ModRetro M64 review: the glow-up your N64 always deserved
Grab your old Nintendo 64 games, as it’s time to roll back the years
🏆 Review Score: 4/5 – ‘Great!’
✅ Pros:
📺 Outputs N64 games at 720p, 1080p, or 4K
😍 Plays games exactly how you remember with no input lag or visual quirks
👍 Different display modes and scaling options are available
🎮 Compatible with wired and Bluetooth N64 controllers
💡 Nice touches like the cartridge light elevate the already unique design
🤫 Silent in operation
💰 Cheaper than the Analogue 3D
🙏 Plays all your original N64 games, and new titles are on the way
🛜 Can be updated over-the-air thanks to Wi-Fi
❌ Cons:
🤷♂️ Won’t magically make your N64 games look like remasters
👀 Alternatives like Switch Online are available
🆚 The Analogue 3D system software is more mature and boasts more features
😞 ModRetro’s M64 Pro controller is sold separately
The Shortcut Review
*This review is based on a pre-production M64 unit provided by ModRetro. Hardware and software are not final.*
The N64 remains my favorite console of all time. I played it religiously with my older brother growing up, sinking countless hours into the plethora of multiplayer and single-player games available.
However, thanks to the cruel passage of time, the N64 has become harder to enjoy. Try hooking one up to a modern display, if you can even find the right cables, and you’ll be met with a frankly off-putting image that quickly dampens even the most stalwart of fans’ enthusiasm.
That’s why the prospect of the ModRetro M64, a modernized Nintendo 64 that can easily connect to a 4K TV while retaining the accuracy and classic look of the original system, was such a tantalizing one.
ModRetro M64 specs 🛠️
Price: $199 early bird pricing, $239 after May 1, 2026
Resolution: 720p, 1080p, 4K
Colors: Green, Purple, Red, Clear
And while the M64 is very much in its early stages (there are several big updates planned at launch and in the months ahead), it’s been a blast revisiting the games that shaped my childhood without having to contend with the usual barriers to entry.
🚀 Ready to rumble. The M64 makes a strong first impression, even in its pre-production form. Not only does the hardware feel premium, with a bold identity and a translucent two-tone shell that lets you see the circuitry inside, but it boots up blazingly fast, often loading a game in under five seconds.
😎 No ordinary N64. The M64 also has other unique features, like the useful and powerful cartridge eject mechanism that shoots your game up into the air, which makes it easier to remove. Little thoughtful touches help to elevate the overall experience, like the LED light which shows off a game’s artwork and when an update is installing, the chunky dedicated wheel to navigate the UI, and the silent performance under load all combine to make one pleasing package.
Hold up, wait a minute
However, it’s important to set your expectations about what the M64 can actually do.
👉 It won’t remaster your N64 games. It’s easy to think that because the M64 can output at 4K resolution, it will magically upscale and make every game you play look razor sharp, and provide crystal-clear textures and detail. And that simply isn’t the case.
Yes, N64 games will look significantly better than when running off the original N64’s video output, and there are some neat display options to choose from to tailor things to your liking. You can stretch the image, choose from different scaling options like Integer, Integer+, Bilinear or Lanczos scaling, and even select a Clean, CRT or Scanlines display profile, along with customizing your own. There is a bevy of settings to tweak and play with.
But this is still the same 240p to 480p, often blurry resolution and jaggy graphics that the Nintendo 64 provides. Unless you crank up the sharpening and experiment with some of the more advanced settings, don’t expect any dramatic difference in this respect, and that goes for the sometimes questionable performance in certain games.
You know that section in GoldenEye 007 that tanks the framerate on the Dam level? Yeah, it’ll do that on the M64, too. This will undoubtedly disappoint some people, though the console’s promised overclocking feature could rectify these issues, but sadly it wasn’t available to test.
Do you need the M64?
🤔 Isn’t Switch Online better? If you have a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, you can play many N64 games at a higher resolution, and often with improved framerates. Grab the N64 wireless controller that Nintendo released, and you’ll have the benefits of native controls, save states, rewind, a pleasing CRT filter, and the option to play local multiplayer games online. Which is probably enough for most nostalgic gamers.
🎮 Play any game you want. The big caveat, however, is that not every N64 game is available on Switch Online – and some never will be. There’s still no Super Smash Bros. or Conker’s Bad Fur Day. You’ll never be able to play the best wrestling games of all time like WWF No Mercy. And Donkey Kong 64 only just made an appearance. Want to play licensed games like South Park again? Forget about it.
It’s worth noting that at the time of review, only one game in my collection failed to boot: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. However, this may be fixed by the time the console ships. You can see a list of games that are currently experiencing major or minor issues when running on the M64 here.
