The recent Onion OS update (v4.2.3) has introduced a bunch of really great new features for the Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini Plus.
On most new emulation handhelds, it’s a necessary step to change your operating system as soon as you take your device out of the box. And Miyoo devices probably benefit the most from an upgrade from the stock OS.
So if you’re not on the latest version of Onion, or if you’ve never modified your OS from the default, now is a great time to upgrade. Let’s take a look at what is new in Onion OS v4.2.3.
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Onion OS v4.2.3
Onion OS v4.2.3 has brought a bunch of requested features that will massively improve your gaming experience on your Miyoo handheld.
Some of these features have been tested in previous beta releases of Onion OS, and a few are currently experimental and will see improvements in v4.3.
But the current version is considered a “Stable” release, so you should have a pretty smooth experience for all of these new/reworked features.
Pico-8
One of the most exciting new features is the expansion of Pico-8 functionality on Miyoo handhelds.
Pico-8 has been available in the past on Miyoo devices through the Fake08 emulation core, but it has never been very reliable.
Onion v4.2.3 now implements the native version of Pico-8, which you can manually install onto your Onion OS enabled SD card.
Once installed, you get a full official version of Pico-8 on your Miyoo device, including their own online game library “Splore”.
This was something that Pico-8 fans were dying to see on the Miyoo Mini and Mini Plus, and now we’ve got it!
Nintendo DS
Additionally, the latest Onion update introduces Nintendo DS game play on the Miyoo Mini and Mini Plus through the Drastic Emulator.
Like with Pico-8, you can manually install the Drastic core on your SD card and start playing NDS titles right now!
This is one of the experimental features that should be fully implemented in the future release v4.3. But Nintendo DS game play is already working quite well in v4.2.3, and these games are playing way better than anybody ever expected the Miyoo devices to be able to do.
Multiplayer
The new “Easy Netplay” features allow for multiplayer gaming, as well as emulating the Game Boy’s link cable functionality for things like trading Pokemon between devices.
Needless to say, this is one of the most requested updates for the Miyoo Mini, since most retro emulation enthusiasts are massive fans of Pokemon and want to trade those pocket monsters.
If this is a feature you’d like to explore, you can search for online guides on how to implement the Easy Netplay functionality (it’s a much larger topic than what we can easily breakdown for you here).
We recommend you check out some of the guides by our friend at Retro Game Corps (search his channel for “miyoo”).
Impressions
We cannot brag enough about Onion OS and the massive improvement it will give you on your Miyoo handheld.
When the Miyoo Mini Plus released earlier this year, it was entirely unusable upon delivery. And it was not until Onion released a few weeks later with Mini Plus support when I could finally enjoy my new handheld.
Thanks to Onion, the Miyoo Mini Plus is one of my absolute favorite emulation handhelds, and I have had countless hours of fun on this device in 2023.
If you do not know the joy of the Miyoo Mini or Miyoo Mini Plus with Onion OS installed, you are missing out on a ton of really great features.
We highly recommend you update your Miyoo device as soon as possible and unlock the full potential of this wonderful little handheld.
