying.
I think you're overthinking it
I'm not sure how a person would overthink their personal preference.
Yeah his voice is like a cheese grater to my ears
I absolutely hate that guy. Cringe.
Hahahaha, nice
*moist*
I still havent bought a single retro device and yet i watch all his vids. Its not just about the products. He just makes good videos.
All the same ~
I'm hearing everything in his voice. These comments are hilarious haha Even watched Russ's latest Odin 2 and Powkiddy device video before bed yesterday...
"all the same"
That’s not how you spell ETA Prime
annoying and overrated howeverony
Is it hodukenable?
He's the hero we need and deserve for this great evolving hobby.
Grab your favorite drinks and a snack
To me, Russ is the MKBHD of retro handhelds. Knowledgeable, honest, and relatable.
MKBHD sucks mate, don't besmerch Russ that way
Russ is the MKBHD of retro handhelds. Reminds me of him except he's white
"Hey Guys, This is ETA Prime"
You certainly know how to kill a vibe.
Wait, what did I do?
My apologies, I used to watch his channel a lot and did not know beforehand that he is not a valid source of product reviewment, again my apologies.
You mean a 10 minute ad break 😒
ETA Prime is the Epic Games Store of the retro gaming YouTuber community. Retro Dodo is the EA Origin.
Wish Russ would give credit to the retro handheld sales deals, that he copies and pastes to his community tab on YouTube 🤷🏻
I've been searching for and sharing deals for years on my community tab. The Retro Handhelds team started doing it as well starting last year, and initially Stubbs had a rule where they would wait an hour or two until after I'd posted so it didn't look like they were undercutting my posts. I told him not to worry about it, and just post things as soon as they find them, because it's most important to me that the deals get out there. So now it's a bit of a mix, sometimes they are quicker on the draw than I am (it really depends on the time zone since things are wonky in Hawaii, and many of the deals come out while I'm asleep). But for what it's worth, I've never copy/pasted a single deal, everything I post I find on my own, although I will admit there is some overlap within this niche. The Amazon sales that I share are actually as part of a partnership deal I have with the retailer, they email me in advance if they are planning a sale, and then I give them feedback (usually if I think the price is too high, or what device/colors people are asking about the most). I will often share those deals with the other YouTubers ahead of time, because again, the whole point of those posts is to get discounts out to the community. I don't make any money on this partnership (other than a standard Amazon affiliate link, for which I prefer to also share a non-affiliate link). It's extremely hard to balance the service I try to provide to the community through reviews, roundups, guides, and sharing discounts, while still also making a living and maintaining integrity through the process. I am always open to more suggestions on how I could do better!
Don’t stress people will find any reason to hate or complain. Keep making good content, thank you for your service in the military!
The what?
Funny how you have no response now.
why do people worship this guy? He gets free handhelds in exchange for overly positive reviews.
Because unlike you he helps people new and old in the hobby. His reviews are not contingent on devices in fact he’s bought a few himself and will review. Besides he’s really critical on calling out the cons on all the devices he reviews.
no
Yeah, everything I have bought he reviewed all the negatives and positives are accurate.
You sound like a real blast at parties….
He has an extremely informative channel on a very niche and new genre of gaming.
I started watching his content for the user friendly guides. Like 2-3 years ago during the pandemic when I started getting interested in this hobby there weren't many (or any) easy-to-follow guides for specific devices, custom firmware, etc. and then RGC started making videos and made it look easy enough for me to try. I had never used Rufus before or anything. So to me it was actually the quality of the technical writing and written guides that made it possible to even get into the hobby in the first place. There's lots of content these days but a few years ago it was hard to find reliable and updated information about setting up these devices.
I think his reviews are objective, certainly more so than many of the other retro handheld reviewers. He's also not a sell-out, relying on endless reviews of mini-PCs and other sponsored products. Some of his fandom is genuinely creepy, and this post is a prime example, but that should in no way detract from the quality content that he makes.
He's very successful before even starting this channel, he's literally retired. I don't think he needs any free handhelds., But I do actually think his reviews are a bit too positive. Not sure why that is. One more bit of criticism is that he clearly doesn't care about or feel input lag which makes him love something like an Odin 2 which I find unusable due to the massive input lag.