Analogue, the company behind several modern recreations of classic game consoles, has revealed the Analogue3D. It claims to be 100% compatible with all the Nintendo 64 games ever released.
Analogue has been rebuilding retro consoles from the ’80s and ’90s for the modern age, including its popular Analogue Pocket handheld and the Analogue Nt console, which plays NES and Famicon cartridges via HDMI. The upcoming Analogue3D will let you play all the original Nintendo 64 cartridges on a modern TV via HDMI, upscaled to 4K resolution.
N64 games normally have ten times lower resolution, and upscaling cannot make pixelated games look great on 4K screens. Does that mean hooking up an Analogue3D to that massive 4K TV in your living room will result in a sub-par experience? Well, Analogue3D simulates an old-school cathode-ray tube (CRT) screen you may still have lying around somewhere in the basement by bringing “true CRT reference quality to your HDTV in 4K.”
The software simulates CRT features like phosphorous glow, vibrant colors, shadow masks, and line-by-line scanning, which helps capture “the warmth, depth, and texture in every frame.” Still, it remains to be seen whether this approach can smooth out the blocky output of old-school titles without ruining the graphics.
Another thing Analogue3d has going for it is the fact it doesn’t use software emulation like Atari’s home gaming console remakes. To achieve 100% compatibility, it instead leverages an FPGA chip, which can be programmed after manufacturing to emulate specific hardware like the Nintendo 64 down to the transistor level. It makes Analogue3D the only third-party N64 remake capable of playing original game cartridges. On the downside, using a dedicated chip increased console price versus software emulation of retro hardware.
The console runs Analogue’s proprietary operating system and has four ports for your dusty old Nintendo controllers. It will work with any modern Bluetooth controller, but you must bring your own because Analogue3D won’t ship with one. All your multiplayer games should work without issues, including titles with split-screen functionality.
You can pre-order your Analogue3D starting Monday, October 21, at 8am PT / 11am ET in black or white via the official website for $250 a pop, with first shipments expected in the first quarter of 2025. Analogue has also remade the original N64 controller in partnership with 8BitDo, sold separately for $40, to be tougher and use wireless connectivity.
Source: Analogue