RetroTink Firmware Update Tutorial: Unlock New Features & Settings!

In this episode, we walk you through the RetroTink Firmware Update Tutorial for the RetroTink 5x.

If you can't tell from the number of videos I have done on the device, I am a huge fan of the RetroTink 5X. It provides stunning results, it's easy to set up and use, provides a ton of inputs, and simply just works. The man behind the 5X, Mike Chi, has continued to develop and refine different firmware for the RetroTink 5X to add features, provide additional stability, and overall increase the performance of this wonderful upscaler. Best of all, firmer updates are available free of charge.

To update the RetroTink 5X you will need a few different things. Obviously, you're going to need a RetroTink 5X. You will also need to have a micro USB cable that transfers data along with voltage. This is important as not all USB cables can transfer data. You will also need three pieces of software, all available on the RetroTink website.

From the RetroTink website:
Warning: Only update your device using the tools provided below. Attempts at any other method will result in non-warranty device failure.

Instructions
1. Download the FTDI D2XX Drivers and install.
2. Download the RetroTINK Firmware update tool and install by unzipping and running RT_FWUP.
3. Download the appropriate HEX file from above.
4. Plug your device into your computer's USB port while holding down the 'Menu' button. The LED should be RED indicating update mode.
5. Run the RetroTINK Firmware Update tool. The installer will have left a shortcut on your desktop.
6. Hit 'Search'. You should see 'FT232R USB UART' appear in the box.
7. Hit 'Load HEX' and point to the .hex file you downloaded.
8. Hit 'Flash'. The update process should start. If the window freezes, that is okay - the update should complete after a minute or two. Just be patient.
9. Your device should reboot and be ready to use.
10. If you accidentally interrupt the process, just start over from step 4.

Before connecting the RetroTink 5X to your computer, and keep in mind these steps outlined are for PCs, you'll need to hold down the menu button as you connect the USB cable to your computer. This puts the RetroTink into firmware update mode.

Once the firmware update is complete, your device will power cycle and the LED will no longer be red. The update process takes less than 10 minutes and anyone with any sort of computer skill should be able to do this. I love the fact that Mike not only continues to provide features, but also makes it that you can't screw up this process. If the flashing of the firmware doesn't complete, you didn't break your system. You simply have to start the process over again and you're ready to go.

From beginning to end, updating the RetroTink 5x firmware took all of 10-minute, and most of that was spent getting the software downloaded, unzipped, and installed on my PC. The process is super easy, the main thing that I was momentarily tripped up on was the update file itself. Some updates you don't need to unzip the flash file, other updates you do. When I did not unzip it initially, the installer couldn't find the firmware. I unzipped the file, and voila, I was able to flash the update.

I really appreciate Mike adding additional features and benefits to a product I've already purchased. In a very short time he has become one of the industry leaders when it comes to the retro gaming community. I look forward to all the future firmware updates that Mike has planned, and hey, how about a dedicated Wii profile?

#RetroTink5x #FirmwareUpdate #HowToUpdateRetroTink

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

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The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)