Latest news with #ModRetro
Android Authority
11 hours ago
- Android Authority
Analogue's N64 clone is finally shipping, and there's good news for pre-orders
TL;DR Analogue announced its N64 FPGA device is finally shipping in August. Released in pre-order in October 2024, the Analogue 3D faced nearly a year of delays. Pre-orders are not subject to additional tariff charges, with Analogue eating the cost. The Analogue 3D made huge waves when it was made available for pre-order in October 2024, promising to play classic N64 cartridges in full 4K over HDMI. The $250 pre-orders quickly sold out, and after nearly a year of waiting, Analogue has announced that it will finally be shipping next month. This is the third time the company has delayed shipping, with initial estimates for the end of 2024, then July 2025, and now late-August 2025. Analogue cites 'last week's sudden tariff changes' as a reason for this final delays, but it appears that the date will actually stick this time. Tariffs have touched nearly every gaming handheld release this year, from the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 to the Nintendo Switch 2. Analogue has promised to absorb any extra tariff costs for pre-order customers, but it's not clear whether the product will ever be back in stock — and at what price. The Analogue 3D is a modern take on the N64, with Bluetooth and full 4K output. Despite its troubles with timeliness, Analogue is renowned for making excellent devices. The Analogue 3D is its third release after tackling the TurboGrafx-16 and Game Boy. The Analogue Pocket in particular impressed us in our review, although it now faces stiff competition from the ModRetro Chromatic. ModRetro has also teased an N64 FPGA device called the M64, although no concrete details have emerged as of yet. The Analogue 3D isn't a 1:1 copy of the N64, but rather a modern reinterpretation. It's still 100% compatible with the full N64 catalog, using low-level hardware emulation via FPGA chips to provide a much more authentic experience than software emulators could ever dream of. Given the difficulties with emulating the N64's unique architecture on modern devices, this makes a huge difference for retro gaming fans. In terms of modernizations, the console features full 4K output over HDMI, which is 10x the resolution of the original console. To keep things authentic, it has built-in filters to replicate the CRT look of displays at the time. It keeps the power and reset buttons of the original console, as well as all four controller ports. If you don't have (or just hate) original N64 controllers, Analogue has partnered with 8bitdo to create a modernized version, complete with Bluetooth compatibility and a design that's better suited to human physiology. It ships at the end of July, and is compatible with not just the Analogue 3D, but also PCs, Android devices, and even the Nintendo Switch. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ModRetro Announces Return of the ModRetro Chromatic With New Exciting Extras
The ModRetro Chromatic captured the hearts of retro enthusiasts and those who grew up playing the Game Boy and Game Boy Colour. Still, after its initial launch in late 2024, the pixel-perfect handheld has become exceedingly difficult to find in the wild, that is, until now. ModRetro Chromatic has announced that their popular handheld device will enter mass production and become a permanent fixture in the new supply chain. Not only that, but to sweeten the pot, ModRetro promises a brand-new colourway for the ModRetro Chromatic to coincide with the release of some classic new games for the Game Boy successor on top of the already existing lineup of fun colours, with the latest variant joining the lineup labelled as Cloud, which features a white and purple treatment, somewhat reminiscent of the Super Nintendo. Additionally, the long-awaited rechargeable battery pack for the ModRetro Chromatic will be made available alongside a mod pack, which allows those who like to tinker to swap out parts, refreshing or customizing their handheld to their choosing. In addition, ModRetro will also release a branded Link cable and Koss Porta Pro headphones to complement the handheld, completing the retro arsenal of gaming goodness. A detailed breakdown of the accessories and new games coming to the ModRetro Chromatic can be viewed below: Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! A re-release of the fast-paced platformer based on the cartoon series, where you switch between Sabrina and Salem to reverse a magical mishap. Wicked Plague: A side-scrolling Metroidvania with fast-paced action, haunting visuals, and intense boss fights in a cursed tower. Self-Simulated: A high-speed precision platformer with over 100 levels, customizable assists, and a story about reclaiming your lost identity. First Contact Protocol: An adventure-puzzle game with branching choices, cinematic cutscenes, and a crew fighting to survive aboard a damaged starship. Gravitorque: A puzzle platformer where you control gravity instead of jumping, solving mind-bending levels across four distinct worlds. ModRetro Rechargeable Power Core ($29.99): Snap-in battery for up to 16 hours of gameplay. ModRetro Link Cable ($14.99): Bring back couch co-op with head-to-head multiplayer support. ModRetro Mod Kit ($14.99): Personalizes or refreshes with high-quality, swappable parts and a one-of-a-kind dual-sided screwdriver. ModRetro Koss Porta Pro ($49.99): A colour-matched retro headset with legendary sound. On the software side of things, ModRetro promises new features via firmware updates for the ModRetro Chromatic, including native streaming via Discord on Mac and PC, with no additional dock required. Finally, official ModRetro cartridges will now be able to receive game updates or patches via what ModRetro is calling its Cart Clinic service, ensuring that all physical games are free of bugs or issues going forward. Lastly, ModRetro plans to team up with some major names in the gaming space, including Ubisoft, Atari, and Argonaut Games; however, details are scarce for now. Nevertheless, this collaboration is exciting for the future of the ModRetro Chromatic. For further details, readers are encouraged to visit the official ModRetro Chromatic website. For those who missed out on the initial wave of handhelds, which sold out almost immediately, portable gaming enthusiasts can rest easy in knowing that ModRetro will deliver more units, hopefully making the ModRetro Chromatic more readily available alongside its expanding library of new and classic releases that bring the Gameboy into the modern age while retaining that authentic look and feel of the original. And if you're new or unfamiliar with the system, the ModRetro Chromatic is fully compatible with both DMG Game Boy titles and Game Boy Color games, which further take advantage of the sapphire crystal 1:1 display of the handheld, making it one of the best ways to play your classic library of games.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Hello New ModRetro Chromatic Color, Goodbye Limited Stock
Chromatic Credit: ModRetro ModRetro's M64, an FPGA ode to the Nintendo 64, is supposedly on the way, though who knows when that will ship, or even go on sale, for that matter. In the meantime, however, we've got ourselves what seems to be a permanent restock of the retro revival company's premium Game Boy and Game Boy Color-compatible handheld. After selling out months ago, you can now buy the coveted Chromatic yet again, and in a new colorway, too, one that's simply dubbed Cloud (which is different than the GameStop variant). The fresh hue brings to mind the North American Super Nintendo motif, although if you'd rather have something a little bolder, the original rainbow options are still available, but they won't sport the notable '1st Edition' stamp found on units from the initial Chromatic production run. Since its inception, one of the big selling points of the Chromatic has been its extremely durable sapphire display, and interestingly enough, this restock arrives with an additional, cheaper screen option: Gorilla Glass. Chromatics with sapphire displays are priced at $299.99 ($100 more than they were at launch, by the way), while Chromatics with a less desirable Gorilla Glass offering will set you back $199.99. Both handhelds still come bundled with a physical cartridge of Tetris . Cloud Chromatic Credit: ModRetro Full disclosure: ModRetro kindly sent me a Chromatic months back for testing and I've only just gotten around to actually using it. I can honestly say it's a very solid Game Boy homage, if a little on the small side for my massive hands. The display quality is fantastic, and so are the springy buttons—I really like how they feel. The unit build-quality gives off tiny tank energy (did anyone ever play that weird PS1 title?) and I think it's worth the asking price, maybe even the increased $300. In many ways, I'd say I prefer it to the Analogue Pocket, although I do wish it played Game Boy Advance titles as well, even though that would go against the Chromatic's 'purest' design philosophy, as it were. I wouldn't doubt if ModRetro is working on a specific GBA follow-up for the future, though. Something with a horizontal hand-feel, no doubt. There's also a new rechargeable battery available on ModRetro's website, alongside a branded link cable and a mod kit that will allow you to change out d-pads and other inputs. I might have to check out that Power Core, because while AA batteries are nostalgic, they're sort of a pain to keep replacing. The link cable seems intriguing, too. I always loved playing head-to-head Pokémon with friends and siblings on my old Atomic Purple Game Boy Color. That said, let's just hope ModRetro isn't bringing back the Worm Light. Let's collectively shudder at such a thought. I wouldn't doubt if translucent Chromatic colors are on the way at some point, especially since Analogue has dabbled in this type of variant with its own Pocket handheld. But the Cloud option is good for the time being, and I'm excited about putting my Inferno review unit to the test over the next few weeks. If only I could grab a second Chromatic and try out the link cable. I guess I'd need a friend, too. Perhaps ModRetro could supply this as well? Stay tuned.
