The PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 compatible Analogue Duo has been three years in the making.
We reported on the upcoming Analogue Duo way back in 2020, but supply chain issues and the knock-on effects of lockdowns acted to postpone the release of the NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 replacement.
Well, today it’s finally ready to pre-order, albeit in limited quantities.
Shipping with the device – which ships in 2023 – are a HDMI cable and USB-C cable, along with 18W fast charging worldwide USB-C power supply. The console is currently available in US and Japanese versions only – there is no UK/EU version. Orders are limited to two per person. 8BitDo controllers are also available.
Analogue hardware relies on FPGA rather than emulation, and the this console runs original media (CD-ROMs and Hucards). Consequently, it’s the closest you can get to the original console experience.
Full Analogue Duo Console Specification
The originally proposed features were as follows.
Compatibility
- HuCARDS & TURBOCHIP, CD-ROM², SUPER CD-ROM², ARCADE CD-ROM²
- Region Free
- Worldwide Compatibility (PSU: 50-60hz, 100-240 volts)
Video
- HDMI 1080p/720p/480p
- NTSC & PAL Support
- Lag free, zero signal degradation
Audio
- 48KHz 16 bit
- Digital audio via HDMI
- Headphone jack, 3.5mm with volume wheel
Special features of the Analogue Duo
- Original-style hucard/turbochip cartridge slot
- Original-style PC Engine controller port
- CD-ROM drive
- 2x USB for wired controllers and accessories
- SD card firmware updating [via Duo’s SD card slot]
- Bluetooth, 2.4g and 2 USB inputs
- Supports Analogue DAC
The website announced the console with the description:
Duo is the ultimate all-in-one NEC video game system. Duo features an original-style cartridge slot, controller port and CD-ROM drive. This means it is compatible with all game formats: Hucards, TurboChips, and CD-ROM. Plus the original hardware and accessories.
It’s a promising concept, and far from being vapourware, it’s one that is finally about to materialise. You can order the Analogue Duo now for $249.99 and expect it at your door later this year.
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