I just reviewed a basic, sub-$40 HDMI 2.1 switch, that’s MiSTer compatible – both in low-latency and Direct Video modes – as well as the OSSC, RetroTINK 4K and more. It’s unfortunately not PS3-compatible, however it seemed to pass CEC control, which is a cool bonus. If you were looking for a cheap switch for both retro and modern devices up to 4K120, or 8K60, definitely consider this one. A full video review is above, with a written version of the review below. Here’s an Amazon paid affiliate link to the exact one I purchased:
Purchase Here: https://retrorgb.link/rooful4x1hdmi21
This four input, one output switch from the company Rooful can support resolutions up to 8K60, along with all the most modern formats…as long as you’re using HDMI cables that support those formats of course. It’s got four HDMI inputs, with one advertised as passing ARC (but I couldn’t get it to work) and has one HDMI output. It can manually switch between ports by pressing the button, or using the remote…or if you hold the button down, it will go into auto-switch mode.
The front has some status lights, but the only ports and button are on the back, for a clean look. It’s powered by USB-C and comes with a USB-C cable + AC adapter, however I successfully powered it from my PC and other low-power USB sources.
The remote has dedicated buttons for each input, as well as a one-button push to switch it into auto mode. The remote requires two double a batteries, but doesn’t come with any. It also has a detailed manual that’s surprisingly easy to follow.
As for it’s functionality the basics work fine – Pressing the button to select the input is easy and unlike some other switches I’ve used, you can switch to an input that’s off. Some switches require a source to be powered on in order to select that input, which can get annoying…but not an issue here.
Auto switching works fine, but remember that any source that’s powered on could mess that up. So if you’re watching TV, but also power on a different device to boot, it might automatically switch to that one. Not a big deal if you just use one source at a time, but I’m really happy there’s a manual mode as well – Just press the button on the switch, or remote to manually switch inputs. Also, the switch remembers the last position after power cycling, which is a nice feature. This should work regardless if the switch is manually powered off, or if there’s a power outage or something.
I was also really curious about Consumer Electronics Control, or CEC. That’s when you can do stuff like set your TV so when your streaming box powers off, the TV automatically powers off as well. Many splitters and switches don’t support CEC, but it looks like this one does work! At least the basic controls, like auto-powering your TV on and off…and I tested this on two TV’s with two different Apple TV boxes which did NOT work through other switches I’ve tested.
HDMI Port number 4 is labeled ARC, but I couldn’t get it to work on two different amp’s. Maybe I’m not understanding its function, but you definitely can NOT use this to output HDMI audio to an amp. The port is also specifically ARC, not eARC, so maybe that has something to do with it?
Unfortunately, this switch isn’t PlayStation 3 compatible and you can’t use it as a way to capture or livestream from a streaming box. BUT, there’s some excellent news for retro gamers – You can use this switch via MiSTer’s lowest latency HDMI output modes….and it even works with Direct Video out, which is a huge deal if you also use a RetroTINK 4K. And yes, it’s also compatible with the RT4K’s HDMI inputs, with the same “no PS3” limitations I mentioned before though, as well as the RT4K’s outputs, even in the lowest latency genlock and framelock modes…and even with odd timings such as 1080p240, proving you could use this with a high end gaming monitor as well
And it’s also compatible with the OSSC in all modes, including the SNES in 5x mode. Just remember that like with adding ANY HDMI device, you’ll get longer dropouts when changing resolutions then if you were connected directly to the display.
…that said, I didn’t get ANY dropouts at all when just watching TV. And while dropouts aren’t really common with single-output HDMI devices, it’s worth mentioning, as I’ve seen this be a problem with many HDMI devices in general.
So overall, I’d definitely recommend this as a basic 4-in, 1-out HDMI switch!
