😎 ModRetro’s long-awaited M64 FPGA console could be set for release this summer
📆 That’s according to a new update from the firm, which says that the console, controller and games will be “shipping at the end of July from our warehouse in Southern California”
👏 It also expands on the console, noting that it offers a 5-second boot to game, a fanless thermal design and will feature wireless OTA updates out of the box
🎮 ModRetro has also said the M64 will ship with a highly advanced M64 Pro controller with swappable TMR joysticks, Bluetooth connectivity, and more
ModRetro’s hotly anticipated modern take on the Nintendo N64, the M64, looks set to be released in the summer after a long wait.
As per a new newsletter update, ModRetro has said that the console, controller, and the associated launch games will be “shipping at the end of July from our warehouse in Southern California”, meaning it could be in the hands of backers by August.
Moreover, it also goes into detail about why folks should consider the M64 over rivals such as the Analogue 3D, as ModRetro provides a deeper dive into some of the console’s features.
For instance, ModRetro says the console offers a 5-second boot to game, will feature wireless OTA updates available out of the box, and has a fanless thermal design.
In addition, it’s built on a 16nm process node with one of AMD’s Spartan UltraScale FPGA+, and its PSRAM architecture allows the console to unlock higher overclocking than rivals to potentially eke out more performance.
The console is also set to have video pass-through for the ModRetro Chromatic to allow you to play Game Boy games via ModRetro’s new console on the big screen.
A subsequent update, once the console has shipped, also looks set to bring its own version of the Transfer Pak that existed for the N64, allowing data transfer between N64 and Game Boy cartridges to access additional content in games like Pokémon Stadium.
ModRetro has also said that the console will have the “best value pro-level controller available on the market for any console”. It’s set to have swappable TMR joysticks, an aluminium backshell, Bluetooth and wired USB connectivity, and will be compatible with the M64 and original N64, too.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.