computer science

Hyperkin

Hyperkin is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hyperkin rather than just read about it. In short: Hyperkin is an American video game peripheral manufacturer and distributor, founded in 2006, based in Los Angeles, California. They distribute accessories for major gaming consoles, in addition to creating clone consoles that play retro games with modern resolutions and on modern devices, most notably the RetroN series of clone consoles.

Key takeaways

Hyperkin belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hyperkin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hyperkin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hyperkin is an American video game peripheral manufacturer and distributor, founded in 2006, based in Los Angeles, California. They distribute accessories for major gaming consoles, in addition to creating clone consoles that play retro games with modern resolutions and on modern devices, most notably the RetroN series of clone consoles. As with most other NES clones, Hyperkin's NES clones (excluding the Retron5 as it utilizes software emulation) suffer from imperfect sound due to a design flaw in the sound hardware. In 2011, the company became the exclusive distributor of Dance Battle VS. In addition, they released the Remotext, a Blu-ray remote control and keypad game controller hybrid for the PlayStation 3, and a battery-expanding attachment for the Nintendo 3DS called the Powerplus. They also created the Supaboy, a handheld Super NES. In 2016 Hyperkin released the Supaboy S featuring a bigger 4.3" screen displaying in the 16:9 aspect ratio, making games look stretched. The Supaboy S also introduces an NTSC/PAL switch, improving compatibility with PAL-region games. In 2018, Hyperkin released the Supaboy SFC, which is an upgrade of the Supaboy S with buttons resembling the Super Famicom and PAL Super NES. The Supaboy SFC also has the ability to switch between stretch 16:9 and letterboxed 4:3 aspect ratios by holding down the brightness button. In 2014, the company released the Retron 5, an Android-based console with five cartridge ports that allowed for play of five different types of retro games. The Retron 5 utilizes code violating the GPL and several non-commercial licenses. As it is an emulator, the Retron5 does not have the sound problems present in Hyperkin's other consoles.

In 2017, the company released the Smart Boy, a smartphone add-on that allows the device to play Game Boy games. The Smart Boy gained an official license by Samsung for use on their phones. They also released the RetroN 77, an emulation-based Atari 2600 clone that can play most, if not all, of the original game cartridges in 1080p. In 2019, at E3, Hyperkin announced they will make a console that can play Nintendo 64 cartridges in HD, and output to HDMI. The console is expected to be named the Ultra Retron. The release date is not known. It is not officially known yet whether the console uses an FPGA or emulation, however the unit demonstrated at E3 displayed a lightning bolt icon implying the console uses a Raspberry Pi single-board computer instead of an FPGA. Additionally, the demo unit was displaying graphical artifacts only present in a Nintendo 64 emulator.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hyperkin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hyperkin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hyperkin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hyperkin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hyperkin

In research: Hyperkin appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hyperkin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hyperkin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2006 establishments in California, Companies based in Los Angeles, Computer companies of the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hyperkin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hyperkin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hyperkin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hyperkin out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hyperkin in simple terms?

Why does Hyperkin matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hyperkin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hyperkin.