No, you read that right, a new Commodore 64 is coming, available at 3 price points, and looks absolutely insane.
When we learned of Christian Simpson/Perifractic’s audacious attempt to buy Commodore, I honestly thought it would be months at least before we had news of a new device.
Not a couple of weeks.
So, imagine my surprise when I logged on after a few days offline to find every website ever talking about the Commodore 64 Ultimate! In fact, I didn’t even believe it was legitimately linked to the new company until I saw the video was on Perifractic’s Retro Recipes YouTube channel.
What is the new Commodore 64 Ultimate?
The most important thing you need to know is that this isn’t an emulation system. There is no VICE to tweak, as everything should just work. Instead, it is based on an AMD Artix 7 FPGA (field-programmable gate array) chip. Essentially (and cutting out a load of tech speak), this is a processor that has been programmed to behave like a Commodore 64.
Amazing what they can do these days, eh?
Three new models are available:
- Commodore 64 Ultimate: BASIC Beige @
$349$299 - Commodore 64 Ultimate: Starlight Edition @
$399$349 - Commodore 64 Ultimate: Founders Edition @
$549$499
So, what can you get with the new Commodore 64?
- Compatible with 10,000+ original retro games, cartridges, and peripherals
- SID chip reactive colour-changing LED case and keyboard (not available on the BASIC Beige)
- Wi-Fi game transfer & USB “cassette” bursting with classic & new games
- Transparent keyboard circuit board to let the tech speak for itself
- Original C64 creator autographs etched forever into the mainboard copper
- Spiral-bound manual, glossy classic box, and more
- At least 99% compatible with all 80s/90s games, cartridges, and peripherals.
Meanwhile, the Starlight and Founders Edition systems offer some interesting additional features.
- Starlight Edition: Glowing translucent case
- Founders Edition: Limited to 6400 devices, plus:” 24k gold-plated badges, satin gold keys, a translucent amber case, commemorative Commodore gold seal ‘share’ certificate, “I Rebooted C=” tee, 24k gold Commodore badges ‘dog tag’ necklace, and a gold label holographic serial number sticker starting at 00000001″
No, you are not dreaming.
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New Commodore 64 specs
This is a fully updated Commodore 64, with RAM, USB support, and (we think) SD card storage, along with 1080p video and a 66-key mechanical keyboard.
Here’s the full spec list:
Core: AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA
Memory: 128MB DDR2 RAM, 16MB NOR flash
Video:
- 1080p @ 50Hz (PAL) or 60Hz (NTSC)
- HDMI-certified
- Virtually Zero-lag
- DVI-compatible via HDMI
- Analog via DIN-8: CVBS, S-Video, or RGB
Audio:
- 2 × SID sockets (6581/8580) with auto voltage and filter detection
- UltiSID octal core FPGA SID emulation
- SID-TAP header
Controls:
- Rocker switch (power, reset, menu, freeze)
Storage & Compatibility:
- USB thumbdrives: FAT, FAT32, exFAT
- File formats: .D64, .D71, .D81, .G64, .T64, .TAP, .PRG, .ROM, and more
- C64 OS support coming soon
- Original Commodore 64 ROMs will be included under license or via guided ROM setup on first boot
- ISO-9660 image support
- Integrated Ultimate-II+ functionality with tape emulation and DMA loader
Keyboard:
- 66-key mechanical
- Gateron Pro 3.0 55g switches
- Original C64 layout and shapes
- Full NKRO
- 70 RGB LEDs
- Industry standard stabilizers and wires
Lighting:
- Case and keyboard lighting thoughtfully integrated into motherboard and configurable via menu
- Adjustable patterns, speeds, brightness
That’s a pretty impressive build, and for an FPGA system, very nicely priced. Plus, the packaged ROMs mean you don’t need to worry about finding something to play. The future inclusion of C64 OS is also a nice touch.
You can learn more at www.commodore.net, where a whole host of merch and other hardware is available to order.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.