The Analogue 3D Is an Upcoming 4K Nintendo 64 Console
If the Analogue 3D is anything like the Analogue Pocket, expect an expensive, high-quality system.
The Analogue 3D will let you play old Nintendo 64 cartridges in pin-sharp 4K.
Analogue, creator of the well-reviewed Analogue Pocket, a high-quality handheld gaming system that can play cartridges from the Game Boy, Sega Game Gear and a handful of other systems at 10 times the resolution, is now putting a 4K twist on the Nintendo 64 with the Analogue 3D, the company said Monday.
Details on the Analogue 3D are slim, with Analogue withholding the console's looks, price and specific release date. What is known is that it'll come in 2024 and have 100% compatibility with the Nintendo 64 cartridge library across all regions, along with a 4K resolution output.
The Analogue 3D will also allow players to recreate the look of old CRT televisions, which is common in these types of modern-retro systems. Analogue also says the 3D will be able to recreate the look of PVMs, or production video monitors, high-quality CRTs that were used in television and film production.
Analogue say it's able to achieve 100% compatibility by using a hardware chip called FPGA, which is short for field-programmable gate array. As opposed to software emulation, FPGA allows Analogue to replicate the hardware of older systems at the transistor level.
The retro gaming market has seen an increase in value and popularity in the last few years, especially during the pandemic. Sites like PriceCharting, which track the sales of eBay listings for games, show that many titles, especially ones from Nintendo, are increasing in value. A complete in-box copy of Mario Kart 64 has seen values jump from $29 in 2009 to $100 in 2023. Speculators are also jumping into the market, spending millions on boxed copies of the original Super Mario Bros.
A glimpse of the 8BitDo wireless controller for the Analogue 3D.
As with retro gaming's newfound popularity, companies like Analogue and Hyperkin have been creating systems to play older titles on current televisions. The wave has also led to communities of modders creating hardware to bring older systems into the modern age, such as adding HDMI ports to Sega Dreamcasts or LCD screens to Game Boys.
As to potentially not run afoul of Nintendo or any other copyright holders, the Analogue 3D won't support openFPGA, a standard that allows third-party developers to make their own programs. Analogue also went out of its way to say the 3D doesn't infringe on any copyright or trademarks.
The Analogue 3D will also come with a modern-looking controller made by 8BitDo, as opposed to the clunky M-shaped controller that shipped with the Nintendo 64. Although, if you do have some old N64 controllers lying around, the Analogue 3D will have four controller ports up front for Super Smash Bros. fun. The Analogue 3D will also support Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity, presumably to link other controllers.