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Most Accurate Way to Play Game Boy Games Is Available Again, but There's a Catch
Palmer Luckey, the man who took a career crafting VR headsets and turned it into a company that sells weapons of war to the U.S. military, also makes a Game Boy-like handheld. The ModRetro Chromatic, designed to play old Game Boy cartridges, has proved incredibly popular. Now, the handheld, in all its original colorways, is back after a year of unavailability, but with a few changes. First, there's an all-new gray and purple colorway that's giving SNES vibes. Second, while the Chromatic still starts at $200, which gets you the same magnesium alloy shell and a special copy of Tetris, the screen cover is now Gorilla Glass instead of the more durable, scratch-resistant sapphire glass that all original Chromatics had. If you want the version with the sapphire screen, that now costs $300 (also bundled with Tetris). Whether or not the Chromatic is worth it depends on how much you loved your old Game Boy Color and how much you can stomach Luckey's ongoing love affair with the military-industrial complex. The Chromatic is a kind of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) emulation device. That means it doesn't merely recreate Nintendo's original handheld as software, like most typical emulators do; it effectively replicates the hardware and chip logic. As such, it can play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges alongside ModRetro's own 'Chromatic' cartridges. ModRetro, a company cofounded by Luckey and fellow Anduril lead Torin Herndon, started promoting the Chromatic almost a year ago alongside a few homebrew games designed for the device. There are a few more ModRetro-specific games to go alongside the handheld re-release. The selection now includes Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!, First Contact Protocol, Wicked Plague, Self Simulated, and Gravitorque DX. The last of those is a gravity-manipulating indie platformer akin to lo-fi darling VVVVVV from back in 2010. ModRetro is also selling a few more accessories, including a rechargeable battery to replace the old AAs, a mod kit to swap its buttons and D-pad, and a link cable to trade Pokémon with friends the old-fashioned way. I am pleased to annouce our latest game! Gravitorque DX is a puzzle platformer where you control gravity instead of jumping, solving mind-bending levels across four distinct worlds. Get it now on a REAL cart: #modretro #GameBoy #gamedev — Nikita Kurylev (@NikitaKurylev) July 10, 2025The Chromatic is currently the most accurate way to replay Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, with the added benefit of a backlit IPS LCD screen and other modern amenities like video out via USB-C. That IPS screen replicates the colors found on Nintendo's original handheld. While there are other FPGA mod kits available for DIY enthusiasts like this one from FunnyPlaying, your only other option for a similar complete system to play your old Game Boy cartridges is the $220 Analogue Pocket. It's a fellow FPGA emulation device with a four-button layout that is also compatible with Game Boy Advance titles and other non-Nintendo games like Sega Game Gear with additional add-ons. While Analogue has done several limited edition colorways before, it's currently only available in black or white. In the last few months, Analogue seemingly managed to overcome chronic stock issues, so at least for now, buyers have a choice. Grabbing your stash of Game Boy games from the attic sounds enticing, until you consider who you're buying the Chromatic from. With one hand, Luckey promotes his retro gaming venture—a continuation of his early days as a handheld modder. With the other, he's turning his military weapons maker, Anduril, into one of the government's de facto suppliers of cutting-edge military technology. Lately, Anduril took Microsoft's place making XR goggles for troops on the ground, and he even partnered up with once-friend, then-enemy, now-friend again Mark Zuckerberg to craft the XR device for the U.S. military's future soldiers. Beyond his overtures to his nerdy past, Luckey sees the world in stark lines. He has said in past interviews his goal is to supply enough weapons to act as a kind of deterrent against aggression toward