TL;DR
- The Analogue 3D plays all your favorite N64 games in glorious 4K.
- Low-level FPGA-based emulation offers a genuine retro gaming experience, with all the niceties of a modern OS.
- 8bitDo worked with Analogue to create an N64-style Bluetooth controller that pairs perfectly with the console.
When you’re looking to scratch that retro-gaming itch, it doesn’t take long to realize that not all available options are created equal. You could fire up a video game emulator, sure, but isn’t that experience a bit hollow — to say nothing of the controls never feeling quite right? Or you could dig that old console out of storage and spend the next week trying to find a TV that will take its composite video input. Increasingly, the gap between these extremes is being filled by new, dedicated hardware using high-speed FPGA chips to emulate that console at a low, super-accurate level. And right now, Analogue is showing off its latest creation along those lines: a modern version of the Nintendo 64 called the Analogue 3D.
Analogue’s been building new hardware capable of playing retro games for years now, tackling systems like the Game Boy and TurboGrafx-16. Last fall, the company announced that its next effort would run N64 games, and now, a solid year later, we’re getting our first look at how it’s come together.
The Analogue 3D really nails the look of Nintendo’s 1996 console, right down to the operation of the power and reset buttons. It’s not a 1:1 copy, but a modern reimagining that keeps the original vibes intact. It even retains the four controller ports — an unprecedent move from Nintendo back when the N64 first launched — and if you’ve still got any originals where the sticks haven’t broken, you’re welcome to plug them in here.
If you’re craving a slightly more modern controller, but one that still hits most of the right N64 notes, Analogue worked with 8BitDo to build a new Bluetooth N64 controller. It’s not the weird trident-looking layout of the original, but it’s got all the right buttons, and should work great in a pinch.
Of course, this new system outputs video at a nice, crisp 4K over HDMI, all ready to be hooked up alongside your PS5 or Switch. And of you do dig the retro-video look, Analogue has cooked up some filters to replicate the output you’d experience on a standard CRT or even a high-end Sony PVM monitor.
Like previous Analogue systems, the idea here is to use it with original game cartridges — this has the same cartridge slot as the N64 (at least the expansion pack’s built-in this time). That means you can pick up right where you left off with your old collection of games. We do have some questions about how save support works — presumably the new 3D OS Analogue designed for the console will handle new saves just fine, but we’re curious if there’s any way to import saves from old Controller Paks — we’ve reached out to Analogue in the hopes of getting some answers.
Pre-orders for the Analogue 3D open up next week on October 21, when you’ll be able to reserve a console in your choice of white or black for $250. The new 8BitDo N64 controllers will also be available in the same two colors, going for $40 a pop. Will you be getting your order in?
