PXP3

The PXP3 is a portable Sega Genesis/Mega Drive clone. It is a variant of the Play Vision Portable (PVP), and is likely the most prolific of its many revisions.

On start-up, the system claims to have 999,888 or 999,999 games (depending on model), though this is certainly an exaggeration. There are two other lists that can be started when the right cart is inserted. This system can also play Firecore enhanced games with better color, like Bubbles Master, developed by Shenzhen Niutai, and has many similarities with Genesis hardware clones released by AtGames. Since it can play these enhanced titles, the GOAC is mostly likely from Digital Media Cartridge.

The handheld features a full color front-lit screen, a rechargeable lithium battery, 2 inch screen, a directional pad resembling the ones on Sony's PlayStation consoles and controllers, four game buttons (which resemble the ones on the PlayStation Portable) whereas some models include shoulder buttons (mapped as both Y and Z, respectively), start, reset and select buttons and a green LED on one side of the console. There are multiple colors of the PXP3; they include red, green, blue, black, pink, and grey (according to the box).

Technical details

The PXP3 comes with two cartridges with multiple pins, but only four pins are used. They resemble Game Boy Advance cartridges, but there is no memory of any kind inside them and are smaller. Instead, there is a connection between pin 1 and 4 on one cartridge and a connection between pin 3 and 4. When the cart is inserted, the PXP3 knows that cart 1 or 2 is inserted, so it brings up another list of games. All of the games are on the PXP3 internal ROM. The select button is useless as the Genesis/Mega Drive has no select button.

The PXP3 Debug/test menu accessed by holding A+B+C+Up. There are 3 test screens, one testing sound with a low&high pitched sound, one testing display with red, green and blue screens cycled by pressing B, and finally a button test screen (as shown). These screens are cycled by pressing C. This test screen is also present on consoles compatible with the Neto Boot Loader. The board revision and date is left in its unmodified form, never before seen, probably unmodified from its source code. Note how the PXP3 lacks a Y or Z button, with the X button being the triangle button. Square = A, Cross = B, Circle = C. The Select button doesn't do anything in this menu.

The SOC used is the same glob-top SOC found on the TecToy MegaDrive 2017 and Sega Gopher/ AtGames Genesis portables and looks to be commonly found on Genesis clones after 2010, ditching the ASIC/packaged chip processors. (The menus even share the same fonts as those consoles and the console has the same sound inaccuracy issues) The firmware found on this console is also similar, having the same debug/test menu found by holding A+B+C+UP and turning on the console. The test menu shows the manufacturer had left the revision and date untouched from its source. This may suggest the firmware was derived from source code obtained directly from Digital Media Cartridge as the menus also have custom music and background. This also may mean the device could be compatible with the Neto Boot Loader to fix the sound issues, but it is unsure for now as the firmware is directly on the internal Nand with no way to access via USB.

Versions

There are multiple different models of PXP3 available with different built-in games. Some may be made by different manufacturers.

Known variants include:

• MD-2700 - GENESIS clone handheld as described above, comes with 999888-in-1 built in (really 80 games) and 900000-in-1 (37 games) and 999666-in-1 (39 games) cartridges, for a total of 156 games
• MD-2700 (alternate version) - Genesis clone handheld with same packaging but completely different menu and game selection (this model and models below have menus resembling a NES menu for some reason, maybe due to menu similarities with AtGames genesis handhelds), 999999-in-1 built in (at least 67 games, full count unknown), plus 888888-in-1 (31 games) and 777777-in-1 (24 games) cartridges
• "High Capacity Plus 2G" version - Genesis clone handheld with 999999-in-1 built in plus 8888888-in-1 cartridge, completely different menu and game selection again, with a "PXP3" boot screen. This model is the model shown on all of these devices' packaging, having the clear shoulder buttons and TA and TB buttons. Despite the claims of the packaging, it has many fewer games than either version of MD-2700, with only 20 in total. The cartridge is actually useless, as it enables a menu only containing a subset of the games already available from the main 999999-in-1 menu. Also has a different shell design with extra buttons. Seen with Data Frog branding.
• SX-70 - Genesis clone handheld with 999999-in-1 built in with 888888-in-1 cartridge, with the same menu and 20 games as the "High Capacity Plus 2G" version, plus another 777777-in-1 cartridge. As with that version, the cartridges are useless and only enable subsets of the main menu. Reverts back to the MD-2700 shell design.

Gallery

2 different board revisions of the pxp3. Note how the earlier model (denoted by the date code) has a red wire bridging a gap. It was removed in the later revision above. (ignore the sanding down I did plus the wire I soldered to the cartridge slot on the above model) also the older model has a code XYZ-262. (seems irrelevant)

2 different board revisions of the pxp3. Note how the earlier model (on the bottom) has a see through PCB while newer revision has an opaque one. Perhaps this was done to prevent other bootleg manufacturers to copy and reverse engineer the design. Boards were manufactured six months apart

The newer revision of the PXP3 board has markings that say "X-3762 NEW" (ignore the cartridge connector I removed a pin))

2 different revisions of PXP3. Note the difference in manufacture date. One is made 6 months after the other and has some minor cost-cutting/manufacture-optimizing fixes such as replacing the red wire with a pcb trace on the newer revision.

Battery of PXP3. There are two versions both being a Gameboy SP replacement battery. One version uses the Gameboy name in the warnings while the other version (not shown) replaces the gameboy text with "GAME SYSTEM".

Flash memory used by PXP3. Unsure if this is read only memory. Perhaps we can add roms and change configuration files if we had the right equipment. All speculation. Chip seems to be a 1GB Spansion flash memory chip. Copy right date 2005. Seems like an old chip that was cheap to source. Apparently this chip has a 46% counterfeit chance, so take that 1GB claim with a grain of salt. Also the Spansion company went bankrupt in 2013.

the 24 pin display used by the pxp3. Has an unidentified logo.

This is the Genesis-On-A-Chip found on the pxp3. I have sanded it down from the epoxy prison it was in to see the silicon. Since the user interface is similar to some AtGames genesis clones, and how it runs "firecore" enhanced games like Bubbles Master, it is safe to assume this chip is from Digital Media Cartridge Ltd, the company behind the modern GOAC

pinout of the rom daughterboard