Analogue 3D Revives the Nintendo 64 with 4K and VRR Support, Offering an FPGA Console for All N64 Games Without Emulation

Analogue, the company known for its FPGA console making, has just unveiled a new version of the Nintendo 64, the Analogue 3D, boasting 4K VRR capabilities. Now, if you’re deeply invested in the preservation of N64 classics and want to steer clear of the still-evolving world of PC emulation, the Analogue 3D might just catch your interest because it sidesteps the need for any emulation.

The term “FPGA” stands for Field Programmable Gate Array, and it’s crucial here because the folks at Analogue have meticulously rebuilt the Nintendo 64’s capabilities without emulation, promising flawless compatibility with the system’s entire game library. This approach mirrors what they accomplished with the Analogue Pocket for a variety of retro handhelds—but this time, they’ve set their sights squarely on the Nintendo 64.

Though the announcement leaned into some pretty extravagant prose, there’s definitely a solid market among those who treasure game preservation and vintage gaming hardware. Compared to buying and modifying an original N64 to include features like Bluetooth and 4K (VRR) output, Analogue 3D’s $250 price tag may seem like a bargain, particularly if you lack the know-how to mod the original N64 yourself.

The Analogue 3D shines as a modern rendition of the Nintendo 64, eliminating region locks and ensuring full compatibility with the N64’s game library. It runs everything as it was originally meant to be played, sidestepping the pitfalls of input lag and questionable enhancements frequently seen with emulation. For collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts, this could be a prized addition.

Analogue’s new console not only promotes wireless Bluetooth controller support but retains compatibility with original Nintendo 64 controllers and expansions—including Memory Paks, allowing you to easily transfer your old game saves onto this new hardware. They’ve also revealed a specially designed Bluetooth 8BitDo 64 controller, offering an Xbox-style layout for N64 games with the added benefit of hall-effect analog sticks, promising durability far beyond any original console sticks.

The console isn’t without its novelties. Its 3D OS introduces Original Display Modes to simulate classic CRT and PVM displays on today’s 4K screens, aiming to sharpen up the otherwise fuzzy image, enhanced by VRR support to smooth out the more jittery N64 games. While true CRT connoisseurs might view these claims with a healthy dose of skepticism, if Analogue can manage anything like the highly-regarded Original Display Modes found in their Analogue Pocket, it could really be something special.

It’s worth noting that the Analogue 3D does omit support for the somewhat rare Nintendo 64DD. However, enthusiasts can still access this through tools like the SummerCart64 flash cart, whether using Analogue’s console or the classic N64. Despite this, as a solution for modern N64 gaming, Analogue 3D looks very promising, especially with new N64 game titles still being developed.

Mark your calendars, as pre-orders for both the Analogue 3D and its companion, the 8BitDo 64 controller, are set to start on October 21st. The console is priced at $249.99, while the controller will run you $39.99.

Just a quick note: We’ve corrected a couple of errors we initially had with this article. The first versions mistakenly referred to the Analogue 3D as using “FGPA” instead of the correct “FPGA,” and misnamed it as “Field Programmable Grid Array.” These have now been fixed.