U.S. interests. This kind of 'game theory' isn't what most gamers love most about their pastime, but it's intrinsic to how Luckey views his other, non-Game Boy-related business interests. How to compartmentalize Luckey's businesses is up to each individual buyer, but I personally can't advocate supporting the arms dealer no matter how innocent this venture seems. You already have an incredible number of software emulation-focused devices available—including sub-$100 handhelds like the Anbernic RG34XXSP or TrimUI Brick—so buyers are not starved for options. Luckey has suggested he'll launch a Game Boy Advance-like device and Nintendo 64 emulator in the future, but when those hit the scene, we'll still have the same reservations, all to do with Luckey himself.
WIRED
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- WIRED
The ModRetro Chromatic Is a Game Boy Fit for Your Apocalypse Bunker
Jul 10, 2025 12:00 PM Palmer Luckey's sold-out, souped-up cartridge-only console clone is back—and this time, it wants to live forever. It took just 24 hours for the ModRetro Chromatic to sell out when it launched December 2024. An unapologetic Game Boy clone packaged in a slick, tough new shell, it delivered the perfect dose of gaming nostalgia alongside a few modern upgrades. Keen to build on that success, ModRetro has revamped production efforts and rejiggered its supply chain to make sure the Chromatic can stand the test of time. Now, the snazzy, geeky gadget is available for sale again—this time with new features, new games and a brand new colorway. The company, helmed by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, says this time there will be no shortages of the Chromatic. It'll cost you $199 with no games, or $299 for a version with a beefier sapphire crystal screen. More than that, Luckey wants the device to last, basically forever. Maybe even become the Game Boy's final form. 'In theory, you could put this in a box for a hundred years and then pop in a pair of batteries and it would just go,' says Luckey. 'If you're saying this is going to be the last Game Boy ever made—that this is the thing that will persist and be the way you experience that whole era of gaming—you better make something to last. It's almost like you have a moral duty to make sure it's something that is going to survive.' Luckey, Silicon Valley's preeminent Hawaiian-shirt-clad tech bro, is famous—or infamous, depending on how you look at it—for pioneering VR tech and military defense alike. In 2012, he created the Oculus Rift, the product that effectively gave life to the then merely theoretical VR industry. He's had a controversial journey since then, selling Oculus to Facebook in 2014, then leaving in an acrimonious split three years later. He moved on to start the military industrial tech company Anduril (named after a sword from the Lord of the Rings series) that now makes attack drones, border surveillance tech, and AI-powered weapons. His right-wing political leanings, while once out of favor in Silicon Valley, are now on display much more freely by the broader tech elite. Luckey has recently been re-embraced by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (née Facebook), in his own rightward turn. Another of Luckey's recent endeavors, a crypto-bank called Erebor (after the Lonely Mountain in The Hobbit ), is being funded by conservative billionaire and fellow LoTR nomenclature enthusiast Peter Thiel, the CEO of Palantir. On another front, Luckey is still very into the tech of the past. The name ModRetro comes from a forum Luckey created as a kid to interact with other gadget enthusiasts. The thing that stuck with him the most from his childhood was the Game Boy. The Chromatic isn't the only Game Boy replacement out there. Nintendo has a collection of classic Game Boy games available to download (for a price). You can find emulators online. There are devices like Analogue Pocket that aim to recreate the experience of a physical Game Boy and even offer more games to play. Luckey says that while those efforts are all good, they come with compromises that he wants to blow right past. 