All that glitters is not gold
😖 Emulation woes. But as nice as emulation can be, there are several downsides. There’s noticeable input lag to deal with, and often bugs, glitches, or visual oddities that were never present in the original version. Many games launched with issues on Switch Online, and some still aren’t quite right. Oh, and if you stop subscribing to Switch Online, you’ll also lose access to all the games. No more N64 for you.
Whenever I play Mario Golf 64 on Switch Online, I find it hard to get the shot timings down. On the M64, I could produce a “Nice Shot!” time and time again.
That isn’t the case with the ModRetro M64, which plays all your physical N64 games (from any region) just as you remembered them, and everything feels just as responsive as it should. Your existing accessories will also work, including controllers, Rumble Paks, Controller Paks, and more.
👍 It just feels right. Honestly, it’s easy to downplay what a difference input lag can make, but whenever I play Mario Golf 64 on Switch Online, I find it hard to get the shot timings down. On the M64, I could produce a “Nice Shot!” time and time again. Switching between GoldenEye 007 on the M64 and Switch 2 produced a similar result. Moving Bond around felt heavy and slow via emulation, yet light and responsive on the ModRetro M64. To N64 purists like me, that makes a massive difference.
It’s also worth praising the M64’s excellent sound reproduction, which is far superior to that of Nintendo Switch Online. At the same volume level on my LG OLED CX, the M64 produced a far more detailed and fuller soundscape, while Switch Online sounded flat and rather lifeless in comparison, requiring the volume to be increased significantly.
Just the beginning
The ModRetro M64 is off to a solid start, then, and there’s huge potential for it to become even better.
📅 Day one update. By the time the first units ship to customers, an over-the-air firmware update will add EverDrive-64 X5 and X7, and Summercart 64 compatibility. Overclocking will also be available to boost the performance of some games, along with a built-in Controller Pak, and a translucent video settings menu.
Perhaps the coolest thing about the M64, though, is that, like with the ModRetro Chromatic, new and classic games will be released for the system.
👏 Post-launch support. After shipping, support is planned for video passthrough for the ModRetro Chromatic, and a Chromatic Transfer Pak (Pokémon Stadium, anyone?). In-game notifications, console LED color customization, and more video processing, effects, and filters are also on the way, along with the ability to hot-swap carts.
🆕 New N64 games! Perhaps the coolest thing about the M64, though, is that, like with the ModRetro Chromatic, new and classic games will be released for the system. On June 1, 2026, ModRetro will release Xeno Crisis, Xibalba 64, Extreme-G Turbo Fusion, and the iconic Buck Bumble. New N64 games in 2026? What a time to be alive!
💰 The price of nostalgia. At $239 ($199 if you got the early bird discount), the M64 compares favorably to the other N64 remake on the market, the Analogue 3D, which currently costs $269.99. Neither includes a controller as standard, but both work with existing N64 gamepads.
You’ll have to stump up an additional $89 for the ModRetro M64 Pro controller, which works wired or wireless and has a TMR analog stick, Bluetooth, built-in rumble, a rechargeable battery pack (or the option for AA batteries) and matches the ergonomics of the original N64 controller. It feels super premium thanks to its ceramic-coated aluminum back and weighs about as much as an Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. It can also turn on the system, and accessing the quick menu to turn it off is as simple as pressing Start + Z. For comparison, the 8BitDo 64 pad for the Analogue 3D is $40.
🆚 How does it compare to the Analogue 3D? Unfortunately, I don’t have an Analogue 3D to compare the two consoles directly, but it will be interesting to see how the M64 fares in future head-to-heads. For what it’s worth, ModRetro’s Palmer Luckey has stated that the M64 is cheaper, built with superior hardware, is fully open-source, and has lower latency. Plus, there’s native support for CRTs. However, the Analogue 3D system software is more mature and recently added save states.
The ultimate N64?
Unlike the ModRetro Chromatic, which has obvious benefits over playing games on the original Game Boy or Game Boy Color – specifically the screen – the ModRetro M64 is a more understated upgrade.
The M64 might not be the ultimate Nintendo 64 revival just yet, but it’s a fantastic glow-up of Nintendo’s beloved console that will only get better.
It achieves the goal of making the N64 more accessible again and greatly improves the look of titles you know and love when played on a modern display. With Wi-Fi and several updates planned, the M64 will also become even more capable in the future, which is an exciting proposition.
The M64 might not be the ultimate Nintendo 64 revival just yet, but it’s a fantastic glow-up of Nintendo’s beloved console that will only get better. If you have some N64 cartridges you want to revisit, this is the best way to do it.
Should you buy the ModRetro M64? 🤔
Yes, if…
✅ You love the N64 and want an easier way to play your favorite games.
✅ You don’t own a CRT or display that does the N64’s video output justice.
✅ You’d like some more modern features like wireless controller support.
No, if…
❌ You’re quite content playing N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online.
❌ You don’t have an existing library of Nintendo 64 games.
❌ You never really liked the N64 to begin with.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.