Analogue, the company behind the highly-praised Analogue Pocket, a premium handheld gaming system capable of playing cartridges from various classic consoles like the Game Boy and Sega Game Gear, is set to introduce a 4K rendition of the Nintendo 64 with their latest creation, the Analogue 3D, as announced on Monday.
Specifics about the Analogue 3D remain scarce, with Analogue keeping the console’s appearance, pricing, and precise release date under wraps. What has been disclosed is that the Analogue 3D is scheduled for a 2024 release and promises full compatibility with the entire Nintendo 64 cartridge library, spanning all regions, while offering a 4K resolution output.
One standout feature of the Analogue 3D is its ability to recreate the nostalgic appearance of old CRT televisions, a hallmark of many modern-retro gaming systems. Additionally, Analogue asserts that the 3D will faithfully reproduce the look of PVMs (production video monitors), which are high-quality CRT displays often used in television and film production.
Analogue’s claim of achieving 100% compatibility is attributed to their utilization of an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) hardware chip. Unlike software emulation, FPGA enables Analogue to replicate the hardware of vintage systems down to the transistor level.
The retro gaming market has experienced a surge in both value and popularity in recent years, particularly during the pandemic. Websites like PriceCharting, which monitor eBay sales of games, demonstrate that many titles, especially those from Nintendo, have seen a rise in value. For instance, a complete in-box copy of Mario Kart 64 has seen its value increase from $29 in 2009 to $100 in 2023. Speculators have also entered the market, investing millions in boxed copies of the original Super Mario Bros.
With the resurgence of interest in retro gaming, companies like Analogue and Hyperkin have been developing systems to play older titles on modern televisions. This trend has also spurred communities of modders who enhance the hardware of older systems to bring them into the contemporary era, including adding HDMI ports to Sega Dreamcasts or integrating LCD screens into Game Boys.
In an effort to avoid potential legal issues with Nintendo and other copyright holders, the Analogue 3D will not support openFPGA, a standard that enables third-party developers to create their own programs. Analogue has explicitly stated that the 3D does not infringe on any copyrights or trademarks.
The Analogue 3D will ship with a contemporary-looking controller created by 8BitDo, in contrast to the N64’s original clunky M-shaped controller. However, for those who still possess old N64 controllers, the Analogue 3D will come equipped with four controller ports at the front, perfect for indulging in Super Smash Bros. battles. Additionally, the Analogue 3D will support Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity, presumably to link with other controllers.
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