The first pictures of the Evercade, a retro-oriented handheld console, have been released showing off the cartridges the system will use and announcing the first publisher to jump on board: Atari.
As you can see, the system features a traditional control template with the face buttons adopting the Xbox layout (or Dreamcast, if you prefer). It has a 4.3-inch screen and the ability to output to a TV via HDMI. We quite like the detailing and colouring of these renders and it’ll be intriguing to see how the finished product compares.
The first multi-game cartridge to be released will feature 20 classic Atari games including Centipede, Tempest and Missile Command, with further announcements of upcoming cartridges expected soon.
Prices for the console are split between the Standard edition which bundles one cart for £59.99 / €69.99 / $79.99, or the Premium version with three carts for £79.99 / €89.99 / $99.99. That’s a significant chunk of money to play some old Atari games, but may be attractive if the console performs well from an emulation perspective and feels comfortable to use.
Beyond the renders and the Atari announcement, the system’s vital stats remain as previously reported earlier this month. While its ability to connect to a TV might position it as a Switch rival, this is really a much smaller project with more humble – specifically retro – ambitions. While Atari’s endorsement is hardly a seal of quality, it’s admirable that the makers of the Evercade are eager to attract big names and we’re interested to see what other publishers they’ve got lined up.
Fans of old games will want to keep an eye on its progress, and purists will want to disable that ‘stretched’ 16:9 mode immediately. Our biggest criticism (well, our only criticism really) of the brilliant GBA SP is how easy it is to hit ‘L’ by accident and stretch GB or GBC games horribly to fill the entire screen. Frightful.
How does the Evercade look to you? Do you think these renders will reflect the final product? Share your thoughts below.