AMD Partners with ModRetro for the "M64" Retro Console

ModRetro, creators of the Chromatic handheld designed to play original (and new) Game Boy cartridges as part of both an historical restoration project and one designed to preserve the past, has revealed the M64 console, the team's next endeavour to offer the same principles to the Nintendo 64's legacy, and iconic library.

"FPGA was by far the most critical decision in the M64 process," says ModRetro's CEO Torin Herndon when speaking of the decision to opt for the open-source or "rewritable" chipset. "We needed something that would serve as a stable backbone to build the most accurate Nintendo 64 hardware emulation for many years to come.

"[And] the AMD Artix Ultrascale+ FPGA was the only option."

While the console itself is designed to play traditional N64 cartridges, and potentially new ones in the future (as we've seen with the Chromatic), there's also the potential for this system to be setup for emulation on a different scale, which is why AMD's inclusion is an interesting one given it supplies part of the Switch and Switch 2 architecture while Nintendo is notoriously harsh on emulation, so-called jailbreaking and isn't afraid to be litigious on those fronts, naturally protecting its IP.

The M64, however, doesn't need to be 'jailbroke' with the FPGA being a versatile and malleable chip, while things like flashcarts and more already exist i the retro and mod/emulation scene that this new machine has already been tested to be able to handle. Rather, the key takeaways from its production include low latency, quicker loading, less friction and improved accuracy. What's also cool is that it just looks both modern and cute and nostalgic, all in one.

You can learn more here while the machine is scheduled to be available to purchase from ModRetro's official site and will be shippable from July 28.