Analogue 3D is boutique hardware maker’s 4K Nintendo 64

Analogue, the hardware maker behind the FPGA-powered retro systems, is now turning its sites to 3D for the first time with a Nintendo 64-inspired console.

The Nintendo 64 is Analogue’s next target for a boutique system. Creators of hardware like the Pocket, Duo, and other FPGA consoles, Analogue is now working on the Analogue 3D.

There’s little information on the console’s appearance, but we have a snippet of an edge and the controller. The big selling point is that the 3D will support 4K resolution for Nintendo 64 games and any original display modes.

The controller is being built by 8BitDo, which appears to have shed its original three-pronged shape. While this controller will come with the system, it’s expected that, much like Analogue’s other hardware, it’ll support original controllers, too.

Analogue has said it’ll be the “only aftermarket solution” supporting “100% compatibility in every region.” This includes the US, Japan, and Europe.

There’s also no mention of whether the 64DD will be supported in any capacity; however, these could theoretically be run once the system has been modded on the software side.

Nintendo 64 homage coming from Analogue

The Analogue 3D is not running emulation, but FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). This effectively simulates the original conditions the console ran under and uses original cartridges to deliver games.

Analogue launched OpenFPGA, designed to allow other developers to bring their older software into the modern day via preservation. However, the 3D will not support it as it requires a secondary chip, and the Nintendo 64 is wrought with developmental woes.

It has taken Analgoue three years to develop this hardware and the FPGA core, the piece of software that dictates how the hardware should operate. Even emulating the Nintendo 64 is still difficult. Using FPGA should ease this, as no other emulation layer is involved.

Previous consoles included the Game Boy and handheld focused Pocket, which supports OpenFPGA and multiple other consoles. It even brought back the first video game developed in the 60s, Spacewar!.

Others have also included Sega and Nintendo home consoles like the SNES and Mega Drive.

Analogue expects to launch the 3D in 2024, and there’s no price set. However, due to the boutique style of the Analogue range, expect it to sell out almost immediately.