Retro gaming is an increasingly popular pastime, and with a load of different emulators and retro consoles available, there’s no shortage of ways to get your vintage gaming fix.
But Los Angeles-based Retroblox Inc. wants to bring all those options together in one virtual console that can act as the only retro gaming machine you’ll ever need.
Thanks to the on-board CD/DVD optical drive, users will be able to play games on CD from consoles such as the Sega-CD, PC Engine CD, and PS1 out the box.
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The console also allows players to slot in cartridges from classic consoles such as the Nintendo NES, SNES, and Sega Mega Drive (Genesis).
This cartridge functionality will require extra “Element modules” which add a cartridge slot along with a couple of controller ports to allow users to plug in gamepads from the original consoles.
And while swapping out modules isn’t the most convenient way to play your old games collection, the Retroblox is capable of copying ROMs from cartridges and CDs and storing them on an SD card as a “digital collection”.
As the company states (via): “In the interest of minimising the use of and further preserving classic games, RetroBlox does allow you to back up the games you personally own on physical cartridges or discs to the system in an iPod / iTunes type relationship.”
What’s more, the console will apparently work with all manner of cartridge, even those with on-cartridge graphics chips, which would make it the first emulation-based console capable to offer “full hardware compatibility with every game in [user’s] classic games library”.
Retroblox Inc has also provided a Full HD resolution so games should look pretty sharp. But for those that prefer a retro look, the console ships with “a suite of virtual displays which model the look, feel, geometry and tone” of old CRT displays.
There’s also some impressive connectivity options, which means you’ll be able to stream your gaming exploits directly to Twitch or YouTube.
At this point, the Retroblox is yet to hit Kickstarter, so there’s reason to be sceptical about the device’s future. The crowdfunding campaign is set to get underway in April, when pricing and specs should also be announced, so stay tuned.
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Let us know what you think of the Retroblox in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