'If something is worth doing, it's worth someone in the industry doing it right,' Luckey says. If you can get past that baggage of a fun gadget being tied to an arms dealer, reviews of the first edition of the Chromatic make the device sound very good. As a handheld gaming device, the ModRetro Chromatic harkens back to nostalgia of the early '90s Game Boy era, albeit housed in a case that is built like a bomb shelter. With the heft of a graphing calculator, the Chromatic leans into the chonkiness of early gaming handhelds, albeit with some much more modern upgrades. The gadgetry within is housed in a lightweight magnesium alloy chassis, assembled in a clamshell format that is meant to be straightforward to take apart. The screens are protected with Gorilla Glass, or you can opt for the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal surface for an extra $100. The buttons are made of satisfyingly clicky metals. The screws, though still the less common tri-wing screws found in early Game Boys, are easy enough to take out and replace. According to Torin Herndon, the lead engineer at ModRetro who has worked with Luckey at Anduril and Oculus, repairability and the ability to fix or tweak the device were paramount. 'The idea is to preserve it for multiple generations down the line, so what we had to do was make the device as deserving of that as possible,' Herndon says. 'And then to architect the device in a way that is really going against the grain of planned obsolescence.' For that reason, the console exclusively plays cartridge games, just like its progenitor. There are no digital downloads, though game makers can issue bug fixes or updates if connected to the internet. Accessories for the Chromatic include rechargeable battery packs, cables, and a headset range in cost from $15-$50. You can also buy a dedicated modification kit which lets you take apart the device and alter it as you see fit. On the library front, the Chromatic has launched with 15 games you can buy, and a special version of Tetris created by ModRetro comes packaged with the device. ModRetro has teased future partnerships for games made with industry stalwarts like Ubisoft, Atari, and Argonaut Games. Otherwise, if you want to play a game, you'll have to find a second-hand Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge somewhere. The Chromatic is backwards compatible, so old Game Boy games should work, assuming you've blown on the cartridge enough to get the dust out, of course. Despite the retro-focus, the Chromatic has a few new tricks wired into it as well. A USB-C port can be used for charging or for piping live video directly from the Chromatic to streaming services via Mac, PC, and Discord. That means you can stream directly from the device, which Luckey says will likely delight speedrunners eager to break records on Game Boy games without having to use external cameras to record the feats. (The software that enables streaming capabilities is backwards compatible, meaning it will be work of first-edition Chromatics as well.) 'The goal of Chromatic in a non-technical sense is not to replicate the experience of actually playing a Game Boy or Game Boy Color, it's to replicate the way that you felt playing it when you were younger,' Luckey says. 'You want it to be authentic but also to live up to that rose-tinted recollection of how you remember it.' Aside from all that nostalgia, ModRetro is also trying to make a push to reinforce the concept of ownership. Though the timing isn't deliberate, Herndon points to recent efforts like Stop Killing Games, a movement of game advocates calling for the preservation of digital and online games so they can't just be taken down by the provider. 'That is one of the most upsetting things about being a modern gamer,' Herndon says. 'The true ownership experience back then is something has really gone by the wayside today, and we wanted to recapture that feeling.' Ultimately, Luckey hopes the Chromatic isn't the last stop in ModRetro's efforts. He has his eyes set on recreating the Game Boy Advance and other retro platforms like the Nintendo 64. Eventually, he hopes the process, drawn out though it can be, will help preserve other aging technologies. 'This all sounds a lot more ridiculous and self masturbatory when you're just making a Game Boy thing,' Luckey says. 'But I'm hoping that at some point people will see ModRetro as a portal into the past that is going to live on forever. And then what I'm saying maybe won't seem quite as crazy.'
