There’s a lot of discussion here and elsewhere so I won’t cover all the bases I’m sure. If you want to load one game and be done, TO is fine. Better even since it stays flashed for that game. But I change games a lot, most of my game sessions are me exploring the library, so having 3 flash slots (way faster loading) was the winner for me. CD games aren’t supported currently so if that’s your desire you’d stay with TO. Their PRO is, what, same as before but three slots and one flash slot? Idk why they bothered.
beyond that, it’s my documented opinion that real-arcade-hardware is too niche a market to support a 24/7 business like TO. They haven’t made any other products for the market, so that seems I’m proved correct for now at least. Darksoft is a hobbyist like all other multi creators here. So to that end competition actually isn’t great for this market. You’ll find very few competing products here, and the makers here are careful to not labor on anything competitive in secret lest they split the market with someone else. Examples, apocalypse isn’t working on m92 because brizzo has a start already. Darksoft has no plans for system16 because apocalypse built one. One decent product will succeed, but two products competing would make both unprofitable.
So in short I support everyone here in this forum, since I think it best serves the niche. So far I’ve been right. Great multis here from darksoft, brizzo, apocalypse, hammy, niko (free!), rtw (free!). M72, Sega system16, Sega c2, Sega stv, Sega sys24, cps2, cps3, mvs, Taito x, taito x2, crystal system(!), namco na1/2, namco 246/256, yes I’m ignoring DECO
, and many more on the horizon. Also great other products here from repro CPs to superguns, streaming tools, and services. Fantastic kind helpful community in general.
TO is not going to fulfill their business ambition by making arcade products, they’re just going to hurt the market and waste their time and money, and hurt the hobbyists here who are better suited to support us.
My opinion here of course.