Retron Sq - How to use CFW?
I recently bought a Hyperkin RetroN Sq and started experimenting with custom firmware. I found the SirRandall CFW project and downloaded the 32GB image from GitHub.
I flashed the image to a 32GB microSD card using Balena Etcher, but I could never get the console to boot reliably.
At first, one time it actually seemed to boot, but now I only get a black screen or a boot loop:
- Hyperkin boot screen appears
- sometimes the loading screen flashes briefly
- then it either returns to the Hyperkin splash screen with the firmware version number or stays on a black screen
I tested:
- with and without a cartridge inserted
- waiting several minutes on first boot
- reflashing the image multiple times
The microSD card I used was a generic/no-brand card, so I suspect that may be part of the issue.
Interestingly, I was able to get RetronSqCFW-0.91 working on the original 512MB SD card that came with the console. With that firmware I have:
- full RetroArch access
- save states
- START + SELECT menu
- dumped GBA games loading through RetroArch
However, that setup is also unstable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Some games load correctly while others fail during loading.
For example:
- Sonic Advance 1
- Sonic Advance 2
- Sonic Advance 3
either never finish loading or sometimes don’t even start at all.
So at this point I’m trying to understand whether this is:
- SD card quality related
- repro cartridge compatibility
- a hardware revision issue
- or something specific to the firmware setup
Has anyone else experienced similar behavior with the SirRandall firmware or with RetroN Sq CFWs in general?
Any recommendations regarding:
- compatible SD cards
- proper flashing procedure
- first boot process
- known hardware revisions/incompatibilities
- or anything else I should try?
Thanks in advance