Oct 11, 2026 · @James

The ModRetro M64 is real, it’s out, and it’s the most serious rival yet to the Analogue 3D for playing original Nintendo 64 cartridges on a modern TV. After being teased by founder Palmer Luckey in March 2025, shown off at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo that October, and given a firm date in June 2026, it went on sale and started shipping on 28 July 2026 at $229.99.

If you’ve still got a shoebox of N64 carts in the loft and a 4K telly that makes your original console look like it’s being broadcast through porridge, this is the machine aimed squarely at you. Here’s what it is, what it does, where it falls short, and how to get one in the UK.

What the M64 actually is

The M64 is an FPGA-based recreation of the Nintendo 64 that plays your original cartridges and outputs to HDMI at up to 4K. It is not a mini console full of ROMs, and it is not a software emulator in a pretty box.

An FPGA (field-programmable gate array) is a chip that can be configured to behave like other hardware. Instead of a program pretending to be an N64, the chip is wired up internally to act like the N64’s own circuitry. The practical upshot is timing, audio and input response that behave like the real thing, rather than the near-enough you get from emulation.

At its heart is a 16nm AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA, which ModRetro claims is the most advanced chip ever used in a retro console. The core is built on the open-source MiSTer N64 core, which ModRetro is actively improving, and both the core and firmware are open source. Rather than the usual DDR memory, it uses four parallel PSRAM chips to keep latency consistent, which matters a lot when you’re trying to replicate a 1996 console’s quirks cycle by cycle.

ModRetro is the same company behind the Chromatic, its premium FPGA take on the Game Boy Color. The M64 is its first home console.

Features and specs

The headline is simple: original carts, original controllers, modern TV, no faff. The detail:

It comes in four standard colours: Clear, Purple, Green and AMD Red, all in that translucent late-90s plastic that ModRetro clearly knows its audience can’t resist. A fifth, “Smoke”, is a GameStop exclusive in the US.

Two things worth knowing for UK buyers. First, it’s region-free, so your PAL carts and any NTSC imports all work in one machine. Second, the plug twists off and swaps for a UK three-pin, so no rummaging for an adapter.

Some promised features are arriving later through firmware updates rather than at launch, including Chromatic video passthrough and Transfer Pak support.

Controllers, games and accessories

The console ships without a controller. ModRetro’s reasoning is that plenty of buyers already own N64 pads and shouldn’t pay for one they don’t need. Fair enough, but budget for it if you don’t.

Controllers. Your options:

• M64 Pro Controller ($89.99), a faithful recreation of the three-pronged trident with an aluminium body, a replaceable TMR thumbstick (no stick drift), Bluetooth SCI wireless, and a cable that plugs straight into the front ports. It also works on an original N64, PC and Android. It does not work with the Analogue 3D.
• Hyperkin Premium “Captain” wired pads, a cheaper colour-matched option.
• Original Nintendo 64 controllers, Retro Fighters pads, and the 8BitDo 64 Bluetooth controller.
• Nintendo Switch Online N64 controller, but only via an accessory, not directly.

Games. Beyond your own carts, ModRetro is publishing new physical N64 cartridges with boxes and printed manuals. The four launch titles are Xeno Crisis, Buck Bumble, Extreme-G: Turbo Fusion (both Extreme-G games on one cart) and Xibalba 64. UK readers note: several of these are NTSC-only carts, so they’ll run on the M64 or an NTSC N64, but not your PAL console.

AV adapter. For the CRT crowd, a $89.99 AV adapter converts the HDMI output to composite, S-Video and component. It’s on pre-order and due before Christmas.

The honest downsides

Reviews have mostly been warm, but not universally, and the gaps are worth knowing before you spend.

• Not every game is perfect yet. ModRetro publishes an open compatibility list, with around 276 games listed as having no issues at launch and a few dozen with known problems it’s working through via updates.
• Controller-connected accessories were a weak spot at launch, according to early reviewers, and that affected the M64 Pro Controller too.
• Picture quality divides opinion. It’s a clean upscale rather than a remaster, so 90s graphics still look like 90s graphics. Tom’s Guide found the Analogue 3D brighter and more saturated side by side, and was blunt overall, calling the M64 half-baked.
• The real cost is higher than the sticker. Console plus Pro Controller is roughly $320 before you’ve bought a game, and a used N64 still costs about half the console alone.
• Some features are promises, not products. Transfer Pak support and Chromatic passthrough are post-launch updates.
• The founder. Palmer Luckey also co-founded defence firm Anduril and is a polarising figure. For some buyers that won’t matter; for others it’s a dealbreaker. Your call.

Who it’s for

The M64 makes most sense for people who already have the games and care how they play.

You’ll love it if you:

• Have a decent pile of original N64 carts and want them on a modern TV without upscalers, mods or a nest of cables
• Care about input lag and accurate timing, especially for racers, shooters and anything competitive like GoldenEye or Mario Kart 64
• Own a mix of PAL and NTSC carts and want one machine that plays the lot
• Like flashcarts such as the EverDrive or SummerCart64 for your backups and romhacks
• Want four-player couch multiplayer again without hunting for working original hardware
• Couldn’t get, or didn’t fancy paying for, an Analogue 3D

Skip it if you:

• Don’t own any carts. Building a library from scratch on the second-hand market gets expensive fast.
• Want graphics that look improved rather than just sharper
• Already own a working N64 and an upscaler you’re happy with
• Just want to dip into a few classics now and then. Nintendo Switch Online’s N64 library is a far cheaper way to do that.

It also makes a solid gift for the 30- and 40-somethings who had an N64 under the tree in 1997 and still talk about it.

Where to buy in the UK

As of October 2026 there’s no official UK stockist, independent or otherwise, so buying means ordering from abroad. These are your two routes, both avoiding the big chains:

With no official sterling price, the landed cost will swing with the exchange rate. Once import VAT and handling are added, assume north of £200 for the console alone, and check the checkout total before you commit.

If a UK independent picks it up, it’s most likely to be one of the specialist retro shops rather than a high-street chain. Worth keeping an eye out before Christmas, when demand will peak.

So far the only places in the UK I can find that are selling it are https://flashbackretro.co.uk/ and they are 349.00 each ! whoah ! Oh and a Cash Generator store in Skelmerdale who have one listed at 130.00 that’s clearly pictured as s N64 which is wildy overpriced even with it’s cabes and 2 controllers. So not an easy find

Verdict

The M64 is the most accessible way to play original N64 cartridges properly on a modern TV, provided you already own the carts. It’s cheaper than the Analogue 3D, easier to actually buy, boots in seconds, takes almost any controller, and keeps getting better through updates. It’s not flawless: a handful of games still misbehave, some features are still on the way, and UK buyers pay the import tax on top. But if you’ve got the cartridges and the itch, it’s the one to beat right now.

Sources

• ModRetro M64 consoles
• CNX Software: M64 specifications
• Retro Dodo: ModRetro M64 review
• Retro Dodo: M64 controller review
• Retro Dodo: M64 AV adapter
• Tom’s Guide: ModRetro M64 review
• CGMagazine: ModRetro M64 review
• GamesBeat: M64 launch and pricing
• TechSpot: M64 launch
• 80.lv: M64 box contents and compatibility
• DragonBox: ModRetro M64
• Retro-gamer.jp: in-depth M64 review